Jacob Goggins was born and raised in Hueytown, Alabama. Camelia Curelar Goggins was born and raised in a little village called Clopotiva, Romania. Jacob and Cami met in Alabama in September 2001. Cami was attending Bible school at Garywood Assembly of God Church where Jacob was a church member at the time. The story goes that Jacob loved Cami from the first time he saw her. She was the first and only girl that he had ever fallen in love with. The problem that he had was that Cami was enrolled in a nine month, no dating, Bible school program. The program was an academic and hands-on ministerial school that required the students to travel together all over the country. Therefore, dating relationships were forbidden to keep students focused and to keep relationship problems from developing. So, Jacob could not talk to Cami about the feelings he had for her. Nor could Cami share with Jacob any feelings she had for him either.
After a few months Jacob's feelings of love towards Cami had grown. He was in a pretty tough spot because he was not allowed to share his feelings with Cami at all. At this time Jacob did all that he knew to do about the situation. He began to seek God in prayer and fasting. One of the most daring prayers that he prayed was a prayer that would take him on journey that would change his life forever. Jacob recalls, " I remember praying, God if it is your will for Cami and I to be together than you will have to do it. I can't. I want to talk to Cami's father. I want to ask for his blessing. I don't know how to get to him. I don't know where he lives. I don't know how to speak his language. There is a lot that I can't do, but I know you can! If it is your will, you do it. If it is not your will, I will still trust you." So, with that prayer Jacob put it all on the line. He was where God wants us all to be, trusting Him.
In February of 2002 Jacob was invited by a missionary serving in Romania. God began to write the story. Jacob was surprised that out of all the people at church the missionary invited him to go to Romania to work with a missions team. So, he accepted the invitation. His hope was to meet Cami's father but still he didn't know how. In April Jacob and the Missionary arrive in Bucharest, Romania. He had no idea who would be waiting to pick him up from the airport. After customs and baggage claim Jacob followed the Missionary out to meet a young man that was waiting for them. It just so happened to be Cami's brother, Jonathan. Jacob was so shocked after being introduced to Jonathan. God was still writing the story.
The next day Jacob told Jonathan what he felt for his sister Cami and that he had been praying for the chance to meet his father. Jonathan was surprised and excited to help take Jacob on an eight-hour train ride to his home village in the mountains of Transylvania. Arriving on a Sunday, Jacob and Jonathan went to the small country church and after church walked to Cami's house to meet her family. After meeting the family and having dinner, Jacob had Jonathan translate for him and he began to share his feelings about Cami to her father. Jacob recalls, "I remember I was scared to death. I was sure of my feelings for Cami. But I wasn't sure if Cami even liked me or if she would think that I was crazy or if her dad would understand. I was not sure what to expect but I knew that I loved Cami with all of my being and I was willing to go to the other side of the world to make it know. The first thing I told Cami's father was that I was born again and I loved Jesus. I then began to tell him how much I loved his daughter and how my love for her could only be from God since I had never talked with her for more than a few minutes at a time. I asked for his blessing to begin a relationship to marry her. He gave me his blessing and then he brought the story to full circle. He showed me a picture. It was five of the youth from my church. I was in the picture also and someone had circled my face with a pen. Cami's father explained that he had talked to Cami some months before and had asked her jokingly if she had met any boy that she likes. He explained that Cami said that there was this one boy that she loved but wasn't able to talk to him. So, Cami's father said that is when I told her to send us a picture of him. So, this is the picture Cami sent me and she circled your face because she loves you too." When Cami's father told me that Cami loved me too it was the first time that I knew that she had feelings for me also."
God had revealed to Cami months before that Jacob would be her husband. Cami recalls, "I remember the night of New Years Eve 2001. Our youth group had gathered for a party and time of prayer. We were all outside about to shoot off fireworks and I felt something that I had never felt from the Lord before. I heard deep in my heart, as I was watching Jacob, "He will be your husband." I was shocked at this unexpeced thought. As my heart raced I felt it a second time. God so clearly spoke to my heart, "He will be your husband." I turned and went inside the house and began to pray. I had so many questions. How? When? I'm from Romania, he is from here, how? I immediately felt the peace of the Holy Spirit calm my racing heart and mind. I told the Lord then, You will have to do this." The Lord did just that. He had guided and directed the entire story. Jacob had no idea that Cami loved him and Cami had no idea that Jacob loved her too. God wrote the story. On September 15th 2002 Jacob and Cami Goggins were married in Romania. After 10 years of marriage and four children later they moved to Romania as full time missionaries. Now they have six children and God is still writing their story!