Allen & Nikki Jordan

Thai Taxi Drivers

2009-10-05T21:07:00.000+07:00

So I think about writing about Thai Taxi drivers every time I'm in a taxi. If I had an iPod or something I'd probably write while I am in the taxi...

I think about 1/3 times I get into a taxi they change the radio station to one of the two (known to my knowledge) Farang (foreigner / English) radio stations. It's quite entertaining because most of the time they are songs I've never even heard before, but I appreciate the thought, it is quite a different experience than what we've known in Korea.

About 2/5 times I get into a taxi they tell me that I speak Thai well, especially after I tell them that I've been here only 10 weeks. They get excited, but it is too hard to explain that I've spent a cumulative 6 months here in the last 3 years... so I just reply back in Thai that I cannot speak Thai well, but then they insist on telling me that I speak Thai well. Someday, I do pray that is true, amen?
It is quite an enjoyable experience because they often engage in conversation with me and I can have an entire conversation in Thai with the taxi drivers (but I don't speak Thai well). Hopefully that will carry over into my daily activities at NL soon!

Arriving in Bangkok, Thailand

2009-07-26T08:00:00.000+07:00

Friday, July 24th, 2009

So glad to be here in Thailand. Allen is adjusting well, no jet lag for him at all. I was pretty catatonic last night. I was talking nonsense and then Al would ask what I had just said and I would say that I didn't remember. I was running on about 6 hours of sleep in a 50 hour period, so I suppose that is understandable! Slept well last night, aside from the loaner pillow I was using, but we found a nice firm flat pillow today after searching many stores! Went to the house yesterday and everything is looking good. We will have an official meeting with the landlord this weekend. If they like us, we will start the process. The downstairs and master bedroom need paint. They are pink and somewhat dirty and it is relatively in expensive to redo.

Amusing things: today Allen went to thank a shop worker in Thai (Khap Khun) and said hello (Sawatdee) in Thai instead. It was funny, but he is trying hard!

I dropped my passport (not sure how it happened, as it was tucked nicely into my pocket) on the plane arriving in San Fran and the lady who sat next to Allen found it and brought it to me. What a God send she was!

The Jordans Upcoming Important Dates

2009-06-07T14:54:00.000+07:00

June 10: Must finalize housing situation in Thailand

June 11: Packers come to pack up house in Korea

June 14th: Depart Korea for mini-furlough in USA

June 15th - July 21st: 5 weeks in USA

July 21: Depart USA for Thailand

July 23: Arrive Bangkok 12:40 AM

July 23rd - July 26th: Explore Bangkok (Nikki / ICS will show Allen all around) and set up house

July 27: Orientation at ICS for Allen, Nikki to join for certain things

July 28: Nikki begins regular Tuesday / Friday outreach at NightLight

August 3: Nikki begins full-time during the day ministry at NightLight

August 10: ICS begins school

August 24: Nikki's studies resume

Missions Trip Report - April 2009

2009-05-29T18:23:00.002+07:00

So sorry for the delay in sending this praise report! God is faithful and provided us with great trips this year. Attached are 3 pictures. One of Nikki with two of her team members on the river boat taxi in Bangkok; One of Allen with one of the children from the island where they had their overnight stay; One of Allen with two of the girls from the middle school in their traditional clothes.

Nikki's Bangkok Praise Report
Praise God for how He was constantly revealing His work in Thailand and guiding us.
Praise God for an opportunity to continue building relationships with friends in Thailand.
Praise God for a continued relationship with my friend from the massage place near NightLight.
Praise God for a good time with the children, swimming and doing fun activities.
Praise God for the basic first aid teaching my team was able to do at NightLight.
Praise God for using each member of the team in their area of spiritual giftedness.

Allen's Immersion Praise Report
Praise God for His provided safety in travel.
Praise God for a great time of ministry with 5 seventh grade boys that were in my care group.
Praise God for growing the relationship between our school and the Elementary Schools on one of the islands.
Praise God for a new relationship with a Middle School on a new island.
Praise God for the privilege I had in being a part of this ministry for the past 3 years with the school.
Praise God for the guys at the missions organization we worked with, and all their hard-work and effort.

February 2009 - Update

2009-05-29T18:22:00.000+07:00

Greetings friends and family,

We pray that you all had a wonderful Christmas holiday and a joyous New Year. We are full swing into 2009 and it is going by so quickly already. With the beginning of 2009 comes decisions regarding our future, as we are on a school-year calendar (July - June). We have had a full and blessed 5 years in Seoul, Korea ministering at ICS/YISS with NICS. After much prayer and consideration, Allen and I have decided to leave Seoul after this school year. While this will come as a surprise for a few, for many of you, this will not be a surprise. In July 2009, we will move to Bangkok, Thailand. Allen will be employed with ICS-Bangkok and I will minister voluntarily with NightLight. Our contract is for 2 years initially, but only the Lord knows how long we will be there. We trust and believe that He has great plans for us there. Please be in prayer for this transition; for both the move and the financial aspect as well.

Allen and I had a great time in the USA for Christmas this year. We were really happy to see those of you who we did visit with, and for those of you who we didn't visit with, we will be stateside in the summer before our move to Thailand. It may have been our final Christmas in the USA for sometime, due to financial circumstances with the transition to Thailand; however, we do hope to be able to continue to return each summer, as long as the Lord wills.

While stateside at Christmas, I learned that my thyroid levels returned to lower than normal levels. It has been almost 10 years since my thyroid first went low, and given the recent discovery of this being a genetic disease, with 3 other family members having it, I was not surprised that it returned. Since being treated with Synthroid again, my levels have gone back to normal. My back pain has been quite regulated, however, recently I have struggled with pain in my left leg, much like before. Other issues seem to be regulated, or are becoming regulated as a result of the thyroid medication. Allen continues to be in good health, aside from his regular battles with "blasto."

I made the Dean's list at Liberty University in the fall 2008 and am enjoying my current counseling courses. After this term I will have only 18 credit hours remaining. I am so excited about completing my degree and am praying about what I will do with it once it is completed, or if I will go on to get a masters, MDiV, PHD or whatever (groan).

Allen finished his middle school swim season in January. The students swam well and had a good time. There were about 50 students. He began volleyball this month, and jamboree's start next month. There are 100 students playing volleyball this year, which keeps Allen very busy organizing jamborees and searching for enough volleyballs.

Allen will be taking his annual missions trip to Indonesia with 70 middle school students and 15 teachers from YISS (March 28th - April 4th). He is very excited for this time, as it will be a great opportunity to do some final bonding and witnessing with the students.

I am currently ministering at NightLight. While in Thailand, I am also working on my studies, looking at places for Allen and I to live and providing the school where he will work with paperwork and gaining information that we need in order to make the transition smooth.

We appreciate each of you and the role you play in our lives. Thank you for taking the time to read our newsletter/prayer report.

Follow this link for our: Prayers

November 2008 - Update

2009-05-29T18:21:00.000+07:00

November 2008 Update

Well, I've [Nikki] been working on this [update] for 2 months now and have been planning to send it for even longer, so I am just going to have at it, and if something is forgotten, then it's better than waiting another 2 months before sending it. It's relatively short, so I do hope that you read till the end.

new website! http://nikkiphoto.googlepages.com/

Things have been going really well for Allen and I. A lot has happened in the last year, and I will try and recap, as it has been a terribly long time since we have sent an update. For that, I apologize.

We had a great school year last year (2007-2008). Allen was actively coaching all middle school sports. We coached soccer together in the fall and had about 40 students out. The students played well and we had some good times. In September 2007, I took 3 seniors and one other teacher to work at NightLight in Bangkok. We had an awesome time, witnessing to several women through bible study. One who we intently shared the love of Jesus with was resistant at that time, but accepted Christ in January 2008. Some of you may have gotten the update about that trip, as that was the last thing I sent.

In November 2007, I quit working in the Guardian School Store at the school. The decision came after months of prayer and the realization that I was being disobedient to the Lord and that He did not actually desire for me to continue working there. At the beginning of the school year, another staff member began working there to help with my part-time schedule, so she took over the store in my absence. In September 2007, I began studying full time to get my degree, so I had originally planned to lessen my volunteer hours at the school, but was still in disobedience to God's will.

In December 2007, I held the Peer Counseling and Mediation training at the school. This was to train students how to mediate conflicts, bullying and counsel problems like depression. For the 2005-2006 and 2006-2007 school years, I taught this as a class for 1 class period each day. Last year, 2007-2008 was the first year it was in a training program. It will be a training program again this year, revised and under a new name - Teens Helping Teens.

For the fall semester, I completed 4 courses (12 credit hours).

In January 2008, Allen and I worked with the Middle School swimming program. It was the first year, and we had a great time. The students did surprisingly well for it being our first year with a middle school swim program.

For the whole year, Allen lead a discipleship group for 7th grade boys. The attendance fluctuated from 3-15 each week, and they always had good talks about the Lord. It was a trying year, as they had difficulty focusing.

From February 2008 - April 2008, I assistant coached the girls varsity soccer team. We had a great year and it was the first year in my history as a coach at the school that we did not finish in dead last place. I was so proud of the girls and so excited at the victories and huge accomplishments they made. I have decided not to coach next year, so it was a good finish.

In March 2008, Allen went with 50 middle school students and 10 teachers to Indonesia for a missions trip. They worked with the same group as the previous year, and had an awesome time. During that same week, I went back to NightLight with one other teacher.

In the months of February - May 2008, Allen worked with the Middle School Volleyball and Basketball teams. Taking them to jamborees, coaching them and having his fun as a referee for several of the matches/games.

In the Spring Semester, I took 4 courses (12 credit hours).

Summer 2008 came quickly, and we decided to stay in Seoul for the summer, because I will go stateside in September 2008 for my cousin's wedding. Allen did summer school for 4 weeks and I took 3 courses (9 credit hours) in 8 weeks. It was difficult, and it made me realize that I could not take 18 hours and 21 hours to finish by May 2009. I will hopefully finish by December 2009.

In July 2008, my mom, brother and sister visited for 3 weeks. We went to China for 1 week and had a great time sightseeing in China and Korea.

After my family left, I went to Thailand for 3 weeks where I worked with NightLight. I had an awesome time building relationship with the women and again helping them with administrative tasks.

Allen started the school year while I was gone. He has 6 classes this year, and the Middle School has expanded. He is teaching two Oasis classes, which means he cannot openly share the gospel like he can with the NICS classes, but those kids are exposed to teachers who have Christ in their heart. He is leading the same group of students in discipleship this year, and they are now 8th graders. He has had 10 students attend each of the last 2 weeks.

On another note, my laptop motherboard died, so I had to purchase a new one. With that decision came the decision to quit using our old website. With facebook, I have not been posting pictures to the old website, so I created a new one that is free, that links all to my pictures on facebook. I have been a lot better at keeping it more up to date, as I can update it from any computer now. So please, book mark this new address http://nikkiphoto.googlepages.com/

I will be stateside from September 25th - October 28th, 2008 to be a part of my cousin's wedding. I will be studying also, but plan to visit with friends and family as much as I can. Allen will be staying in Seoul, as it is difficult for him to take time off from teaching, and he would only be able to take a short time, and the flight is just too expensive for only a few days. Lord willing, with the mileage I will get from this flight we will be able to visit at Christmas 2008 for free.

I truly hope to update more often, but you are always welcome to drop us a line, or if you prefer to call, please email me and I will give you our voice over internet phone number. This number allows you to call us as if we were living in Pennsylvania. The only catch is the time difference - and that is why I am not just giving the number out :-) If you would like it, email me and I'll reply with the instructions of when it's OK to call with the time difference and all.