Dear friends, there have been so many changes in such a short time!  Thus the reason for a lengthy email.  However, I think you’ll be interested to read on about the significant events transpiring in my life...

1 Corinthians 2:9: “Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, and which have not entered the heart of man, all that God has prepared for those who love him.” 

Isaiah 43:19a: “Behold, I will do something new, now it will spring forth...”

Ruth 1:16: “For where you go, I will go, and where you rest, I will rest...” 

Earlier this year, out of the blue, I sensed the Lord asking me if I would be willing to put Swaziland on the altar. Meaning if He asked me to leave, would I surrender a people and place I love dearly to Him?  With much anguish & tears of course I said, “Yes Lord, I will obey, I must obey.”  Over time I understood that this was a test.  Little did I know what lay ahead...

The Sweet Sovereignty of God

On August 24, two days before our main event of the year (our annual Women’s Camp that Nelly & I do for nearly 100 cooks who serve faithfully at Childrens Cup’s CarePoints), a businessman visiting from the U.S. spoke at our staff meeting.  He was here to find out more about Cup’s ministry. 

The first thing that struck me about him was how he shared the Word.  The first thing that got his attention about me was my prayer at the end of our meeting.  Soon after the meeting, we talked for a while - no big deal... or so I thought!   

That day, as I went about preparing last minute details for our Camp, I couldn’t stop thinking about him.  This is not like me - especially after meeting a guy for the first time!   When I mentioned it to Nelly, my ministry partner & closest Swazi friend, she emphatically said, “As soon as I saw that he didn’t have a wedding ring on his finger I thought, that one is for my sisi!”

That night I called Julie, who I’ve known since college, and she said, “In all the years I’ve known you I’ve never heard you talk about someone like this!”

I ended my day by talking to the Lord, with the impression on my heart that this man was my “Boaz” (see the beautiful story in the Old Testament book of Ruth.)

And so Lonnie & Jacci’s story begins...  :) 

The 2nd day we spoke quite a bit between tasks (I’m showing great restraint here by not telling every little detail - let me know if you want more of the story!), and what I grew to understand was that indeed, the Lord was doing a new thing in my heart - and in Lonnie’s too!  That day ended by Lonnie telling me that he would email because he wanted to get to know me more.  The next day he was leaving for Mozambique and our three day Women’s Camp was beginning.  

During those next few days we both prayed a lot.  The day Camp ended (it was amazing, by the way!) there was an email waiting for me... and over the next two days,  we communicated quite a bit via email.  On the third day he asked if he could call me. By the end of that first day of calls, he shared his feelings with me.  He came focused on a mission trip and what he found was the "surprise" of his life!  He surrendered to this “distraction” he sensed was clearly from God.  He was in Namibia that week and we decided that before he left Africa, we would meet in Johannesburg, to see if there was confirmation of where we sensed the Lord was leading us.  

And so at the end of that week, Julie, her daughter and I spent the weekend in Joburg with Lonnie. In those 3 short days, Lonnie and I covered just about every significant topic we could fit in... the result was that we knew the Lord was leading us towards marriage.  

Meanwhile, equally as significant on the ministry front...

Children’s Cup has been experiencing some “pruning”.  John 15:2b: “Every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit.”  The pruning for us has been a painful process but we’re trusting the Lord in the midst of it all.  Two significant things happened:

1. Due to one of Cup’s major donors being led to redirect their focus in missions giving,   our leadership had to make some difficult decisions.  With 40% of our budget ending in December, seven key Swazi staff members had to be let go, we have to withdraw from five CarePoints (CP) and ministries were cut or cut back on.  The last two affected me significantly -  Murray Camp CP that I oversee is one that Cup is withdrawing from and Bomake/Womens ministry - the discipleship ministry Nelly & I head up, was cut.

2. The founder and president of Children’s Cup, Dave Ohlerking, was called home to be with the Lord on October 12th, just after his arrival to South Africa on his way to Swaziland.  We are grieved and at the same time rejoicing that He is in his heavenly home. He left a godly legacy and will be missed. 

In between all of this news, Lonnie returned to Africa for a visit.  He arrived October 8th and on October 9th, after he spoke to the young adults group at Healing Place Church Swaziland,he got down on his knee & asked me to marry him in front of 70 people!  Doing it this way was something he did out of sheer obedience to the Lord - this is not typical of him!  I of course said “Yes”.  The following weekend my precious friends had an engagement party for us with 70 people in attendance. It was a HUGE blessing to celebrate with loved ones here.

I want to say this concerning mine & Lonnie’s relationship: each step of the way, there has been peace in both of our hearts.  We’ve both taken time to seek both the Lord and wise counsel before continuing forward.  From both sides there has been overwhelming confirmation that we are to proceed.  When I first shared with my mom about Lonnie she said, “This is the man I’ve been praying for.  I always knew you’d ‘just know’ once you met ‘the one.”’

Though I was deeply grieved about the transitions in Cup, it was yet another confirmation for what the next step was - that my ministry was ending in Swaziland and that a new chapter was on the horizon: MARRIAGE.

After much prayer and seeking the Lord, Lonnie and I decided our new life and ministry would be based out of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where he is from & where Children’s Cup & their mother church, Healing Place (HPC) is based.  As you can imagine, this has been a painful process for me, having to lay down a people and place I love dearly.  It’s bittersweet really, and me leaving to be with Lonnie is the absolute kindest way the Lord could have moved me from Swaziland.  

Since earlier this year, I had tickets to return to the U.S. on November 22nd to be with family for the holidays.  We decided I would go ahead and keep the ticket and tie up my ministry responsibilities here before leaving, which is exactly what I have been doing over the course of the last six weeks since Lonnie returned to the States. My heart’s desire was to end well.  Last week after our final ministry gathering with women at Murray Camp CP, Nelly looked at me and said, “you wanted to end well... and we did!”  PRAISE GOD!  

The Lord has been so kind to show me some of the fruit from the ministry I’ve done in Swaziland over the last 4 years.  This is very much home for me, and both Lonnie and I feel connected to Swaziland and Cup.  I had hoped to have our wedding in Swaziland, but we decided to go ahead and marry in my birth place of San Antonio, Texas on January 8, 2011!!  We’re saving “the best for last” and will return to Swaziland in April for a full-blown Swazi Celebration!  

So, as  you can see, life has been quite full!  Though we’ve been an ocean apart during most of our relationship, Lonnie & I continue to grow together - but we’ve had to be intentional in doing so.  I’ve been fully present here with my Swazi family, and therefore communication to “the outside world” has been extremely limited.  Thus, the long & overdue story to catch you up on the major events going on in my life & ministry. 

Would you please continue to pray with Lonnie & I on this journey as we move ahead one step at a time, following the path our Lord leads us.  We both have a heart for the Lord, for the nations, for missions & for prayer.  

Keeping my eyes set on Jesus, 

Jacci Z. (soon to be Bickford!)

PRAYER REQUESTS:

1. Lonnie’s mom, Juanita, was just diagnosed with cancer end of last week.  We’re still waiting on test results to find out specifics, but of course we are asking the Lord to heal her. 

2. For my transition back to the United States & into my new “ministry role” as wife.

3. For the time leading up to the wedding - that all the details would easily fall in place, that the process would be stress-free and above all, that the Lord be glorified in our wedding & in our marriage.   

Hello dear friends and family!

"And He will be the stability of your times, a wealth of wisdom and knowledge..."  Is. 33:6
The Lord has been speaking to me a lot through the book of Isaiah.  It's been a comfort to know that He indeed
 is the stability of my times, especially with the heaviness of the shepherding ministry I do in Swaziland & the 
many transitions in missionary life.  

LET ME CATCH YOU UP WITH SOME HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE PAST FEW MONTHS...
At the end of April, the Lord blessed us with an amazing Bomake (women’s) camp - He far 
surpassed any of our expectations & made all of the work & faith-stretching worth it! See blog below! 

MAY
* I was in Johannesburg, South Africa for a few days.  The day my friends & I were 
heading back to Swaziland, the vehicle we drove was STOLEN, 
along with our laptops & personal belongings (Bible, keys to my house, suitcase, clothing, purchases, etc).  
The vehicle belonged to my friend's organization & it was taken from a busy mall parking lot in broad daylight!

* Later that month, all of Children’s Cup staff served at a SWAZI PASTOR'S CONFERENCE 
hosted by Cup.  It was a good turn out and the 
pastor’s were encouraged to press on & try new things in their ministry.  

JUNE  
* I spent PREPARING myself & fellow staff (Nelly & Karabo) for my visit to the U.S. and 
saying good-bye to the cooks at our Care Points - we minister at 17 different ones.    

* I also concentrated on preparing a group of 5 Swazi women ("D2 Bomake") who began going around with 
us to minister to their fellow cooks. We started meeting earlier this year & discipling them 
has been one of my GREATEST JOYS!  

* I arrived in the U.S. at the end of June to craziness - 4 states in 10 days! A visit to 
meet one of my best friend's new BABY in MN, a cousin's WEDDING in CA 
& Ripe For Harvest STAFF CONFERENCE in AZ before heading to TX to be in another cousin's 
WEDDING! 

JULY
* TEXAS this month with Mom & family there.  After the wedding excitement I was able to 
get some down time & much needed rest.  

AUGUST
* CALIFORNIA to visit Dad, family & friends there.  We made a trip to AZ, then I made my 
way up to Bakersfield, CA to visit my 17 yr. old sister, Danielle, who just had a KIDNEY 
TRANSPLANT in June.  Praise God, she's doing well!  I was able to hear her speak at 
church, giving God the glory for how He had worked in her life through her illness these 
past 2 years.  

SEPTEMBER
* I just arrived in MINNESOTA to visit my home church, friends & ministry partners.  I'll 
also be going to IOWA in early October to visit a partnering church there.  

** For those in MN, please CHECK BACK TO SEE DATES for when I'm planning get togethers!

While I'm glad to be in the U.S., I miss Swaziland & my loved ones there! 
* Please PRAY that the Lord's purposes would be accomplished in me & through me while I'm 
here. 
* PRAY for my co-laborers in Swazi, that they would be strengthened & encouraged to press on.  

I'll end with a verse the Holy Spirit gave me to meditate on, from ISAIAH 25:1.  I pray 
it's a blessing to you:
"O Lord, You are my God; I will exalt You, I will give thanks to Your name; For You 
have worked wonders, plans formed long ago, with perfect faithfulness." 

With love, Jacci / Sibongile (- my siSwati name!)