HEYYYY!!!

So as you can see I’m really good at updating this thing! I mean my last post was like 5 months ago. So yeah, it’s been a goooood minute since I’ve have let you guys know how I’m doing. Most of you probably already know or don’t care your just reading this because you have just about facebooked yourself to death. And I only know about that because I pretty much facebook myself to death everyday. Yeah…so anyways I will stop wasting your time and get down to business on this thing…

Man when I came back to school after getting home from Ethiopia I was fired up. You know I had that “just got home from a m trip kinda spirit” you all know what I’m talking about. Like you have big ideas and you want to do amazing things for Father and you’re just trying to get them from your head and in to action. I’m sure you have all been there at some point. Well that’s where I was…pumped up and ready for this semester, excited to see what the Father was gonna do in and through me. Excited to see how he was going to stretch me and teach me and mold me and break me and just live through me. So not long after being home I was called up by a church in a neighboring town and they wanted me to come and lead their youth in studying the book once a week. So after meeting with them on a Sunday afternoon and pr-ing about I felt Father calling me to accept their offer. So that’s what I did. Once a week I would be leading a group of about 15 teenagers. I was excited about this and pumped for the opportunity that the Father had given me. So I started that and everything was going really well. In September one of my college groups had a conference thing in Arlington and I was able to go there and see like 15 people that went to Ethiopia with me. Father really worked in me there and just refreshed my spirit and got me just a little more excited about the semester. To be able to come together with the people from Ethiopia was so good…I was able to talk about my summer and joke around and they knew exactly what I was talking about. I didn’t have to explain all the inside jokes and why certain things were weird because they were there and they knew. So it was just really good to get to see them. Do you ever think that God just sits up in Heaven and laughs at us as we living out the things he planned but have no idea what’s ahead? I mean one simple moment or conversation can change and affect so many things down the road. And Father knows that because he is the one who plans it out. So yeah…I was rooming/sharing a bed with a girl named Rene. Now Rene used me a little last semester for half price food at Chili’s and stayed at my lake house once so she could ride jet skies and what not. But after those two encounters with Rene I never really saw her again. Granted I went to Ethiopia so it was kinda hard for us to hang out…I still find it funny that we actually did hang out a couple of times last semester but I really had no idea who she was. So anyways back to this bed sharing thing…the first thing I tell her while getting into the bed is I hate touching people when I sleep and luckily she was the same way. We hung out a little more on the trip. We returned home on a Sunday and on a Wednesday we randomly shared our stories with each other, realizing that we had a lot in common about our past and present and where we wanted Father to lead us. After that day not many days have gone by that I haven’t seen Rene. In a very short time we became very close. This is crazy to me because I normally am not very open with new people. But God had a plan. He wanted us to be friends because for the remainder of the semester things happened and we were so grateful to have each other to lean on. That’s why God makes me laugh, he knew that after rooming together that one night that we would become great friends because we were going to need each other later down the road. As the semester went on from there I have had good days and bad days. I honestly feel like the bad has been out weighing the good lately. I have gotten far from Father. Its easy for me to slip away from Him when I get down. Probably if you saw me you wouldn’t think that anything has been wrong. I put on this mask everyday like everything is okay...like life is loli-pops and rainbows. When really inside I’m screaming out for something…for feeling…for a passion…to be real. Things that use to excite me aren’t as exciting anymore, things that I use to have a desire to do have faded away. And I don’t really have a reason for feeling this way. But its how I have been feeling. I know that the Father is all I need and I am coming back to Him. I have running an “E” this last few months, just barely getting by. But I want to be full again. I want to be overflowing with his spirit. So I write all this not only to update you on where I am but to ask that you be in pr for me as I’m coming back to him. That I don’t lose my passion for Him again, that I can be devoted to getting in the Word daily and being on my face daily before Him. So thanks for reading all this. And please let me know how I can be pr-ing for you. I love yall.

In Him,
Jordy

Where the spirit of the Lord is...There is freedom

Well sorry for not updating in so long. This past weekend we were out of town camping so there was no net access. I’m trying to remember what has happened since my last update but a lot of the last few days kinda seem like a blur. Lauren and I did have the opp to go to Astars house and eat lunch and do the coffee ceremony. It was really fun. Pr that we have opps to share with her in our last week’s here. She is orthodox. I also had a chance to share with Michael about baptism. I told him that he should begin pring about it and when he feels ready to let us know. So be in pr for him. So I mentioned earlier that we were out of town this past weekend, we left Friday and went camping for the weekend. It was really cool to see some of the country side. It is like night and day compared to the city. We got to climb this mountain thingy which was really cool and on top of it was a small village. And there were lots of kids up there. It was good to get out of the city for a few days and be able to breathe some fresh air. Well in less than two weeks I will be home. This week is our last day of classes. Today was our last official day of class because the next time our classes are supposed to meet we are taking them out to eat. Just be in pr that although we are coming up on ending our time here that we don’t forget our reason for being here and finish strong. Plz be in pr for our relationships with our students and that we take advantage of every opp we have to share with them. Leaving this place is going to be hard for everyone here. Plz start pring for us now that we have an easy transition back to the states. Also there are two girls here that have been here for two years and we have become super close with them. They will return home about a month after we do. If you could plz be in pr for them because I know that leaving a place after two months is crazy hard…I can’t even imagine what I would be thinking if I had spent two years here. So plz just begin pring for them and the huge transition its going to be for them. Thanks so much for calling out for us. You have no idea how much your prs are appreciated.

What if His people pr-ed?

As i sit here and type this post i can't begin to explain the excitement that has filled my body. I wish to express to you just a little bit of the joy i am feeling right now. I hope that you will rejoice with me when i share this awesome news with you. and i know that you will because you have been pouring out prs for this situation. in all of my previous posts i have asked you to pr for Michael, or in some post i refered to him as M. right now there is a team here from Houston and tonight they did a concert at the ERC, which Michael attended. during the music Father spoke to Michael and revealed to him that J.C is the the ONLY way. during one of the breaks he talked to Denae and shared with her the new light he had found. he told the guys that were leading the songs that he had something to say and they let him. so he got on the mic and led us in a worship chant thing. He said "Come back to us J." and we said "come back." after we did this several time he said "J.C. is the only way." at this point no one had the chance to talk to him very much about this yet, all this was given to him by Father. We are not sure if he pr the pr, but we know from what he has told us that he is def. a believer. So plz rejoice with me because you too have played a major role in this by pouring out prs for him.

Our Unity girls came over for lunch today and to watch wizard of oz. we had a really good time getting to just hang out with them. They really enjoyed the movie. Be in pr for them and that we are able to build some solid relationships with them. all the girls are really great and just fun to be around. also one of them, Mercy, has a kidney infection. she is a believer. but plz be in pr for her.

so today was just an amazing day. Father is at work here and I'm so honored that he has called me by name to be a part of it even though i am not worthy at all.

Things to pr for:

Continue to be in pr for our ERC and unity Students
Say a special pr for our new brother Michael....holler

Endashaw is still seeking hard...continue to keep him in your prs

For Father to continue to do amazing things all for His glory

Mercy for her kidney infection

and for all the full summer peeps, we just reached the half way point and we need to finish sprinting.

Thank you so much for you prs...i hope that you find it encouraging to hear that Father is hearing you and that we gained a new brother today.

Jordy

The first pic of the guy up there is our new brother michael!!!

Ja-maken-me-crazy...

Well since i last posted things have been pretty good. Saturday my friend Elias took me to get a bracelet like one that he has because every since i first saw his i wanted it. So Melissa and i met him on saturdy morning. He is a tour guide, and where the president lives was kinda on the way to the the bracelet place so he took us by there and told us a lot about the city and the culture. Then after we got the bracelets and did a little more shopping the area we went and grabbed some pizza. He is a really nice guy and i was glad that i got to spend the day with him. as far as i know he is not a believer so be in pr for him. i will get to spend more time with him throughout the summer because he comes to the ERC. He loves reagee music and i have some ch reagee music and he wasn't me to make him a c.d with it. so pr that father might speak to him through the music also. Monday we had our class at unity with the girls and then we went and hung out in their rooms for about an hours then we had to head to the ERC for our night class. Elias was there when we got there so i got to spend about and hour with him just talking before i had to teach. During class we did some discussion stuff and i got to share with two girls during class. one of them is believer and the other was not. she girl that was not was very open to talking and hopefully next week i will be able to meet with her and share more. Today we got to go to the somali area of town and eat some food. this is the second time we have got to go and the food is so good. you eat it with your hands as you can tell in the pic. it is very messy. then tonight at the ERC we had a special game night so i just went and hung out and played some games with the members up there and got to talk Elias also. then after it was over me melissa and 4 of the guys that work at the ERC went out to dinner. 3 of them are believers. it was just a good time to fellowship and talk about life. tomorrow i am meeting with another girl from class that is not a believer. we are going to eat before class so hopefully i will be able to share with her. her name is Aster so be in pr for her plz. and thursday the girls are supposed to come over and eat lunch and watch wizard of oz so hopefully this week it will be possible. all the people here are so nice. most of the nationals love having americans in their country so they are always looking out for you and trying to help you when you look lost or whatev. so yeah that all i got for now.

Things to pr for:

The students in our ERC class, some main names, Aster, Micheal, Indeshaw, Ashawnafe, and Gera.

Our students at Unity

The p walking team that is here

Soft hearts

Team Unity.

Ok i will explain the pics a little:

The first one is a pic of us eating the somali food.

The second one is a pic of my buddy Elias

The third is a begger

The fourth one is Aster

Jordy

P.S. Happy Birthday Mom!!!

Plans....whats that?

well i know everyone back home is wondering what happened to the monkey. we found him a home. one of the members from the ERC took him so hopefully that means i will get to see him again. and i did a little research, i can't bring that one back to the states but if you would like to purchase me one, they are only $2,500-$5,000. so plz if the father lays it upon your heart to buy me monkey feel free to do so.

today we went to the school that one of the m's son goes to. the lady that runs the school got like a million books and wants to set up a library. but she has been too busy with other stuff to get started on it so denae, lauren, and i went to help her. basically all she wanted us to do today was put them in categories. some of the books can be checked out and others are for the library only. then there is a wide variety of books so we put them in a category according to the type of book it was, for instance, science, math, story books, etc. well about and hour and half into the work i started feeling bad. then i got sick and had to come home. but for the most part i am better now.

so in my last post i mentioned that our 15 students were supposed to come over and watch a movie. well this is ethiopia and nothing happens as planned. about 9 that morning we got a call saying that we needed to come to the school that day because the donors were having meetings with the girls and they wanted to meet us. well when we arrived at 2, which is when class starts, the donors were not there so we started class. after 15 mins into class they got there and the girls had to leave to go have a meeting with them that we were not invited to. but the donors wanted to meet us so we had to hang around until the meeting was over. after the meeting and we met the donors we got to finish class with the girls. we have planned the movie day for next Thursday so hopefully it will happen this week. the next two days are kind of resting days so just be in pr that father re energizes us for the coming week.

Top 10 things I love about this place:

1. My friend bought a monkey of the street for $10 USD
2. Plans do not exist here
3. It is normal to go to a pizza restaurant and they will not have any pizza
4. It rains everyday
5. If you order a hamburger, its basically some meatloaf stuff on bread
6. They have a Kaldis, which is the Ethiopian version of Starbucks
7. Some people try to rip us off because we are white
8. A guy on the mini bus thought Lauren didn't speak english
9. Just about every time we get on a mini bus we are in the very back corner, we think its because we're white
10. You have to climb 6 flights of stairs to get to our apartment, but the sign def. says 4th level. yeah im not sure how that works out.

Things to pr for:

Relationships with students

E and M from our ERC class

our 15 girls

soft hearts

that father speaks through us

our health, energy, and all that good stuff

Thanks for the prs friends. Love and miss yall

Jordy

Holy Monkey!!!

Me just chillin' with a monkeyHe was trying to get his sleep on
"Man this banana looks good"

So yeah this is a monkey...he is pretty much amazing!!! my friend bought him off the street for 100 birr, which is equal to about 10 US dollars. since we have no place to keep him they are going a little outside the city tomorrow and setting him free. But i do have to admit...he sure did love me!

But on a more serious note. Tuesday Lauren, Melissa and I took two of our students out to eat. one of the girls was a mus. and the other Orthodox. we had a really good time just being able to hang out with them outside of class. father has really placed the mus girl on our hearts so be in pr for her as we try and speak truth to her. for the average mus it is a 3-7 yr journey before coming to faith. so pr that as we speak truth to her she is open to what we are saying. Tomorrow, Thursday, instead of going to class the 15 girls are going to come to our apt. and we are going to cook them lunch and watch a movie. a few weeks ago we did a story over the wizard of oz and they have never seen or heard of it so we are gonna show it to them. we are really excited to get to spend extra time with them and just hang out.

So things to pr for:
Our friend that is a mus
that the time we spend with our students is effective for the kingdom
E and M from our ERC class
On days that we are weak that we seek fathers strength
and for father to move in this land and for the people to realize that he is all they need.

Thanks so much for the prs. its so encouraging to know that people on the other side of the pond, haha Amanda, are calling out the father for us. I love and miss you guys.


Jordy

Picture

The first pic is of us playing a game that we taught some of the students at the ERC.

This is a pic of us and some of our girls at Unity, all 3 of them are believers.

This is a pic of me with two of the employees at the ERC.

This is Lauren and Mimi at the ERC. When we did our house visit thats whose house we went to and she taught us the mini bus routes.

The next one is Lauren and Melissa. Melissa is here to do sports stuff and she also teaches one class with us at the ERC. She is my room mate.

This is some donkeys walking up the hill we went up that over looked the city. In the background is WOMEN carrying down sticks on their backs to be sold at the market.

This is a guy begging in the street.