Neek+Ang: Zero separation

The past two weeks have been exhausting for me so I decided to turn the mic over to my husband for this entryI hope it blesses you the way it did me. - Angela

Over the past year and a half, I've spent nearly every moment of every single day with my best friend. There's absolutely no way I could define myself without her, and I would never want to. When the Lord said we became "One Flesh"on the day we were joined together in holy matrimony, it gave us a new identity under God which I've been more than delighted to embrace. It only makes sense that it seems as though I've spent my entire life with her and that I feel like a new man because I was also baptized on the same day we were married, which essentially is a new life and a new beginning, and WoW what a day! This is another reason I am so thankful for my wife, Angela, and her deciding to create this blog. Certainly a great way to connect and share our story with all of you, but selfishly it gives us an opportunity to look back on our days together and how faithful Jesus has been in our life. Reflection is something we've learned to do regularly together as it always leads to us praising God for what He has done, especially our latest blessing "Jincy Rose". So much of our praise and thankfulness also has come from us getting to spend every day together. We loved our "Zero Separation" rule until 2 weeks ago it was broken when my team decided to accept a last minute invitation to the Arab Club Championship Tournament in Rabat, Morocco (WEST AFRICA). Talk about bad timing!!! An hour away from Angela is too long for me, to leave her with Jincy only days old, 2 attention loving puppies, and on top of all that gone for two weeks. Not to mention the crises in the Gulf as well as all the hoopla about the E-Word (EBOLA) going on. As disappointing of news this was, Angela and I talked it over and immediately decided to pray and trust God to reveal His purpose in all of this. Not to ruin the end of the story, but thankfully it wasn't to take me out with the Ebola virus because I have lived to write about it.

If you could see Ebola, it would have been in the rooms of the first hotel we arrived at in Morocco. Our management immediately told us to get our luggage to leave and since our bus had already left we called a fleet of taxis to take us to a much better hotel nearby. (Pretty hysterical scene). Our new hotel wasn't as frightening, but to me there's nothing worse than horrible Wifi connection, which this hotel had. Maybe this trip would be about patience, but try to explain that to a wife at home with so much on her hands and no husband to help out or talk to. So I set out on my journey to find a better connection which I found down the street at a café which displayed full bars on my iPhone. I had a feeling I had been led there. Over the next 15 days this café became my humble abode.

The people working there were extremely nice and began to get used to seeing me. Every morning after breakfast I would walk to the café to call and check on Angela and Jincy, do my daily devotion and Bible study. I would return to do the same thing after our team practice and this would become my daily routine. I soon developed a friend in one of the waiters, an extremely hard worker and very generous with every customer. Turns out his name was Amin, pronounced "Amen". Go figure! He was recently married to his wife, who also works at the café, but they aren't able to live together because they can't afford a home yet, so they are "separated" and live with their families until they can save up to get their first place together. I could tell in his voice how badly he desired this, and his work ethic alone reinforced it. It reminded me so much of Angela and how fortunate and blessed we are for our time together. I told him Angela and I would be praying for him and his wife.

Games started a couple days after we arrived. Teams from Egypt, Palestine, Tunisia, Algeria, Lebanon, Morocco, Yeman, and several other Arab countries, 16 in all, were present at the tournament. I used to think only Europe had good teams, but basketball has become a global sport and this tournament has proven to me that there are legitimate players everywhere. I was ready for my first game back after a season away from playing. Somebody had to reap the havoc from all the work me and my then 7-8 month pregnant wife put in everyday outside, in our parents back yard, in 90 degree Tennessee scorching heat. Yes, Angela chased down, rebounded, and assisted every single shot I took this summer and put me through every single drill, all the while looking as if she had her own basketball tucked away. "Yes, she was there shooting with me in the gym!", which without a doubt explains the 36 point performance in the Semi-Finals, my professional career high, to help lead my team to the championship, which we won against the host of the tournament in a hostile environment. It felt good to be back and it made my return even more sweet winning the championship. As good as it all felt, nothing compared to the feeling of playing for Jesus and the opportunity I got to pray with my team mate, Marshal Henderson, before every game and after the ceremony of being crowned Champion's of the Cup. Marshall received the honor of most points scored during the tournament and it blessed me to hear him give God the glory for his performance and our teams victory. 7 games in a matter of days put my body to the test and one I couldn't have passed if not for "everyday" spent with Angela and her selflessly supporting my dream and all the while holding down the fort at home. Who can find a virtuous wife?

By this time everyone at the café had taken notice of who I was and why I was there because our games were televised. Not only had I developed a relationship with the waiter but by this time all of the staff from managers, to security guards and watchmen. They reserved my own "favorite" table as my own and after they closed the café they allowed me to stay after hours so I could continue to read and talk to Angela as long as I wanted, or as long as Jincy permitted I should say. Soon, Amin became curious about all the books I was reading and the notes he saw me taking, he thought I was a student at a university. I wouldn't say he was completely wrong but I was moved to share my Teacher, Jesus, with him and what He has done in my life and what's He's done for our marriage. He couldn't quite grasp why I would stop playing ball for a year, until I told him our conversation about Jesus is far more important to me than basketball. Amin must have told his colleagues about all we had discussed because they too came asking the same things. I began to realize the horrible wifi turned out to be a blessing after all, because it gave me an opportunity to share Christ, in an unconventional way of course, but who can know God's plan after all? We just have to trust Him to reveal His purpose in everything and respond in faith. I am just thankful Jesus got us through these two weeks apart and I returned to my beautiful wife and precious baby girl. Time away gave us time to come up with her nick name, Jincess, like princess only with a "J", meaning Jesus' princess. These two weeks have shown me plenty and as I reflect on it, nothing has changed, Jesus still gets all the praise and only deserves more. Not even a poor wifi connection can keep us from Him, no need for full bars only need to be full of the Holy Spirit. Once connected, adopt our rule, "Zero Separation".

Special thanks to everyone who has continued to pray for us and helped to check on Angela and Jincy while I've been away. I was strengthened from all your prayers in my return to the game I love to play. I once heard there's nothing better than doing something you love and to be paid for it, but there is something better, way better "To do something you love (With your wife) and to glorify Jesus' name", humbly I say, there's nothing greater than this!

God Bless,

-Dominic

I think my husbands words beautifully recapped the past couple weeks. But I must add that when I found out he would be leaving for two weeks I was not happy! Then my husband said to me "we just have to pray about it and ask God what He wants to show us during this time apart." Okay, now I was beyond unhappy, I was furious. My first thought was "how dare you think that anything good could come from us being apart for two weeks, especially me being alone with a newborn and two dogs in a foreign country!"

But after praying and seeking God's face in the situation as well as feeling the love, concern, and support from my husband everyday I was finally able to see that God did have a plan for this too.

He wanted to strengthen our marriage and use my husband to glorify His name as he used his God-given talents on and off the court in a way that would reach me, his teammates, new found friends in Morocco, and all of you who share this journey with us.

I couldn't be more thankful for and proud of my husband. Jincy and I (and teammate uncle Nana) got to watch his games on tv at a cafe where we made friends with the staff who are hopefully following the blog now too. It brought me so much joy to see his hard work paying off as he shinned and led his team to a championship.

God has a unique way of reaching us and using us to reach others when we allow Him to. I'm so glad my husband reminded me of that and took the lead on submitting our will to His once again. Jincy and I surprised him at the airport this morning and it was like seeing him in person for the first time all over again, magical, just like this journey The Lord has us on.

Thank you again for all the prayers, God surely had angels all around us during the past two weeks.