Jacob Acaye

Walking into Gulu town, tonight with Sarah Girl, Josh, and li'l feisty. We were looking for something different and I was going to take them to the Green Valley which is a little bar that has a little bit of a wild streak. As we have now been here a week or so, our headlamps were on just sporadically as we are getting better at negotiating roads in the dark. There was a crowd of Boda Boda drivers trying to get us to use their bikes for transportation, when I noticed one of them had the Cardinals Sunday hat on. I explained to him with a laugh that he was wearing the hat of my home village. We had not even reached the corner when some young men called out to us, and soon I was warmly greeted by Jacob Acaye in the dark. He had a huge smile on his face, and was so happy to see me. I think it was the Cardinals hat that spurred the meeting. Some of you remember two years ago, Jacob was wearing a Reds hat, when thanks to some great work by Rachel Kuehnle and Becky Dale, I was able to get him a Cardinal hat on the last day of my trip. We soon made plans to have our two groups go to a different place to hang out. There are times when I think we all have doubt about what we do, and sometimes I have my own doubts about Invisible Children, but when I see Jacob and know his story---then just maybe IC has done something quite remarkable. I am going to try to imbed a link here to Jacob's story. But here was a boy who was kidnapped at a young age, watch his brother get executed, and still smiles at you and greets you like he has always smiled and life has always been wonderful. I also wonder how many Jacobs we have lost, because we have sit by and watch genocide and atrocities happen. I wonder how many young boys and girls in Syria could be great lawyers in 10 years given the chance. How many young minds and young smiles have we lost to war and poverty ? But even when I think of man at his worst, I remember tonight Jacob's laughter, his hearty handshake, and embrace. Such a smile, such a young man, such a journey.... I am blessed to be his friend, and humbled that he is part of my life.