Where do we go from here?

Having been back from Africa for over 3 months now the question comes, what do we do now? Well...

We're going to Chicago! 

While in Africa God pressed upon our hearts for community, discipleship, and developing a house church.  We began to feel a burden for Chicago and upon returning home began the preparations to move to Chicago.  This past weekend we found an apartment in the Pilsen neighborhood, right in the Heart of Chicago.

We are excited for what God has in store for us.  We are eager to be Jesus' hands and feet, to go low and slow, to serve those who Jesus loves, and to experience all that He has for us.

We move at the end of the month and will start looking for jobs as soon as we get there.  

We are so ready for the next leg of the Saylor Adventure :)

20 Days...Where Has the Time Gone?

With less than 3 weeks to go, last minute preparations are being made and our excitement continues to grow.  Because of the greatness that we know is going to happen while we are in Africa, this last month has been one of the hardest months of our lives.  So many things have happened that no one saw coming and that have completely thrown us for a loop.  It is hard to sit back knowing that we will have to leave our families and the situations that they are going through.  It's hard to persevere and keep going forward when you're exhausted and all you really want to do is go sit in the corner and cry.  However... we know that our God is greater. Period.  We hold on to the Scripture that states that when the enemy comes in like a flood, the Lord will raise up a standard against him.  We know that despite how hard it is to leave our families that God will honor the sacrifice that we make.

 We know with all our hearts that this is what God has called us to do.  We actually found a letter that I had written to Jordan 2 years ago while I was away at college.  I had gone on a mission trip to Haiti that year and in the letter I had asked Jordan to pray for me because I was seriously considering my future as a missionary.  It is so completely awesome to see all that God has done in those two years!  How far He has brought both Jordan and I and how even then He was working on me about what we would do in the future.
 I am so incredibly grateful for Jordan who willingly lays his life down and who refuses to settle for anything less that the best of what God has for us.  I cannot begin to describe the impact he has had on me. He is truly a blessing. (Seriously!  If you haven't met him you're missing out!)

Once again we want to thank everyone who has helped us financially and those who have prayed for us.  Geez-a-loo you guys impress me! We are so thankful and words cannot express our gratitude.

“Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us? ”
And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”

6 Weeks and Counting...

As we break the 6 week mark Jordan and I become more and more excited with each passing day.  God has been so faithful and good to us  in all things and we can only speak of how wonderful our Papa is.  Fundraising can be a daunting task especially when you see the amount that you have to raise up against the amount of money that you have and what you make at your job.  Nevertheless, we have the knowledge through revelation that when God speaks He means what He says and that His bank is neverending!

This past weekend our church held a shower for us and we were able to get all the supplies needed for our time in Africa.  We are eternally grateful to everyone who came and helped us out.  While the items needed may have seemed small it was a tremendous blessing knowing that those items where more things that we could cross off our "to-do" list.

This past week we paid our final payment to Iris and very few things remain between us and Mozambique.  We are SO excited for all that will take place while we are there.  We are excited about the hunger and need that poverty-stricken people possess knowing that they NEED Jesus.  I pray for that hunger, to know that He will always provide and that there will always be enough. 

We pray that each and everyone of you would possess that hunger, to seek all that God has for you and run after it because your life depends on it.  God is so great and has wonderful plans for us all if we would only seek Him and His will above our own.

Grace and Peace.

Update.

The last few weeks have been absolutely crazy!  God has been doing such amazing things it just completely blows my mind!  Our plane tickets have been purchased, visas have been sent for, vaccinations have been given and much preparing is being done as we close into the two month mark.  It is so obvious to see God's hand and provision in all that we have done.  Everything we have bought or have had to get has cost significantly less that we had originally thought and had budgeted for!  God is sooo good and everyone's generosity and love simply astounds me.  We were also blessed with a brand new camera who has been dubbed Kevin. :) Our hearts are so full of joy and we are forever grateful to you.


In other news, the air conditioner in our Volkswagen went out several months ago.  We had lived with it simply because it hadn't been very hot but as the temperatures have risen in the last several weeks, something had to give.  So we took it to the shop and they told us it would cost over $1000 to have the air conditioner fixed.  This was majorly disappointing seeing as all our money is going towards the trip.   Jordan's dad encouraged us to buy some refrigerant and he would see if that would solve the problem.  On Jordan's way to buy the stuff he decided to turn on the air conditioner (for whatever reason).  He said within seconds cold air started blowing!  This is so incredible, our air conditioner has been healed :)


As our departure from the States is drawing closer much preparation is needed to be done and many items are needing to be bought as well as our tuition paid to Iris Ministries.  We know and are seeing the old saying, "Where God guides, God provides."  We are ECSTATIC for what God has in store for us!  We are believing that God is going to completely fill our hearts and lives with His enormous love and our prayer is that He would do the same for all of you.  


Grace and Peace, 
Jordan and Lydia

We need your help!

As we have read over the many, many....many pages of information for the trip we have come to the realization that we need ALOT of stuff!  So...if you were wanting to help us in a way other than with money, here's your chance and if you have some of these things lying around your house and are still in good condition what a better way to get rid of it :) or if you simply want to bless us!


We need:
-Sunblock (SPF 70 or more)
-Insect repellant
-Worship music
-vitamins (some sort of a multi-vitamin considering we won't have all the nutrition we need by eating rice and beans)
-batteries
-trash bags
-crossword puzzles
-wet wipes
-shaving cream (not particular on brand)
-shampoo and conditioner (preferably some kind for curly hair but not too particular)
-Body wash (not particular on brand)
-twin blue bed sheets

Jordan is also in need of a hard shell guitar case that is TSA approved. He is really wanting to take his guitar with him but doesn't have a hard case to put it in. Even if you have one that isn't in use and would be willing to let us borrow it that would be great too!



We truly appreciate your help!  If you have any of these things or wish to help us out you can message me on Facebook and I will be more than willing to come to you!


Grace and Peace,
Jordan and Lydia

ACCEPTANCE!!!!

Hello everyone! It is with great joy that we are able to say we have received our acceptance letter from Iris Ministries to go to Harvest School 17! It is an amazing thing every time the Lord shows His faithfulness. We just feel compelled to share a little of the testimony of how we came to the decision of going to Africa in the first place.  Almost a year ago Lydia and I got married (Hooray! It's been a wonderful first year) and after a few months I began feeling a shift in my own heart. I (Jordan) know I have a calling and gift for worship but at the same time I began feeling my heart being pulled another direction. I went through a time of questioning what will come first, the worship ministry or the missionary journeys? (I feel like perhaps the missionary travels will put a fire and passion into the music more than I have ever known before.) I also know Lydia and I have a strong call for discipleship and raising up young leaders...this will all tie in together somehow as God reveals the picture to us.

Sometime in late November/early December God spoke to me for a week straight about going to Africa and He showed me the orphans, I had no idea that we would be going with Iris at first. I put the word away thinking it was for a later time. In early January, Lydia and I started looking at different schools for ministry and the first ones that we looked at didn't feel right and Lydia had a definite "no", but when we came across the Iris School of Missions something "clicked" inside us and we knew it was right. A month later we moved out of our apartment and moved in with Lydia's grandma to save money. God continued to confirm His word to us over the next few months until we applied on June 1st. Then we waited...we checked our email everyday waiting on the response, and today it came! It is truly an honor to be chosen for this school. There are about 300 spots open and thousands from across the world have applied.

Lydia and I want to express our gratitude to God for allowing us this amazing opportunity to learn from the "least of these". We also want to thank everyone who has supported us so far in this journey, your love and obedience astounds us. We are forever grateful. There is still much to be done on our end (vaccinations, plane tickets, visa, luggage costs, tuition, etc.) and any help is much appreciated. No amount of help is too great or small. We ask that you would consider us in your giving. All checks should be made out to:


River of Life Church
c/o Jordan and Lydia
P.O. Box 66
Huntingburg, IN 47546

We thank you and we pray that God would "bless your socks off"!

Much love and peace to you all in Christ!


P.S. We are also selling brats at Rural King July 7th from 10am to 2pm so come eat good food!

Check out our first fundraiser!


My mom and I will be hosting a yoga class at the Riverwalk Park on May 5th and 19th from 8:30 a.m. -9:15 a.m.  The class will take place directly east of the shelterhouse behind the gazebo.  All proceeds will go towards our trip.  We ask that you bring your own yoga mat however there will be some mats available if you don't have your own.
My mom, Ann, will be teaching the class. She is a certified YogaFit instructor, a Registered Nurse, and is CPR and First Aid certified.  There is a fee to participate, however there is not a set price, we simply ask you to make a donation.


We hope you will take the time to come out and have some fun!


Jordan's mom, Melody, and I are also making jewelry to sell.  There are different types of necklaces and bracelets to choose from.  If you are interested you can contact either one of us through Facebook and we would gladly let you know all that we offer.


Also, if you would like to make a donation to us you can send all donations to:


River of Life Church
c/o Jordan and Lydia
P.O. Box 66
Huntingburg, IN 47542


We greatly appreciate everyone who has supported us and we pray God will bless your socks off!