Back in the US of A

It has almost been a week since I arrived back in the United States. I decided to wait a little bit to post an update...just to see how my transition back into American life would go, before posting anything. I will start out by saying that all of your prayers (and mine) for me to have a "smooth" transition back to life here, were answered. God has blessed me with an extremely smooth transition back into my American way of life. I would be lying if I said that I weren't nervous about my re-entry into America. As you can imagine, life in Haiti is MUCH different than what we are accustomed to here in America. Although I WAS a little nervous...I knew God was in control and would take care of me...and He did. It was very nice being able to spend my last 11 days in Haiti, alongside my best friends in this world. It also great to be able to travel back home on the same flights as them! I also have an extremely supportive/amazing family that aided in my smooth transition.

I've had many people ask me, "What's the one thing that impacted you the most in your six months?". To be honest, I think it would be impossible for me to select a single event that impacted me the most. God spoke to me countless times, brought many things to my sight, and taught me a lot about myself, as well. I cherish every single moment I was able to spend with the beautiful children of Haiti. Those children were the greatest factor in my decision to even go to Haiti for six months. I am so thankful for the many great friendships that I built with those children; the countless laughs, sweat, and fun that we shared together. I greatly enjoyed doing the bi-weekly Sunday evening Men's Bible Study in Onaville, alongside Brandon Hutchens, Clerice, Pastor Masaillon, Jonathan, and everyone else involved. I thank God for granting us with the opportunity to reach out and plug into the men of this church, and the community of Onaville. I will never forget the burning passion we all felt inside our chests, after we finished each study. We would sometimes be there for three hours, enjoying the fellowship with our Haitian brothers. I ask that you will keep those men, Pastor Masaillon, our church in Onaville, and the entire community of Onaville in your prayers. The all-night prayer services we had at our church in Onaville and in Chambrun, will have an everlasting imprint in my heart. Just being able to worship with my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, without "holding back" or caring what other people thought...was amazing. I have never worshiped like that, here in America. I've never felt the Holy Spirit's presence, like I felt in those services. I met many absolutely amazing people during my trip. People of different nationalities, ages, occupations, walks of life, gifts, personalities, and "visions." I thank God for each person I was fortunate enough to come into contact with.  I could go on and on and on about the other many experiences that I had...but I'll save all of those for future posts.

I simply cannot thank God enough, for blessing me with the opportunity to serve at Nehemiah Vision Ministries, for six months. Yes, I missed my family and best friends, as well as the many blessings us Americans have (Delicious 2% milk, Chic-Fil-A, smoothly paved roads, no tarantulas, etc)...but God provided me with the strength to leave all of that behind for six months. I simply could not have done this, if I would have relied on my mere human strength, courage, and wisdom. Those six months will have an everlasting impact on my life. I look forward to seeing how God can use my time there in Haiti, to bring glory to His Kingdom. I also thank Him for the opportunities that He has given me, to share my testimony and how God impacted my life through this trip, with the youth at my home church, Crossroads Fellowship, for the next two Sundays (July 29 and August 5th). I will be moving into Liberty University on August 16th!

To finish this post off....I would simply like to thank YOU for your prayers, donations, love and for keeping up with my posts, my pictures, and my six month journey. I ask that you keep Nehemiah Vision Ministries, the entire nation of Haiti, and myself in your prayers. I pray that my testimony, my six months in this beautiful nation, can somehow impact YOUR life. I pray that it will be encouragement and motivation for you to step out in your faith, and bring glory to God's Kingdom. By no means am I more "qualified" than any of you, to take a bold step in faith. I'm just a normal 21 year old guy. I'm a sinner who has been blessed with the grace of God-just like you. The entire world is a mission field. We are not all called by God to do international missions-don't be discouraged if you don't feel led to travel overseas to proclaim the Gospel. You can start in your own neighborhood-your neighbor, your family, friends, school job, etc. We must not overlook the fact that there are people that need to here the Gospel here in our own nation. If anybody would like to contact me for any reason, please feel free to email me at: jphasfaith@gmail.com. I would be more than happy to talk with you.

One of my last visits to Chambrun. I will never forget these amazing children.

Never a dull moment in this village!

If one picture could sum up the pure joy I experienced while playing with the kids in Chambrun, this would be it. I'm a kid at heart, and this photo definitely captured that essence of my personality. I will never forget the countless laughs, games, and sweat that I enjoyed with these kids

Also never a dull moment with my best friends and I!!

Baby Rose, Kris Kapab, and Daniella. Absolutely love these three little girls.

This Is A Family

 The title of this post is, "This Is A Family." The staff here at Nehemiah Vision Ministries does not simply refer to each other simply as friends, a group, or ministry. We are a family. A family that consists of various ages, walks of life, homes (in America), skin complexions, hair colors, and well...many other things. However, none of those differences matter. This is a family that might only spend several months of a year together. Some of us might not ever, unfortunately, see each other face-to-face again. (You might be thinking, "Hmm...this doesn't really sound like a family to me.") But the time that we have spent here together has been absolutely priceless. Don't get me wrong...we function similar to "true" blood-related families. What I mean by that, is the fact that we don't always feel thrilled to be in each others' presence. We butt heads, have disagreements, don't see eye-to-eye on every little detail, and don't all enjoying doing the same things as others...and none of those characteristics differ from "normal" families. One characteristic that we ALL share, however, is the fact that we all have a burning passion to serve and love the Lord Jesus Christ.

Today was definitely a bittersweet day here at Nehemiah Vision Ministries. I say bittersweet, because some of us had to say "goodbyes" with an undetermined amount of time until we see each other again. Our NVM family is once again undergoing a slight roster change. However, change is inevitable and people have to move on to the next chapters in their lives. Nurse E'Tienne York headed home this morning after a year of service here at NVM; Brandon Hutchens and Katie Hutchens headed back home for two weeks to spend time with family and loved ones back home; my oldest brother, Jason, also headed home after spending a week here with us at NVM.

The fact that I only have eight days left in Haiti definitely hit me pretty hard today. I said my last goodbye to E'Tienne bright and early this morning and later drove my brother, Brandon, and Katie into Port-au-Prince Airport. The realization, that before I know it....I will be taking my last airport run. And rather than picking other people up, or dropping other people off...it will be myself who is leaving. I could go on and on about the many experiences I've had here since January 16, 2012. Perhaps I will in a later post...but for tonight, this is it! I ask for everyone to keep all of us in your prayers as we continue to serve here at NVM, as well as to the many other places that God will lead us. All things for His glory.

Top : Katie Hutchens, Brandon Hutchens, Katherine Clancey, Cheryl Warner, Aubree Dell, Jim Warner, E'Tienne York, Brooke Smalley. Bottom: Jonathan Dimanche, Myself,                   Clinton Small, and Chris Bosma.                                 

Two Weeks Remaining

As of today, I only have two weeks left in Haiti. My oldest brother, Jason, arrived here yesterday! He will be here from July 2nd-9th. I am so excited that he was able to come. It just so happens that we started our first annual Nehemiah Vision Ministries Summer Youth English Camp on Monday--he is a high school English teacher back home! Therefore, he immediately plugged into the camp and is teaching an English class!

My oldest brother, Jason, and myself. My caption for this image is, "You may be the oldest brother... but now I'M the biggest!".

My brother and I both greatly enjoy photography. He has a wedding photography business that he does "on the side." I love every opportunity that we get to shoot weddings (and anything, really) together. There was an awesome lightning storm off in the distance last night. We decided to go out and attempt to capture images of lightning bolts. So...we went out on the roof, set our D7000's to interval shooting (capturing images every 2 seconds), and I caught this 6-bolt-beauty!

My best friends will be here at Nehemiah Vision Ministries, THIS Friday!! That is the same team (Crossroads Fellowship college ministry, "Catalyst")that I came down here with last summer. It's going to be great working alongside my brother for a week, and my best friends for 11 days. It has been 5-and-a-half months since I've seen any of my family or friends. I will be flying back to the States with my friends/college ministry on July 17th.

Tarantulas

I have posted many things that I love about Haiti...but have never shared something that I do NOT love about it...tarantulas. All of my family and close friends know that spiders are not, well, my favorite thing in the world. My spider "tolerance level" has definitely been heightened since the 5 and-a-half months that I've been here. However, I don't think I'll ever be able to tolerate these furry eight-legged creatures.

I found this one last night on the outside of the Men's Dorm (of course!).

 

If the picture wasn't good enough...here's a video I recorded with my iPhone! Ha!

 

Fortunately, I have only seen about three or four of these in the 5 and-a-half months that I've been here. Hopefully this will be the LAST one I see, throughout my remaining 17 days here!

June Journal Entry (6/13/2012)

June 13, 2012

"To my generation,

The point of me sharing my story, my testimony, and how God has been working in and through my life, is this: I want to reach people that have lived a life similar to mine, or who are currently living a similar lifestyle now. I want you to find hope, to be encouraged to live a life of righteousness...rather than falling into the ways of this dying world (and generation) that we all dwell in. A world that is overwhelmed with alcohol, nicotine, drugs, adultery, sex and "casual" hookups, countless teenage pregnancies, lying, cheating, stealing, lust, and any other immoral filth that we partake in. Don't get me wrong, I am by NO means perfect. Nor do I consider myself to be better than anyone that partakes in the things I just mentioned. I haven't always been a dedicated follower of Christ, pursuing a life of righteousness in a world that is filled with temptation and sin, lurking around every corner. 

We are all sinners. The difference between the "old" sinner Jordan and the "new" sinner Jordan is this: I am no longer held captive by the ball-and-chain of the sinful ways, that I once lived. I no longer sin, simply because I have nothing better to do in my free time. Let me also state the fact that I could not have overcome my past, filled with immoral relationships, parties, and a generally pessimistic outlook, without the power of God. Trust me, I tried to overcome these vices on my own- I failed miserably time and time again. I battled with God, asking, "Why me, God? Why must I go through these things? Can't you just give me a break?". I didn't turn to Scripture as much as I should have....

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does." James 1: 2-8

Rather than embracing my trials with a positive mindset, I constantly fell in defeat. By no means was I building perseverance- I was building Satan's grasp/stronghold on my life. "...That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does." Rather than turning to God, asking for HIS guidance and help, I tried to lean on my own strength and knowledge. I had a one-way battle with God. Even if I did throw up a prayer, why would He have provided for me? "...But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt...". Deep in my heart I knew I needed to submit to God, but I let my mind take over the battles of my heart. If only I would have been aware of these verses prior to all these trials, right? 

This is why I want you to be aware-and remember-even if you dedicate your life genuinely and wholeheartedly to God-we will ALL face trials and defeat .It's not going to be a smooth, freshly-paved road the entire ride. It will be filled with potholes, speed-bumps, cracks, roadblocks, and detours. We will all face this-there is no escaping the inevitable. It's the way that we RESPOND to these hazards- that builds perseverance and our trust in God. If we had not trials to face, why would we need to trust in God? 

My friends...joing me in this journey. You will be amazed by where God can lead you...when you die to self, take up your cross daily, and develop a genuine relationship with our LORD. Stand up to the ways of the world. Join me, brothers and sisters in Christ. This is the battle of all battles; the war of all wars. This is the battle for our LORD...for our eternal life.

                                                                                                    Sincerely With God,

                                                                                                           Jordan Piper

                                                                                                              6/13/2012

                    

The Countdown Begins.

  I celebrated my 5th month in Haiti last Saturay, June 16th. Therefore that leaves me with less than a month left here; 24 full days to be exact. My oldest brother, Jason will be here from July 2nd-9th. Catalyst, my college ministry consisting of all my best friends back home, (the team I came down here with June 2011) will be here from July 6th-17th. I will be returning to the United States on July 17th, with all of my best friends. I have been anticipating their arrival for quite some time now. I'm so excited for my brother and for my best friends to experience what I have had the blessing to experience for this long. I'm definitely having a mix of bitter-sweet emotions. Haiti has became my "home away from home". I've developed many great friendships with the Haitians as well as the American NVM staff. The Haitians no longer consider me a "blanc", meaning a foreigner. "Ou pa blanc. Ou se Ayisyen!". They now consider me one of them, a light-skinned Haitian so-to-speak. I am beyond thankful for being blessed with the opportunity to plug into this amazing community of people for 6 months. However, I greatly miss my family and friends back home. I am continuously praying for a smooth transition back into my America way of life, as well as into Liberty University in August. I pray that God will give me the wisdom, strength, and courage for this transition to be as smooth as possible. I plan to return here to Nehemiah Vision Ministries sometime in 2013. I'm not sure exactly when, or for how long, but I will be back!

  All the Nehemiah Vision Ministries interns decided that we needed to take a group photo. Maggie Younker, whom I have worked with since January, departed on Monday. She has spent 5 months here, and will be interning with the International Justice Mission in Europe, starting in September. We also have 3 Summer interns who arrived several weeks ago. It has been great working alongside my fellow interns and new friends!

So this pyramid picture didn't turn out as great as I would have liked. I was using a 35mm lense and had about 5 minutes to try to get several shots (Maggie had to leave for the airport and we have 100+ people on campus). BUT...it's an awesome picture, regardless.

Brandon Hutchens (NVM Missions Team Coordinator); Interns: myself, Jonathan Dimanche, Maggie Younker, Chris Bosma, and Clinton Small. There is never a dull moment on this compound!

  Thank you for taking to the time to check out and share my blog! I ask that you keep me in your prayers, as I continue to serve the remaining 24 days here! God has been doing amazing things over the past 5+ months of my life. This has been a life-changing experience, to say the least.

Thursday Morning Thoughts

I would like to share with you some of my thoughts I had this morning, while riding to Onaville to finish painting a container at our "satellite" location.

"   As Christians, we musn't blend in with the secular world. Let me clear up the fact that I am not stating that it is wrong to befriend non-believers or to associate with them. However, we are called to be bold; to be radical in this day and age filled with unholiness and impurity. We must not merely label ourselves as Christians and abuse the grace of God. Jesus lived a perfect and blameless life so that we sinners may be redeemed. That is enough reason for me to try my absolute hardest to live my life as a genuine, devoted follower of Christ. Christ paid for the sin of all mankind with His own blood.
    Tell me, what good is it to dress up in our "Sundays Best" on Sunday mornings, singing along with the worship band and raising your hand up to Heaven to praise our Lord, when Monday-Saturday you live no differently than your secular neighbor?
    We must NOT abide by the norms that our society has grown accustomed to. What is more courageous; giving in to temptation and impurity or living a pure life of righteousness? Will it be easy to ignore the peer pressures of the world? Absolutely not. As a devoted follower of Christ, you WILL face trials, temptations, and downfalls. How you respond to those downfalls, is the testing of your perseverance and faith in God. I see people constantly stating things such as, "Why is there so much evil in the world?; What happened to moral standards?; Why is he doing this and she doing that?", etc. Rather than asking questions such as this, would it not be easier to live your life, the way you want others to live theirs? Lead by actions rather than solely relying on words. You could be the brightest, most knowledgeable speaker of this age, but if your words do not coincide with your actions, then they will fall upon deaf ears."

 I enjoy writing, even though I am far from the best at it. Writing is simply an avenue for me to share with the world, what God puts on my heart. I will attempt to post things such as this on my blog, on a more regular basis. I am sure that there will be many people whom disagree with my thoughts and actions. That is completely acceptable. However, if I have one person that is somehow "moved" by my words, no amount of opposition can overcome that single victory.