Since we arrived to Russia, we have been raising funds for a vehicle. We were not sure exactly how much money would be needed. We have seen on some mission fields that over $25,000 is needed to get a used vehicle. We are happy to say that the money that has been given over this past year has been enough to purchase a used minivan for our family. We are excited to purchase a 1999 Nissan Liberty from our coworkers Steve and Crick Volstad. They are C&MA missionaries with whom we worked for two years in Moscow. They just finished their second term and are now on home assignment in Pennsylvania. The car is truly a gift—the result of God blessing you and you giving sacrificially. Thank you for the blessing of a vehicle.
The car is a “small” minivan (one person called it a micro minivan). It seats seven passengers, but there is not too much leg room for the middle and back row. A nice feature is that we can fold down the back row for more cargo space, and still seat five passengers. Since the car was located in Moscow, we sent a Russian friend (Sasha) to fly up to Moscow and drive down (a 20+ hour trip). Sasha did the whole trip on his own, driving all of one day and part of the next. We plan on having the Nissan Liberty for the remaining three years of this first term, hoping that it will give us many good miles (kilometers here!) during that time.
Ministry Strategies Part 1
I (Jason) am a strategist. I like to think about strategy, to plan and discuss with others different approaches to ministry. What works? What doesn’t? How are we going to get it done? I think I became this way gradually, as I got more involved in ministry, got deeper into my studies in college and seminary, and developed great friendships with others who like to think about such things. Many of them are missionaries all over the world now. In thinking about strategy, I want to share with you some of the strategies that are currently being used on the Russia field. This will be my attempt to give a broad picture, and eventually we will hone in on some of the more specifics that we see God directing for our ministry. This is Part I.
Throughout the history of the C&MA Russia field, we have focused on church planting. Usually this is done in cooperation between a foreign missionary (single or couple) and a national Russian pastor. The pastor oftentimes is someone who has had some theological training, and he might have had some previous ministry experience, full-time or lay ministry. The goal is for the pastor to work full-time in the new church, but at the beginning it might not be possible. Starting a new church usually does not provide a large offering every Sunday. The pastor might be bi-vocational. (Continued in July)
Joy’s Birthday
For many of you this is not news, but Joy celebrated her 30th birthday on May 27, 2009. The celebration will really happen soon—when Joy’s parents come to visit us for two weeks! We’re excited about them coming and will celebrate Joy’s 30th and Laurel’s 2nd birthdays while they are here.
We went out to lunch for her birthday with some of our classmates, and then came home to the decorations on our bedroom door. Our nanny and children made them for Mommy. During the month we have had a few outings, although not necessarily birthday-related. We went to a concert of The Kuban Choir, which was a super cultural event. The singers and dancers and instrumentalists were superb, although the concert was a little loud (which is a tendency here). We also visited the circus with some friends. Ethan sat by his good friend Michael John.
Cultural Note
When a person is shopping, it is important to keep the receipt handy. As he exits, he might be expected to show the receipt to a security guard for proof of purchase. Plastic bags sometimes are provided free by the store, but oftentimes they must be purchased for a few cents each. Shopping carts in big supermarkets have four wheels that swivel, which takes some adjustment from American carts which only swivel the front wheels.
How You Can Pray For Us
·Praise God for a new car!
·Praise God that Jason’s preaching (May 23) was well received.
· Pray for our move to a new apartment (in Krasnodar) to go smoothly
·Pray for God to give us passion and vision for reaching people in Russia
·Pray that we will see much progress in our communication in Russian
· Pray for all of our finances to be well supplied: the Great Commission Fund, vehicle fund, ministry fund
· Pray for us as parents: to be consistent, wise, patient, loving, and dependent on the Lord
· Pray for Ethan and Laurel in potty training, learning obedience, and that they would ask the Lord Jesus to be their Savior
How we are supported
We are supported based on people giving to the Great Commission Fund of The Christian and Missionary Alliance. We raise additional funds for our personal vehicle, outfit, and ministry. Thank you to all who have given. You can click on the following links to give online:
·Jason Jordan Outfit Fund : Used to buy everything we need to set up our new home and anything that we need for our home along the way.
·Jason Jordan Work Special : Used for our ministry, which could include outreach events, hosting, equipment, compassion ministry, etc.
Giving to any of these funds is a tremendous help. If you wish to contribute financially to our ministry, your tax deductible donations can be ear marked according to the funds listed above. All checks should be made payable to the Christian and Missionary Alliance (address below) and clearly marked for the fund to which you desire to give. If you want to give to the Great Commission Fund specifically to support us, please mark the check “for the support of Jason Jordan”.
