“I will extol You, my God, O King; and I will bless Your name forever and ever. Every day I will bless You, and I will praise Your name forever and ever. Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, and His greatness is unsearchable.” Psalm 145:1
This is one of my favorite verses from the Psalms, as the author worships and blesses the name of the Lord. This verse has been on my mind and my heart often this past month. The reason being that I have been overwhelmed by God’s grace poured out so abundantly and by the many evidences of His faithfulness. As the end of my internship has been rapidly approaching I have been reflecting on all that God has done this past year and I am amazed. Yet at the same time, I am looking forward to what is ahead with eager expectation. Both looking back and looking forward has made the grace of God so evident in my life. I am so grateful for all that the Lord has allowed me to be a part of this past year at Saving Grace and I am excited for the good works that He has prepared for me to walk in as I move forward. One of the main reasons that I have been considering both the past and the future lately is because on September 20th I had my first Dessert Gathering. In this Dessert Gathering, I shared with Saving Grace how God brought me into fellowship with them, what He has done through their partnership with me, and what God is calling me to now. It was such an amazing opportunity to reflect on God’s faithfulness and grace in my life and to share what He has done with others.
First Dessert Gathering
For those that don’t know what a Dessert Gathering is, let me explain. A Dessert Gathering is an event that is held at Calvary Chapel Saving Grace when a Missionary is in town that allows them to share what God is doing in their Ministry. The whole church is invited to come and enjoy coffee, tea, desserts, and fellowship as well as hear updates from the Missionary on what the Lord has been doing in the country/countries they work in. It is a wonderful time for people to gather and be encouraged by how the gospel is going forth in countries around the world and be able to hear how they can partner in the gospel; whether it be through prayer, encouraging the missionary, helping with a specific need, or financial support. One of the many blessings during this past month was being able to not just attend a Dessert Gathering as I have in the past but to actually be the one speaking at it. To be honest it was a rather shocking and strange yet wonderful experience. Usually, I am one of the people who show up early to help set up and then during the event I am in the crowd listening to what God is doing in and through the Missionary’s life then afterwards I help clean up. This time was completely different. Instead of being the one listening in the crowd, I was speaking to the crowd. Instead of cleaning up afterward, people were coming up to me to ask questions, to encourage me, and to hear more of what the Lord is doing. Actually I had to fight the urge to start helping with clean up which was hard for me. It was so unnatural for me to be talking with people and fellowshipping while others were cleaning up but I knew in that situation God had a different job for me. It was such an amazing experience and I am so grateful that God has given me the opportunity to share the vision God has given me to reach the Middle East with the Gospel. For anyone who wants to hear more about my heart for the Middle East and the vision God has given for that region, I would love to share with you. If you would like to set up a time to meet and hear the vision or communicate with me through email you can contact me at jorden@sgwm.com
Post Internship
Months ago, as I continued to pray about what God’s plan was for me and what the timeline of moving to the Middle East would be, God began to put it on my heart to spend time in my hometown before moving overseas. After months of praying and several changed plans, I am looking forward to coming back to Northern California in October. There are several reasons why I feel God is calling me to spend time in my hometown before I leave. One of those reasons is that I want to spend the time I have left with my family before moving to the Middle East. I also want to come back to and spend time at my home church in Northern California that discipled me, gave me the opportunity to go on my first Mission trip, and sent me to Bible College. Because of Bible College, School of Missions, and my internship, I have been gone most of the past three years so before I move to the Middle East I also want to spend time reconnecting with my home church, building relationships, and serving there again. I am so excited for what the Lord has in this next season of life. I have loved my time in Southern California and I praise God for all that He has allowed me to be a part of and how He has changed me in this time. Though I am saddened to leave, I am also joyful to do what God is calling me to in moving first to Nor Cal and then to the Middle East. For those of you in Southern California if you would like to hang out before I go, please reach out and let me know so we can get together. For those in Northern California, I look forward to seeing you soon.
The Middle East
With all this talk about moving to Northern California, I want to make sure it is clear that I am still seeking to move to the Middle East. In fact, the plan is to move there in the Spring of 2021. Which is getting closer and closer each and every day. In order for me to be able to move by then, I must raise support. I need to raise enough monthly support so that I can live in the Middle East as well as have the finances to pay for the initial costs of moving there and getting established. Because my main focus initially will be learning the language and culture so I can be effective as a pastor and teacher in the Middle East in the future I will also need support to pay for language school. Please be praying that God will provide for these things so that I can move in the Spring as planned.
Also, pray as I am spending time with my family, reconnecting with my home church, and those in my hometown. I will also be working at raising support and learning the basics of the Arabic language and culture, Middle Eastern history, the history of Islam, and apologetics. Please be praying for me in these areas as I have much to learn and a lot of support to raise before moving to the Middle East in the Spring. Please also be praying for me as I move to Northern California that God would provide opportunities to continue to grow in the area of teaching. I will continue to do devotionals on Facebook for Calvary Chapel Saving Grace while I am there, but please pray for additional opportunities as I want to always be growing and preparing for the calling God has given me.
Thank you all so much for reading my updates, for encouraging me, supporting me financially, and praying for me as I follow Christ and the calling He has given me. I am blessed to be a partner with you in the gospel. God bless you all.
In Christ for His glory,
Jorden Skiles
Praise Reports:
- The last Xray of my finger shows that it is fully healed and I have finished physical therapy as well. Praise the Lord that I have regained motion and strength in my finger and did not need surgery at any point.
- For an amazing year of interning at Saving Grace.
- For the opportunity to share my vision and calling at my Dessert Gathering.
Prayer Requests:
- Prayer for God’s leading and will to be done in my time in Northern California as I prepare to move to the Middle East.
- Pray that I will have the financial support I need to move to the Middle East in Spring 2021.
- Pray that God will build a team to join me in the Middle East.
- Prayer for wisdom and strength as I learn the Arabic language.
If you would like to partner with me in the work of the Gospel financially either on an ongoing basis or through a one-time donation, you can do so by clicking the “Become A Financial Partner” button below, OR you can mail a check written out to Saving Grace World Missions with “Jorden Skiles support” in the memo section to Saving Grace World Missions, 17451 Bastanchury Rd., Suite 203, Yorba Linda, CA 92886-1873.
If you would like to receive these updates straight to your email, please click here. Thank you and God bless!