Time Flies When You're Having Fun!

MY oh MY! Where has the time gone! I must apologize for not blogging in weeks. Life here in Haiti has been crazy busy, but some of the best crazy busy days have passed since I last blogged and I will fill you in on some of them.

October 31st arrived, and it was one of the happiest days in our ministry. We opened the doors to Hope Baptist Church. It was so nice to have Brandon's parents and grandpa here. It was such a special time for Brandon and I as we watched Grandpa preach the first service. It has now been 4 weeks since the opening of the church and we have had an average of 125 every week. We have seen at least 7 souls saved. God is blessing and it is so awesome to see HIM work through us!

We had a great time at our Halloween party! It was so fun to see everyone jump in and play along! With trick-or-treating from room to room to coming up with unique costumes, everyone had such a great time!

Several teams have passed through the guesthouse in the last couple of months and we have met some great people. It is fun to get to know everyone on the teams and sad when they leave as we form a special bond with each person!

What a special time for me ths month, as I was able to interpret for Virginia Grounds of Victim Relief Ministries. As we spoke to ladies in several different areas here in Haiti, we watched as unsure faces turned to faces that were happy to hear the encouragement Virginia gave to all these hurting ladies. I was honored and humbled to stand beside this Godly ladies as she ministered the women of Haiti.

Thanksgiving day was so special this year, with a "family" to share it with! What a joy it was to cook with the GLA staff and listen to Christmas carols! The feast was amazing with lots of yummy food and wonderful desserts! I am so thankful for all the friends we have acquired here at GLA.

Today is December 1st and I just don't know where the time has gone but as I look back on the last month or so, I am excited to see that the time passed on good measures and we have seen God's hand in our lives!

When it Rains it Pours

It has been a while since I have been able to blog, but all for good reason as there has been so much illness in our home. As you know, I had Hepatitis A, and Brandon caught it; he had it so bad and it was so scary to see him that sick. Kofee started running a high fever and he had an ear infection, and Kylee came down with strep throat. When it rains, it pours! Satan is fighting us so hard! He would like to see us fall and not start our church; he would like to see us quit; but we are strong and we have God helping us through and we know that at the end of the fight we will come forth shining as gold! We will be able to give God all the glory!

New beginnings should have solid foundations and our foundation is founded on God. We started prayer services this morning to kick off a week of activities leading up to the opening service of our church. Six o'clock this morning, we had our 3 guys, Edward, Brandon and 5 visitors. We will continue this all week. On Friday we will be showing a Haitian produced film; it is a modern prodigal son story. We will be showing it in the street by the church. On Saturday we will be holding a fasting service from 8 am - 12 noon, and then on Sunday, we will hold our first service! A special treat to this service is that Brandon's grandpa will be preaching the service. It is a great honor and privilege for Brandon to have his Grandpa here in Haiti for the first time. God is so good and we are so excited about what He will do in our ministry!

The Hepatitis Blues (or yellows I should say)!

For a week and a half I had felt weird; such as fever and body aches in the evening time, I was cranky and irritable (my husband might would say, "What's New!"), and just not myself. On Thursday of last week, we had the opportunity to go on a date night to a very nice restaurant. Upon our return home, I started feeling odd but thought I had just eaten too much! Around 2:30 the next morning, I was pretty miserable with a nauseous stomach. I awoke bright and early to start making my breakfast for "Feelings Friday", and couldn't even lift my head off the pillow without feeling like I was going to throw up at any second. My wonderful husband put my cinnamon rolls in the oven and iced them and everything. Around 2:30 that afternoon, I ran to the bathroom and did the thing I hate to so the most, threw up!! I thought for sure that I would start to feel better but it only got worse. As I started realizing all my symptoms, they were very common to me. Kylee has just had all of them about a month ago, and was diagnosed with hepatitis A. Long story short, I am now a hideous yellow color, and have passed it on to my husband who is way worse than I was. He can't seem to stop vomiting and has been in bed for 4 days now. Living in a third world country, you can never be too cautious of things and I obviously wasn't cautious enough. Lesson learned and shots given; we are fighting to recovery. The hardest thing about it, is that we know it is Satan fighting with all he has. Our church doors are going to open on October 31st and he would like to do everything in his power to have us fail, but I serve a God who is greater than any sickness or any other obstacle that Satan will throw our way! God will receive the praise and the glory and souls will be saved through our efforts. Place us in your prayers as we continue to get well and stay healthy for His cause and His work.

Breakfast Recipes

Here are a few breakfast recipes that I have tried in the last week or so and they were very good!

Breakfast Enchiladas

serves 10

2 cups ham, cubed

1/2 cup green onion

1/2 cup of peppers (green, yellow, and red), chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 package of bacon

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided

10 flour tortillas

1 tablespoon flour

2 cups whole milk or half and half

6 eggs, beaten

Seasonings, to taste

Cook bacon and remove from pan, saute green onion, peppers, and garlic in bacon grease. Crumble bacon and mix with sauteed mixture and cubed ham. Place about 1/3 cup of mixture down center of tortilla and sprinkle with cheese. Roll up and place seam-down in a greased 13x9 inch baking dish. In a bowl, mix beaten eggs, milk or cream, and flour and mix till well blended. Pour over enchiladas. Cover dish with foil and place in fridge over night. Set out for 30 min before baking. Bake at 350 degrees, covered, for 25 minutes. Uncover and bake for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and bake for an additional 5 minutes or until cheese is bubbly! Serve with salsa and sour cream if desired!

Caramel Apple Crepes

Makes 10-12

Crepes:

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 tablespoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoon butter, melted

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 large eggs

2 cups milk

Combine flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Add remaining ingredients and whisk well. Pour no more than 1/4 cup batter onto skillet. Cook until lightly browned and flip.

Caramel apple filling:

3 apples, peeled and thinly cut

1 cup brown sugar

2 teaspoon cinnamon

3 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon cornstarch

1/3 cup milk or until desired consistency

Toss apples in brown sugar and cinnamon. Melt butter in saucepan and add apple mixture to butter. Cook until nice and tender. Add cornstarch; mixture will start to thicken. Add milk and cook a couple of minutes on low.

Place apple filling in center of crepe and roll burrito style. Sprinkle with powdered sugar if desired

Monday, AGAIN!!

After a busy, but fun weekend, I awoke to find that it was Monday, AGAIN. I crawled back in bed 3 times. Not like me at all, but it sure did feel good! Not much happened today; which is a good day!! Over the weekend, we had a pizza and Wii night at the main orphanage house and on Sunday afternoon, we celebrated the new fire pit that was built at the property where the new orphanage will eventually be built. It was lots of fun being with great friends. It is just nice to go up to the property; it is one of the most prettiest places here in Haiti, with one of the most gorgeous views that I have ever seen of this country! You can truly see God's awesome creation in all of its glory! On Sunday, Brandon preached for English service and we were blessed by his message of "Staying close to Him." I can't believe another week has come and gone! God has blessed us in this last week and I look forward to see what He has in store for us in this upcoming week!

Feelings Friday

Every Friday, I make breakfast for all the volunteers and staff girls at the orphanage. It has been deemed "Feelings Friday" because Brandon gives a short devotional and then we allow the volunteers to share about their experiences here in Haiti. At times, it becomes a bit emotional as Haiti has that affect on people; thus, the name "Feelings Friday'. I love this time with the volunteers; it helps us to get to know them better and spend some time with them. This morning Brandon spoke on "Drawing Nigh To God". He just shared that as we work with the Haitian people we need to be close to God so that others see Him in us. We have a parent of one of the orphans here volunteering; he is from the Netherlands. Brandon asked if he would pray and he asked if he could do it in Dutch! What a blessing to see that here in Haiti, we share our home with so many people from all over the world, and have a wonderful opportunity to be a blessing to so many people.

Of course, I have to serve a hearty breakfast and this morning, I served Breakfast Enchiladas! They were so yummy, that I thought I would share the recipe with ya'll.................tomorrow! But for tonight, I will post a picture so you will be eager for it!

The View

The house was quiet yesterday morning; I snuck out of bed, made some coffee and headed to the balcony. It has been cloudy and rainy over the last few days and, therefore, has been chilly up here in the mountains. I grabbed my blanket, cofee, and bible and had some quiet time. The view from my balcony is just absolutely breathtaking. I am in awe of this country,this people. Such heartache, such resilience. God has placed us here at this time for this purpose: to reach them with the gospel. The Haitian people are open and eager to learn about Christ. As we are seeing up here in the mountains, many have not attended church, don't know the songs in the songbook. Down in the city, there are churches on every corner, people are singing church songs all the time. We have been given this opportunity, to start this church in the mountains of Haiti. Where God's beauty is all around us and some have never heard His name. I pray that these photos bless you as this scene blesses me every single day!

Cherish the precious times - they past so fast

What!!! 6:45 a.m.!!!!!! OH NO! I didn't wake up to serve our guest breakfast before he left!!!!! I didn't even hear anyone leave the house. Then I look down and all snuggled in my arms, is my precious baby boy! How could I not stay in bed when I have such a sweet little bundle of joy sound asleep in my arms!

It was a great start to a new week; school, laundry, workout, staff meeting, supper, preparation for tomorrow's school, Veggie Tales with my sweet girls, and now snuggling again with that sweet little bundle of joy as he watches his favorite show "Popeye"!

God gives us so many blessings in our lives and they are so often taken for granted. As one of my workers arrived to work this morning, she seemed down; I began speaking with her about her weekend and, just as so many Haitians, is living in a tent. Due to the horrible weather over the weekend, she lost her tent. It took her 4 1/2 hours to reach her home on Friday after leaving my house. My heart broke for her as she tried to have a good attitude, but was just so sad. This is just one story of many here in Haiti. From Brandon's visits over the weekend, he learned of a deaf woman who was under the rubble after the quake, she was there for 4 days, was dug out, and left for dead. She was thrown in a hole with dead bodies. When she awoke from her unconscious state, she found herself in the midst of all these bodies. She worked her way out and began stumbling around. She was covered in blood, had a broken arm, but was found by her mother who had been searching for her since the day of the quake. As Brandon talked with this woman face to face, he was reminded of God's goodness to us and how thankful we should be for the life that we have in HIM. She was in great spirits and praised God for saving her!

Well, look forward to sharing this week! Happy Monday!

The Lord's Day - A day to Glorify HIM!

Brandon started out his morning early and headed to the tent city in Petionville; this is one of the largest tent cities with over 55,000 people. This particular tent city is run by none other that actor, Sean Penn (who is not a Christian), but he has placed all his confidence in a national pastor who is doing amazing things in this tent city. Brandon has become very close to Pastor Sinser and preaches for him often. Over the course of the week, we have had a very special visitor in our home, Edward Smith. Edward is with an organization called Victim Relief Ministries and he is a chaplain. He travels to different disaster areas and gives grievance counselling. He also preaches. On Friday evening, we received some very bad winds and rains; it hit the tent cities hard. Pastor Sinser called Brandon and shared with him that the main tent, the sanctuary, had fallen. On Saturday, they went to see Pastor Sinser to encourage him and in turn they were encouraged as they saw a group of young men working hard to restore the tent. This morning in the heat of the sun, Brandon and Edward ministered to over 200 Haitians, who despite no tent and despite the heat, came to worship God! A God who sees and hears their cries and knows their hardships. They worked all day today and were able to put the tent back up for a sanctuary of praise and worship to the Almighty God! Another week has come and gone. I am ready for this new week and to share with you our wonderful lives in the precious land of Haiti.

Can anyone say Peanut Butter Chocolate cake!

So, I got a chocolate cake mix and whipped up some homemade chocolate frosting but that was too boring for me; so, I added my own little twist -- PEANUT BUTTER! Cuz everything is better with peanut butta ya'll! (kinda stole that saying from Paula Dean, but don't tell her; I made it my own!). So, for you peanut butter chocolate lovers, YOU GOTTA TRY IT!

Peanut Butter Chocolate cake

1 box of chocolate cake mix (I used Dark Chocolate) - Prepared as directed on the box

Pour batter in 2 round cake pans and bake according to directions on box

(simple so far!)

Frosting

1 stick butter, softened

1 pound powdered sugar

2/3 cup cocoa powder

Vanilla or Almond extract

3-4 tablespoons milk

2 tablespoons peanut butter

Beat butter and powdered sugar until well mixed, add cocoa powder. Begin adding milk 1 tablespoon at a time until you have reached a spreadable consistency. Add Peanut butter and beat until well blended.

Let's put it together!

Place a little frosting on cake plate and place the first cake down. Spread some peanut butter over the top of the cake (PEANUT BUTTER! not the frosting!) Place second cake on top and ice witht the frosting!!

(So simple and sooooo yummy!!)

TGIF!

Friday, Yeah! Friday is so long as i do homeschooling with all three of my children and one little munchkin running here, there, and everywhere. Today, I put grilling on the menu (which means less work for me!!). I love when Brandon grills because I just have to make the sides. Tonight, he made wonderful shishkabobs, and corn on the cob, and I made rice dressing and a salad with fresh avacados. I can't help but feel guilty as we sit down to a wonderful meal and tents are flying away from hurricane winds. Power lines and trees are down in Port au Prince. In one of the major tent cities, Pastor Sincer calls Brandon to tell him that his huge church tent has fallen. I praise God for His safety on our family here in the mountains, but can't help but think about all those poor homeless people down in the city. Wet and cold, hungry and hopeless. As I think about these things, it makes me thankful for a husband that has a heart for these dear people. On October 31st, we will be holding our first service of Hope Baptist Church. We have prayed for so long for open doors and God has just thrown them wide open. When I look back at a year ago when we were praying for God's guidance and it seemed like every door was shut, and then to throw a major earthquake in the mix pulling us from our home and all that we held dear. God had a plan in all these situations. Today, on this Friday, I am thankful for clear guidance and a perfect will for our lives. I look forward to sharing our church with all of you! Have a great weekend ya'll!

A Cajun Sort of Day!

Missing the states and family and friends happens every once in a while when you are far away from them, but we make the best of it and learn different ways to deal with it. The one way I deal with it is to cook! Tonight was chicken and sausage gumbo, potato salad, garlic bread, and peach cobbler with

Not Doing Much of Anything!

One of my dear friends texted me this afternoon and asked what I was up to; this was my reply; "Not much of anything. I am doing school with John, doing laundry, making cookies for Brandon, getting the house ready for Edward (one of our guest who is spending the weekend), and making a roux (the base of a gumbo, for those who do not know). Wow! guess I am doing more than I thought!" What a busy but good day! Kofee seemed much better than yesterday until we got to the main house (which is the baby house for the orphanage). He then became very cranky and I had to leave bible study because he wouldn't stop crying. Brandon was gone most of the day doing distribution of supplies that the orphanage is still receiving. It is such a blessing to be associated with such a wonderful organization who allows us to have access to some of the supplies to distribute to the first church we worked with. Brandon came back feeling so wonderful and blessed as he was thanked and hugged and kissed by our former church people. I love these kinds of days when I get so many things accomplished. Did I mention that I had to put the girls in long sleeves this morning because it was sooo chilly! God is so good to give us those little things that we miss from the states. I am anxious for December and January; everyone says it gets super chilly up here in the mountains! Hope everyone had as great a day as I did!

Teething Tuesday

It has been such a long day here in the Jordan household! Kofee is cutting his eye teeth and is such a miserable little bug, but he has been grouchy for about 5 days now and it has gotten a little old! The girls have been at each other all day also! WOW! Some days, I am surprised I still have hair because I just want to pull it all out! Ok so now everyone knows that I am not a perfect mom! HEHHEE! Other than that, it was a pretty slow day here in Haiti! Just found out there was an aftershock at 4:30 this morning of a magnitude 4.4. God just gives me the grace not to feel them. Wow! I still can't believe that after 8 months we are still experiencing aftershocks! Well, it is goodnight for now! Until tomorrow!

Pizza Party

I have already stated that I would like to post yummy recipes. I enjoy making homemade pizzas and have become creative in my recipes. I finally found a dough recipe that I like, and it makes such a great pizza! I cheat on my sauce but you would never know because I add my own special spice to it! So, for all you pizza lover here we go!

Chicken Bacon Alfredo Pizza

1 recipe of your favorite pizza dough ( I use the Betty Crocker recipe)

1 jar alfredo sauce ( I like Bertrolli)

1 Onion, chopped/5 cloves garlic, minced

1 pound grilled chicken breast, shredded

1 package bacon cooked and crumbled or 1 cup Hormel real bacon pieces

2 cups grated mozzarella/2 cups grated monterey jack

Make crust according to recipe and bake until brown. Saute onion and garlic in olive oil and add jar of sauce. Add a little salt and all seasoning (I use Tony Chacheries cuz it's the best!). Place sauce, and a little of the mozzarella, shredded chicken, bacon, and both cheeses. Bake until bubbly and cheese starts to brown on top!

Crawfish Pizza

Follow the same as above except saute crawfish in a little butter with some seasonings. Place sauce on the crust, a little mozzarella, crawfish (draining the juices), and rest of cheeses. Bake until bubbly and cheese starts to brown on top!

Monday Monday!

The Week is off to a great start! School is in full swing for the week. We started John doing ACE this year and he is doing sooo good. Bailee and Kylee are enjoying their dvd classes and I enjoy that we have a wonderful teacher for them.

Today was Amanda's birthday. Amanda is a teacher at an english school here in Haiti and also helps at the orphanage. Molly and Joyce were making cupcakes for this wonderful occasion. As we set the cupcakes out of the oven and placed them on the counter, we started making cards for Amanda; we started putting everything away and went for the cupcakes. We noticed that the cupcakes were almost walking away! Why you might ask?? We have these very annoying minute ants here in the wonderful country of Haiti, and they LOVE sweets! We were devastated as we looked at the cupcakes and saw them covered in the ants. So, we set off on a mission to get the ants OFF of the cupcakes. I think we succeeded and frosted them so that noone knew the difference except us and the ants!! Oh the joys of living in a third world country!

Sunday - A New Beginning to a New Week

I love Sundays! Breakfast is a must and a nice one at that! French Toast on Homemade bread was Kylee's vote for the day! She loves breakfast and french toast; she also loves Sundays because she gets to wear her pretty dresses! It was great to hear my husband preach this morning and his sermon was so good. He spoke on "The Cross - 1, 2, 3" One Purpose - He died for you, Two Reactions - We can die upon it or run from it, and Three Who Hung Upon It - the reviler, the receiver, and the Redeemer. He spoke of how Christ did so much for us, but we must make the decision to receive Him to save us and then follow Him daily. I enjoy when he speaks because he is so humble and says so many times through his message that he is speaking to himself also.

What a wonderful day to start a new week. In the presence of the One who gave His life for us. Worshipping His name through song, and gleaning from His Word from the one He has called to His service.

Looking forward to many new and exciting things this week!

A beautiful Beginning to a Wonderful Day

A great start to a new day here in the mountains of Haiti. It was nice to relax and enjoy time with my family this morning. I have a bad habit of letting all the little things take up all my time and I never stop to enjoy the little things in my life, such as my children. Kofee was not feeling well and I snuggled him all morning. It was so relaxing!

Later in the day we decided to have all the GLA staff over for supper. It was a wonderful evening of food, fun and fellowship with a group of people that have become our family here in Haiti. As I said before, I love to cook and everyone has to eat so, I made yummy homemade pizzas. The first was "Chicken and Bacon Alfredo Pizza" and the second was "Crawfish Alfredo Pizza". Both were so yummy! I love the cajun flair in the crawfish pizza! Our games were fun too with lots of laughs! I find it so amazing how such individual people can come together from all around the world and have so much in common; but I think the thing that brings us all together is our precious Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ! Well, that was our great day! I will post my pizza recipe soon!!

Homemade beginnings

When a new beginning is started off right, it usually ends wonderful! The beginning of this week, I wanted to start it off great, and made one of my husband's favorites: "Chicken Potpie". Of course, he requests homemade crust!! I love making things that he loves! I had many friends ask for the recipe so I thought what better way to post it than through my blog! This recipe makes 2 pies. I usually freeze one so that we have it for a fast meal.

Chicken PotPie (Makes 2)

2 Cups diced potatoes 3 Cups chicken broth

2/3 Cups chopped onion 1 1/2 Cups milk

1 Cup butter 4 Cups cubed chicken

1 Cup flour 2 cups frozen Veggies

Salt, Thyme, and Pepper Pastry for 4 pies(a top and bottom)

Boil Potatoes and set aside. Saute onion, in butter. Stir in flour and seasonings. Gradually stir in broth and milk; bring to a boil and cook unitl thickened. Add chicken, potatoes, and veggies. Remove from heat. Place filling in ready-made pie crust or homemade pie crust, and place another on top. Trim, seal and flute edges. bake @ 425 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until crust is lightly brown and filling is bubbly!

A New Beginning

It has been seven months since the massive earthquake that shook our little island of Haiti. I shared my heart about this horrible event, but felt like it was time for a new beginning. To share about our lives in the mountains of Haiti, and to share all the many great and wonderful blessing we encounter each and every day. Also through this blog, I would like to share blessings in other ways such as: wonderful food recipes! Great blessings come in many ways and in our home, good southern cooking is one of them! Come take a wonderful journey into the lives of myself, my wonderful husband, and our 3 precious children!