BREAKING PROTOCOL
-Our Journey of Sunflowers and Rainbows-
By Angie Jennings
April 16, 2024
Being a Pastor’s wife means putting on your “game face” no matter how your heart feels. This was definitely the case in January, 2022. My husband, the pastor of our church, decided to still host a family of traveling evangelists known as “Kingdom Pursuit Ministries.” Honestly life was still in a blur for me as well as my husband, but instead of canceling, which would’ve been very understandable, he still invited this group to come minister at our church in Florida City using the field with a large circus type tent for outdoor outreach. Little did we know until this past February, that their lead Pastor, Matthew Eckart and his wife Nadine Eckart were concerned. Very concerned. What could they possibly offer to such a hurting Church? What could they possibly do to march alongside us during this horrible part of our journey? In addition, this was still one of the times that our county was considered one of the “hotbeds” for Covid. People still took it very seriously, wearing masks, carrying hand sanitizer like it was a lifeline, and of course, using gloves anytime something edible was touched that would be served. Nadine’s mother, Lisa Sawyer, certainly allowed Matthew and Nadine to Pastor as they saw fit, but it was obvious that she was indeed the matriarch of the group. And I do say that with the upmost respect for this lady. When we heard that the meetings would be outdoors under a tent. We were relieved because that meant less likelihood of germs but we absolutely shuttered at the thought of distributing hotdogs to the masses that came. I can still remember going into the kitchen and getting those disposable gloves and masks for their team to wear. I could see the look of confusion on some of their faces, but obediently they used them.
Well, that team has come to minister three years straight now. Each year it gets better and each year we grow closer to these sweet people. I know that Lisa is very observant. I asked her if she would prayerfully consider contributing to this project, even though she never read met our Rachel herself. I am honored that after she prayed about it, this sweet woman of God sent me her words. The first photo you’ll see at the end was from the first year they came. The second photo is from this past February, when the women of “the tribe“ gathered at the table in the back of our sanctuary where Juliette Fonseca Lam and I could personally speak about our journey, how God brought our lives together five years ago, where we are now, and be open for “no holds barred” type questioning. 
(contribution from Lisa Hooper Sawyer)
After….They say time heals all wounds and that through time eventually the initial pain will be forgotten. I disagree.
It isn’t the time that heals our wounds, and definitely the loss of someone is never forgotten. It’s the loving grace and mercy of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ that gets us to wake up every morning. It’s in those mornings when our heart is all in pieces and our soul has been beaten down, that God provides us that ray of sunshine through His word and His people.
I met Angie and Jeff a little over 5 months after the loss of their precious daughter, Rachel Jennings Lam. Having heard about all what had happened and then meeting them, I didn’t know what to expect. But first, let me explain. I travel with a revival ministry and we arrived early January 2022 to Florida City. This was the first time I met the Jennings family. Angie and Jeff were very kind and welcoming but there was a definite sign of sadness that resonated with them. As a parent myself, I could only imagine the grief they were experiencing. At that time, Angie shared her story of the entire ordeal of their daughter and how she was managing so far.
During this time, and throughout that week I saw two broken parents yearning for answers and yet continued praising God. I saw two people numbed by the pain of loss and still giving God praise for sustaining them each and every day. Since the initial meeting in 2022, I’ve been back to Florida City for two more revivals. When arriving in 2023, Angie shared how God had carried them by filling them with the right combination of encouragement and love through others at the times when the loss would sometimes be unbearable. In 2022, having never met Rachel, I could feel the loss and felt their pain. But with each new year since then, I could see by their countenance how God had provided avenues for Angie and Jeff to continue from their loss.
This last visit in 2024 came with an abundance of surprises. Rachel’s husband Fabio was getting married. I was extremely surprised but not surprised. Fabio is a beautiful young man that loves the Lord. It was obvious Fabio loved his wife Rachel with all of his heart. However, life still goes on and things do change. I could see that Fabio was very much in love with his new bride Juliet, but I could see how the change affected Angie. The “happily ever after” you want for your child, now being completely erased with a new unforeseen direction. This was consuming bittersweet struggle for happiness and grief for them. But GOD.
I guess to sum it up….We are all only promised today and how we choose to use this day we are promised can either bring you happiness or sadness. Angie and Jeff have chosen to focus on the good memories and share them with their granddaughter Abbie, Rachel’s daughter. They also help with others that may be experiencing this type of loss. When we decide to cherish each day, the good days, the good memories, and learn from the bad days, we are allowing God to direct our paths
He never said it’d be easy, but He did say He’d be with us as we hold His hand. Psalms 73:23
Rachel's Voice 