My Journal

Africa Project 2006

Bob Jordan

Updated November 29, 2006

The Prisoners For Christ team has been participating in international missions to prisons for a few years. I was in the office years ago when we received our first invitation to help a ministry team in Russia. At that time we simply read the request and tucked it away. But they kept asking for help, and eventually PFC responded. Shortly thereafter PFC began receiving invitations from other parts of the world - India, The Philippines, Africa, Mexico, and others.

I watched team after team leave to go on the trip, and I often supported our short term missionaries with funds, prayer and encouragement. It was not in my heart at those times to attend any such trips, until recently. Here's what happened... I was talking with our International Missions Manager, Alan Barentine, and I commented that with so many people going to Africa from PFC (we had just recently sent around 12 on a trip) there must be little time for everyone to speak, teach, or preach. He turned to me and said that of all the people going, only two of them were preachers and they were sharing the responsibilities and that they could use some help. Immediately I wanted to go. Preaching is my passion, as is teaching, and lifting others up, and now I recognized that I indeed had something to offer on an international campaign. My mind began racing as I weighted the spiritual need along with the very practical situation of this being a dangerous part of the world and I'm responsible for a (large) family. Did it make sense? Should I do it? How would I do it? Could I get the time off work? How would I finance it? I didn't even have a passport and I certainly had no international experience. No problem, as anything else in my life I committed it to God in prayer and then rested - not that I did nothing, but I would not enter into anxiety - I would just follow the steps required to go and walk through open doors (if they indeed became open).

In the end I believe with all sincerity that it was the will of God for me to go. Our team has been to where we're scheduled to go twice before, and they know the territory and have established places to stay as well as minister. The risk was reduced in my mind as a result of this. It became more practical. I discussed things like insurance and time off with my employer, and both issues worked out. So I committed to the project.

Then I found out I needed a passport - about two months earlier! So we committed the situation to The Almighty. I had to obtain another birth certificate (mine didn't have the Seal of Virginia on it, so I had to order one, which caused a delay). But ultimately the birth certificate came in, and the passport was ordered, and it came in, and we got it to the ministry in time. I had been warned that it may not come in time, but it did. I believe I can hear God's voice, but He also speaks through circumstances. Door after door was opened, and this too gives me confidence that I'm in His will.

Another experience for me was fundraising. This I have never done before, certainly not on my own behalf. We were taught to write at least 80 letters for the $3300 we had to raise (not including the other estimated $1,600 I invested in passports, birth certificates, immunizations, medications, mailings, and would still invest in travel accessories). What happened in this experience has changed my life. When I sent out the 80 mailings, and also about 20 emails, the response overwhelmed me. Family and friends, both within and without the Christian community, gave and gave generously into the project. Every day funds came in, for three straight weeks. Every day! In the midst of it as I was informed daily of the donors my heart was not only filled and made humble, but in many ways was broken during rejoicing. I know those who gave, some gave out of their poverty as best they could, others with means were very generous, and no one had to do anything. One night during this period The Lord came over me. I recognize His presence coming over me because I get teary-eyed and begin to cry. I quickly went outside and in the cool of the night the Spirit of the Lord ministered to me and taught me about giving through tears of joy and commitment to His cause.

I thought I knew all about giving. I've been a tithing Christian since the beginning of my Christian walk. I have the "gift of giving" and enjoy giving, many times when the recipient doesn't know where it came from. it's been my joy to be generous and still is. Yet being on the receiving end was a very new experience. The Lord ministered to me about the "Holiness of Giving." He spoke to me of how many gave out of their love for me and confidence in me. He showed me how encouraging it is to be in need and have someone meet that need. I believe God is going to bless abundantly all those who were able to give into this project. As I wept before the Lord I committed myself anew and afresh to support His work, to give to every missionary who came through our church (I give to many, but not all - that's changing). I saw how it's holy in the sight of the Lord when people bless the work and the worker through giving. I will never look at giving the same way again.  My life has been changed as a result of this project, and I haven't even left the county much less the country!

One more thought on giving. Giving is a personal matter. Many within the Christian community are highly disciplined with their giving and are regular and strong supporters of their home church and local ministry callings. Please know of a certainty that I would not judge any one of my donor contacts who for whatever reason chose not to give to this specific project. All of us on the missions team are relying on the working of the Holy Spirit and quite clearly we all understand that He moves on whom he will and we abide with that. In my own life I've had to turn down many opportunities for giving over the years due to the circumstances that at that time prevented me from participating financially in a worthy work. It simply opened the door for another to step in and fill the need, and that's how it works in the kingdom of God!

The eight of us short-term missionaries meet every-other week to complete assignments, pray for one another and the needs of the project, and to gain instruction on how to act, what to do, and how to do it. We've practiced working with an interpreter (this is new!) and discussed long flights, not drinking the water, and getting prepared for a culture shock. I have read a great deal about Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. These are countries that have enormous natural resources, including fertile soil, diamonds, and cobalt, to name a few. The large river that runs through the Congo has the capacity to provide electricity to all of Africa! Yet in the midst of these resources is death, famine, disease, war, corruption, political unrest, rampant unemployment, and despair. Why is that? Some of it is foreign abuse for sure, and some of it is the evil in the heart of man. We are bringing a message that is of hope, a future, and love. My heart is filled with what God will do with a ham-and-egger like me. This is not false humility, for I know how to handle the Scriptures and have a great deal of experience. But I'm not a Bible School graduate and I, along with the other seven guys, are every day guys with normal jobs who get no headlines but who believe that a very big God can take someone like us and do something with them and in them to be a blessing to others, even on the other side of the planet!

Does it make sense to invest so much for two weeks worth of ministry? If it was just a junket sightseeing trip it would not be worth it. But we intend on leaving a deposit with those we meet, both those in ministry and those in prison. And our prayer and intention is that the work will remain, and bear fruit, and cause a bright light to be shone in a dark place. Where eternal results will be birthed and nurtured. Altruistic? A better word is faith, even expectancy. Doors are open, we know what to do, and with God's help and grace we'll do what we are trained to do.

Our ministry leader Greg Von Tobel has articulated that he believes that the Third-World prisons are the last frontier of unreached people in the world. No one wants to go there. No one does go there. They get no attention from anyone. I had never considered this before, but it's clearly the case. Prisons are not popular. Third-World countries are not popular. Stack it all up and it's a field "White Unto Harvest" as the Good Lord said in the Gospels. The ironic bright side of this area of ministry is that it works to our advantage regarding personal safety. No one is out roaming around where these prisons are, they are in remote locations where no one, even the locals, want to go.

Next on my agenda is to practice preaching a short message (5 to 10 minutes) with an interpreter. I will ask the Lord God for numerous themes and then, as always, work at it and be prepared, and then watch Him do His work in my life and in the lives of others.

Laying Out Gifts             Wives Libby D., Dee S., Leslie J.     Marking Luggage

       Bob Jordan (new)            Doug Dixon (new)          Don Szolomayer (new)

  Don Dermenstein (new)   Packing Humanitarian Aid       More Packing of Gifts

Alan Barrentine, Leader (vet)  Greg Von Tobel, Leader (vet)    Alex Ananenko (vet)

We are leaving tomorrow! The weather has been unseasonably snowy and icy. My car blew a head gasket effectively ruining the vehicle. Me and the kids have taken turns with colds and illnesses (Andrea had to go to the doctor; Nathan cut his head and almost needed stitches). But "none of these things move me."

I have made arrangements to send/receive emails while in Africa on my Blackberry, but no cell phone voice or voice mail (it would be VERY expensive to have that luxury). Be sure to pray for us on the project. I know I speak for all of us in saying that we've already sent our hearts on ahead, now we just have to physically get over there to begin the work. This should be life-changing indeed. Thanks to all of my donors for making this possible, and thanks to my wife Leslie for gathering so much of what I needed for the campaign, and Dr. Clif and Renee Furukawa, for help in the medical kit and how to use it!

Next entry will be AFTER I return!