How I Met Jacob

One Sunday night in 1977 we were having our Sunday evening service in the little church in Gweru, Zimbabwe. There were about 30 or so of us, and the service looked much like an American service would have for the same occasion. After a couple of songs, in walks a white family (we were mostly white, but not all) of mom, dad and 4 little kids, who marched right to the front row. They knew when to sit and stand, and they knew the words to all the songs. Of course we were very curious and eager to meet them! As soon as we were dismissed, I introduced myself, and the dad said, “My name is Jacob Michael; I preach for the church of Christ here in Gweru.” My immediate thought was, “no you don’t; I do.” But I said something more appropriate than that, and found out he was preaching for a Christian Church in one of the townships. They were American, not much older than us, and we became great friends; studied and prayed together a lot, and have been close ever since.

When we left Zimbabwe in 1980, Jacob and family were in Goiania, Brazil. We spent a week with them on our way back to the states. Through the years since, my dream has been to go back to Africa and work alongside Jacob.

One day in the spring of 2007, as I was driving to some appointment, my cell phone rang, and it was Jacob – calling from Mozambique. He said he and Jaynie (he married again) were returning to the states in the fall for 18 months, and upon their return to Mozambique at the beginning of 2009 they would be starting a new project in another area of the country, and they would like for Melonie and me to join them as team members. In the ensuing conversation, I said something about financial obligations and Jacob said financial matters are common to all of us and to trust God to take care of that part.

That’s what he said. Here’s what I heard. Fudge, you’ve been saying for 20 years that you want to go back to Africa. It’s time for you to put up or shut up. And you think you have financial problems to deal with – well isn’t that special! Who doesn’t? When are you going to learn to just do what you know you need to do and trust God to deal with the finances?

Hardly a day has gone by since then that I haven’t thought about going back to Africa.

(While they were in the states during that 18 months we were blessed to be able to attend the Christian Missionary Convention with them, and then to spend almost a week relaxing with them in the foothills of the Ozarks. That was a wonderful time of Melonie getting to know them and they her.)