Veterans' Day

The Gratitude Campaign

Jordan's HOME!!!

Thursday Thirteen

Our solider is coming home VERY soon! I talked to him yesterday and asked him what he is most looking forward to upon his homecoming. Here's what he said...

1) "Just seeing everyone. I think about just seeing yall all day."

2) "Kissing my girlfriend a million times."

3) "Being able to sleep without having to worry about what is going on around me."

4) "Being able to get clean! Taking a decent shower."

5) " Real FOOD!"

6) "My cell phone. Being able to talk to everybody whenever I want to."

7) "My car. Being able to go where I want to when I want to."

8) "TV."

9) "A decent bed."

10)"Grass. I hate the sand."

11) "New music. I haven't heard any new music in a long time."

12) "Getting to wear something other than my uniform."

13) "Hugs. It's been TOO long since I've had a hug."

Soon sweet little brother!! I can't wait to make #13 come true!!

-posted by Jaime

More Awards For Jordan!

Jordan had the highest score on the required ranking test he took recently and has been getting a lot of recognition about it.

First, he was presented a certificate and personally congratulated by the (really tall) captain, and even got a little time off to go eat with the commander and then the captain again. We sure are proud of our airman (and we REALLY miss him)!!

-posted by Jaime

Airman of Quarter

Jordan has done it again! Since joining the military in August of 2006, he has been rewarded for his good behavior time after time after time. It first started when I received a surprising phone call from our soldier when he was in basic training. As most of you know, when you’re in basic training, you don’t get any contact to the outside world. The only contact a soldier has to the civilian world are through letters that must be sent in plain white envelops. If you send…oh say an orange envelop…then the soldier will be humiliated and be forced to do several pushups in front of a large crowd of people. After several weeks of basic training, Jordan was able to make a few phone calls because he had exemplified good behavior. This may seem like a small reward to some of you, but this was a HUGE treat for Jordan. When he made it to Charleston, he was rewarded extra days off here and there for the very same reason…good behavior. Now he has been named Airman of the quarter for the 4th quarter of 2007! He found out he was nominated when he first arrived in Iraq and just recently discovered that he actually won this honor. It seems that Jordan has really found his niche in the military, and we could not be more proud of him!

-posted by Lindsay

Hometown Hero

Guess who is on the front page of The Middle Tyger Times? Jordan! I haven't seen a copy yet (hopefully one is in the mail to me), and there isn't any info about it on their website yet, but if you are in the Duncan, Lyman, Wellford area pick up a copy!

-posted by Jaime

Come Home

I was browsing on iTunes yesterday and was previewing OneRepublic’s new CD, Dreaming Out Loud. I saw one song title that stuck out like a sore thumb. It’s called Come Home, and when I previewed it, tears came to my eyes. I immediately bought it and when I listened to the whole song, I began to sob. This song pretty much portrays every feeling and emotion that I have felt about Jordan since he has been gone. It’s such a beautiful song, and I wanted to share the lyrics with everyone!

Come Home

Hello world
Hope you're listening
Forgive me if I'm young
For speaking out of turn
There's someone I've been missing
I think that they could be
The better half of me
They're in their own place trying to make it right
But I'm tired of justifying
So I say you'll..

Come home
Come home
Cause I've been waiting for you
For so long
For so long
And right now there's a war between the vanities
But all I see is you and me
The fight for you is all I've ever known
So come home

I get lost in the beauty
Of everything I see
The world ain't as half as bad
As they paint it to be
If all the sons
If all the daughters
Stopped to take it in
Well hopefully the hate subsides and the love can begin
It might start now…Yeah
Well maybe I'm just dreaming out loud
Until then

Come home
Come home
Cause I've been waiting for you
For so long
For so long
And right now there's a war between the vanities
But all I see is you and me
The fight for you is all I've ever known
Ever known
So come home

Everything I can't be
Is everything you should be
And that's why I need you here
Everything I can't be
Is everything you should be
And that's why I need you here
So hear this now

Come home
Come home
Cause I've been waiting for you
For so long
For so long
And right now there's a war between the vanities
But all I see is you and me
The fight for you is all I've ever known
Ever known
So come home
Come home

-posted by Lindsay

Coyote Ugly….

During the holidays, Jordan told me about an incident that had happened to him one night while he was at his tent. It wasn’t until Jaime reminded me of the story, when I realized that it was a must blog story to share with everyone. I suppose it’s the first real “war” story Jordan has shared with anyone.

Jordan said that he was leaving his tent one night to go use the bathroom. As he was flying out of his tent to head for the latrine, he looked up and all he could do was immediately stop in his tracks and freeze. Standing literally two to three feet in front of him was a wild coyote! His first two thoughts were: 1. This thing is going to kill me! And 2. If this thing doesn’t kill me, I’m definitely getting rabies out of this situation! The coyote was crouched down in the pouncing position as Jordan had startled it when he came running out of his tent. They stood there, both frozen, staring at one another for, according to Jordan, was at least two minutes. In the midst of the stare down, a truck came driving through Jordan’s tent city and spooked the wild coyote. Luckily the animal ran away.

After Jordan told me this story, my first response was, “WOW! This is the closest call to death you’ve had since you’ve been over there!” Now I don’t only have to worry about Al Qaeda and terrorists putting my beloved boyfriend’s life in danger, but now I have to worry about wild coyotes giving him rabies! When I told Jordan’s mom about this story, she raised a great question! If the base is surrounded by heavy duty fences, then how do these coyotes even get on to the base?

-posted by Lindsay

Things are looking up!

Well, the time keeps passing and for some reason things don’t seem to get any easier for us or for Jordan. We all continue to miss him terribly and although he would never admit it, I believe he gets more and more homesick as the days pass. Jordan continues to be “safe” while patrolling the base, which is the important part of this update. I believe the worst thing that he’s experiencing is fatigue. He’s still working three 12 hour shifts with one day off. On his days off, he catches up on lost sleep, does laundry, and occasionally gets his three dollar hair cut with a complimentary shoulder and neck massage (one of the perks of serving our country!).

I received some of the most amazing news several weeks ago. I have been reluctant to share the news with everyone, because I did not want to jinx it. So I have only shared this with a select few people and have kept my fingers, toes, and eyes crossed and prayed day in and day out that this news would hold true. I talked to Jordan yesterday and the words “set in stone” were used, so I figured it was safe to share the news with all. But then I think, when does “set in stone” mean anything to the military? So without further a due, I will share this news. Jordan will be coming home two months early!!! Ok, so if you didn’t catch it the first time or are in disbelief, I will say it again… Jordan will be coming home two months early!!! He will now return to Charleston towards the end of February/beginning of March instead of the end of April/beginning of May! So why is he so lucky? Jordan and the other nine from Charleston were sent over there to ultimately help a flight that had already been serving in Iraq for two months. So to make a long story short, they will finish their term with the original flight that was sent there two months prior to Jordan’s arrival.

I’m not really sure what to follow up the good news with, other than thanking each of you for all of your thoughts and prayers. They must really be working! Please don’t stop! As we have come to find out, nothing is ever 100% with the military. So pray that this news will hold and Jordan will soon return to our great nation safely!

-posted by Lindsay

You

You have been gone for one month now
Well, thirty five days to be exact
I have thought about you only once since you left
Starting on October 31st and lasting until you come back

Distance makes the heart grow fonder
That’s what everyone says
But it is the distance that separates us now
That makes my heart ache the way it is

The distance seems so cruel and unfair
I ask “Why did you have to go?”
I ask this everyday you are gone
And quickly find that I know

I know exactly why you left me
I know why you aren’t here
I know why you wanted to fight
I know why you wanted to wear your gear

For you are the definition of selfless
Always caring for those you love
But you have taken it a step further this time
Protecting those you don’t know anything of

You have made your family and America proud
Fighting for what you know is right
If only there were more of you in this world
Maybe there wouldn’t be so much fight

It is your strength that gives us strength
To keep our chins up while you’re away
The model soldier you have become
You are no doubt the bravest of brave

So as you spend so many more months
Away from the ones you love so dear
Remember that we pray for you
And wish every second that we had you here

-posted by Lindsay

Let's Say Thanks

Jordan is incredibly blessed to have so many friends, family, and even strangers supporting him with prayers, mail, and care packages. Sadly, not all solders have this support system. Jordan says that he is getting far more mail than the other men his tent, and being the sweetie that he is, he is sharing everything he is getting. They have already eaten 4 huge boxes of food that were sent over there last week!

Please remember not only our family and Jordan in your prayers, but all of the service men and women who are fighting for our country. You may or may not agree with this war, but your right to voice your opinion is protected everyday by these men and women, so support them.

If you would like to send a free card to a military service person overseas, go to Let's Say Thanks by Xerox and follow the easy steps.

-posted by Jaime

How You Can Help

Before Jordan left for Iraq, I found these Psalm 91 bandannas online and ordered several for him to take with him.

Moma also got him this book of testimonies about how God has used the Psalm 91 bandanna during combat/deployment situations, and the story behind the bandanna’s creation.

Moma spoke with Jordan today, and every person in his tent wants their own Psalm 91 bandanna! Praise Jesus! He also said they they all are passing his book around and sharing it.

Many of you have asked how you can help support Jordan and his fellow airmen. While your prayers are still what we ask most of you, if you would also like to help us get the Psalm 91 bandannas into the hands of as many of Jordan's peers as possible, we would be most appreciative.

You can mail a check to either myself or my mom (email for mailing address) or you can send money securely through my paypal account (click the button below). Any donation would help. The bandannas are $7.99 each and the books are $8.95 each.

Thank you!

-posted by Jaime

PICTURES!

Imagine my elation when I checked my email yesterday and had 15 emails from Jordan all full of pictures! Oh, it made me so happy to get to see him and gave me such peace knowing that he really is ok. I know you will enjoy seeing them too. I got to speak with him on Thanksgiving, and it was WONDERFUL to hear his voice! He is doing well. He is tired and a little homesick, but he feels safe and is making lots of friends in true Jordan fashion.

Also, there is a slight change to Jordan's address. If I have given it to you and not emailed you with the correction, please let me know. Stuff that has already been mailed to him is still getting to him, but we will need to use the new address in the future. Anything you would like for him to receive before Christmas needs to be mailed before December 4. If you could just take the time to send him a Christmas card, I know that would help him during this lonely time of year. Thank you again for all of your love and support!

-posted by Jaime

Jordan's New Friend

I talked to Jordan on Saturday. He sounded exhausted as he has every time I've talked to him since he arrived in Iraq. He was about to fall asleep after working for twelve hours on a day that was suppose to be his day off. Even though he was so incredibly tired and he didn't get a day off, I never once heard him complain. He is a true soldier!

The reason he was deprived his day off was because the Vice President of Iraq was making a visit on his Air Force Base. Jordan got to see him and meet a lot of other Iraqi policemen. He was very impressed with the character of all the men he met. This was Jordan's first real encounter with any Iraqi citizens. He said that they were very interested in his age and whether or not he was married and had children. They would ask, "Madam?" or "Children?"

One Iraqi policeman, who spoke very little English, came up to Jordan. The policeman pointed to himself and then pointed to Jordan. He said, "Friends!" and gave Jordan a thumbs up. Jordan politely smiled and said, "Yes, Friends." The policeman then noticed that Jordan had a watch on just like he did. He pointed to his watch and then pointed to Jordan's watch. He said, "Trade?" Jordan then traded watches with the Iraqi policeman.

I thought this was such a cool story, and I just had to share it. It's stories like these that we don't hear on the news. There are good things happening admits the all the chaos going on over there.

-posted by Lindsay

Care Package Suggestions

Because so many of you have asked, we have come up with this list of items that are permissible and would also be useful to Jordan in a care package. These are not the only things that are permissible, but just the things we could come up with at the time. If you have any questions, just email one of us. While Jordan would love to get any of these things in a package, I 'm sure he would cherish most a note of encouragement and appreciate your prayers more than anything. Thank you!

Care Package Suggestions:
CDs
DVDs
Video games (Jordan has a PSP system with him)
Beef jerky
Candy that doesn’t melt easily
Cereal/ granola bars (Clifbars are Jordan’s favorite)
Sunflower seeds
Chewing gum
Nuts
Ziploc bags
Deodorant
Toiletries (body wash, powder, aftershave)
Little Debbie’s
Altoids/mints
Coffee
Drink mix
Playing cards
Toothbrushes & toothpaste
Snacks in individual packages (big bags often fill with sand if not eaten right away)
Microwave meals that don’t need refrigeration
Canned food items
Pringles chips
Microwave popcorn
Ramen noodles
Macaroni & cheese
Hot cocoa mix
Soup mix
Newspapers
Magazines
Batteries
Canned air to blow sand out of electronics
Lysol wipes
Hand and face wipes
Board games
Boot socks
Underwear
Ink pens
Word puzzle books
Icy/hot patches
Air activated heat wraps for sore muscles
Foot massager
Microwaveable plates, bowls
Plastic forks, spoons
Vitamins
Paperback books
Over the counter medicine (Advil, Pepto, Claritin, etc)

-posted by Jaime

Jordan's New Address

We have Jordan's new Iraqi address! This is a huge praise because we weren't sure how soon we would get to talk to him or get his address, and we already have both! God is good!

Every thing I have read about supporting our troops and first hand interviews with those who have been in Iraq says that the contact with people back home, whether they knew each other back home or not, makes all the difference. Even if you have never met Jordan, if you are reading this then you must care about him and what he is doing. Please commit to sending him several notes of encouragement over the next 6 months. I would love for him to get at least one piece of mail a day for the entirety of his deployment! Please share his address with anyone who would be willing to participate in supporting him. If you are a school or Sunday School teacher it would be a great project for your class to do and send in one large envelope.

I have a list of items that are permissible to send in care packages. I will post that soon. Right now, he would love just a piece of mail. I am not going to publish his address on here for security reasons, but email me and I would love to forward it to you. ( natenjme@aol.com )

I can't thank you enough for your prayers and emails and words of sweet encouragement. I have cried more in the last week than I think I have in my previous 26 years combined, but I have also had abundant peace that Jordan is going to be fine and that God's will is being done. Moma and Lindsay both have been troopers! They are both trusting in God and handling everything far better than I thought either of them would. God is good.

-posted by Jaime

First Update From Iraq

I've been able to talk to Jordan! He is safe on his Air Base. He was cracking me up, because he was complaining about all the sand there. He said…"You know how I feel about sand…and it is EVERYWHERE!” I told him, that maybe we will learn to love the sand so when he gets back, he will have a more enjoyable experiences at the beach. I asked if he felt safe. He said that he did and most of the time he forgot he was even in Iraq. I felt good about that. He said that he will be getting his mailing address soon. He sounded a lot better yesterday than when I talked to him on Friday. They did not arrive to the base until Saturday morning and they gave them Sunday off. He is in a tent with his two best friends, so he was extremely happy about that. He said that the base was HUGE and that the living conditions were good. He said the weather wasn’t too bad. It got a little hot during the day but nothing too bad. Today he is training and learning the base. He’s not sure when he will start patrolling the flight lines. I think this is all he said. The two times I have talked to him have been for only three minutes. They don’t give them a ton of time to talk, so that really frustrates me. But I’m thankful that I’ve been able to talk to him at all!

-posted by Lindsay

Not So Happy Halloween

Yesterday was a hard day. I am sure you did not expect anyone in our family to say it was a fun, easy day. But as I drove home from Charleston between the tears I was trying with all my heart to find some positives in sending my son off to war. I thought of the blessing in just the past 24 hours…. One is I know that so many people love Jordan enough to send him notes of encouragement for his “going away book.” He was very touched by your notes of love. I gave it to him Tuesday night after dinner when we went back to the hotel. He read a few pages and said he would have to read it all later he just could not take it all in. It was the only time I saw him get emotional. He was the brave strong solider the remainder of the time.

Another blessing Tim and I talked about was how we thankful we were Jordan didn’t have children that would be with out a daddy for 6 months. Jordan had told us of the men going all but 3 were married with children. Jordan told us one of his best friends had a wife that would give birth to their first child while he is in Iraq. How sad he will miss that.

Another blessing that comes to mind so very often is my strong family and our love for each other. Jordan’s sisters, brothers, brothers-in-law, nieces, parents, grandparents and our dear sweet, sweet Lindsay will all love Jordan and each other through this… so many have no one.

One of the major blessings and answers to prayer yesterday was Jordan and I were talking and he told me his two best friends that were going with him were very strong Christian men. Wow that was such a wonderful feeling to know that was who my son will be with night and day 24/7 for the next 6 months. Yes it was hard, hard day for all of us and I know we will have more hard days but there were blessing too and I know there will be many more blessings in the hard days to come.

We love you all and thank you from the bottom of our hearts for lifting up Jordan and the many others that serve along side him in prayer daily.

-posted by Kathy

Psalm 91

I have claimed this psalm as God's promise to protect Jordan during his deployment. I am asking that as many people as possible join our family in reading this psalm and inserting Jordan's name in the appropriate places so that it becomes God's promise specifically for Jordan. Please read this psalm aloud, or to yourself if you absolutely can not read it aloud, but the power of speaking the words will give it that much more power, today and in the coming days as Jordan begins his deployment.

Jordan’s Psalm 91

Jordan, who dwells in the shelter of the Most High

will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

I will say of the LORD, "He is Jordan’s refuge and Jordan’s fortress,

my God, in whom I trust."

Surely he will save Jordan from the fowler's snare

and from the deadly pestilence.

He will cover Jordan with his feathers,

and under his wings Jordan will find refuge;

his faithfulness will be Jordan’s shield and rampart.

Jordan will not fear the terror of night,

nor the arrow that flies by day,

nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,

nor the plague that destroys at midday.

A thousand may fall at Jordan’s side,

ten thousand at Jordan’s right hand,

but it will not come near Jordan.

Jordan will only observe with his eyes

and see the punishment of the wicked.

If Jordan makes the Most High his dwelling—

even the LORD, who is my refuge-

then no harm will befall Jordan,

no disaster will come near Jordan’s tent.

For he will command his angels concerning Jordan

to guard Jordan in all his ways;

they will lift Jordan up in their hands,

so that Jordan will not strike his foot against a stone.

Jordan will tread upon the lion and the cobra;

Jordan will trample the great lion and the serpent.

"Because Jordan loves me," says the LORD, "I will rescue him;

I will protect Jordan, for he acknowledges my name.

Jordan will call upon me, and I will answer him;

I will be with Jordan in trouble,

I will deliver Jordan and honor him.

With long life will I satisfy Jordan

and show him my salvation."

-posted by Jaime

2 Days

Jordan leaves for Iraq in two days. Our mom is making a small book for Jordan to take with him full of pictures of the family and friends and inspirational quotes and Bible verses. She is also including messages of support and encouragement from as many people as she can. We would love to have messages from all of you. You can write anything you like... We just want him to know how very proud we are of him and thankful for what he is doing. You can add quotes, bible verses anything you think would lift his spirits while he is away. I am sorry to be giving you such short notice, but if you would like to participate, we really need your entry by tomorrow morning. You may post it as a comment here, or email me at natenjme@aol.com or mom at krobin2100@aol.com. Please also lift Jordan and our family up to the Lord in prayer in a special way over the next few days. Halloween 2007 is going to be the scariest day of our lives.

Be sure to check back in here tomorrow when I am going to ask that everyone participate in something special for Jordan. Thanks!

-posted by Jaime

Life in New Jersey

As most of you know, Jordan left for New Hanover, New Jersey on Thursday, October 11th. He will remain on the Army base, Fort Dix, until the 26th in which he will fly back to Charleston for a few days. He has been quite the busy soldier. He wakes up at 5:30 and works until 7:30. This will be his schedule for the entire length of his stay in New Jersey, and no he doesn’t get one day off.

Jordan is one of ten soldiers from Charleston that have been sent to this training. These ten men will also deploy to Tallil Air Base with Jordan on October 31st. You can imagine how close these guys are getting. Not only do they spend every minute of every day working together learning how to protect our country and their lives, but they also are forced to share one room with each other.

They have spent two long days in the classroom learning all of the techniques of what to do in terrifying war situations. Jordan refers to those two days as “death by powerpoint.” The last two days he has been applying what he has learned in the classroom out in the field. He has done everything from driving a Humvee (High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle), or Hummer as us civilians like to refer to it, to practicing fire fights which involves the team shooting blanks at each other as while pretending they are under attack.

I pray that God grants him the stamina, strength, and patience to learn and retain all he has learned and will learn throughout this training. What he learns during his eight day stay may save his life one day!

-posted by Lindsay

Slight Change of Plans

I know you are all shocked that the military has changed their minds! This time we aren't complaining too much because it keeps Jordan stateside for a little longer. He now leaves on October, 10 for training in New Jersey. He will return to Charleston on October, 26 and leave for Iraq on October 31.

This will give us all (except for our little brother Ben, man I miss that kid! ) the opportunity to see him once more before he leaves. Thank you all, for continuing your prayers for Jordan.

-posted by Jaime

Iraq in One Week

One week from today, Jordan leaves for Iraq. We are quite confident that this time it's for real. After a slight emotional breakdown, I think I have accepted it. Last night when I first got the call that he was probably going to be deployed in the very near future, I was mad. Yelling, screaming, crying mad. "I can't do this again!" I sobbed into my husband's arms. It has been an emotional roller coaster. He is going to Iraq, no he's going to Afghanistan, no he's not going anywhere, wait, yeah, he has to go to Iraq. Last night I said that I wished he had just gone on that first deployment. In a way, that might have been easier, but in another way, this emotional roller coaster has been like novocaine. We are so numb with emotion that somehow it doesn't hurt as bad now. Maybe I'm just still in shock. We all knew that it was very possible that he would be deployed eventually, but I really thought we would at least have the holidays together.

Everyone who knows more about this than I do, Jordan, Lindsay, Nate, tell me that these are pretty good orders. He will be on an AFB in Southern Iraq. Basically he’s going to be a cop for the AFB over there just like he is in Charleston This is way better that running convoys in Iraq which was his first order, and even better than guarding war prisoners in Afghanistan which was his second order.

While God didn't grant our prayer requests of Jordan never having to go to war, he did grant them by giving Jordan a better deployment order. As quick as this all seems to be happening, the Lord has known all along. He knew from day one that Jordan would be deployed to Iraq in October 2007. He knew and He knows what the future holds. We just have to trust in Him.

Here is why I am more okay with this than I ever thought possible: Jordan wants to go. Really wants to go. This is part of an email I got from sweet Lindsay this morning... It’s his job and he loves being apart of something that means so much to America. I’m extremely thankful he’ll be located on base and not out and about. Jordan and I were actually talking about this yesterday…he said he was thinking about volunteering his service in Iraq after the holidays were over. He really wants this experience and he wants to be able say that he helped fight a war and create peace in a country that’s so chaotic and dysfunctional. I know it’s going to be hard not having him here for so long, but we have to keep in mind that this is what he loves to do and this is what makes him happy.

Those words literally stopped my tears (OK, dried my tears momentarily). Selfishly, there is nothing I want less than to have to send my precious little brother to war, but it is so much easier knowing that he WANTS to go.

Please cover Jordan and our family in your prayers. God is good, and I know that he isn't done building Jordan's testimony yet.

-posted by Jaime

Keep Praying for our Troops - God is Answering in an Amazing Way!

"In a televised speech Thursday, Bush announced he had approved Petraeus' plan to withdraw 5,700 troops from Iraq by the holidays and reduce the force from 20 combat brigades to 15 brigades by July 2008.

On Friday, Defense Secretary Robert Gates raised the possibility of cutting U.S. troop levels in Iraq to 100,000 or so by the end of next year — well beyond the cuts Bush announced in his speech Thursday.

The defense secretary confirmed that he was referring to cutting from the projected level of 15 combat brigades in July to 10 brigades at the end of 2008, and that this would translate to roughly 100,000 troops." - quoted from DEB RIECHMANN, Associated Press Writer

Read the full story here.

-posted by Jaime

OH HAPPY DAY!

Jordan came to visit me in Chattanooga on Friday and stayed until Monday. We both knew our time was running thin, so we made the best of our weekend and had a blast! He met me for lunch on Monday and proceeded to head back to Spartanburg to visit with his family one more time before his deployment. During our lunch, I asked him when he thought he had to report back to Charleston. He said he thought he had Tuesday off and was planning on spending the night in Spartanburg. While he was on his way to Spartanburg, he called me and said, “I just got a call from my staff sergeant, and he said I have to be back in Charleston at 5:30 Tuesday morning to have breakfast with a General.” I said, “Maybe you’re having breakfast with the General so he can tell you that you don’t have to deploy anymore.” We laughed at the ridiculous comment, said our good byes, and hung up the phone. I went back to work and he headed down the mountain towards home.

I always call Jordan as soon as I leave work. This day was no different than the others. I was just expecting to have our normal after work conversation where I get to tell him all about my day in the plant. When Jordan answered the phone on this particular afternoon, his tone was a little different. I hadn’t heard this voice since he was told he was deploying and he would be forced to be worlds apart from his family and friends for a whole nine months. I thought to myself, “He’s a little chipper than normal. What happened on his drive home?” He asked how my day at work was. I said it was fine. I asked him how his drive from Chattanooga to Spartanburg was. He said it was fine. Then something was said that was COMPLETELY and UTTERLY unexpected. He told me that he had some news about his deployment. I silently hung on every word as he said, “MY DEPLOYMENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED.” The first words out of my mouth were, “I’m going to cry.” And that’s what I did. That’s all I could do. Never in my life had I felt the way that I did in that moment. It felt better than having 100 tons worth of bricks lifted off of my chest. I took a deep breath and as I exhaled I could feel all of my worries and fears flee from my body. All of these insuppressible, horrific thoughts and doubts that had haunted me for months were instantaneously gone! He wasn’t going to deploy.

The amazing thing about this glorious news is that Jordan received this phone call seconds before pulling into his Nanny’s house to eat dinner with his family for what they all thought would be the last time in nine months. Now that is really something! OH HAPPY DAY!

-published by Lindsay

Conversation with Jordan's Nieces

Here is a recap of a conversation I had with Averie and Austin Kate last week:

Jaime: "Guess what, girls? Next week we get to go spend a bunch of days in Grammyland with Uncle Judi!"

AK: "Yay! Grammyland AND Uncle Judi!"

Ave: "Does he have some days off from being a GI Joe?"

Jaime: "Yes. He has about a week off to come bring some of his stuff home and spend some special time with his family before he goes on his big trip."

Ave and AK: "What big trip?"

I took a deep breath because we have talked about Uncle Judi's "big trip" everyday for months and prayed about it at least twice a day since we found out!

Jaime: "You know, girls, Uncle Judi's big trip to fight the bad guys."

Ave and AK: "Oh, yeah."

Ave: "I was kinda hoping he wouldn't have to go on that trip."

Jaime: "Me too."

AK: "Why does Uncle Judi have to fight the bad guys?"

Jaime: "Because they are bad guys and Uncle Judi is a good guy. The bad guys do mean things to innocent people and Uncle Judi is a brave and nice that he is going to go stop them from being mean."

Ave: "Will he have to use his gun?"

Jaime: "Yes. He will use all of his weapons and tools and training so that he can do his job well."

AK: "Do the bad guys have guns and weapons?"

Jaime: "Yes."

AK: "Are they going to try and hurt Uncle Judi?"

Ave: "Could Uncle Judi die on his big trip?"

Jaime: "They might try to hurt Uncle Judi, but he has lots of training and lots of other good guys helping him, and he has something that those bad guys don't have. He has Jesus with him every step of the way. We just have to trust that Jesus is going to take care of him."

Ave: "I don't want him to go."

AK: "Me either."

Jaime: "I know, babies. I don't want him to go either, but we need brave soldiers like Uncle Judi to keep us safe. God only chooses special people with special families to go to war, and He knew that Uncle Judi and our family was special enough. "

Ave: "Will they make him go even if we tell him he's an uncle?"

Jaime: "Yes. There are even Mommies and Daddies that have to go to war."

Ave: "We should pray for them too."

Jaime: "Yes, we most definitely should."

Ave: "At least he will be home for Christmas!"

Jaime: "No, baby. He won't be home for Christmas. He won't be home until next summer. "

AK: "Everybody has to come home for Christmas! It's what we do!"

Jaime: "Not this year, but next year we will all be together at Christmas."

Ave: "Promise?"

Jaime: "Yes, I promise."

-posted by Jaime

A Day (NIght) in the Life of a Security Forces Airman

I know this blog has been focused on Jordan’s deployment and all that goes along with that. The thought just occurred to me that people might be wondering what Jordan does on a daily basis. What is his life like in Charleston? What duties is he assigned to? I thought I might take some time and fill those who are interested in on the life of a Security Forces (Military Police) Airman.

Jordan is on a really annoying work schedule (well annoying to me anyway.) He works for six days then gets three days off. For the first three days he works from 1:00 pm – 10:00 pm, while the second three days he works from 9:00 pm – 7:00 am. As you can tell, this schedule may become extremely inconvenient and irritating to those who want to visit him and have an 8 – 5, five day a week job. Throughout these six days, Jordan is assigned to a different area of the AFB. He can get anything from patrolling the flight line to searching freight trucks to guarding a gate and checking cars as they drive on to base. The majority of the days and nights are uneventful. And I guess you could say that an uneventful night in his line of work is a great thing.

Normally when I ask, “How was work,” I get an amusing story about finding underage drinkers boozing at the gazebo, or having to pick a drunk guy up off of the street who is wandering aimlessly around the base. Nothing major, right?

Well, one day I asked Jordan, “How was work?” You’ll be surprised to hear the response I got on that particular day. He responded with, “I had a pretty eventful night!” Here is what happened…Jordan was on patrol one night with one of his close friends, Klotz. They got a call to go to a house where the owners had suspected someone was breaking and entering into their house. Jordan was told to run around the back of the house and watch the back yard. Meanwhile Klotz went into the house. Jordan could see Klotz moving through the house with his weapon drawn. Jordan immediately withdrew his weapon as he suspected there actually was an intruder. After all of the excitement, they came to find out that something fell in the bathroom, causing a loud noise, which led the couple to believe someone was in their house. Wah…wah…wahhhhh!

So after the hype of the breaking and entering episode, Klotz and Jordan got another call. This time it was for a domestic dispute. They headed over to the house only to find one of their own Security Force team members and his extremely battered wife. Both Klotz and Jordan were shocked and baffled that one of their own guys had the capability of doing this horrific thing.

Jordan was told to console the wife and gather information of the incident from her. I think this was the perfect job for Jordan to be assigned to. I know he has always done a great job of calming me down when I’ve been in a panic. They ended up arresting the husband and ensured the wife was taken to the hospital.

About a week or so later, Jordan was getting ready for work. He was in the building where all of the Airmen in his squadron meet before they go to their posts. The same guy that was arrested for the domestic dispute walks up to Jordan and says, “Hey man, what’s up,” as if nothing had ever happened. He tried to give Jordan a hand shake but luckily Jordan’s hands were full of gear. Jordan just looked at him and said, “Hey?” while wondering why he thought he could pretend to be Jordan’s BFF. The young man is awaiting his punishment, so until then he has been subjected to doing “busy work” around the squadron.

I know Jordan loves his job. He loves ensuring people are safe and he loves making sure the bad guys are taken care of. He loves the adrenalin of getting a call, he loves taking care of the drunkards and laughing about it later, he loves simply saying “Hello” and “Have a nice day” to those driving through the AFB gate. But above everything he loves being a part of something that is so well respected in the eyes of all America. He is proud and everyone that knows and loves Jordan is extremely proud of him too!

So all in all, the military isn’t all about war and deployment. There is a day to day life these guys and girls lead. So not only do they have to deal with the fears and emotions of fighting a war, but they also have to deal with the stress of their regular jobs too. It really makes me think twice about complaining that you have to only work 40 hours a week in an air conditioned office, with my regular Saturdays and Sundays off!

-posted by Lindsay

An Update

I suppose it has been a while since there has been an update on this blog. I think the real reason it has been so long is that we are all attempting to ignore the inevitable event of Jordan’s departure.

Jordan is still scheduled to leave as planned on September 25th. He will depart from Charleston and head to the great state of Texas…AGAIN! As most of you know, he has gotten to know Texas quite well. He completed his BMT (Basic Military Training) as well as Security Forces Tech. School at the Lackland AFB in San Antonio. This time WE THINK he’ll be sent to El Paso for approximately thirty-eight days. If he’s not in El Paso, he’ll be sent to grace some other city of Texas with his presence. He’ll spend his time completing Detainee Op’s training so he’ll be ready to guard prisoners once he arrives in Afghanistan. I personally would rather him go through this training versus the convoy training we originally thought he would be sent to. He will then leave from Texas and head to Afghanistan around November 2nd. He is scheduled to spend six months in Afghanistan. With any luck he’ll leave early in the morning on November 2nd and return at night on November 3rd giving him just enough time to get there, turn around, and come home! The probability of that happening, however, is very very slim to none. We can always hope though!

Jordan is taking leave from August 31 – September 9. He’s choosing to spend this time visiting and relaxing with family and friends. His family and friends are choosing to spend this time loving him to death and cherishing each moment we have with him. There is no doubt in my mind that Jordan will certainly be spoiled during his leave. I know he’s really looking forward to it!

So that pretty much sums things up as of right now. Jaime and I will definitely keep you up to date on what’s happening with Jordan’s training and deployment. Like I said, this blog isn’t necessarily all that fun to update given the circumstances, but we will definitely keep you posted. Thanks for all of your love and prayers. Please keep them coming!

-posted by Lindsay

Change of Plans

Jordan’s orders have changed once again.

Whereas he previously was ordered to Iraq to run convoys (one of the most very dangerous duties that could be assigned) he now has been told that he will be going to Afghanistan to guard prisoners.

I never thought that finding out that my little brother would be going to Afghanistan to guard war prisoners would be good news, but it is. As scary as this order is, it is better than what we previously thought he would be doing. He must report for training (we still are sure on the location of this training, but it will be somewhere in the United States) on or before September 25. He will then report for duty in Afghanistan on or before November 2. He will be there for at least six months.

We have certainly learned that his orders can change at any time. I will keep you updated the best I can.



Please join me in praying for the following:

-If the orders do change again, that it would again be for the better.

-Continue to pray for his safety and strength once he begins his deployment

-Continued peace in God for our family as we send our brother/son/grandson/boyfriend/etc. to war.

-That we as a family will be able to show our faith in God instead of sinfully worrying during this time.

-The many men and women already serving our country all over the world, and the families leave behind.

- Our government officials making decisions about our involvement in other countries affairs.

-Peace.

-posted by Jaime

September 25

Jordan has been given the date of September 25 for his deployment.

We aren't sure if he will leave Charleston for training in New Jersey (not Washington DC as we previously thought) on this date, or if he will be leaving New Jersey for Camp Bucca, Iraq on this date. Either way, soon he will be in Iraq. Please continue to pray for his safety and strength and for peace for his family.

Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything...
If you do this, you will experience God's peace,
which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand.
Philippians 4:6-7


I am claiming Psalm 91 over my little brother today.

-posted by Jaime

October 13th

I remember the exact moment I first laid eyes on Jordan. It was October 13th, 2001 and the night after my 17th birthday (now going on an old 23). Jordan was playing basketball in the Keith’s (our mutual friends) driveway. Now you all have to understand that I was the girl that had very few close girlfriends and very many close guy friends. I pulled up into the Keith’s driveway after cheering at a cheerleading competition. Picture this…me with an unnecessary amount of makeup, gelled hair like glue with an extremely curly pony tail, and a cheerleading uniform. Now if any of you know me at all, this is not particularly my style of choice! For whatever reason, unknown to me, Jordan seemed to find it somewhat attractive. I’m just glad I didn’t scare him away! As I pulled into the driveway and rolled down my window to see what everyone was doing this boy felt the need to stick his head in my window and say “HEY, I’m Jordan!” I was a little caught off guard at first but quickly realized how adorable he was. I immediately started wondering who he was, why he was all of sudden hanging out with my friends, and was he single? After a few minutes of getting to know Jordan I was able to answer all of these questions. Who was he? The boy of my dreams! Why was he hanging out with my friends? He went to church with them. Was he single? Indeed, he was (lucky me)! If you ask Jordan why he stuck his head in my window on that night, this is what he’ll say…Everyone use to call me Norman in high school as Norman is my last name. And like I said before, I hung out with a bunch of guys who thought it was cool to call me Norman. When everyone saw my car pulling into the driveway, all the guys started saying, “Hey, Norman’s here!” Well, Jordan thought that Norman was a boy and wanted to meet “him.” He says when he stuck his head in my window he got the best surprise of his life…ME! Now I’m not one to believe in love at first sight, but I will say that Jordan had me interested from the get go! The rest is history!

So to make a long story short, at age 17 I found the guy of my dreams! How often does that happen? The past 6 years haven’t been all pretty. I’ll be the first to admit we’ve had our ups and downs. But within the past 6 years Jordan and I have had the chance to grow up with one another. We’ve spent some of the most critical years of our lives with each other. We’ve seen each other change from extremely immature teenagers to little immature yet more mature young adults. Not many couples can say that about one another. We both have learned so many lessons about life and love together. Jordan has had an astronomical impact on my life and has every bit of my heart! I know this is so cliché, but he means everything to me and I can’t even begin to imagine what my life would be without him in it. I suppose that my absolute worst fear about this whole thing is wondering if our time together will not only will begin at such a young age, but that it will end at such a young age. Not a day goes by that I don’t think about all of those “what if’s.” I know 6 years seems like a long time and I certainly consider myself one of the luckiest girls to have had this time with Jordan so far. But I don’t want just 6 years. I want 60 years to spend with him.

I like to think of myself as a strong and independent individual when I’m faced with most difficult situations. I guess I can relate with Jaime about being a mediator and fixing situations when they come along. But the raw hard truth is that we have no control over this particular situation. The only thing I have control over is how my time with Jordan is spent for these last few weeks before he is scheduled to deploy. I only have control over making sure that he knows exactly how I feel about him before he leaves and this is what I put my focus on. I often think about that moment Jordan and I first met and wonder what did I do to deserve that perfect October 13th night?

-posted by Lindsay

Update

Here's what I know: no news is good news.

So far, Jordan is still in Charleston, and that is wonderful news. The last group that left from his base were given 2 weeks notice, then sent to Washington DC for training, and then sent to Iraq 45 days after that. That's what we expect will happen to Jordan. So far it hasn't, and that is fine with us!

There were three groups notified in May that they would be deployed in the near future - Jordan's and two others. The other two groups have now been told that they won't be going any time soon! They haven't told Jordan's group this yet, but that is what we are praying for! The summer months in Iraq are going to be the most dangerous. The heat is a major factor, especially considering the protective gear our troops must wear. Also, the next few months are expected to be the most deadly, with September hopefully bringing more stable conditions.

Please continue to pray for Jordan! He is still in sweet South Carolina, so that means our prayers are working! Pray that if he has to go to Iraq that it will later in the year, or that he would not have to go at all!!! Also remember our brave soldiers who are already there, and those going soon.

Thank you all for your loving encouragement and prayers not only for Jordan, but for our whole family. We feel your prayers and see God working!

I'll keep you posted, but remember, no news is good news!

-posted by Jaime

Austin Kate's Prayer

When Austin Kate prays, she always says,

"Dear God, please take care of my Uncle Judi when he goes on his big trip to fight the bad guys."

That simple prayer pretty much sums it up, doesn't it?

-posted by Jaime (AK's Mommy)

From A Mother's Heart

We want this site to be a group effort to encourage Jordan, to let him know how proud we are of him, and to let him know how much we love him. We want to let the world know to PRAY for Jordan everyday. We want everyone to have a place to come together to be updated on what is going on in the situation. But I am the Mama (or Ma as Jordan calls me) of this wonderful young man. He is in on my mind every second I am awake. He has been, as have all his brothers and sisters from the second they were conceived. Seldom is there a night that goes by that I don’t dream of one or more of them. But I am not telling any mother anything she does not already know and do. The Lord has given me the wonderful privilege of being Jordan's mother. I gave him back to the Lord many years ago, and have done it again many times over and over again.

Sunday afternoon June 3, 2007 for a moment I felt my world crash down. Jordan was going to Iraq. I never thought it would really happen. I really want to focus on “for a moment”. That moment was the devil! As I did many years ago, that night under the stars I again I gave this situation, and Jordan to the Lord. This is one I can not fix or stop. But I can lift Jordan and the many others in his situation up to our Lord and pray for their safety. This is what we are also asking you, our friends and family, to do for these brave men and women.

Jaime has been the wonderful big sister in this situation. She has worked hard on this site for Jordan, our family and Lindsay. I thank her from the bottom of my heart for this. I feel like I am repeating some of what she has already said, but this time is from a mama’s heart…. Jordan we are so proud of you, we love you so much and the Lord will hear from me daily on your behalf…Love Ma

-posted by Kathy

Worry

God has chosen our family to go through this. Please pray that we will be able to set a Christian example and not let sinful worry rule our lives. The Lord graciously directed me this morning during my quite time to some sermon notes I took last year about worry.

-Worry reveals our unbelief in God’s faithfulness for tomorrow.

-Worry reveals our futile attempt to be sovereign.

-Worry reveals our lack of spiritual maturity.

-Worry is a serious sin.

-In order to combat worry, fix your eyes on God and His promises.

-Psalm 46:1 God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble.

-John 14:1, 27 …the peace I give is not like the peace the world gives. So don’t be troubled or afraid.

-Psalm 33:21 In him our hearts rejoice, for we are trusting in his holy name.

-1 Peter 1:8 Though you do not see him, you trust him; and even now you are happy…

-Psalm 138:8 The Lord will work out his plans for my life…

-Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”

It is absurd for us to think that we can accomplish anything with worry regarding this or any situation. The only way to handle it is with prayer and trust in God.

-posted by Jaime

I Said I Thought It Was a Good Idea

I remember vividly the day Jordan told me he was enlisting. I was in my driveway spraying ant killer on the vast kingdom of fire ants that invaded and plagued my otherwise picturesque residence. My girls were at the far end of the yard playing on their swing set, the only spot on our property safe from the little red terrors. Jordan pulled into my driveway driving way too fast and with his music way too loud. I smiled a waved, always thrilled that my little brother chose to hang out at my house. We sat under the carport so we could be in the shade and still see the girls. We talked for awhile with the ease of friendship, an outsider would never gather from our relationship that we once were children that had to be separated for fighting.

Then Jordan got that look in his eye that he gets when I am supposed to go from friend mode into big sister/second mother mode because he is about to ask me for advice. It still amazes me that my younger siblings look up to me after all the brutal beating I gave them and all of the allowance money I conned from them. But they do - all of them, but none more than Jordan. I have the advantage of easily remembering what it is like to be a child striving for membership into the adult realm, and the knowledge, even if it is novice, of how this adult world works. I can give them both sides, and have often been called in to referee between them and our parents because I can give an un-bias opinion on each side. I’d seen this look in Jordan’s eyes before. Usually it was about a girl, or a bad grade, an argument with Moma, or a sticky situation he needed help with. The look in his eyes on that humid day was very similar to the look I was accustomed to seeing, but there was something slightly different. If I looked deep enough, I could see that he wasn’t about to ask me something so much as he was about to tell me something. There was a confidence, an unfamiliar maturity in his look.

“I think I’m gonna enlist, Sis,” he calmly stated. Jordan has one attitude about life – laid back.

“Enlist in what?” What was he talking about? We told each other everything, and I hadn’t heard anything about this yet!

“In the Air Force. I’m headed over to the office now, but I wanted to talk to you first.”

I didn’t know what to say. I always know what to say. I thought for a few moments. Jordan is a smart, kind, fun loving guy. He had tried several life plans, but the end goal, up until that point seemed to be to be young and have fun. He needed direction and a purpose. He needed to grow up and become a respectable adult and channel his energy and unique intelligence into something positive.

“I think that would be a good idea.” I finally said.

I rationalized that the war was surely about over, and that he would have years of training before they could send him anywhere. By the time he was ready for deployment, he would probably be sent to Hawaii to guard the military's kegs of beer and patrol bikini clad beaches. He would get a good education, get to see the world, and finally earn the respect he deserved.

I thought it was a good idea.

I don’t know if he would have left my house and went to the office and enlisted if I had said that I thought it was a bad idea. I will always wonder. I like to think that he would. I would like to think that he had already made up his mind and just came to me for that last bit of encouragement. I hope that the assurance and determination that I saw in his eyes was valid and not something I made up afterwards to make myself feel better.

I said I thought it was a good idea.

At the time it was, I guess. Maybe it still is. He has gotten and is getting a wonderful education, and he is getting to see the world. It’s just not the part of the world I want him to see. He has the respect he deserves, but a large part of me wishes he was still that carefree kid that would pull into my driveway driving way too fast and with his music up way too loud.

I said I thought it was a good idea, and because I said that, I feel like I owe an apology to our parents and grandparents and to Lindsay and to everyone else that loves this sweet young man so much.

I’m the oldest of six and therefore have an unusually overbearing personality. I am bossy. I am a planner. I am a fixer. I fix things in this family when they are messed up. This is messed up and I can’t fix it and I am sorry. I am sorry because I told him that I thought it was a good idea and now I can’t sleep at night wondering what would have happened if I hadn’t said,

I thought I was a good idea.

-posted by Jaime

This is Really Happening...

This weekend Jordan came home to Duncan to tell his family what we all have feared for months. He is being deployed to Iraq in just a few weeks. We knew this was possible, but we prayed that it wouldn't become a reality. The sweet young man that we love with our whole hearts is being sent to war. War. He is ready to go, because it is his job.

No one considers war pleasant, but when it is your own flesh and blood that is laying his life on the line, it hits home, hard, and you understand that this is real and it happens to real people. I can't imagine how anyone can get through this without the comforting arms of the Lord carrying them. We are scared and maybe even mad that this is happening to our family, but we know that we have a Savior who has a plan. Please pray for Jordan's safety and strength. Pray for the people he will encounter, the government and military officials making decisions about the war, and for a quick resolve to these conflicts. Please also pray for our family and for Lindsay.

See, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh; is anything too hard for me? (Jeremiah 32:27)

-posted by Jaime

Quotes and Bible Verses to Claim

Today's Trial is Tomorrow's Testimony. -unknown

Instead of telling God how big your storms are, try telling your storms how big your God is. - unknown

I know God won't give me anything I can't handle; I just wish He didn't trust me so much. -Mother Theresa

It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed. (Deuteronomy 31:8)

The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war rise up against me, yet I will be confident. (Psalm 27: 1, 3)

You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance. (Psalm 32:7-8)

"If God brings you to it, He'll bring you through it." -unknown

-posted by Jaime

Men Like Him

Your alarm goes off, you hit the snooze and sleep for another 10 minutes.
He stays up for days on end.

You take a warm shower to help you wake up.
He goes days or weeks without running water.

You complain of a "headache", and call in sick.
He gets shot at, as others are hit, and keeps moving forward.

You put on your anti war/don't support the troops shirt, and go meet up with your friends.
He still fights for your right to wear that shirt.

You make sure you're cell phone is in your pocket.
He clutches the cross hanging on his chain next to his dog tags.

You talk trash about your "buddies" that aren't with you.
He knows he may not see some of his buddies again.

You don't feel like working today, so you don't.
He does what he is told.

You walk down the beach, staring at all the pretty girls.
He walks the streets, searching for insurgents and terrorists.

You complain about how hot it is.
He wears his heavy gear, not daring to take off his helmet to wipe his brow.

You go out to lunch, and complain because the restaurant got your order wrong.
He does not get to eat today.

Your maid makes your bed and washes your clothes.
He wears the same things for months, but makes sure his weapons are clean.

You go to the mall and get your hair redone.
He doesn't have time to brush his teeth today.

You are angry because your class ran 5 minutes over.
He is told he will be held an extra 2 months.


You call your girlfriend and set a date for that night.
He waits for the mail to see if there is a letter from home.

You hug and kiss your loved ones, like you do everyday.
He holds his letter close and smells his love's perfume.

You roll your eyes as a baby cries.
He gets a letter with pictures of his new child, and wonders if they'll ever meet.

You criticize your government, and say that war never solves anything.
He sees the innocent tortured and killed by their own government and remembers why he is fighting.

You hear the jokes about the war, and make fun of the men like him.
He hears the gun fire and bombs.

You see only what the media wants you to see.
He sees the bodies lying around him.

You stay at home and watch tv.
He takes whatever time he is given to call and write home, sleep, and eat.

You crawl into your bed, with down pillows, and try to get comfortable.
He crawls under a tank for shade and a 5 minute nap, only to be woken by gun fire.

If only there were more men like him.