Is this a blog?

“Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." Hebrews 13:15

OK, you may have thought we abandon you, it has been awhile since our last blog, but just like the Lord, we will not leave you.
I will start where we left off…
After a wonderful few days with Lance and Palm family we headed for Nebraska. We reached Omaha just in time for Sean’s bachelor party. Then we spent a week in Lincoln with Richard, Sean’s brother. The wedding was beautiful and it was great to see Jordan’s parents, sister and brother. From there the hitchhiking continued through South Dakota and into Minnesota and Wisconsin. A few nights with Jordan’s teammate Liz and her fiancé Jeff were relaxing (notice a wedding theme anyone). Then the 4th of July was spent with more AmeriCorps friends in Chicago (thank you April for your hospitality). A night in New Lenox with Naz Farm friends and it was off to Michigan (which happened to be the best hitchhiking state yet!) Our first MI night was with Brandon and Taylor in Grand Rapids. Then a few quick rides and we were in Gaylord.
Whew…
What a great time having all the family together. Our first weekend was Blissfest (blissfest.org) a wonderful folk music festival that my family has frequented for years (dad is even on the board now). It was a really good festival this year and great to have everyone with us, my parents, my brother and Ashley and their son Logan, Jeff a good friend from high school, Courtney a childhood friend, and Brandon and Taylor even came up for the festivities. Jordan even saw Seth and May (musicians) for the first time.
The rest of the month (or 23 days as mom and dad will say) was spent wedding planning, playing and spending time with those we love. We helped my Grandma Garthe move and hiked around the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore a bit. My dad took us to Mackinac Island for a day and found some sweet bike paths through the island. Mom made us some delicious meals (and I made some too) and don’t forget dad’s salads each night, here is the recipe:
1.) Find big bowl(s)
2.) Add 2 scoops cottage cheese in each
3.) Rifle through farmers market basket for all vegetables, cut up into small chunks (i.e.
radishes, pea pods, carrots, tomatoes, onion, green onion, strawberries,)
4.) Rifle through fridge/cupboards for other salad items, cut into small chunks (i.e. olives,
pickles, croutons, sunflower seeds, walnuts, dried fruit, canned beets,)
5.) Use up entire container of items if they cost less than $1 each (“I mean if the bag of
croutons only cost 87¢ I think we can use them up in one sitting”)
6.) Yell to each person in the house about each item (“SWEET LYNNIE ARE YOU SURE
YOU DON’T WANT ONIONS IN YOURS?” “JORDAN (pause) BEETS?”)
7.) Mix up a few instructions just so they appreciate the work you are putting in also you can
say things like, “Well tomorrow you can make your own salads”
8.) Wash some lettuce (try to remove all slugs, but hey those vegetarians need more protein
anyway), tear into pieces and add to bowls

Overall (and besides the rainy/gloomy weather) it was great to be home and see everyone. But all good things must come to an end (unlike bad things which never seem to end, I’m talking to you ‘War-in-the-Middle-East’ – 9 years?!), yesterday we left for Nazareth Farm. Thank you again mom and dad for letting us use your car for two weeks (I will be going back to Gaylord on the 12th for the Raatz/Grosser wedding!!) It was an eleven hour drive (including stopping in Toledo for Indian food). We arrived and dinner was waiting- tasty black bean burgers, corn on the cob, green beans, etc. etc.
Now we are all settled in (Jordan is in the workshop making a boat to race in the creek). We are really looking forward to the time we will spend here on the farm and will be telling you about it as we go. The Nazareth Farm website is www.nazarethfarm.org and I suggest just checking it out to get an understanding of the organization we will be working with, it is truly unique.

Thank you for your prayers that have brought us to this point.
Please stay in contact, below I have added our mailing address (not a P.O. Box) and feel free to call us but the iphone, without service, has become a fancy watch, just leave a message and we will check them when we are in service. And we can always be contacted via this blog or facebook.

Jordan and/or Jessie
Nazareth Farm
RR-2 Box 194-3
Salem, WV 26426



Peace and Love,
Jess and Jordan

Come see us at the farm!

Simple Love

"Now the company of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things which he possessed was his own, but they had everything in common. And with great power the apostles gave their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. There was not a needy person among them..." Acts 4:32-34

Where to begin? Jess and I have had an amazing last couple of weeks. We left Mississippi on May 29th and Ray took us up to his property where we helped him plant some azaleas. My Aunt Theresa picked us up and we went to her house near Richmond, Virginia. After spending a wonderful week there with my Aunt, Uncle and cousins they took us to Nazareth Farm in West Virginia. (www.nazarethfarm.org)

Our week at Nazareth Farm was filled with joy, tears, challenges and most of all love. Nazareth Farm focuses on four cornerstones: Prayer, Community, Service, Simplicity. All four of those cornerstones are evident and fit together perfectly to create a week long experience of the love of Christ for the volunteers who come for a service retreat.

Upon arrival Jess and I were greeted with hugs (as are the volunteers). At Nazareth Farm hand shakes don't exist and starting from the very moment people meet they are drawn closer to each others hearts with a giant hug. A life of simplicity is encouraged at the farm. Water is used conscientiously in solidarity with those around the world who are unable to access fresh water. Five gallon bucket showers are encouraged (3 or less a week) and outhouses are found all across the farm in order to limit use of the precious resource. Food is grown in four gardens, which are kept up by the Staff and Volunteers. Every day the community gathers for reflection prayer in the morning and at night; as well as praying before breakfast and dinner when we eat together in a community dining area. Everyone at the farm is asked to take only what they can eat and eat what they take. Most waste is composted or recycled (even plastic sandwich bags are washed and reused).

Each day volunteers are lead on a home repair project by a staff member. Once again Christ and community are on our mind as prayer is said with our work crew and home-owners (which they call "good friends") before work and once again after the work day is complete. The work site becomes more than a work site by the fact that we get to visit, eat lunch and just chit-chat with the homeowners; focusing on building a relationship with that person.

The total experience at Nazareth Farm is hard to explain in words but what it brings to mind is the verse above. No one at Nazareth Farm owns anything (except for maybe their clothes). There are no electronics and the focus is on God and community. By the end of the week all of us were able to share our joys, sorrows, strengths and weakness'. Most importantly we all became like brothers and sisters. There is not a need at the farm, for we discover that our only needs are food, clothing, and shelter. All other things try to fill a hunger which could only be truly satisfied by community and Christ. I believe this is what the early apostles realized as well. They took care of the needs of every person and dropped all "luxuries" because they were satisfied with living in the true sense. Breaking bread with one another in their houses and sharing the joy of Christ in their life.

In this simplicity a true form of love is found. After spending a week at Nazareth Farm it was time for us to head on to our new destination (St. Louis then Nebraska). One of the staff members was heading to Louisville so he offered us a ride. He dropped us off outside the town and we waited for another ride. We were picked up by a husband and wife named Janice and Rick. They invited us into their homes as it was getting close to dark and they lived in the city of Louisville. They made us dinner and offered us cheesecake and showers before we went to bed. They too were Christians. Their daughter was visiting and she was very involved with the youth group at her church. Her name was Amanda and she was 22. They don't normally pick up hitch hikers but said they felt moved to do so coming home from church that night. The next day Amanda invited us to attend church with her and some friends. We went and had a good time and after church we enjoyed lunch with her, her friends and other church members. We didn't end up leaving until around 5:30 that night and the couple took us outside Louisville. They gave us fresh cookies and apples for our journey. Not five minutes went by and a man named "chicken" picked us up on his way to St Louis where he drove a tugboat. He brought us along with us and we arrived around eleven that night and our friend Lance who we knew from AmeriCorps picked us up with his dad. We have been spending the last couple of days with him and will be leaving tomorrow.

This most recent trip leaving Mississippi, spending a week with family, Nazareth Farm and our travels to St Louis have reminded Jess and I how loved we actually are by God and we have been able to experience his love through our relations and kindness of his people. People we have met have touched our lives by their generosity and hospitality and we hope we have encouraged others of the possibilities of those who have Christ as their foundation.

We ask you all to pray for Janice, Rick and Amanda that God may bless their household for the hospitality they showed us and also for the high school volunteers at Nazareth Farm that they may take their experience home with them and continue to live in the light.

Below I have a writing on Simplicity. Author is unknown.


Peace and Love
Jordan and Jess


Simplicity of Life
There is a form of material poverty which is blessed.

“Ah, yes; we were poor, but happy.”

Saint Francis fell in love with it.

In its more striking forms, it may look like a spare and bare existence. But this is not a material deprivation which dehumanizes. It humanizes us.

Simplicity of life is concerned with our relationship to things. But the heart of its meaning is the relatedness of persons. It is positive and blessed because it is grounded in the right order of valuing persons over objects.

Things are good. They are better and best when they are for persons, personal existence, personal celebration.

Life is for people: hence, simplicity.

We travel light enough so that the goods of the earth may be enjoyed and celebrated by all, so that they may bring the glory to God. We travel light enough so that we ourselves may be for persons, rather than expend our lives collecting, maintaining and replacing objects.

In simplicity, we are empowered to see the destitute, to share of our abundance, to ease the dehumanizing poverty that cries out to us. It enables us to give freely, to be more equitable. It frees us to engage the injustices of the world which are often the source of personal degradation. It makes us less fearful to put our security at risk.

In simplicity, we are given time to enter the grace of our human poverty. If we do not surround and suffocate ourselves with things, by which we manage and control our lives, we are far less likely to believe in the illusion that we have no need of God. We would less likely pretend that we are “self-made” men and women. Simplicity, as a liberation from the chains of consumerism, is also a call to prayer, wherein we encounter our spiritual poverty before God and discover the joy of recognizing ourselves as loved and forgiven creatures. Simplicity, moreover, gives us time for each other, for relationships and intimacy and friendship. A simple change in our style of working, consuming, or spending time with television profoundly affects our availability for persons.

Simplicity is as related to love as it is to justice.

It is freedom from compulsive addictions and entrenched escape mechanisms.

It is liberty to see ourselves anew and to disengage from the comforts that blind us to the face of the poor.

It unfetters us, that we might play and savor the moment, that we might give thanks and sing appreciation.

It can unlock us, finally, that we might do bold things, that we might more fully be men and women, not for things, but for others.

Another Days Journey

"We give thanks to God always for you all, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. For we know, brethren beloved by God, that he has chosen you; for our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction." - 1 Thessalonians 1:2-5

We've done it! Glory be to God, our first trial is completed and succesfull! We came out here to Hattiesburg, Mississippi to rebuild some houses that were damaged by Hurricane Katrina and to participate in the church community at Ebeneezer Missionary Baptist Church which was located in the heart of the neighborhoods in which we were working.

What some thought was impossible or crazy turned out to be a success because of the guidence and protection of God. Tonight in church I was allowed to give a little talk about faith and good works. I spoke about how God tells us to do things, and no matter how impossible they may seem; we must do them. It is when faithfull people attempt to do the impossible which God commanded them, great things are accomplished.

We give much thanks to Ray and Annie for allowing us to spend 4 months in their home. Our time here was well spent. We were able to finish Mary's house and she has completely moved in. Tomorrow we are having a bbq at her house before we leave town. We also worked on 6 other houses which we completed. These tasks included constructing new ceilings (3 1/2 houses recieved new ceiling joists and sheetrock.), we installed flooring in 3 houses, we did plumbing in two houses, and we did general finish work (painting, baseboards, caulking, crown-molding) in all the houses that we worked.

With our success here we are now able to take our reaffirmed faith with us to the next project we attempt, knowing that when we stay firm in the Lord he makes all things possible. We will truly miss our new family in Christ. Ray and Annie seem like parents to us and all the members at Ebeneezer are our brothers and sisters.

Tomorrow we will be heading to Virginia and my Aunt Theresa will be picking us up and bringing us to her house. From there we will spend a week in West Virginia at Nazareth Farm (http://www.nazarethfarm.org/) where we hope to fit in well and establish our new project. From there we head to Nebraska for my friend Seans wedding and in July we will be in Michigan with Jess' family.

If all goes well we will be doing some traveling/vacationing and then start work again in September.

We constantly pray for all of you (friends and family) and ask you all to pray for our travels and for the people whose lives we were able to be a part of for these last 4 months. All I have to say is that God is great and our mission is a success!

"I made it through another days journey, God kept me here."

(one of the many great songs at Ebeneezer)

Peace and Love,

Jordan and Jess

With a Purpose

Psalm 143:10
Teach me to do your will, for you are my God. May your gracious Spirit lead me forward on a firm footing.

If we follow the will of God he will lead us on a His perfect purposeful path.
We may not understand the path or the purpose but He will.

Mary’s house is done!
And that alone is purpose enough for us coming to Hattiesburg.

Below are photos of the kitchen from our third week here and this week.
(Homemade cabinets and all!) God is Great!
Before Before

Everything you see we measured/cut/nailed/glued/sanded/painted/stained/caulked/grouted/and cleaned.
After After After

We will post more before and afters of the rest of the house on another site and make a slide show... stay tuned

PSA: Praise God for the little victories too.

At every other house I take water for granted; faucets turn on, drains drain, etc. But at Mary’s I praise the Lord for every pipe without leak, for every drop from the spout, for every trickle through pvc, for every flush and refill.

Peace and Love,

Jess and Jordan

Torture in the name of Christ?

"Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name Lord our God. They collapse and fall, but we rise and stand upright." - Psalm 20:7-8

As I assume most of you know, (if you watch the news you should) Mr. Obama released information explaining the techniques and uses of torture by the United States government on terrorist detainees. These techniques include: Diet Manipulation (replace solid foods with liquid), Slapping (both in the face and the abdomen), Walling (standing a prisoner against a wall and slamming him back against it, repeatedly), Nudity, Dark Confinement, Water Flicking (flicking water onto their face), Sleep Deprivation (cuffing their hands in a standing position for more than 48 hours to prevent them from sleeping), and Waterboarding (tying them down to a board, putting a cloth over their face and pouring water on them to simulate drowning).

All these techniques which are specifically described and outlined are to "startle, irritate, humiliate, or to cause temporary insult" - US Department of Justice. The documents can be found online from various news agencies.

Obviously, this is a hot topic of debate in our country. Surprisingly (or not) a large amount of people in our country support the use of torture. What surprised me even more was that yesterday, while driving to work I stumbled across a station in which the radio commentator was advocating for the use of torture and proclaiming the name of Jesus Christ on the same radio show! Even worse, he had listeners nation wide who were all in aggreeance with him. This fact put me in distress all day and saddened me. How can we as Christians justify torture when our Savior tells us to pray for our enemys?

I decided to call in (he was taking live callers to give their oppinions on the topic). Surprisingly, I was able to get through the phone lines and he put me on the air, to speak my mind. (for those of you who know me, I love to debate things I am passionate about) I began to remind him that Jesus Christ was coming again, and according to my bible he will seperate the Sheep from the Goats and to the Goats he will say "Depart from me you cursed...for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger, and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me." When they ask when they saw him like that Jesus replies, " Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of your brothers, you did not do it to me" - Mathew 25:31-46

After I reminded him of that statement from Christ, I then asked him a question: "Will Jesus also say, when I was in prison, you tortured me?" He explicitly tells us that we are to clothe the naked, not submit people to nudity to embarrass them. He tells us to feed the hungry, not substitute their food with bland liquids. He tells us to visit the sick and imprisoned, not subject them to torture and humiliation. The radio announcer then replied with what I knew he would, the "smoking gun" situation. It goes like this: There is a nuclear bomb/another Sept 11 (or something else drastic) that is about to happen, and you have a guy in custody who knows information to stop it. Do you torture him to get the information so you can save thousands/millions? It is the simple, "do the ends justify the means" question. He gave me 10 seconds to answer this question (and he was furious with me at this point) so I quickly found a bible passage and stated: "You unfaithful people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God." - James 4:4 I then said "When faced with a loaded gun I would gladly take death, than disobey a commandment of God." He then hung up on me and told the listeners that I was living in a fake world.

The point of my passage is this: God gave us his son Jesus Christ, to suffer torture and die for us, so that we can conquer death ourselves and live with Him eternally in heaven. This means that the ONLY thing we should have to fear is God. To fear God means to reject friendship with worldly solutions, traditions and practices which contradict with those of God; knowing that it is God, and God alone who will secure everlasting life for you.

This means that we ARE capable of breaking the circle of violence, even if it means our own death. This means that after Sept 11 we could have prayed for the terrorist and sent a message of forgiveness to the world (as Jesus asks us to) instead of a message of vengence and rash decision making. We could have set a bright example for the world to follow, instead we pursued an archaic solution. Around 3,000 Americans died in Sept 11th and that could have been all the American lives lost, but instead we invaded Iraq and Afghanistan and caused the death of over 4,000 more Americans and over 1 million innocent civilians in both countries. Not to mention all the orphans we created who will grow up hating our government because our missiles destroyed their home. Thus, creating futur terrorist. This is the circle of violence our unfaithful world perpetuates. When we begin to put our faith in God alone and not color coded security systems, unmanned airplaines, laser guided missiles and nuclear weapons, we will begin to live a life of pure Joy. We would fear no evil because we know the worst that it can do to us is kill our fleshly life and deliver us to an everlasting life with Christ. This is a marvelous thing to realize.

In a book called "Non-Violent Resistence" ( a collection of writings by Gandhi) page 95 has this quote, " The only weapon of the Satyagraha (the equivalent of a non-violent activist) is God, by whatsoever name one knows Him. Without Him the Satyagrahi is devoid of strength before an opponent armed with monstrous weapons...he who accepts God as his ONLY Protector will remain unbent before the mightiest earthly power." When your only Protector is Jesus Christ, there will be no use for torture because when you follow his commandments, the need for war ceases to exist and the circle of violence is broken.

We as Christians need to ask ourselves, "What do I put my faith in?" "Do I call the ideals of God fake? or Impossible?" and when we come to the realization that God is our strong tower we will be able to accomplish things that the world deems impossible or unreasonable.

Peace and Love,
Jordan and Jess

Harvest Time

Jesus traveled through all the towns and villages of that area, teaching in the synagogues and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom. And He healed every kind of disease and illness. When He saw the crowds, He had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. He said to his disciples, “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord, who is in charge of the harvest; ask Him to send more workers into His fields.” Matthew 9:35-38 (NLT)

Yeah AmeriCorps NCCC! (For those of you who don’t know what that means; AmeriCorps NCCC- National Civilian Community Corps is the national service program Jordan and I were in last year. The skinny is: 11 months, 18-24 year olds, teams of 10-12, 6 week projects across the country, and a school scholarship at the end.) Gold Seven, a team from the Sacramento campus, arrived last Saturday to work with us at R3SM. We have had a full week with them and so much has been done. We all have been working on Mary’s house (see “Learn Sow Reap” the post from Feb. 18th for more information). In the weeks since we arrived Jordan and I had finished mudding and sanding the kitchen, living room, and 73% of the bathroom, trimmed and painted the windows, primed the exterior and clothed the main living space in a coat of sun yellow. But over the past week, with the team, we have:

• Connected all the plumbing
  “Welcome to Hattiesburg, please dig around this sewer pipe, we think there is a hole in it.”


• Screwed down all the sub-floor boards (and patched the missing spots)
  “Welcome to Hattiesburg, please climb under this house and hammer in some nailers between these joists”


• Installed a tub in the bathroom
  “Welcome to Hattiesburg, oh the tub we had donated won’t fit through the door of the bathroom?”


• Painted the exterior and replaced missing siding
  “Welcome to Hattiesburg, try to sawzaw that at a matching angle to the other ones.”


• Built cabinets and shelves
  “Welcome to Hattiesburg, you have never built cabinets? Me either!”

All jokes aside we really accomplished a ton and this (year long) project should come to a close by the end of the month. It is amazing how much can get done with help.
In the same way, Jesus could not accomplish His mission here on earth without laborers. He saw how much work was to be done and knew He couldn’t do it alone (well, He could do it alone, but not being 100% man). In chapter ten of Matthew Jesus gives the disciples authority over unclean spirits and the gift of healing. (“Welcome to Galilee, go touch some lepers.”) The disciples went throughout the land of Israel healing the sick and spreading the good news.
While Jesus was on earth He needed disciples how much more does He need them today; while He is not here in human form? We are all called to follow Him and be willing field hands for the Lord of the harvest.

There is still so much work to be done even right here in Hattiesburg; as Jordan and I enter our last month we are so blessed to have workers with us.

Peace and Love,
Jess and Jordan

A picture from one of the framed out windows (we will have some before and after pictures soon, and some brag photos of the kitchen cabinets!)

Sowing Love

So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God...just as I try to please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, so that they may be saved. Be imitators of me (St. Paul), as I am of Christ.
- 1 Corinthians 10:31,33 - 11:1

Earlier this week I recieved the most uplifiting and encouraging email I have recieved in a long time. This is what it said:

Hey Jordan!

I follow your blog. I think it's incredible...I don't know if you actually know this, but I was a bit lost from the Lord when I came down here to AmeriCorps. Lots of reasons for this-- but I REALLY struggled with it. You talked to me ONCE about it, high up on the scaffolding on that house on edgewater and that night I went home and started reading my Bible again. It has been a bumpy road , but I feel Jesus in my heart again, and I thank YOU for it. I know God puts people in our lives for reasons, and that seems to be the reason you were put in mine. Now, I have a great Church, I volunteer there in Youth Group and in Sunday school and I am completely fulfilled spreading the word and serving God. Thanks Jordan! Hope this wasn't too corny!

We always hear people say it in sunday school, in church sermons, bible study and Paul says it in the passage above; always be a living example of Christ because we never know who we will touch throughout our day.

What does it mean to be a living example of Christ? Paul tells Titus in his letter, "Bid slaves to be submissive to their masters and to give satisfaction in every respect; they are not to be refactory, nor to pilfer, but to show entire and true fidelity, so that in everything they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior." - Titus 2:9-10

That is probably one of the hardest commands, especially for those which may have a boss (master) which they don't particularly get along with or agree with. Because we are Christians, we are called to at all times praise Jesus and live according to his example. When Jesus was whipped, tortured and crucified, he did not curse those who were "master" over him. Instead he silently endured the pain, knowing that his one and only Master up above would take care of him in the end. We are in the same way called to be subject to our boss', putting forth our best effort in the work that we do despite the differences we may have with our boss. Thus, we set the best example we can of Jesus Christ. This means not gossiping about our boss with co-workers or cursing his/her name while they are gone.

On the other hand, if we are the boss, we are told, "Masters, treat your slaves justly and fairly, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven." - Colossians 4:1 We all are subject to God our Father in heaven, so just like we want God to treat us with love, respect and forgiveness, we are to treat those under us with love, respect and forgiveness. How are we to curse, punish and/or treat those under us unfairly and at the end of the day go to God and ask him to have mercy on us? Jesus Christ was the perfect example of a leader when he washed the feet of his disciples. (John 13:5) In order to lead people in this world, we must do it by example through serving the needs of the very people we lead.

We interact with people every day. Our familys, our co-workers, people at the store, and people we pass by on the street. With every person we have a chance to show the love of Jesus Christ. Every time we smile at someone we spread love into that small fragment of their day. Jesus brings tremendous joy and courage into my life. If the only thing I did in this world was share/give that joy and courage to everyone I meet, then my soul would be satisfied.

Once we become believers in Christ we are filled with fruits of the Holy Spirit. These fruits are: Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfullness, Gentleness, and Self-Control. (Galatians 5:22-24) Paul, after sharing with us the fruits of the spirit, goes on to tell us that since we are filled with the Holy Spirit and must cultivate those fruits, we must also use those fruits having "no self conceit, no provoking of one another, and no envy of one another." (Galatians 5:26)

Now, living out the way which Christ would want us to is tremendously hard to do. Like the email above states, it will be a "bumpy road", but we need to be constantly reading the bible, attending church services and be in fellowship with other believers so that we may grow the fruits within us and gain better knowledge of the scripture and understanding of what Jesus is asking us to do. If we stay constant in our long journey of spiritual growth we will live more joy filled and fruitfull lives which will benefit not only ourselves, but the people around us. Like the mustard seed is such a small seed(photo at top), but the mustard plant grows wild and strong; our lives can plant small deeds of kindness into the lives of others and some day we will actually bring Gods Kingdom here on Earth and be prepared for the day in which Jesus Christ will come again.

Jessie and I say the prayer that is to the right of this page every day. We adapted the prayer from St. Francis of Assissi and customized it to our daily lives and needs. We encourage everyone to share the prayer with us and together we will grow.

Peace and Love,

Jordan and Jess

HE IS RISEN INDEED!!

Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. Romans 6:4

Easter is just the best. I am not a big “holiday” person; Christmas is good and Thanksgiving is probably my favorite, but holidays are just a little to Hallmark-pushy for me. I prefer to enjoy each day rather than just the ones when all the stores are closed. Easter IS special though. It is the holiday that separates Jesus Christ from the rest.
Today He rose from the dead!
Not only do we have a martyr that died for us, we have a reason to praise (Sunday has come!).
Easter marks new life; Jesus’ new life, our new life in Him, as well as the new life of the season. Spring is upon us here in Hattiesburg (sorry to make everyone in the north jealous, but it is nice). Things have turned green, are budding and sprouting (see photos of Mr. Halloway’s garden; those are little peach trees and rows of potatoes). The birds and the bees are excited too. The house we are working on has a little wasp problem. They have been building their own little subdivision in the porch ceiling. With new developments showing up daily we really have to keep them up to date on our zoning laws. One day we were eating lunch out on the porch and we noticed a giant bumble bee. It was hovering a few feet out from the porch at about eye level. When a wasp got near the house the bumble bee would zoom over and attack. It was a little hard to see what exactly he/she did but the wasps flew away. The bumble bee would shoot across the street to Mr. Halloway’s house and do some counter strikes then come back to its position in front of us. It was a good show and we loved it because the bee was keeping the wasps away from the house. We don’t know why it was so aggressive but it never took a rest. We think maybe the bee has a nest going in the bush out front.
Cardinals and blue jays have been swooping in and out, chasing each other and singing. We even saw a woodpecker knocking on the telephone pole. I have been reading Little Flowers of Francis of Assisi and the last chapter had a wonderful story of Francis traveling along a road and coming upon a group of birds on the ground. He began to preach to the birds and more flew down from the nearby trees to listen. Francis explained how blessed the birds were; their species had been preserved, they had the freedom to fly anywhere, and God had provided for their every need (food/water/trees for nesting/new clothes). Then he explained how the birdies should be on guard against the sin of ingratitude and should constantly praise their creator. After the sermon the birds spread their little wings, bowed their beaks to the ground, and took off singing to the heavens.
We, in the same way, need to be constantly praising our creator and savior. Easter is the perfect reminder for us. Spring is beautiful and each flower should trigger songs from our heart to the one who made the earth. The thought of Christ’s resurrection should easily prompt worship.
One more thing to remember: He prophesied His death and renewal and was 100% correct; we should trust and obey everything He foretold. (He will be back!!)


“You ask me how I know He lives, He lives within my heart.”
(A line from my favorite Easter hymn)

Peace and Love on this very great day,
Jordan and Jess

They killed my King

"While we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. Why, one will hardly die for a righteous man--though perhaps for a good man one will dare even to die. But God shows his love for us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us." - Romans 5:6-8

There was a Man who walked this earth preaching about loving one another and praying for your enemies. He asked those around Him to follow His example and to live their lives in the service of others.

One night He even washed the feet of His followers so that they would learn that leading people is through serving them. Later that night, He was in a garden praying when one of His friends gave Him a kiss on a cheek, a sign to those who were out to arrest Him.

They arrested this Man because they feared the truth which He was speaking. They were comfortable with their power, riches and fame. They took this Man to higher authorities to put Him on trial for his death. This Man was beaten brutally and mocked all the while.

The King of kings was given a crown, but it was made of thorns. He was given wine but it was sour. He was given a purple cloth to be wrapped around his bloodied and cut up body and the praises He recieved were followed with spit, laughter and blows to the body.

This Man was then given a cross and forced to carry it up a hill, all the while being mocked, spit on and whipped. He was then nailed to the cross and raised before all as a warning to anyone who might try to live by His example. If you do what He says and follow His ways, you too will be nailed to a cross.

While dying on the cross, this Man spent energy to speak, when his body was barely able and the words he spoke were of forgiveness for those who put him there.

This Man was completely innocent and He endured a death no condemned man should. Jesus Christ died for you and me. Who am I to deserve the suffering which He endured? How can I ever be worthy of the pain which His mother went through, watching her Son stumble to His death? I love this Man, but when faced with death am I strong enough to say He is my friend, or must He continue to wake me up each morning with the cocks crow to remind me that I am only alive because of Him? How do I find the courage to complain about an aching body from work or
simple criticism when You were strong enough to remain silent through Your punishment?

Grant me mercy, oh Lord, that I may live a life worthy of Your death. Through Your suffering make me strong so that I may carry Your cross with You.

Today You died Lord. I am forever indebted to service.

Love Wins Again

“If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.” – 1 Corinthians 13:2-3

Over the last year I have sought to reduce all my possessions down to one bag. I have given my life to the service of others. I have spent my time praying and searching for all wisdom in Gods Word and I have tried to practice in my life what it is that Jesus preaches about. Thanks to the power of God, I have been successful in all things.

When I look back at my life, my successes and my failures, my dreams and my realities, my faith and lack thereof; I can not help but marvel at the brilliance and wisdom of God. My God is a loving god, a forgiving God and a providing God. He has blessed me with a strong and close family who is always there for one-another. He has blessed me with friends who support me in all my dreams, seek with me all answers to this sometimes confusing life and most importantly are (and always will be) there for me when I just need company. Lastly, he has provided me with a new family in Christ which has been built in my travels. Those who have offered me rides, places to rest, and food to eat. There are many I keep in touch with and to this day I consider them a part of my life.

In all these things I find love. Whether everyone knows it or not, it is in them that I find the beautiful and loving face of God. Today I am here to announce that I have once more been blessed by God and once more he has secured for me an everlasting promise. I asked Jessie Wambold, my companion and best friend for the last year, to marry me. She answered with a YES!!

I met Jess in AmeriCorps, day one. We were assigned to the same “pod” (temporary groups before we were put in teams). She immediately caught my attention with her stories about traveling the world on her own. Who wouldn’t be impressed by a cute girl, 5 foot tall who, when she was 18 literally traveled around the world on her own. Confidence, happiness and love were beaming from her face and enthusiastic attitude. We remained friends through the first 3-4 months of AmeriCorps. It was in Vermont that we were put on the same team and began reading the bible together that we began to grow closer together. Both of us spent each night reading the New Testament starting with Mathew, in search for God knows what. I being raised Catholic and her Evangelical Free, allowed for good conversations about our understanding of Christ.

The deeper we read into the bible, the closer we became spiritually. With her I felt a bond that I never felt before. With her I felt the Holy Spirit alive, not only in her but in myself. Vermont came and went, and soon we were put back on our first teams. However, the thousands of miles did not break our communication. We continued reading the bible each night and discussing our thoughts about what we were reading on the telephone. We were both attending different Sunday Services but sharing what we learned and experienced. Our relationship seemed to be growing at a constant pace and our understanding of Christ seemed to be growing at a faster pace.
It was towards the end of our third round in AmeriCorps that we decided we wanted to continue our service of those in need, but this time we were going to do it under the authority and dependency of Jesus Christ, not Uncle Sam. One thing about Jess that is most attractive and similar to myself is her ability to dream; her ability to have a vision and work towards that vision with all faith and determination that it will become a reality.

After AmeriCorps we began the next phase of our life (AmeriCorps calls it our “life after AmeriCorps). Entering AmeriCorps we both had different visions of our separate future, after AmeriCorps we were on one accord with our dreams, we were on one accord with our God and we were on one accord with making our dream a reality.

What Paul states in the passage above is important. One can know all things on this earth, have all faith in God and give all their possessions even their life to others, but without love there is nothing. Without getting to know the inner-soul of another human being we miss out on what life is all about. Whether it be a friend, family member or partner in life we are called to love one another. Not just be kind to one another, but to actually love them. We are called to be patient and kind. We are called not to be jealous, a braggart or arrogant. We are to act proper and not degrade ourselves or seek things for ourselves. We should not be provoked by others or count the times we are wronged. We should give no credit to that which is unjust and we are to rejoice and live in all truth. And finally, we are called to believe that anything is possible, be willing to handle anything that comes our way, always remember that Christ has filled us with all hope and use his strength to endure all challenges that may come our way. When we abide in love, we will never fail. (1 Corinthians 13:4-8)

I look forward to loving Jess the rest of my life.

Peace and Love,
Jordan Schiele

Made for a Woman

At that time Deborah, a prophetess, wife of Lappidoth, was judging Israel. She used to sit under the palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim; and the Israelites came up to her for judgment. She sent and summoned Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali, and said to him, ‘The LORD, the God of Israel, commands you, “Go, take position at Mount Tabor, bringing ten thousand from the tribe of Naphtali and the tribe of Zebulun. I will draw out Sisera, the general of Jabin’s army, to meet you by the Wadi Kishon with his chariots and his troops; and I will give him into your hand.” ’ Barak said to her, ‘If you will go with me, I will go; but if you will not go with me, I will not go.’ And she said, ‘I will surely go with you; nevertheless, the road on which you are going will not lead to your glory, for the LORD will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman.’ Judges 4:4-9

Anyone who knows me knows I am not a feminist; I like having help from a man (especially a tall one who can reach things for me). But the other day my work gloves started to give out and the equality-seeking woman in me started to show. Good construction gloves are hard to find to begin with and on top of that I have very small hands (almost kid size). But Lowes and Home Depot seem to think the only work women do is in the garden. Women have been hard-core since the Old Testament; the above is an excerpt from Judges where the prophetess and warrior Deborah is rallying a general for war against Israel’s suppressor, King Jabin of Canaan. So the general gathered his troops and Deborah said to him, “Up! For this is the day on which the Lord has given Sisera into your hand. The Lord is indeed going out before you.”(v.14). The war was a great success, but the commander, Sisera, fled the battle. He ran to a nearby tent and asked the woman inside to hide him. She was of neutral tribe, but knew what was going on; she offered him some milk and hid him under a rug. When he fell asleep she grabbed a mallet and drove a tent peg through the side of his head. Now remember I am as peace-loving as the next tree-hugger but I think even a Tibetan monk could admit that is pretty bold (and I doubt she had gloves on). Women are extreme.

And don’t forget Mary the mother of Jesus, how devoted was she? ‘Yeah God, I’ll have your baby, no big deal.’ The bible just barely touches on what she must have gone through; having to ride a donkey to Bethlehem, running to Egypt so they didn’t kill her son, losing Him in the temple. Then she saw him grow into a man, lead the disciples, preach to large crowds, heal the sick and then lost Him to the cross. She watched her own son die. Women are strong.

At Wonderful Wednesday Worship two women went forward, one to give a testimony and another because she wanted a soul change. The first just wanted to thank the church for everything they had done for her, she was a young mother with two children, both out of wedlock, who was raised in the church, left for a few years and returned a short time ago. She cried as she thanked everyone for what they had done for her and acknowledged how lucky she is to be in the Ebenezer church family. The other woman had a similar story but she was not from this church. She had gone through a nasty divorce and lost her mother, moved to Hattiesburg for a job and just recently got to her feet. It was then she realized she was still missing something, she has provided for all the physical needs of her and her children but their spirits where still lacking. She went forward for prayer and to renew her commitment to the Lord. Pastor always calls the deacons to come forward and lay hands on whoever needs prayer, but this time he called all the women who could relate with this woman to encircle her. She was still dealing with some of the dark areas in her life, such as what she had to do to keep her children fed; but as she was surrounded by women saying, “I’ve been there, don’t give up”, “Give it to God”, and “We love you” her spirit was lifted and her heart filled. Women are powerful.

I am lucky to be surrounded by great women in my life, not only do I have my own mother, aunts and grandmothers, but now I have Jordan’s mother, aunts and grandmothers. Here in Hattiesburg I live with a very wonderful woman (the superintendent of Hattiesburg Public Schools) and have had the chance to meet many more in Sunday school at Ebenezer and at St. Thomas Catholic Church. And I’ll not forget Mother Earth who gives us everything we have. Women are wonderful.

Just a little tribute to women. The pictures are from a bike ride to church and visiting the goat woman in Virginia (the goat is only two days old, and was trying to lick my face. Note Jordan in the background creeping on another goat).

The PSA for today is for something I could find in my size. These are Vibram Five Finger Barefoot shoes. Originally designed for rock climbing, but then redesigned for everything. They feel like you are barefoot and I can’t wait to dance around at Blissfest in them. Being barefoot is a way of life, a peaceful, joyful way of life and our world today has tried to make that dangerous. So we just wanted to thank Vibram for making a shoe that lets us experience the euphoric state of barefootness and safety too.


Peace and Love,
Jess and Jordan

Lean on me

“Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift the other; but woe to one who is alone and falls and does not have another to help. Again, if two lie together, they keep warm; but how can one keep warm alone? And though one might prevail against another, two will withstand one. A threefold cord is not quickly broken.” – Ecclesiastes 4:14

Much has happened recently and many thoughts have been on my mind, so I ask you all to bear with me on my scattered thoughts within this posting. Hopefully, I will be able to tie them all together.

First, I would like to mention that the 6th year anniversary of the Iraq War just passed by last Thursday (March 19th). I would like to call to mind not only the thousands of American men and women who have lost their lives, but also the millions of Iraqis who have lost their lives as a result of the American war in Iraq. I hope that all of you reading this may be able to take a moment to pray for an end to the bloodshed in Iraq and elsewhere across the globe.

Just the other day I was watching the last few episodes of Band of Brothers on television. For those of you who don’t know, Band of Brothers is an HBO series that was created following the true story of Easy Company from the 101st Airborne Division in World War II. This company saw their first bit of action on D-Day and fought through the bloodiest battles of the war. One of the battles was the Battle of Bastogne. This battle took place in the Ardennes mountain range around Christmas time and the ground was covered with snow. These soldiers were surrounded on all sides by Germans, lived out of holes which they dug in the ground and were constantly being fired on by artillery which they could not see. On top of this, they had no supplies and many were without food, clothes, and ammo to defend themselves. In this episode it was very clear that the soldiers limits were being pushed and many were breaking down not only physically but mentally. The only place they found warmth and comfort was with each other. They spent their time paired by two’s cuddling in their “foxholes” trying to keep each other warm and telling each other stories about their friends and family back home.

Every hour or so a new round of explosions from artillery fire would go off around them and last for 10 minutes or so. After each round, more soldiers would be found dead when the firing was done. It was the soldiers who lost their buddy which suffered most. They were left alone in the cold, silent woods by themselves sitting in a hole with death all around them. The commanders and other soldiers did their best to comfort each other, but it was not wise for them to leave their own foxholes to check on others, because the bombing could happen at any moment.

Fast-forward to today’s war in Iraq. Our soldiers are no longer fighting this sort of trench war-fare and the coldness is replaced with unbearable heat, but one thing still remains, the importance of “brotherhood” within the armed forces. Last January the Army lost 24 soldiers due to suicide. That same, month 16 deaths were also reported due to combat. This means that more soldiers died due to suicide, than combat. According to CBS, 120 veterans committed suicide per week in 2005 and the numbers have grown each year. No one knows the exact reason why this is happening, but a large amount of them are soldiers dealing with Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. The next question is, “How do we stop this?” In the bible passage above I find a small answer: Friendship. In the bible, this passage particularly, the importance of friendship and companionship is pointed out. When a person goes through a rough time, they need another person to help bring them out of it. When soldiers comes home, they need family and friends to help bring them back to normalcy, to help them put to past the things they may have done in the war and to notice once again the beauty of life, most importantly, the beauty found in each and every individual. This beauty can only be found through the love of someone close.

Lastly, we should recall Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane the night he was betrayed. All he asked for was his apostles, his closest friends, to stay awake with him and pray. At this moment in the garden Jesus was being crucified spiritually, and coming to terms with the fact that he was to be crucified in order to carry out his fathers will. In this most trying hour all he asked for was his friends to be awake and nearby.

This week I will be thanking God for the friends and family which he has provided me. All of you have shaped my life in one way or another and without all of you I would not be as strong as I am today. I am also greatly thankful for Jess, my closest friend, and partner in my journey to be more like Christ. Finally, I would like to thank Lance, Felicia and Danny for coming out here to Hattiesburg and visiting us. It was extremely nice and refreshing to be able to spend some time with friends and just relax.

Peace and Love,
Jordan and Jess

Love Wins

If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen.
1 John 4:20

We had a wonderful mini-vacation at my Grandma Wambold’s house on Tybee Island in Georgia. My brother, his girlfriend Ashley, my four-month old nephew Logan, my mother, and my Grandma Garthe all came up for the weekend. Saturday night Jade, my brother, talked Jordan, Ashley and I into going into Savannah. For those of you not familiar with the area, Savannah has the largest St. Patrick’s Day party in the United States. Now St. Patties Day isn’t until Tuesday but the party started this weekend. So we went down to River Street (think Bourbon Street, in New Orleans, the weekend before Mardi Gras). As we neared we saw more and more green beads, crazy hats, and drunken people. But the first thing we saw when we reached river level was hateful ‘Jesus’ signs (i.e. “Ask me why you are going to HELL” and another listing “Drunkards/Homos/Muslims/Catholics/Fornicators/Mormons/… YOU WILL BE JUDGED”). The group of ‘Christian protesters’ were getting lots of attention from party goers and the yelling party goers were being watched by nearby police.

The above verse ran through my head; Jordan and I had recently sent the verse to a friend in Los Angeles who was protesting against the famous Fred Phelps/Westboro Baptist Church group. They were in LA holding signs outside the Oscar Awards reading “God Hates You” (the group is best known for protesting homosexuality at soldiers funerals). The people we encountered were much more civil and signs slightly less hateful. The four of us walked by and spent a few hours down on the river doing some AMAZING people watching. But Jordan couldn’t get the protesters off his mind. After awhile he said, “You know, this is Babylon.” Looking around I couldn’t help but agree; when I think of Old Testament cities, like Sodom and Gomorrah, I do think of drunken people partying and obsessed with sex (just less green stilettos and more togas). Then thinking back to the prophets of that time they did stand and yell in the streets, telling of the impending destruction because of the people’s sin. Then we asked ourselves: As modern day Christians are we to be mimicking Ezekiel and Isaiah?

DID WE FORGET ABOUT JESUS?

Jesus came into the world with one word- LOVE. We are no longer called to stone sinners as in the Old Testament—Let he without sin cast the first stone (John 8:2-11). Jesus spent time with sinners not condemning them from a soap box. Jesus asked to stay at Zacchaeus’ house (Luke 19:1-10); he didn’t call him out of the tree to tell him his sins will send him into a fiery pit. Jesus never called the woman at the well a slut (John 4:4-29). He simply lived in a way that drew non-believers to him. (And that practice is not outdated, people did it then and throughout history. I am currently reading Little Flowers of Saint Francis Assisi – great stories of Jesus-like faith and devotion.) However, Jesus was rough sometimes, turning tables in the temple and referring to some as a “brood of vipers”; but those were believers who had gone astray. We are called to hold each other accountable. We are not to be out there judging non-Christians, a coach can’t tell kids to practice if they aren’t on the team and he never invited them to play.

On our way out we stopped and talked to one of the sign holders about everything we had been discussing. He was receptive to our message and pointed out his sign (with a verse from Romans calling everyone to be holy) was well thought out and not hateful like the others. Hopefully he will pass on the message to his fellow protesters and they will rethink how to better relay Jesus’ message of love. It is unfortunate that these protesters are shaping the view of modern day Christians. I would guess that most of the people on River Street that night were not church goers, and for some this may have been their first experience with Jesus. It is just disappointing that their first impression of our loving Christ is one filled with hate.

Peace and Love,
Jessie and Jordan

Blinding Noise

"So Balaam got up in the morning, saddled his donkey, and went with the officials of Moab. Gods anger was kindled because he was going, and the angel of the Lord took his stand in the road as his adversary. Now he was riding on the donkey, and his two servants were with him. The donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road, with a drawn sword in his hand; so the donkey turned off the road, and went into the field; and Balaam struck the donkey, to turn it back on the road. Then the angel of the Lord stood in a narrow path between vineyards, with a wall on either side. When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, it scraped against the wall, and scraped Balaam's foot against the wall; so he struck it again. Then the angel of the Lord went ahead, and stood in a narrow place, where there was no way to turn either to the right or to the left. When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, it lay down under Balaam; and Balaam's anger was kindled, and he struck the donkey with his staff. Then the Lord opened the mouth of the donkey, and it said to Balaam, 'What have I done to you, that you have struck me three times?' Balaam said to the donkey, 'Because you have made a fool of me! I wish I had a sword in my hand! I would kill you right now!' But the donkey said to Balaam, 'Am I not your donkey, which you have ridden all your life to this day? Have I been in the habit of treating you this way?' And he said, 'No.' Then the Lord opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road, with his drawn sword in his hand; and he bowed down, falling on his face."

Numbers 22:21-31

Jess and I for the last week have been on a little adventure. Last Tuesday (March 3rd) we traveled with Ray to some property which he owns in Virginia. We were planning on being in Savannah Georgia by the March 10, to visit Jess' grandma and Ray was heading to his property to clear some of the land, so he offered to take us up with him, we would help him out and then he would drop us off in Atlanta where we would catch a bus to Savannah. We arrived in Virginia to Ray's property and to our surprise there was snow on the ground. Living in Hattiesburg, Mississippi we sometimes forget that it is winter elsewhere, especially when it is so warm. Our plan was to camp out of a 9 foot by 15 foot tent/shelter on his 13 acres and each day we would work to clear/thin out his property so that it can be landscaped. The first night we were there it was extremely cold with snow on the ground and temperature in the 20's. We survived the night and the next day we woke up and began work. Being in the woods was extremely relaxing and it was good for both Jess and I. Sometimes we get stressed out when we are in cities like Hattiesburg and we get caught up in our work, traffic, schedule and other frivolous things.

When we were in Virginia we woke up to the sunlight, ate and began work. We ate lunch when we got hungry during the heat of the day and ended work towards sunset so we could prepare our dinner over the campfire. Even though we were working we felt much more relaxed in the fresh air, surrounded by trees and the chirping of birds. Sometimes in houses we get caught up in the electronics, TVs, four walls and confined spaces. In our daily routine we magnify ourselves and consume our days in a hectic schedule which we create for ourselves. It is in the wilderness and peacefulness of nature which I feel dwarfed by trees and vulnerable to the elements. It is in nature that I feel the magnificence of Gods presence.

One of the days we went down the road to his neighbor who had a goat farm. On that particular day two goats had been born. We were able to hold them and learn about raising goats. On this farm we also saw a donkey. Now Jess and I had just read the above passage a couple days before going to the farm and when I saw the donkey I couldn't help but imagine it saying "Hello" to me, in a Eddie Murphy voice, just like in the movie Shrek. How amazing it would be to hear an animal speak to you! The rest of the week I reflected on that passage and how it fits in my life. I imagine Balaam had many things on his mind. He must have been concerned about the journey. He was probably thinking about what the Lord told him about Israel but also tempted by the silver and gold to disobey the Lord and help out his friend. In whatever thoughts and moments he was caught up in, he was blind to the presence of God and beat his donkey who was innocently being obedient to God. During Lent I have kept in mind the distractions in my life which blind me from the ever presence of God. Do I find myself distracted by my own daily routine that Gods presence is put aside? Am I caught up in my life to the extent that others who are obedient to God are being hurt, like the donkey? I think these are questions we all need to ask ourselves from time to time. How are we blinding ourselves to Gods presence and are we hurting those closest to us by pursuing our own pleasures and wants? In pursuing those answers I suggest spending time in silence or somewhere out of the ordinary and away from your daily routine. Whether this means turning off the t.v. and spending time in silent reflection, taking a walk on your lunch break by yourself instead of eating in the office; putting time aside to spend in a park, or elsewhere in the midst of Gods beautiful creation. Let the birds, trees and donkeys remind you of Gods ever presence.

Peace and Love,

Jordan and Jess

Gifts

And the King (Jesus) will answer them, “Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.” Matthew 25:40

At Wonderful Wednesday Worship we are studying Journey to your Spiritual Gift. This was our first week with the new guides and we are to work through a lesson each week, filling in the blanks and answering the questions. Last night Jordan and I sat down to start our workbooks and Anne joined us. As we were working through we came to areas where we had to find answers in the bible; each of us with a different version, we shared the verses out loud to find the solutions. It was a great time of sharing and collaborative learning. Journey defines a spiritual gift as: a divine ability given by grace through the Holy Spirit to make each believer and the church more like Jesus. So far we have learned that each Christian has a spiritual gift, how we can improve and use our gift, and that exercising our spiritual gift brings immense joy. The book is really great, breaking down the 19 spiritual gifts given in the New Testament into three groups: Serving gifts (i.e. helps, giving, hospitality, faith…), Speaking gifts (knowledge, wisdom, prophecy, teacher…), and Sign gifts (miracles, healing, tongues…). All the gifts can be found in Romans 12:6-8, 1Corinthians 12:8-10,28, Ephesians 4:11, and 1Peter 4:9-10. The next ten lessons will describe the each of the gifts. Jordan and I recently read another book called Experiencing the Spirit which detailed the nine gifts mentioned in 1Corinthians so we are excited to do some comparing.

This is going to be really neat for us because I think it is easy to find plateaus in our relationship with the Lord. Thinking, “I am doing everything right, I am reading the bible and praying, etc.” but God always wants us to be challenged, growing, discovering new gifts, and bringing others into His family. And the reward is great. The above verse was brought up in talking about serving gifts. At that point Jesus is explaining his return and how he will split the people into two groups (sheep and goats). Turning to one He invites them into His kingdom; adding, when He was hungry, thirsty, a stranger, naked, sick, or in prison they cared for Him. They said “When did we do that?” And He replied, “As you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.” One day Jesus is going to invite us into His kingdom! So powerful, also powerful is the idea that each time we help someone we are helping Jesus. The homes we are working on are not “perfect” and no matter what we do they never will be, all we can do is try our best and never say, “it’s good enough for this place”; when we replace the homeowner’s names with Jesus only our best is good enough. Even when that means Jordan is going to take off all the door trim (which I JUST calked) because the door is a little crooked.

No PSA today just a challenge (I mean, it is Lent) :

Remember Jesus’ words and treat everyone as if they are Jesus.

Peace and Love,

Jess and Jordan

The pictures are a before and after of when we raised the ceiling in one of the houses. We have also added a list (and preview) of other blogs which we enjoy reading on the bottom of the column to your right.

Learn, Sow, Reap

“You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands; you shall be happy, and it shall go well with you.” – Psalm 128:2

Last week we began working on a house which I began repairing last August when I was here with AmeriCorps. At that time it was literally falling down and Mary, the homeowner was living in her front room without any running water. Mary is in her 50’s or 60’s and I believe she is unemployed on disability. When we left last August her house was put on new foundation and her exterior walls were fixed up. We are now back and since then there haven’t been many volunteers or AmeriCorps teams to continue the work. We put mud on the drywall which was put up and sanded it as well. We are now ready to paint, put up base boards, frame out the windows and other various finishing work so that Mary can move back in.

When I was here back in July and August, we had a consistent gathering of men from around the neighborhood who would just watch the work we were doing. They seemed to be observing every action we were doing as if they were learning so they could do it themselves. Last week, while we were mudding the inside and sanding down the mud, the next door neighbor whose house is pictured above came over to observe what we were doing. I talked to him a bit and I think he remembered me from last August. The next day as we were working, he called us over and told us to check out the inside of his house. To our surprise he had learned from the work we did back in August and that other volunteers had done since then. He scrounged around and saved to gather supplies and had begun fixing the interior of his own house. As he showed us, he had a huge smile on his face and a sense of pride. He was asking me for my opinion on it as if I was some sort of judge and I told him he was doing some good work. He replied with a sincere “Thank You.” The average home buyer would never even stop to take a look at this house, and most contractors would probably tear it down and build a new one rather than repair it, but to this man it is more than a house. It is his security and means of living. I am sure he does not have the funds to build new. Although, this house to me is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. It is the embodiment of hard-work, determination and will to not only survive but rise above. This man could not have planned for his house to be destroyed during hurricane Katrina and obviously was not going to let it get him down.

Public Service Announcement: One thing we have recently learned about is the issue facing those who wish to fix their houses, but don’t have the funds and live in this particular area which has been deemed a flood zone. In order to legally do house repairs one must attain a building permit which cost according to the amount which will go into the repairs. They can range from $50 up to even around $250. On top of that fee there would be limitations on the amount of money you could put into the house, without it being rebuilt and put on stilts since it is in a flood zone. This would not be a problem if the homeowner has enough money to rebuild his house, or if they are able to get a non-profit to help them rebuild this house. The problem is most people in this area do not have the funds to rebuild their houses, their houses will cost more than the permit limitations to fix up (even to livable conditions) and the non-profits in the area are overloaded with work and/or don’t have the necessary funds to help everyone.
This puts the homeowner in a sticky situation. They either live in the condition which their house is left in, which could be like Mary (no running water and house falling down) or they do what this man is doing and little by little rebuild your house to a living condition without a permit and hope not to get caught by the city. I guess this is how people are forced out of their homes so cities can reclaim neighborhoods and bring in higher income residents who can afford to build new houses and thus pay more in taxes to the city. The problem is: what happens to the people who have originally been living there? Where do they go?

I leave you all with one quote: “He (Jesus) said to them, ‘Suppose one of you has only one sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath; will you not lay hold of it and lift it out? How much more valuable is a human being than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.’”

Perhaps it should be legal for a man to fix a house which is rightfully his to the best of his abilities and not be condemned because he doesn’t have enough funds to follow laws established by men.

Peace and Love,
Jordan and Jess

Rule #1

He (The Lord) said, “I hereby make a covenant. Before all your people I will perform marvels, such as have not been preformed in all the earth or in any nation; and all the people among whom you live shall see the work of the Lord; for it is an awesome thing that I will do with you.”
Exodus 34:10

Most people who have ever tried to read through the bible, front to back, quit in Exodus or Leviticus. Genesis and the beginning of Exodus are filled with exciting and well known bible stories. Then the end of Exodus and all of Leviticus have detailed descriptions of the new laws of the land and extensive information on the building of the temple. Not the most thrilling reading to be found in the book.
You all know how Jordan and I like to compare what we are currently reading to what we are currently doing. Well, we are hoping not to lose you here during our time of Leviticus. The crazy Genesis (hitchhiking) stories are over for awhile. We made it through some boring parts of Exodus (we cleaned the garage our first few days here; tools are accessible and ready to use) and now we are learning the Leviticus (Ray’s house) laws:

• Shower every night so the sheets stay clean (I know this doesn’t sound too bad but for those of you who really know me… well.)
• House shoes must be worn inside (Anne- Thank you for the new slippers!)
• Work clothes come off after work, lounge clothes are to be worn when lounging (I like this one, a good reason to be in my pajamas by 6pm)
• No lounging on top of the comforters, especially the one handmade in Iraq (Ray worked in Iraq and had a lovely duvet made and shipped home; Jordan likes to lay on it because it is fluffy)
• Help keep the house clean, i.e. clean up after yourself and vacuum (we like this one because we get to help out around the house and show our appreciation for letting us share their home)
• Make yourself at home (this is Anne’s favorite rule)

All joking aside we are really thankful for their hospitality and like God’s laws helped the Israelites stay on track and live in peace with Him, we know by following our simple rules our time here will be in peace with our new family in Christ.
Now to building the temple!
Well not exactly… we striped a few walls last week (old pine tongue and groove) and this week we preserved the wood in plastic wrapping for Ray to use elsewhere. It was time consuming and mundane but he reuses or recycles building materials; which is right up our alley. With that work done, today we moved on to another house. Jordan worked on this house while he was here in August. It had extensive hurricane Katrina damage; Jordan’s team put the house back on a firm foundation so the walls no longer slant. They also installed new floor joists and sub flooring. Since August another AmeriCorps team visited and put up the drywall. Now the home needs a fair amount of taping and mudding, sanding and painting, baseboard and trim… general finishing. We will most likely be working on it the next two weeks.
We are excited for ‘Wonderful Wednesday Worship’ tomorrow night at Ebenezer, and will hopefully learn something we can share with you on our next blog.

Thank you for all your prayers -- Peace and Love,
Jessie and Jordan

One Family in Christ

"For the Kingdom of Heaven is like a householder who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. After agreeing with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. And going out about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the market place; and to them he said, 'You go into the vineyard too, and whatever is right I will give you.' So they went."
- Matthew 20:1-4

For as in one body we have many members, and all the members do not have the same function, so we , though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; he who teaches, in his teaching; he who exhorts, in his exhortation, he who contributes, in liberality; he who gives aid, with zeal; he who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness. - Romans 12:4-8

Today, while working Jess and I were discussing the stories which Pastor Wilson highlighted Wednesday night at "Wonderful Wednesday Worship". In his discussion, he was pointing out that Christ calls us to "go into the vineyard" and he will pay "whatever is right". He also highlighted that we all are blessed with spiritual gifts and as one family, we are to use them to help and grow the church.

Every now and again, Jess and I stop and think about our present circumstances. Sometimes it hits us at the same time and sometimes we have our own moments, but every time it ends up with us looking at each other, smiling and praising the Lord. Today, for me, it seemed too good to be true.

Jess and I were alone and working on a house. We had just the tools we needed, it was a cold brisk morning. The street which the house was located on was empty and the only noises being made in the neighborhood were our hammers banging on the nails and wood. Occasionally, the sound of power-tools was heard. For the most part, it was quiet and peacefull. The neighbor across the street, Mr. Hallaway, would come over every now and again to check the progress, joke around, and give us any tips that came to mind. Mainly he came over just to start up conversation. Mr. Hallaway is 77. Short man about 5'5, gray hair with a round face. Every time I see him he has a big smile and his eyes shine. When he laughs, he seems to do a short hop and slaps his knee, like you would see in a broadway production. When I asked him about the purpose of the house wrapping paper we were putting up he said "I don't know, we didn't have that in my day". Today we also enjoyed a conversation about his garden. It is too cold yet to plant anything, but the first things he will plant are his potatoes. "You used to plant them in early January, but since the weather has changed, you just have to wait till it gets warmer".

It was about mid-day that I was reflecting on our work, our living situation, Pastor Wilsons sermon, Mr. Hallaway, Jess and the kindness of Ray and Annie. I was overwhelmed with disbelief and praise that Jess and my plans were able to come to fruition and we were actually out "working in the vineyard" and serving the Lord by serving his people. As you all know, this has been in the planning since around August of last year, when we started saving our money so that we could provide for our food while we were working. However, the Lord seems to have had this in his plans long before. He has told us that if we just go out and use our gifts which we were given and went to work, he would provide for our living. Once again, He has gone above and beyond with His compensation. Jess and I are sleeping like Kings and Queens in our comfortable beds, we are able to share food with Ray and Annie at their generosity, and most importantly we are able to work hard to lighten the burden on the shoulders of others.

As we are realizing, we are meant to live as one family in Christ. When we come together with our diverse gifts and put our pride, selfishness and worries away; we are able to accomplish great things. By helping others, we help ourselves and together we grow stronger in unity. Of course, without Christ this would not be possible. He has laid the foundation for our family. Hope all is well with everyone. You are all in our prayers.

Jess' Bedroom. My Bedroom

Peace and Love,
Jordan and Jess

Sacrifice, Save, Serve

“One day Elisha was passing through Shunem, where a wealthy woman lived, who urged him to have a meal. So whenever he passed that way, he would stop there for a meal. She said to her husband, ‘Look, I am sure that this man who regularly passes our way is a holy man of God. Let us make a small roof chamber with walls, and put there for him a bed, a table, a chair, and a lamp, so that he can stay there whenever he comes to us.’ ”
2 Kings 4:8-10

Jordan and I have arrived in Hattiesburg (no more sleeping on bathroom floors – for awhile – so everyone can stop worrying, hehe). We made our destination in seven days. Ray put us right to work on Saturday morning working on a house he hopes to finish. We are staying with him and his wife Anne, it makes work a lot easier knowing I have a nice feather top mattress to sleep on each night, no more ‘roughing it’ for awhile.

Sunday I had my first experience at Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church. I went to women’s Sunday school with Anne, where they were discussing the above passage. The reading was perfect, just as Elisha was grateful to the woman, we are so thankful to Ray and Anne for opening their home to us. Also the story came as confirmation for Ray that he was doing the right thing. The woman was not seeking anything in return but later in the chapter she is rewarded with a son, in the same way we hope we can reward Ray by helping him catch up in the ministry he has, the R3SM non-profit.

After Sunday school I enjoyed the morning worship and Pastor Wilson’s message: Sacrifice, Save, Serve- Freedom ain’t free, but I shall be. He touched on how we can have financial freedom and true freedom through sacrificing what we really do not need, saving some every week, and serving others. Jordan and I took his message as confirmation that we are doing the right thing. We sacrificed our things to get our possessions down to one backpack full, then saved everything we could in AmeriCorps (which was not much), and now we are ready to serve without worry. A really great feeling of true freedom, believe me.

After church we helped Anne prepare the house for an all women’s super bowl party. About 30 women showed up and just had a ball eating delicious food, fellowshipping, yelling at the TV and each other. It was an even split between Cardinals and Steelers fans which made for a good laugh at every touchdown.

Today, unfortunately, we have a rain delay so we will be cleaning up from the party and resting up for a week of work. We will keep everyone posted.

Finally we would like to make another public service announcement. We would like to thank all the churches who knowingly and unknowingly provided a place for us to camp out each night. It was outside their buildings (or in their bathrooms like the picture above) that we felt safe, warm and protected by God. Thank you for all the prayers of a safe arrival, our God is an Awesome God.

Peace and Love,
Jess and Jordan