Jacob & Jordan W.
Jacob blew my socks off. I now consider every interaction I got to have with him a massive treasure. Here are just a few:
Before Jacob worked at Noah's, I was lucky enough to take him on an Overnight Browns trip with Brazos Christian School. Even as a freshman in HS, Jacob was walking around with a noticeably different level of spiritual abundance (surprisingly full and brimming over) than the rest. I was guiding his raft and cooking his food, but I remember feeling like Jacob was hosting me. Like Jesus and Zacchaeus, Jacob invited himself into my space and made me feel at home. When the trip was over, he gifted me with a homemade necklace (I wish I still had it. It was a choker-like thing made out of colorful rubberbands haha. This was like 2008 or something? In vogue for sure.) and the book Sex God by Rob Bell. To this day, these are the only two gifts I've received from a teenage guest. I think I'll put this on my January reading list:
In his time at Noah's, Jacob seemed to be in on some sort of great secret. That’s the only way I can figure out how to describe the way about him. Whatever he knew (that the rest of us didn’t) allowed him to give himself generously and see differently.
He visited Buena Vista after being in the Middle East (must have been winter, 2015) and we went to the Lariat. I was trying to convince him to come back to Noah's for a third summer but he told me that Noah's was too small for him. I think we can all agree!
This is an article Jacob wrote in 2014 for the fall edition of #Noahsinreallife. I think this article lets us in on at least the edge of the secret he was in on. He sent it to me to me with this note:
Jordania,
Happy T-Giving. Here you go. Also, I couldn't upload but one photo because the internet is shit here. You can pull a few from my blog if you want (jakeacarter.com).
Here is a [video] my team just made as well. It features me, so you can include [it] in the newsletter if you want, but it's up to you.
Cheers and beers.
A Taxi Ride with Hezbollah
I slowly walk across the beach, small rocks and pebbles underfoot. I step into the sea and wade out into the cool waters as the sun sets behind the Caucus Mountains. Floating upon the Mediterranean staring up at the painted sky, I have to remind myself that I am actually in the Middle East.
What is the first thing you think of when you think of the Middle East? Growing up, my answer, like many, would be a region filled with violence and terror. My stereotypes and misunderstandings about this area of the world were brought on by a single story that was told to me—a story reinforced by the news, television, and movies. It’s funny how God moves us to places in order to correct our shallow way of thinking about others. I never thought I would be here today, making short films about the incredible and hopeful work being done across this region of the world.
I am currently based in Beirut, Lebanon, a city and country which continues to surprise me daily and shatter my single story. Lebanon is an amazing place, which all of you should come visit if you ever have the chance. The reality of living here is that it is just like anywhere else. Just like there are good people and bad people in the States, so there are here. People are people, wherever you are. We all make mistakes, laugh at funny jokes, and enjoy a cup of coffee with a close friend. Just the other day I got into a taxi headed downtown and discovered my driver was a member of the Hezbollah political party. I told him I was American and had a bit of a broken Arabic conversation with him. After I paid my fare and was about to go he yelled out, “If you ever need anything, just let me know—I have friends in the Hezbollah police!”, and handed me his card. I smiled, inside and out. The longer I live here, the more convicted I feel about how I viewed people in this part of the world before I came. One thing my mom always told me growing up was to always practice grace with people and never suspicion. That seems to have taken on a whole new meaning here. Give people grace in the way you see them, in the same way it has been extended to us.
Moving here in September, I have had the privilege of moving all around the Near East, with continued travels planned for Iraq, Iran, Algeria, Morocco, South Sudan, and several other countries. My role is quite simple—I move across the Middle East with three other guys to tell stories of what God is doing in these places. This part of the world has so many amazing things happening and I am excited to be a small part of telling that to others. I look forward to meeting new people, seeing new places, and riding in more taxis.
A little note about rafting. Upon my first day arriving in Beirut, I met with my support team in the city. Over coffee and cake we discussed the prospects of the oncoming year. My supervisor leaned over to me and casually said, “we want you to raft in Iraq.” I looked up, obviously surprised by her comment. “What do you mean?”, I asked curiously. It turns out that there is an outdoor ministry company which has recently started in Iraq and they want people with rafting experience to come out and showcase the work they are doing, while also helping with some of the guiding. I was blown away. I had mentioned my experience as a guide in my application for the program, but never thought it would actually be used in any serious capacity. Now I have a ticket booked for Iraq and a month of rafting ahead. God is pretty cool, and he can use any experience we’ve had to bring about glory for the kingdom. I honestly didn’t know if rafting would be in my future again, but God has placed a river before me and I am excited for the ride down.
