hello to anyone and everyone. last month i spent some wonderful time in the lovely country of zambia. it is truly that…lovely. there was lots of hostel staying and 16 hour bus rides and a marriage proposal and a malaria scare (not to fret, it was just the bacterias) and a couple of good laughs and thanksgiving dinner. but since wifi is going to run out soon and my computer battery is quickly dwindling, i will spare you all those details and stories for another day and tell you about my favorite day. on this day i saw the faithfulness of Jesus come full circle. i saw that i serve a God who dreams a lot bigger than i do. on this day i saw Jacob’s Lifevision Home in Tree of Life Village in the city of Lusaka. what is this place you may ask? let me start by telling you a story…
on a sunday in october of 2012 i got a phone call from my mom….she’s crying hysterically saying, “they can’t find Jacob.” i don’t understand. jacob is my 18 year old cousin who i think of as my little brother that likes to prank and cause a ruckus on every family vacation and beach trip, who loves kirk franklin, who is always down for something dumb just so it can provide a good story later, who called me “christina agulara” for most of our childhood just because he knew how mad it made me. so i’m sitting on my couch in auburn wondering what in the world my mom is talking about. she begins to tell me about what happened that day. he had been at the lake with a bunch of his friends…they decide to go cliff-jumping…but when he jumped he never came back up…and the more she talks the more my heart starts racing and i am panicking and i feel like i’m dreaming and can’t get a grasp on reality. no. what are you talking about he hasn’t resurfaced? what do you mean they can’t find him? Jesus, what are you doing??? it’s ok. it’s going to be ok. they are going to find him. he is going to be fine. God knows where he is. this is going to be something miraculous. God, do you hear me, you have to intervene. You have to do something supernatural. he’s only 18. he’s fine. he’s going to go play football somewhere and keep being the same jacob. i wait all day for her to call me back saying it was just a scare or she got the details wrong or something. but i don’t get that call. instead, i get one that says they still can’t find him. so i fly to dallas. and we wait. and we wait. and the more days go by the more everything seems hopeless. and I’m confused. this isn’t what was supposed to happen. they were supposed to find him alive and well. but the more time i spend with his family and friends the more i begin to see God’s hand…the more i see that this is impacting a lot of people, that maybe his death would have more impact than his life ever could. i don’t know but God knows. so when they finally found his body days later, he wasn’t alive but he was well. and he was with Jesus. and there were tears and tears but there were also laughs and lots of celebrating a life lived hard and a life lived full.
so flash forward 2 years and i am in a taxi going to the home that jacob’s family and friends have built to house boys in zambia that need a home. we are driving to the village built by Family Legacy to be a refuge and a haven to children who need taking care of. and its super surreal. so i go into the house and all the boys are there. and i am introduced as “jacob’s cousin” and i feel pride swell at being called that name. each boy begins to introduce himself and hug me and the tears begin to well and i am recognizing these faces from pictures i have seen, and i keep thinking…”this is crazy…God, you did this.” we get a tour of this beautiful home, talk to the boys, take pictures outside, talk about how dumb jordan and preston are, and it’s time to leave. one of the boys comes up to me and says, “miss christian, can we pray for you?” o my. emotions on emotions. of COURSE you can pray for me. can I pray for you?? wo we gather together and i hear words dripping with love and sincerity and humility being given to the Lord and my heart is ready to explode. and the more i process and think about this the more i think, “YES, GOD, YOU KNOW. YOU ARE IN ALL THINGS AND THROUGH ALL THINGS.” why do i ever doubt? His plans come full circle. He is always moving, always working, always aware. i left that day thinking about how much i miss Jacob and his presence but not needing to feel sad because it’s all so full of joy. he is certainly not sad to be sitting in the throne room of Jesus. and look what a mighty Lord we serve. i got to see firsthand how He moves. bah, it’s beautiful. Jesus is beautiful. so, all I’m saying is that God is good. what’s new? He’s always been that way.
tryin to upload pics but my internet isn’t having it. maybe next time. peace and pout.
