Hi all,
Just got a call from Jordan and good news - he has been moved to the Annex (the last living area before graduation)!
This means more privileges and also he's closer to graduation! This time he was the only one who moved (often there are as many as 25 moves!)... a little hard for him since there was another guy in the Upper Room (the area he just moved from) who has been there for 8 months, and Jordan left before he did... so although this is good for him, it's hard for him to see those who are still struggling. I feel he is learning to have a bigger heart for compassion for others, maybe something he learned along the way.
He also has a tentative graduation date - either
Feb 24 (happy birthday to him!
) or the week later,
March 3. Just in case any of you wanted to try to see if you could go out for the graduation... it would be on a Thursday and then he said if anyone was staying through Sunday, they could go to prayer on Saturday and Sunday service. I would recommend it if you could, it's a neat place to see...
He also has a new phone number: and the good news is that he is not limited on phone time in the Annex, unless of course someone is waiting for the phone (so just good common courtesy). He said that good times to call are when he's off work and home, which are Mondays and every other Wednesday (this week being one of them - so the next would be Feb 2). He also will have a cell phone that you can call between 6pm-9pm PST on the weekend nights (Friday, Saturday, Sunday nights). That number is
Regarding his plans for the future... although he has a tentative graduation date, it's never set in stone so still continue to pray for his progress and especially for wisdom and direction as to what he should do when he graduates. Pray that God would prepare him in all aspects, physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually, for leaving Pure Life. He knows that he will never be "healed" on his own and he wants to focus on the daily walk with the Lord and daily realization that it is only with God's power and not his own, that he will make it through the day. Pray for encouragement for that as well. After graduation, he is not sure if he will try to stay out there for a couple months (there is a conference there in April that he might like to attend - so whether that means coming home and going back, or just staying out there until then - is yet to be revealed) or if he'll come home. If he stays, pray for resources for housing and transportation (he already has a job out there, which is another reason that he may stay...), and if he comes home then pray for wisdom in knowing where to go and possibly for job opportunities. There are lots of decisions to be made, so pray for wisdom and guidance for those.
He is also seeming to be much more prudent in his "plans" for the future (can you say
PEEPFEST?
) in that he is willing to put off things he wants to do if it's not prudent given his resources, and is willing to wait until the proper time if need be, which is a big change for him! So pray that he continues to seek the Lord's guidance in all that he does, as it will be an ongoing struggle between self-will and God's will, as it is for all of us.
That said, he did say that he's not sure about 2012, but maybe there's a 51st or 52nd birthday party to be had... (Jordan's always been quirky, so it would be right up his alley to have an "off" year celebration, right?
So plans probably won't be made anytime soon, so please feel free to do whatever is best for you all in your vacation planning... but I'm sure you'll know once anything happens.
Thank you all for your continued love and support during this whole process.
I know that he appreciates each and every one of you and will look forward to talking with you again.
Please let me know if you have any questions...
"You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness." Eph. 2:22-24
"I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." Phil. 1:3-6
Thanks for your prayers for God's continued work in Jordan...
wendy