Upcoming Trip to Guatemala

This January, I will be heading to the Guatemalan highlands for three months.  In the 1980s, the people there were caught in the middle of a terrible civil war.  Both the Army and Guerillas turned against them and they are still recovering to get back on their feet to this day.  These villagers live in poverty, sustaining themselves mostly on corn.  Education is a huge need, with the majority of the people unable to read or write.  There are several non- profit organizations on the ground in this region all doing tremendous things.  I will go down representing WIND of God Ministries.  WIND is an acronym for When It Needs Doing.  The organization began in early 2007 when on a vision trip, the four founders (including my parents) visited with Mike and Sharon Harvey of ASELSI at their training center in Chichicastenango.  Sharon told them of a vision of God’s mighty “wind” blowing through the region, breaking down the strongholds of despair and pouring forth His love and His Word into the hearts of the people.  

Since WIND of God Ministries has been established, a little Bible institute near to closing its doors has seen an explosion in enrollment.  Qualified teachers are being put in place, and God’s Word is being taught to pastors and lay people alike.  My dad gives some perspective after watching a student graduate from the Bible program:  

“Jacinto Perez has been the pastor of the Methodist Church for six years. He is a married man with six children. Every Sunday and Wednesday, in front of 50 – 60 of his flock, he preaches a sermon at his church. He is a man of very little education whose only requirement for acceptance into the program at Jorai was the ability to read (some) and write (some). His education the last three years at Jorai is the only formal education he has ever had. The degree he received, the Diplomado, is the equivalent to a sixth grade education. The Diplomado program offers very basic fill-in-the-blank Bible teaching. It is provided to pastors and individuals in the church who wish to obtain a greater understanding of the Bible. It does not offer any deep theological training. For Jacinto, the past three years has opened his eyes to the Bible which he has been teaching. By any standards of man, he is under prepared to lead his growing congregation. He remains hungry to learn more, but his economic situation does not make this possible. Through WIND, he was able to get some initial training and has a strong desire to continue if finances make it possible in the future. He sends his deepest appreciation to all the WIND supporters, and as he looked at us with emotion of the day written on his face he said, ‘You are an answer to my prayers.’”

WIND of God is in need of support to continue its role in providing education to church leaders like Jacinto as well as responding to other needs in this community.  While I’m there I will get to know pastors in the program and record their stories.  I will look to volunteer at a Christian school in the area.  I will provide a liaison and a face for WIND of God in the community while raising awareness of the needs to supporters in the United States and around the world.  Most importantly, I will go down with the heart of a servant and see where God leads me.  Please pray for Sharon Harvey’s vision to come to pass, that His love would continue to break the bonds of despair.  Pray for me, that I would be God led and not lean on my own understanding. I understand that dollars are tight in this troubled economy; if you wish to support me financially please know that any gift, however small, is greatly appreciated and helpful. WIND of God Ministries is a 501c3 non-profit, and all donations made are tax deductible.  If you wish to donate please send a check, made payable to WIND, to the address below and attach a note indicating it is for my support (please do not put my name on the check).  Three months of living and travel expenses in Guatemala will cost around $2000.

You can learn more by visiting http://windofgodministries.blogspot.com or http://www.windofgod.org

WIND of God
259 Coyote Lane
Lopez Island, WA  98261

All for His Glory,
                  Jordan

When You Feel that God Cannot Use You...

Here is a bit of encouragement from Action International founder Doug Nichols:

"When you feel God cannot use you, it is helpful to remember that Noah was a drunk, Abraham was too old, Isaac was a day dreamer, Jacob was a liar, Leah was ugly, Joseph was spoiled, Moses had a stuttering problem, Gideon was afraid, Sampson had long hair and was a womanizer, Rahab was a prostitute, Jeremiah and Timothy were too young, David had an affair and was a murderer, Elijah was suicidal, Jonah ran from God, Naomi was a widow, Job went bankrupt, Peter denied Christ, the disciples slept through prayer, Martha worried over everything, the Samaritan woman was divorced more than once, Zacchaeus was too small, Paul was too religious, Timothy had a stomach problem, and Lazarus was dead.”

"But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, so that no man may boast before God” (1 Corinthians 1:27-29, nasb).

Walking the Path You Can't See

Behind my apartment, there is a tiny trail that shoots up a hill.  From there is a trail system that almost nobody knows about, unless you happen to live close by.  I have had many walks on those trails but some of my best walks happen at night.  As I go up the hill, the darkness envelops me until I can't see anything.  I walk the trails without being able to see where I'm walking, just trusting I'm still on the path.  I start out walking very slow.  I am unsure of the path and don't want to take a wrong step.

As my eyes adjust to the darkness and my feet find good footing, I begin to see the path.  It is not clear like in the day, but I see enough that I begin to walk with confidence.  I can make out the tree branches where I need to duck, the roots that could trip me up, or the fallen tree that I need to step over.  On these walks God teaches me about the eyes of faith.  "For we walk by faith, not by sight." (2 Corinthians 5:7)

At first you stumble around in the darkness and you are unsure of every step.  But with practice and action, the trail becomes more clear and the journey is breathtaking.  You are confident because God is with you, you know He is by your side.  You feel His presence so clearly.  But you have to start walking first.  Those first few steps of faith will be like walking a narrow path in pitch black.  But as you take each step of faith, your spiritual  eyes will adjust and you will begin to see the path that God has prepared for you.

Thoughts from a Graveyard

Sometimes, to clear my head, I wander somewhere in the outdoors.  One day a while back, I was wandering through a graveyard close to where I live.  I had been studying the book of Ecclesiastes at the time and it played heavily in my thinking as I sat down and began writing:

"Love knows not its depth until the hour of separation" - A random gravestone in a graveyard

The older gravestones have no flowers.  A generation passes and these people are forgotten by the world.  There is nobody left to remember them or how they lived.  Everybody they had known in their life are now gone with them.  Vanity.  Our time here is only borrowed.  We are here for a short time and then we die.  Everybody I'll ever come in contact with will die with me.  Whatever difference I make in their lives, they will still die like the rest.

We can't handle that.  Something in our souls pine for eternity.  Death in this world is a certainty.  But what of our souls?  Every face is different.  Every personality.  The Lord meant something specific when He made each of us.  Our souls long for freedom but we are trapped in these decaying bodies.  Jesus overcame death and raised others from the dead!  While many things have been forgotten by the world, this has not.  His resurrection sparked a revolution that continues 2000 years / 25 lifetimes later!

Back Log

It has been over five months since I've written here.  But I have been writing plenty in my journals.  I will share some things from there for a few weeks to get me back in the habit of updating this blog.  Sometimes, there is so much I want to share that it feels overwhelming and then I don't share anything at all!  But I will start small and humbly with this little post and we will see where this blogging goes from here. ;)  

I am leaving for Guatemala on January 12th.  Look for information on that too!

The one thing God is after...

God does not NEED your money.

Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's and to God the things that are God's. 


God is not concerned with the amount of your giving.

Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all; for all these out of their abundance have put in offerings for God, but she out of her poverty put in all the livelihood that she had.


God is not concerned with great works of men.

Though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor and give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.


God is after one thing, your heart.

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 

Stop concerning yourself with your works because God's not.  Stop putting the weight of the world on your shoulders and make sure your heart is right with the Lord.

Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a pharisee and the other a tax collector.  The pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men - extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. 'I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.'  And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying 'God, be merciful to me a sinner!'   I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other.

I say all this as a reminder to myself but I hope others will read and be reminded as well.

Stop trying to do good things.  Let love and peace of Jesus fill you up.

Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this: 
He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.



**Scripture verses:
Luke 20:25
Luke 21:3
1 Corinthians 13:3
Matthew 6:33
Luke 18:10-14
Psalm 37:5-6,

3:00 Northgate

I am angry.  The walls of my apartment suffocate me.  I yell at God.  Why?  What's the point?.  Some things don't ever seem to work out for the craziest reasons.  Now I begin to wonder if God isn't toying with me.  I sit angrily by my bed, refusing to sleep until God gives me some sort of answer.

3:00 Northgate

That pops up in my thoughts.  I wonder where it came from.  Usually these random thoughts, I don't heed.  But this time, I had to know, what happened if I listened?

The next day, I drove down the interstate.  I park my car at about 3:05 on a street near the bustling Northgate mall.  Now what Lord?  

I get out and begin walking.  I ask God to reveal who I'm supposed to meet today.  I look around at the people nearby.  Not that one.  Not that one.  I keep walking with faith, that God would reveal who I was to show His love to this day.  There's a reason I'm here.  A guys walks beside me, talking to himself.  He has a hitch in his step and looks clearly drunk, high, crazy, or possibly all three!  He is dirty and looks like he hasn't had a bath in months.

This one.

Lord, but this one's crazy!

He walks behind me as I cross the street and I pray.

Lord, if he follows me, then I will know he is the one.

He follows me.  Then I switch directions and wait by a light post.  I test the Lord yet again.

Lord, if he turns this way, then I will greet him at this light post.

He looks like he is about to enter the mall but then all of a sudden he changes directions and walks directly toward me.  Yep, this is the one alright.  I introduce myself and invite him to lunch.  He calls himself "John Paul."  He eats with lightning speed.  I try to ask him about his life but he responds with short answers.  I ask him if he has kids and he doesn't know.  He says he may have had some before.  

"Before what?," I had asked.  

"I mean...when I was younger...," he stammered.

I fed him, I served him, but I felt like I failed to connect with him.  I don't get much time with him before he downs his lunch.  I ask if I can pray for him with anything and he says to pray that he gets more money.  Then he got up to leave.   

"Thank you," he said.  I could tell he meant it.

I responded with "Yep."

Yep?!  It's amazing God desires to work through me, or any of us, at all.  After he left, I knew the correct response would have been: "don't thank me, thank the Lord, he's the only reason I'm here."  That was the absolute truth.  I would have never gone to that place, at that time, and had lunch with that individual if it wasn't for the Lord!  

He left to go back to his addictive life, living from drink to drink and hit to hit. 

Lord, why him?

I knew two things.  One was that I found the right guy.  The other is I would have no idea why God sent me to him that moment until I got to heaven. 

Through that experience, the Lord taught me about being truly open to His leading.  In my daily life, I am too often closed in my own plans to what He would have me do each moment.  How many opportunities am I missing along the way?