{The Blue Canoe}

Many people have asked about it. I really want to tell you about it. 

Probably my favorite question in the past two months has been, "so you were in front of a green screen in that picture, right?" Actually, no. Weeksville, N.C. is just really that beautiful and Sydney Paris Photography, is really that talented. 

So why a boat? 

Well, like any blogger would do - I read a ton of blogs to answer one of life's most complicated questions: what should my engagement pictures look like? 

I knew that I wanted them to be unique - it was my one requirement that they not look like everyone else's. But, in my blog reading I continued to read something along the lines of, "bring something that is important to you and that describes you." Quickly, my mind went to this canoe. 

Adventure not only describes me, but I hope it describes Louis and I's relationship. I hope that no matter how old we get, we will always be adventurous. Boats are a source of adventure and often a symbol of it.

One of my all time favorite adventures during childhood happened in a canoe. Not any canoe, but the canoe used in our engagement photo-shoot. 

The canoe is my Papa's. He is my biggest fan and one of my favorite people. While my desire for adventure comes from my crazy mom, it also has a great deal to do with my Papa. He took me on a lot of adventures, like the time he taught me and my sister how to jump out of an airplane (well, actually we were jumping on the couch), or the time he transformed me into a chief (well, actually he just taught me to cook for the first time.... pancakes), or the many times I sat on the back of his bicycle for him to drive me to Weeksville Grocery to buy M&M's (it felt like a big deal at the time). But out of them all, my favorite adventures with my Papa were canoeing down Sawmill Creek with him, in his pretty blue canoe. Because he is a tree man, the entire journey down the creek, he pointed at trees, taught me their names and told me every fact their was to know about them. He would tell me old stories about Weeksville and what it used to be. Then, on the journey back to land, he would quiz me on all the trees to see what I actually listened to or what I actually learned. As we got older, we were allowed to canoe without grownups, and it seemed like such a big deal. Then, my sister and I or friends and I would walk that same blue canoe down sawmill road and load it into the creek. 

I eventually got older. So old I had to go to college - and Raleigh was the city of my choice for that phase of life. While I eventually grew to love Raleigh, initially I hated it. Its lack of water made me feel so trapped. The older I have gotten, the less time I have spent on the water - making me realize even more how blessed I was to grow up on the Pasquotank River.... even more so, how thankful I am for time in that blue canoe. 

So, what a joy it was to introduce Louis to one of my favorite childhood memories and favorite adventures. The day after our photo-shoot, we for the first time together loaded the old blue canoe into sawmill creek. It wasn't just any old adventure.... a few minutes in we saw an alligator (that was a first). My dad doesn't believe me that it was an alligator, but I promise you it was. 

"I Think God is Happy With Us!"

The following is an excerpt for A Perfect Injustice's September newsletter. May it encourage us to serve those in need and "make God happy!" 

Each month, API host a mens night and women's night. While the women  staff enjoy fellowship, movies, yummy food and nail painting, the men staff and all our boys do “manly things.” While this includes cooking goats, building fires and playing soccer - it also means time in the word and words of encouragement. While mens night has always been a special time in the month for our boys, the past few months a new “manly thing” has been added to the tradition: community service. Our boys live in a nice home with good food and loving family, but the sad fact is they live in the middle of a impoverished village. A village not only where people are suffering physically or materially, but also in the way that they do not have a relationship with the Lord. Our staff and our boys are faithful to serve these people. While serving the community happens all through the month, each mens night all the boys go together to serve some in their village. This month they went to the home of two widows. These two women live together and attempt to help one another survive, as they have no family around them. They live in a little mud hut with no covered place outside to go to the bathroom or bathe. Our boys and staff decided to fix that. The boys, completely willing and with joy built these women a shelter outside her home to bathe. They also built her a drying rack for her dishes. For the boys with our a job in these project, they patched up her mud hut while some sat and fellowshiped with two widows. In the middle of it all, one of our boys, Matia, looked up with a big smile on his face and said, “I think God is happy with us.”  We agree with Matia. God is happy with them all as they are understanding and partaking in the real kind of “manly things.” They are becoming men of God who are serving Him faithfully and serving their community in a way that is showing and teaching the love and hope of Christ.

Father of the fatherless and protector of widows is God in his holy habitation.

Psalm 68:5

xoxo, 

Jordan

Guess where I am??

As I type this I am sitting in Washington D.C. waiting for a flight that will take me to Ethiopia.

If you are reading this, then I am in Uganda! 

If you are shocked and wondering why you didn't know - its because no one really did - I am surprising all my sweet friends there. 

God has taken me on one big adventure this year, and I am thankful He has once again led me to a place He has also called me to love and serve. 

I would love for you to pray for me. Pray that God would work through me this week and accomplish big things. Pray that His name would be made great through me. Pray that I am able to make this week not about me, but about Him! 

......Pictures to come of a bunch of epic reunions. 

Thank you for loving me, supporting me and being amazing prayer warriors alongside me.  

xoxo, 

Jordan 

{Use Protection}

In Uganda, the leading cause of death is HIV-AIDS killing 64,000 per year. The twelfth leading cause of death in Uganda is boda-boda wrecks, killing around 8,000 per year.

A boda-boda is a small dirt-bike that serves as public transportation. Around 300,000 of them
crowd the streets of Uganda, moving its people from place to place. There are not many traffic rules there (I am tempted to say there are no rules), which results in a pretty terrifying ride. I remember the first time I drove through town on a boda-boda. I thought I was going to die. Sadly, that feeling never went away as I become more accustomed to the culture - I quite often thought I saw my life flash before me as my driver whipped in and out through traffic.

Thankfully, I only fell off of a boda-boda once. It happened to be in the village on a dirt path, so it didn't hurt so bad... but sadly, not all stories end that simply.

With the knowledge of its danger (and both the fear that comes with the ride), you would suspect to see people taking caution. Doesn't it just make sense? That is not the case. In fact, it is shocking each time you see someone wearing a helmet.

Months went by in Uganda where it never even crossed my mind to wear a helmet. To you, that seems extremely stupid. To you, you can't imagine boarding for a ride without one on (and maybe knee pads and a bubble-wrapped body also). Because it wasn't a social norm, I never even thought about it.

This was until one day it hit me - "I should definitely buy a helmet." I assumed that they would be hard to find seeing that no one wore them. I came to find out that isn't the case. Not only are they easy to find, they are also extremely inexpensive. So I bought my helmet and strapped myself in.

I remember riding down the street and seeing people staring. I remember giggles that I am sure accompanied thoughts like, "look at that scared little white girl." I remember the time I stood still in traffic and saw a group of people actually point and laugh. People did not think any more highly of me for wearing a helmet... in fact, if anything they thought less. They saw me as someone set apart from there culture. Someone breaking a social norm - and quite frankly, it was uncomfortable for me.

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While reflecting on my time of helmet wearing - I realized how similar this is to the christian life. As christians, we are called to be set apart from the world (Rom. 12:2) and to put on the armor of God (Eph 6:13). 

Somewhere in the middle of making christianity cool and trendy, we have have failed to use protection God has called us to use. We have tried too hard to be apart of the world in all the wrong ways. We have misused and abused "religious freedom" and have found ourself in a mess (in my opinon). 

If I tell you that one of the leading causes of death in Uganda is boda-boda wrecks, and that I have decided I don't think I should wear a helmet - you are going to call me a foul. You are going to tell me to put on a flippin helmet. 

Similarly, you should use "protection" in your decision making to protect yourself from sin. 

I remember going to college and thinking that I would just go to all the parties but not partake in the things that I thought sinful, while there. I think many christian college freshman think similarly. It doesn't work that way. When you surround yourself by sin, you will fall into sin. Don't go to the parties. 

While fleeing from lust and sexual sin, don't watch inappropriate movies that tempt you and harm your thought process. When striving for abstinence, don't stay that night with your boyfriend assuming you are strong enough to fight temptation. When you know you struggle with drunkenness, don't continue to drink, assuming you will not once again fall into the same sin. The list goes one. 

The sad fact is, that when you do this it might be uncomfortable. People may giggle. They might stop and stare. They may point and laugh. Not only is it worth it, but it is commanded. God tells us to be set apart and to look different (2 Cor. 6:17). In fact - he tells us to look like him (1 John 2:6) - and Jesus himself was mocked (Luke 22:63). Embrace the giggles and point them to Christ. 

Use protection. Guard your heart. Put on your helmet, and protect yourself from sin. Doesn't it just make sense? 

xoxo, 

Jordan

{Put Some Clothes On}

1 in 4 girls are raped before the age of 18. Every two minutes in the U.S. someone is sexually assaulted. These are alarming statistics. These are sexual sins.

Then there are less "bad" sexual sins like lust. I don't think I need to provide a statistics for the amount of lust in the world. I think you know. Then there is adultery: roughly 40% of all married couples partake in infidelity. These are alarming statistics. These are sexual sins.

But why are we surprised? Scripture warns us that there will be sexual temptation in the world. We know this by the large amount of times we are told to guard ourselves against it:

"Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body." - 1 Cor. 6:18

"Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry "- Col. 3:5

"Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous. "- Hebrews 13:4

  "For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one     of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like the  Gentiles who do not know God;" - 1 Thess. 4:3-5

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Satan has always tried to tempt humanity in this area. His method of choice in this day and age is media.

If you have been watching the world cup lately you know that this is true - commercials are absolutely ridiculous. How exactly do you make a hamburger commercial sexual? Hardee's has found a way. Or when is the last time you have watched a movie without a sex scene (that hopefully you fast forwarded over)? Even cartoons are full of sexual innuendo's.

Whether you like it or not, your son/brother/boyfriend/dad/husband is going to walk past practically naked women every time they step into a mall. Thank you Victoria for that.

The temptation is everywhere. It is on our televisions, saturated in commercials, on many billboards, in our song lyrics, in our malls .......

So why am I telling you this? Honestly, to suggest you should wear more clothes.

Women: Are you going to be happy if you walk into the next room and see your son/brother/boyfriend/dad/husband staring at a picture of a girl in a bikini on his phone?

If those of you who answered no: have you posted a picture of yourself in a bikini on instagram/facebook this summer? Probably. I promise you that there are sisters/mothers/wives/girlfriends who have brothers/fathers/boyfriends/husbands who struggle with sexual sin and you just fed them temptation.

I realize this is harsh and you don't want to think about this.... but have you ever thought about how the way you may dress effects those around you? Do you realize that you are feeding into the temptation of sexual sins (and the statistics listed above)?

I am no way it is your "fault" that people sin sexually: I am however suggesting the way you dress (and the pictures you post) are harming your brothers.

.......................

I challenge you to do three things tonight. 

1. Pray for God to heal the minds of the many men who are creating the statistic that 1 in 4 women are raped. Pray for 40% of couples who are currently living a life of adultery. Pray for the media industry who is playing a key role in sexualizing society. 

2. Think about changes needed in your life that will help protect those around you from temptation. 

3. Stop thinking that watching these disgusting movies, commercials, and such are ok. It isn't. It is exacerbating the problem of the sexualization running rampant in our culture.

I am appalled at how sexualized our society has become. I am angry. I am praying that by God's grace, I in no way feed into this problem and I want to encourage you to do the same. 

xoxo, 

Jordan 

{THE PROPOSAL}

Assuming that you are dying to know how it all went down, I am going to tell you!

The day started unlike most days, simply for the fact we both woke up sick. So off we went on an adventure with a pit stop to buy medicine, tissues and cough drops. Louis had called me earlier that week to ask if for my birthday we could road trip to Southport, N.C and I with excitement agreed.

Why Southport: Two weeks before we began dating, a friend and I went to Rocky Mount for the weekend to visit Louis. While there we watched the movie Safe Haven to which I commented many times, "that place is beautiful, I want to go there." While watching this movie we were just friends just like we had been for the four previous years, but I think we both knew that was about to change.

So two weeks later we were more than friends. The week after that, Louis took me to Southport. It was amazing. So amazing that while I was living in Africa and Louis and I (via skype date) made an adventure list for when  I returned, a second trip to Southport made the number one spot!

Five hours of driving and a box of tissues later, we were in Southport. After a great lunch at Taylor's Restaurant we went to the swing.

The swing: During our first trip to southport we swung on a swing by the water for a long time (I later found out that, that day seven months ago Louis knew that he would one day propose there). While we were walking to the swing he said, "I have your birthday present, but you have to fix it (my birthday was the day before)."

So we sat on the swing and he handed me a journal. It was a journal that I bought in Africa and gave to Louis. This past week the tassel that holds it shut had broke, so he handed it to me to fix while the swing swung back and forth. After many minutes of trying to fix it (and many minutes of me being very confused) I handed back the pieces to the journal saying that I just couldn't fix it. When he took the pieces of the journal from my hand, he replaced it with a crackerjack box and said, "can you hold this while I read you something?" And then I knew!

The crackerjack box: The night before I moved to Africa Louis very sporadically said, "sooo.... what kind of ring do you want?" With eyes big as my face and  probably cheeks as red as a cherry I said, "It could come out of a crackerjack box for all I care and I would be happy!"

So while I held a vintage crackerjack box in my hand Louis began to read. He had written to me in it every night for the week leading up to saturday. "You don't know this yet, but in a week I will ask you to be my wife....."

Then, on the final note, he ended with, "will you marry me?"

So I then opened the cracker jack box where there was a small package that said, "your prize is inside."The best "prize" ever, that is!

Then, with an overwhelming amount of joy, I said, "YES!"


After an awesome day full of smiles, we headed home. My favorite memory of that drive home was when Louis looked at me and said, "how many times today do you think we have just looked at each other and smiled?" I don't know the answer to that question, but it definitely was a lot.

On the way home we made a stop that you may not expect..... Bojangles.

Bojangles: When Louis was a little boy Louis told his parents that one day when he wanted to get married he would buy the girl five large fries and ask her to marry him. Since that day many years ago it has been a running joke in his family. It only made since to end our day with a large fry.

............................

Now, I am sitting here in the Griffin house while my left hand sparkles and I could explode with excitement thinking about November 8th when I will become a Griffin.
                                                                      .............................
Exactly a week before the day Louis proposed we attended my grandparents 50th anniversary and had the honor of watching them renew their vows. At the very end of a fun day, my Ma threw a bouquet, and I caught it.

 

The prophecy of the caught bouquet came true, and I hope that in fifty years I too will be able to throw a  (second) bouquet with Louis by my side. I am so thankful for people like my grandparents and so many others who have been an amazing example of what marriage is. I am thankful for the many people who have shown us an overwhelming amount of love and encouragement these past few days. I am  so humbled by so many people's kind words. Most of all, I am overwhelmed with thanksgiving to our sovereign God who has been gracious enough to bring Louis and I's lives together. He is good - and we are thankful.

{HOMESICK}

Pridefully, I have worried the past few days that people may think that I left Uganda early because I was homesick. I have worried someone might think I am a "quitter." I have worried someone may think I was weak.

While none of these things are true, I did fight being homesick on a daily basis while being in Uganda. There were some days that I thought my heart might just burst because I missed those I love, so much.

Then, I was on my way to America and found myself in the middle of a breakdown. Unfortunately, it was the first of many.

When I have looked at girls in shorts that should be considered underwear, I have missed the modesty of Uganda. When I have been shivering when it actually isn't even cold, I have missed the perfect temperatures of Uganda. When I have heard Americans complaining and words of unthankfulness, I have missed the contentment of Ugandans. But mainly, when I think of the many people I grew to love so much, I miss them.

I guess you could say, that while I sit here in my air conditioned American home.... I feel a little homesick.

In the midst of this new type of homesickness, I was asked a question that made me laugh: "where do you live?" I didn't even know what to say.

"Well, I am staying at my parents house, but I am moving to a new city in a few weeks, but I have to be in Raleigh some and......"

In this limbo of life, amongst so many changes, it feels hard to even pin-point what home is.... yet still, I feel homesick.

..............................

2 Corinthians 5:1 says, "For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands."

In the past few days I have meditated on the fact that while I have been able to call Elizabeth City, Raleigh, Florida, and Uganda all my homes, none of them are home. This life is just temporary. 

Am I living that way? Am I living for eternity? 

Am I comfortable in this world, or am I living in a way that shows others I am living for somewhere greater. Is my daily goal to add to the Kingdom, or is it to people-please in this temporary home. 

Today, I am thankful for this strange feeling of discontentment. I am thankful for the reminder that I wasn't made for this place, but somewhere greater. Today, I am thankful for the reminder this is just my temporary home. 

xoxo, 

Jordan 

A Message From America

Hello everyone! I just wanted to let you know that I am in America.

Two years ago over a cup of coffee, the founder of API and I dreamed about what it would look like to serve the API team in the states. This was after a short-term trip to Uganda where we realized that my career goals not only would serve API well, but also was something they had been praying for, for years.

That led to me moving to Uganda. I am able to see the many ways God used me there – all Glory to Him. While I served the people of Uganda, I also was working on bringing the ministry to the states. After much prayer, we (the leaders of API) have decided it would be best if I began my ministry here in the states, effective immediately. As we are looking forward to expansions that are happening in API, such as our plan of building a school for street children, we see the great need of forming sponsorship in the states.

Also, we are ready to open another children’s home, but need the majority of our current children to be sponsored, before we bring more in. I am excited about finding sponsors so that more children can be removed off the streets and placed in a loving home.

The needs here are vast, and I am so excited about getting to work! If you would like to learn more about the ways I will be serving in the states or if you, your organization, ministry, or church family would like to get involved – I would love to talk to you about how that can happen.

I know many of you have supported me financially along this journey, and this is significantly earlier than my expected return date; but the ministry is growing and changing so quickly. We couldn’t have known how things would work out, and that the situation would dictate my early arrival. I am very excited about my continued work with API from the States. I can’t begin to tell you what amazing things this ministry is doing, but the needs are great!!!

I am so thankful for the support, prayers and encouragement you have all provided me and know will continued to be provided for me. I look forward to sharing about my experiences in Uganda and inform you of the big things God is doing there!

The Calling

Recently a church asked me about my "call" to missions. This is how I responded to them... and decided to share with you....

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At the age of 14, I began to feel like God was calling me towards missions. “Feel” is a word that is hard to explain… what did it mean to feel as if God was calling me? I am unsure. What I actually think is that God was calling me to Himself.

I went through high school loving the Lord, but serving Him little. I was concerned with good things, even though I knew that “good things” was not a ticket into heaven. I was a people-pleaser to the max, and concerned with having a “good-girl” image. While I was involved in my church, ministry groups and other things… I now see that I was serving myself, not the Lord.

When arriving to college I set out to survive the college life without going too crazy, and that was all. To my surprise, God had bigger plans. I began attending a Gospel-preaching, God-centered church that spoke truth into my life. I began to understand that life was not about me but about Him. I began to understand that I was called to serve Him and not for my own glory, but for His. I began to understand that while I had called myself a Christian for years, I had never fully understood the importance of a personal relationship with Him.

God was grabbing my heart and revealing more and more of who He was. Naturally, as I began to love Him more, I began to serve Him more – and now for the right reasons: His glory not mine.

In the midst of this, I began seeing people from my church family sent all into all parts of the world. Young families with little children, older families at the age of retirement, single people right out of college. They were all joyfully leaving their comfortable American lives to faithfully go to the ends of the earth to share the gospel. Not only was I seeing it happen, I was being taught why it was important. Not only important, but also commanded. Matthew 28:16-20 says, “Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and of the Holy Spirit. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” I now realized that the last words Jesus spoke on earth, also applied to me. He had commanded me to make disciples and promised to be with me while I did.

I knew that not all people were called overseas. I knew that I could effectively make disciples on my campus, in my family, or in the grocery store down the street… but was I willing to go? If God called me to a foreign place, would I go? Theologian John Piper once said, “so, you have three possibilities in world missions. You can be a goer, a sender, or disobedient.” Which of these would I choose to be, because I would be one of them.

At the completion of another semester of college, my grades were somehow entered into the system incorrectly. As I viewed them, great disappointment filled me and in frustration I said, “I want to quit school and move to Africa.” The only reason I said Africa was because it sounded far away. Surprisingly a friend of mine responded, “my church is going on a short-term mission trip to Africa in December, want to go?” That same day I was cleaning my room and found a DVD. A pastor had given it to me five years before, who said, “I just felt like I should give this to you. I think you should watch it and pray about it.” I hadn’t seen this DVD since then and I certainly had not watched it or prayed about it. It was a DVD about mission in Africa.

I knew then that God was telling me to go, and I chose to joyfully go. That short three week trip was hard yet eye opening. Soon after I was once again asked to go on a short-term trip to Africa and this time to Uganda. I said “I will think about it” and did not really think much about it, assuming my answer would be no.

Just a few short days later I was at a church service listening to a message about love. The pastor read 1 John 3:18 which says, “Dear children, let's not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions.” The pastor then said, “Aren’t you glad that God did not just tell you He loved you but sent His only son to earth to die for you, to show you? Are you going to just say you love the starving children in Africa, or are you going to go show them you love them?” It was just meant to be an attention-grabber example, but it grabbed my heart and my eyes swelled with tears. Once again, God made it clear. I knew then that God was telling me to go, and I chose to joyfully go.

I can tell you story after story of similar ways I knew God was calling me. I went on many short-term trips until now when I find myself living in Uganda, Africa serving its starving children and seeking ways to tell them about the love and hope of Christ.

God made it very clear to me that I was called to go, but it wasn’t until I began listening to His voice that I heard it. God made it very clear to me that I was called to go, but it wasn’t until I understood His great commission and my responsibility to make disciples. God made it very clear to me that I was called to go, but not until I was living a life that strived to glorify Him and not myself.

I may one day live in Africa forever or maybe in a little town in North Carolina… but regardless of where I am, I choose to be willing to joyfully go wherever He calls me.

 xoxo, 

Jordan