You Never Know
In 2013, after more than twelve years of planning and praying about moving our family to Zambia, we finally made the decision to go. Our church leadership fully supported us. At the time, I had written a children’s book called The Lonely Kafubu Hippo, and we were selling it to raise funds for one of our dear partners in northern Zambia.
As Christmas rolled around, our church prepared for its annual tradition—Kids Church takes over Big Church with a fun and meaningful skit. Over the years, I had acted in many of these, and during my time with the kids at Heart for the World, I had played more than 80 different characters. But in 2013, the church asked if we would adapt The Lonely Kafubu Hippo into a skit and tie it to the Christmas story of Jesus’ coming. So we did—and it was a blast.
Afterward, I came off the stage still in full hippo costume. The head was massive—at least two feet long, five times the size of mine—and the suit looked like a fat suit. Kids and friends swarmed for photos with the “Christmas Hippo.” As I made my way through the crowd, a sharply dressed gentleman I had never met before approached me. I noticed that he smelled really good and not a hair was out of place. I, on the other hand, probably smelled like a real hippo after three services
of jumping around in that suit.
He told me he had heard about our work in Zambia and had just sat through the skit. Then he said something that stopped me in my tracks: “I’d like to help make a way for your family to get to Zambia, we want to be part of it — and we want to
support your work there indefinitely.”
I was stunned. Overwhelmed. Grateful. I felt waves of emotion. It felt like a surprise answer to a decade-long prayer! It felt like confirmation that others were going to get behind our heart and work and plan for the young people of Zambia. It felt like relief too – that provision for the vision had arrived! Our dream was coming true and not only that, but it would also be sustained!
And it all happened while I was dressed like a 6’2” bearded hippopotamus!
That moment taught me something: you never know when God’s going to come through and surprise you. It doesn’t matter what you look like. It doesn’t matter what others think. Your job is to keep showing up. Keep doing what God has asked you to do with faithfulness. Keep surrendering the outcomes to Him. Be yourself. Do what’s in front of you. Do the small stuff, the silly stuff – all with great faith! He’ll surprise you.
Later, that gentleman told me, “I could never do what you did—dancing around in a hippo suit.” I laughed and said, “Well, I guess I have a unique set of skills.”
To this day, I’ll never forget that moment. One of the greatest answers to prayer in my life—and one of the biggest provisions from heaven I’ve ever received —came through someone I had never met (who’d later become a great friend), while I was wearing a hippo costume.
So, Lions and hippos alike – keep showing up. This might be your week.
You just never know.
“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us…”— Ephesians 3:20 (NIV)