Camp!.....

Friday was the last day of camp,  it gave us the opportunity to build relationships with the kids and parents at a faster pace than if they were built from seeing them on Wednesdays and then sporadically throughout the week.  This way we were able to show them that we really do care about them and that they are the #1 reason we are in Albania!

Without taking into consideration that the girls almost burnt down our house I would say we are all doing great!  The major holiday for the Roma-Gypsies is New Years; they have parties and compete by blasting their music louder than any other house!  We are all going over to Clement and Fiona's for New Years and then will  return  home to visit Albania families on New Years Day!  Keep us in your prayers as we are still recovering from the cold that has been going around. 

Until next time, 

-Jordan

P.S.  I would love to hear more about what you are going through! Email me, jordannickel77@yahoo.com!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Hello!
Albania is beautiful! I will post another album or two with pictures of Elbasan, Albania asap; in the meantime, Google "Elbasan, Albania".   The house we live in is in the Roma-Gypsy community, it has 2 bedrooms, 1 bath and a kitchen with a wood stove.  It's very nice, I am extremely satisfied with our living situation.  Within a few days after arriving in Albania I caught a cold and then passed it on to Crystal Waterhouse I believe...:) Now 8 of the 10 of us have colds! One of the great memories I have from having a cold are when Gareth and I were describing our symptoms. I said, "my nose is running faster than a horse at a Kentucky Derby! Then Gareth said "Oh yeah? My nose gets clogged faster than an Albanian Toilet!" (Albanian plumbing is so small that if you flush toilet paper it clogs...)    ........Yup! You read that right! We get to keep our TP in a trash can! Lol   We have also adjusted to the water schedule fairly well, it only comes on three times a day, morning, noon and night. We are having a camp for the Roma kids this week, today I was the puppeteer and my arms were completely dead after singing and talking for 8min! The camp starts at 10am and ends at 12; we have worship, puppets, a message, crafts and games!

I have to run now, I will post again ASAP!!



-Jordan!

Outreach!!

Hello, (I wrote this the night before we left for Albania on Dec 16th, I didn't have time to finish it.)
       We are staying at the Pentacostal City Mission Church in NW London, we landed at 5:55am on Tuesday, waited for our guide who is also a YWAMER and then continued to travel for another 2hrs on trains! Immediately after eating some food we all went into lullaby land for a few hours.  When we came back we walked down to a grocery store and replenished our arsenal of food.  Wednesday the Barbadians   left for the Embassy and we (Austin, Crystal, Zack, Chrystle, Gareth and myself) departed on a mission to obtain signatures from locals that are in support of a new primary school.  We went to other primary schools when they were starting and ending and stood outside the gates and asking for signatures. One of the guys went up to a teacher and asked if they would like to sign, he said "no, but there is a someone inside that you should talk to."  To make a long story even shorter they ended up talking to the headmaster who wanted to know why they wanted to take her job away from her! In the end they four of them were escorted of the premises of the school.
      Yesterday we went sightseeing, we saw the London Bridge, Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, and much much more! Today we helped decorate for a Christmas party, it started at 7pm and we just finished cleaning up an hour ago.  There were about 30 kids, each of us sat at different tables and talked with all the kids.  I sat at one with 4 boys and they were fun! First of I started to show them my moves with a Tech-Deck (A mini skateboard for fingers) They laughed at my wicked awesome moves and told me the proper word for soda! It was fun, the kid that I connected with most is named Samuel. He was very sad that I was leaving and he would not see me again, I told him that God can bring us back together again! I pray God does; it would be awesome to meet Samuel again sometime later in life.

We are in Albania now working with the Roma-Gypsies! It is an eye-opening experience seeing how they live day in and day out.  I believe God put us here for a specific purpose and I am excited to fully see what that is in the near future!
Keep praying for our health and safety here in Albania, I am just getting over a cold that I picked up a few days after arriving in Albania. It has been a time where I have had more time to think, pray and read. Although it has been a good time I am ready to be healthy again!

Thanks for your prayers and support! I will post about what is going on here in Albania in a few days!




MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

-Jordan  

Completion of the Lecture Phase and Departure for London!

Only 3hrs until I take-off from Barbados! It has been a place where I marveled at the beauty of God's creation; I learned to listen to His voice and heard about where God is going to take me!
Yesterday marked the last free day in Barbados; we decided to spend it at Browns Beach playing volleyball and swimming! Saturday was the Christmas Party, there were around 120 children and parents; we played games, ate food, played more games, and ate more food!
     
         We are leaving for the airport in minutes, our 8hr flight leaves at 5:50 and arrives in London at 5:55AM.  We will be staying at a church in London for 4 days while the Barbadians obtain their visas.  Be praying for our safety as we travel! We are very excited for what is to come and what God has in store for us in Albania!  Austin and I are still in need of $600 dollars to purchase our return flight tickets. Please continue to spread the word of our financial need! Thank you all for your generous support!


God Bless,
Jordan & Austin




P.S.
I will post updates whenever I have access to the Internet 
   

Chocolate & Slavery

       Today is the beginning of the end of the lecture phase, two days left of packing, Christmas parties,  support raising and beach volleyball!  The past three months have been AMAZING  to say the least! 12 weeks in all and every week has had a different focus! I have learned and grown so much in my relationship with God as well as the way I view the world.  My paradigm has shifted, changed and re-formed for and toward the Kingdom! I'm not sure what God's plan is for my life following this DTS, I just know that it is pre-ordained and in the end I will prosper.  (Jeremiah 29:11)         
       In July of 2011 my brother Austin and I began our YWAM journey with a financial need of $14,000.  During the past 5 months we have walked in both faith and trust believing that God will provide for our financial needs. First off I will say that this journey has not been  "a walk in the park", contrarily it has been a mountainous journey. From walking uphill to walking downhill, and from strenuous climbing to prairie walking. At times it seemed there was no hope, as if our financial support was just gone; although during those times we realized our need to focus on God and how He provides instead of our financial needs. From the beginning we knew the only way to raise the $14,000 was to work as hard as we could both in physical labor as well as contacting others and seeking financial support.
       Exactly eight days ago (Dec 1st) Austin and I were in need of $2,300! Now just eight days later we are  in need of $1,080; $380 for our outreach to Albania and $700 for our return flight.  I would like to thank you, not only your financial support but also and more importantly your prayer support! With prayer all things are possible; and through prayer Austin and I have had a life changing and paradigm shifting experience during this lecture phase.  Our speakers were from all over the world, Germany, Barbaods, Haiti, St. Lucia, Canada, The United States and and China.
       Please keep us in your prayers and send me your prayer requests at jordannickel77@yahoo.com;  I would greatly appreciate the opportunity to pray to God in your area of need.




Thanks again for your financial and prayer support,
May the Holy Spirit be with you always,
-Jordan & Austin


P.S. Click this link and watch this video on Chocolate & Slavery!

Praise the LORD!!!

Before our weekly outreach meeting (which was on Dec 1st), Austin and I were still in need $2,000.  Toward the end of the meeting we had a time of giving, during that time other students and staff heard God asking them to give us financial gifts.  We received a total of $1,000!!! Praise the LORD!!!  We now in need of $1,000;  we know God is in control and He will provide every last penny required to continue on to Albania as well as buy plane tickets to return home! Please continue to pray, believe and support us in our mission to Albania!



Keep Believing In Faith!
-Jordan

Problems with posting comments.......

It came to my attention that some of you are having trouble posting comments on my posts.  I found out that you need to have an account with either Google, LiveJournal, WordPress, TypePad, AIM, or OpenID. If you have an email account with another provider you can still sign up with Google and continue to use your main email as your username. Click this to create a new account with Google.
Email me if you are having any problems!
        Austin and I are still in need of $2,000 ASAP. Please consider supporting us financially in our mission trip to Albania. If you have any questions don't hesitate to email me at jordannickel77@yahoo.com!









Thank you!
-Jordan

Kings Kids!

This weekend was Kings Kids; which is basically a youth retreat. We had around 16 youth ranging from 12-17 who spent Friday night and Saturday morning here at the YWAM Base! Friday night Austin and Gareth gave the message on identity and purpose! We played Capture the Flag for the night game; which by the way was destructive! During the second game I was running after one of the girls to tag her.......and........well.........I sort of ran into her. We collided and I managed to slip underneath her so that she fell on me and not the rough concrete! At first I thought she had broke her arm and leg but then found out she had in fact landed on me and only had a few red marks. I only scraped up my knee......it felt good! Saturday we played more field games and watched a movie called The Butterfly Circus which I strongly encourage you to watch it!
     Austin and I are still in need of $2,000 and with your support have paid $5,000 already.  Our tickets have been purchased and we are leaving for Albania on December 12th!  Keep praying and believing! Thank you for your support both financially and in prayer! 
      This week our speakers are from Brazil and the topic is Children At Risk.   A child who has or is "at risk" of developing serious problems/disabilities in 5 key areas: Intellectually, Emotionally, Socially, Physically, & Spiritually.   I will post more about Children At Risk later this week.  For now keep us in your prayers and support us in any way you can! 


Thank you and God bless!
-Jordan & Austin

Only 2 Days Left!!!

       With your support,  Austin and Are only $2,000 away from our $14,000 goal! We have had 10 days to raise $4,000, we have 2 days left and $2,000 left to raise! Last night was TAT (Team Albanian Tuesdays) we were informed that lodging in London has been confirmed! We will be staying with a church that is 30 minutes away from both the Embassy and the Airport. While in London we will be helping with the needs around the church there as well as assisting in the church program which helps both homeless and low-income families.  Please continue to pray we receive conformation from the Albanian Embassy on our 90 day visa application ASAP! With God ALL things are possible! $2,000 is nothing to God! God has blessed us tremendously and I believe He will continue to provide for our every need, if we continue to serve Him in everything we do.  Thank you for your support in our Mission Trip. Without you we would not be able to experience Gods blessing in this DTS!  Would you prayerfully consider supporting us in our Mission Trip to Albania? We need $2,000 by Friday the 25th!  May God bless you abundantly! -Jordan

10 Days Left!!!!!!

Hello!! Tonight was TAT, Team Albania Tuesdays!! We were informed that our remaining $3,000 is needed and due November 25th!!! That's less than ten days and we KNOW that God will provide! We will depart for Albania on Dec the 12th, we'll stay at a church in London, England for 5-10 days while our visas are being processed and help feed the poor and homeless. . With stamped visas we will fly to Albania and stay with the Roma-Gypsies for 2 months. While in Albania we will feed and clothe the poor, work with other Christians, we will show the Roma-Gypsies Jesus' love.Will you prayerfully consider supporting us both financially and in prayer? Would you share this with your friends and family? Remember $3,000 by Nov 25th, no amount is too small! You can deposit you support directly into our Mission Account, just go to any Chase Bank! Our account number is 978741668.




If you have any questions don't hesitate to ask!

Austin:
austin423nickel@yahoo.com


Jordan:
jordannickel77@yahoo.com







Thank you so very much!!
 - Jordan & Austin

JEHOVAH RAPHA IS THE GOD OF HEALING!

I love pushing myself, although sometimes I'm not very fond of the results.  Friday the 28th of October was a night I will remember forever! That Friday was Kings Kids, during one of the night games
       I jumped off a roof and bruised my right heel, on top of that I then stepped on a ground-level water valve. My heal was nothing compared to what happened to my foot!  I strained my Tibialis Anterior! It is the labeled muscle on the right at the very bottom of the picture. I smashed and I believe strained the section where it curves under the foot.  At first it didn't feel too bad, until 10-15 minutes and it started throbbing. That night I was limping with a swollen foot, (imagine half a ping-pong ball protruding from the inner arch of your foot). Before bed I asked God to heal my foot so that I would be able to play games with the kids and enthusiastically engage in every activity. I fell asleep with a swollen, elevated, iced and throbbing foot. The next morning (about 4.5 hours later) I awoke and to my surprise it hurt even more! I could hardly twist or move both my ankle and foot!  I managed to slip my shoes on and head to worship.  I participated in worship to the best of my ability, trying to forget about my injury.
       Honestly I cannot recall the exact moment, I just know it was sometime after worship when God healed my foot! I could walk, run and jump! The swelling had completely dissipated, and I could twist my ankle and foot as much as I wanted! I was so excited and happy for the healing He gave me! I know from past injuries and from feeling the pain and seeing the swelling of this injury that it was God and God alone that my foot was healed!  JEHOVAH RAPHA IS THE GOD OF HEALING!


Please continue to pray for our outreach to Albania. We are getting closer to the departure date and are excitedly watching God answer our prayers!








May the Holy Spirit be with you always,
-Jordan

Prayer Request

Its now November 5th, 2011 and were in our 7th week of the lecture phase, where we have been learning a lot about biblical relationships, spiritual warfare and studying the word of God. Just recently us students lead a "kings kids camp" that YWAM puts on once a month, we were also the ones that planned, and orchestrated the entire weekend event. Which included cooking, games, small group as well as large group times, worship, and a work project. It was a great turn out, even though it was all put together last minute. We are very excited for the next "kings kids" which we will have fliers to hand out to kids and

parents throughout the neighborhood and parks. (Hoping for even more kids to come!)

Our outreach location has been moved to Albania following the Lord's prompting to the leaders here,while there we will be working with a people group known as "The Roma Gypsies" who don't really have a home country. We have also heard there are some Albanian villages in the hill country that have not been reached with the gospel as of yet and are praying we have the opportunity to make it to some of these villages. Would you please pray for our team as we are trying to get a 60 day visa into Albania instead of the 30 day that is normally given. Thanks for all your prayers and support! If there is anyway we can pray for you or your families please let us know by email at austin423nickel@yahoo.com or jordannicker77@yahoo.com

Spiritual Warfare and Spiritual Gifts!

Hello friends!
Our first outreach meeting was this last Thursday; during that meeting the specific outreach location was finalized. Upon completion of the Lecture Phase we will have a 2 month 5 part Outreach Phase. The first part, one week of Outreach here in Barbados. Second, fly to London for ten days; in London we will do local outreaches while waiting for Visas to process. At the present time we do not have a place to stay in London; if you know of a place we could potentially stay please don't hesitate to email me. We have faith and believe that this is Gods plan and He will provide. The third part of our outreach is in Albania (which is in southern Europe) we will stay in Albania for the 30 days we are allowed with our Visas. While in Albania we will do various outreach in numerous different ways. One of which I am looking forward to is traveling to remote mountain villages that have never heard the message of Jesus Christ!  The fourth part of our outreach could be one of two things; we are planning on flying back to Barbados for another 7 days of outreach; although if we procrastinate and fail to leave Albania before our visa expires we will innevetibly have prison ministry for the foreseeable future! Don't worry, in Acts chapter 16 Paul and Silas were in prison praying and worshiping when suddenly a massive earthquake struck and the prison doors were opened! Remember that story, pray and God willing we will leave Albania on time. Upon our arrival back into Barbados we will have 7 more days of amazing outreach! The fifth and final part is 7 days of graduation and re-entry where we will reflect on the past 5 months of training and receive our YWAM Discipleship Training School Certificates of Completion.
    
       I am ecstatic with energy, faith and boldness for both the outreach and the remainder of the lecture phase! I thank you all for your prayers and financial support, without your support Austin and I would still be in Klamath Falls! What I ask of you today is would you like to be a part of telling others about Jesus Christ? Through your prayer and financial support you will be a part of fulfilling the 'Great Commission' in Barbados, London an Albania where we will share the Good News of Jesus Christ. Together Austin and I need a total of  $4,000. All we ask is that you prayerfully consider becoming one of our financial supporters. Please send me an email at jordannickel77@yahoo.com with any prayer requests! You can also send a check to 5189 Round Lake Rd, Klamath Falls, OR 97601 please make the checks payable to either Jordan or Austin Nickel with a memo of 'YWAM Missions' Thank you and God Bless!


May the Holy Spirit be with you always,
-Jordan 

Classes, Feeding The Homeless, Visiting The Sick!......Busy! Busy! Busy! And I LOVE IT!!!!!!

        First off I would like to thank you all for your love and support! We fed the homeless Tuesday; giving out around 100 bags of food! We prayed for the sick, the wounded and for different business' it was very exciting to see God's love spread throughout Bridgetown, Barbados! 
During our prayer walk we passed by a homeless man who asked for money, unknown to the rest of us Tenisha (who is one of the students) was thinking "I wish I had some change!" We kept walking and to our amazement WHAMMO!!! Jesus was listening and said "You need some change? I'll give you more than change!" What do you know, less than 15' away was a ten dollar bill lying on the ground being trampled! Tenisha picked up the bill and gave it to him; thank you Jesus!  
       I know that some of you will be saying, "He will just spend it on drugs and alcohol; you should have bought him some food!" I agree the great majority of homeless people are addicted to drugs and alcohol and will normally go and spend any cash they receive on those items.  If we are supposed to show Jesus' love to everyone then shouldn't we trust God and let Him work in the hearts of those we give to?  Does it matter if they go and spend it on boos and drugs? I would say yes but the bigger question is "How are we showing God's love?" Just saying "Jesus loves you" and walking away or saying "Jesus loves you and giving them $100!" I believe that if we give in a sincere manner and show God's love that God will work in their hearts!
       At the beginning our food walk, we came back to where the man was and what do you know, he was still there; sitting on the sidewalk eating soup!  What surprised us more was when we asked him if he wanted a bag of food he said no! I believe it was so that another who hadn't received $10 and was still starving could have his portion. That right there, is a picture of Jesus' love for us.



      
       This week our speaker has been Dave Harper; he has been speaking on relationships and true love. The homework for the past two nights has been to make up or Purity Covenant! Here are the questions we needed to answer in order to create our Purity Covenant.
~What do you desire most about your relationship with Christ?
~What physical boundaries are you committed to keeping in your relationships with the opposite sex?
~Who Will Keep You Accountable To Your Purity Covenant?~What Specific Character Qualities Do You Desire Most In Your Lifelong Mate?       
       The most important thing to look at in a relationship is motive.  Think about it, all the bad relationships you have had; what has the real motive been? God? I believe that if the motive is God then your relationship will prosper. Remember that relationships should represent God. When others notice your relationship they should see God On Display!



       Thank you for your wonderful prayer and financial blessings; without them Austin and I would not be here in Barbados attending the Discipleship Training School!  We are still in need of $4,000 by the beginning of December, without it we will not be able to attend the Outreach Phase to Albania.  We have faith and know God will provide! The question we ask you is this, "Has God called you to support us in our Mission to Albania?" I realize times are tough financially but with God all things are possible! Please pray and ask God if you are one of our financial partners. 





May the Holy Spirit be with you always,
~Jordan
                                                                                                
                                                                                                   

3 Weeks Already!!!!

I can't believe it has been three weeks already! It has flown by at an unbelievable speed! The first week was orientation, the YWAM Base leader Martin and his wife Anne Marie were the speakers.  The topics ranged from hearing God's voice to biblical values. 
The second week Bill Landis came and spoke about God's many names or should I say hundreds of names  and what they mean, he shared life lessons on hearing God's voice and trusting God completely with your life. 
Mark and Bonnie flew in for week three and spoke on the Divine Plumbline.  Essentially it is all about repentance, forgiveness and deliverance. It is hard to explain in a post here, I encourage you to read and buy the book 'Walls Of My Heart' by Dr. Bruce Thompson.  I guarantee if you read this book and go through the steps your life will be dramatically changed forever!
Guess what??? I received my camera! I have taken and posted around 150 pictures most of which I have already uploaded onto my Facebook account! The link is located at the top right section of this page. Note: You DO NOT need a Facebook account to view my photo album, just click the link!  
     Today has marked the beginning of the end of the first half of the Lecture Phase! Dave Harper arrived this afternoon and spoke on the 'Father heart of God and how we can recognize the lies we have believed about God.' I am extremely excited for the weeks come!         

Until next time meditate on this,

       Philippians 2:5-8
     "Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death-even death on a cross!"

      Do you know how Jesus died? Remember how He bled water and blood? The reason He bled water was because the weight of the worlds sins (mine and yours) were so heavy they actually broke His heart!!  That right there is a humbling thought. What do you think it means to serve a God who would not only forgive us of our sins but also come down to earth and die as a sacrifice for our sins? I don't know about you but for me it is hard just thinking about it! I am glad I have the ability to serve God who is loving, forgiving and yet so personal!
   Tomorrow, 10/18 is our very first outreach into Bridgetown, Barbado! We will hand out food to the hungry and homeless! I am very excited to love on those the world so unjustly calls unlovable! Thank you for your prayers during our outreach into Bridgetown.




May the Holy Spirit be with you always,
~Jordan

My Very First Blog!

       Saturday, September 24th is a day I will remember for the rest of my life. A day that signified the beginning of my Justice Discipleship Training School in Barbados! http://www.ywambarbados.org/dts/justice-dts
       Flying out of Portland for Barbados, we left Klamath Falls about 3 hours behind schedule and accidentally missed the exit for the Portland Airport! After arriving at the airport 40 minutes before takeoff, going through security and walking to our gate we had about 5 minutes to spare! On the 2 hour layover in New York we grabbed some breakfast and purchased our return tickets so that we wouldn't be held in immigration at the Barbados Airport.
       The YWAM Base in Barbados has a total of 6 acres and 12 buildings, most of the acreage is sugar-cane fields and the buildings range form dorms and barns to kitchens and classrooms! The daily schedule is normally packed tight, with classes starting at 8am and dinner ending around 7pm the days seem to go by super fast! The weather here in Barbados is very humid and warm, it has cooled down tremendously this past week and now probably averages at 80 for both temperature and humidity.
       Hopefully this weekend my camera will arrive in the mail so I will finally be able to take pictures and then post them for all of you to see! I will try my hardest to post another update on what has been happening in my life spiritually!  In the meantime meditate on this,

Isaiah 54:10

For the mountains may move
and the hills disappear,
but even then my faithful love for you will remain.
My covenant of blessing will never be broken,"
says the LORD, who has mercy on you.

Always remember that Jesus loves you, no-matter where you are or what your doing.  I encourage you to talk to someone in the next day and let them know how much God loves us!

May the Holy Spirit be with you always,

~Jordan