Christmas & New Year – We were very blessed to be able to celebrate Christmas a little early with our families back in Virginia and landed in Costa Rica on Christmas Eve Day. United with our fellow church family and missionary families here in Jaco, we built a sandman on the beach and reminisced about this crazy year we’ve just lived through. We are so thankful for the ability to travel safely to the U.S. to see everyone despite spending our first year overseas in the midst of a global pandemic. Oh how nice it was to see so many of you who have supported us through this journey. We feel reconnected to your lives and appreciate you inviting us into your homes, churches and families once again. Our prayers are for you as we all navigate such uncertain times. How amazing it is that our hope does not rest on the matters of this world and that Jesus is consistently on the throne! We pray this new year brings you closer to our Creator and we’re beyond thankful to partner with you in our journey.
Jackie Update – How blessed we were to witness our oldest, adopted daughter Jackie’s first international flight after becoming a U.S. citizen. Spending her senior year of her college winter break with us for 5 weeks has been an invaluable experience for us as a family. Jackie has lived with Jordanna off and on since before God brought Pepper into her life. Having all five of the Ailor family together in one place for a while to reminisce about life and pray about Jackie’s future at age 22 has been such a unique experience. We thank God for the time and space to walk alongside Jackie so closely during as we start 2021 and invite you to pray for her as she faces new life decisions after graduating this May. She will travel in June to Kenya for three months to serve along Susan and Len Eastwood with NOW Kenya and then has hopes to join the Peace Corps serving in Rwanda or Tanzania.
Pepper’s Work – Both Freedom Alliance groups and fishing tournament photography have picked up during this peak tourism season in Costa Rica. We’re delighted that Pepper has been able to do in-person work with the troops and has resumed his involvement with Los Suenos Resort’s Triple Crown Fishing tournaments. Slowly but surely, a new sense of normal is coming to us as we emerge back into a busier routine and have more face to face interactions with those God brings in our paths. Pepper is so very talented in his counseling and graphic work. We’re thankful for the opportunity for him to shine here and that he has remained employed when many others lost their jobs. Thank you Jesus!
Little Kids – River and Windsor adjusted very well to transitioning back and forth from the U.S. to Costa Rica, reminding us how thankful we are for the resiliency of children. The school year here will start in February so our family is enjoying a few more weeks of “summer”. River will start Kindergarten at his same school, Ficus Tree School in a few weeks. We had hoped to put him in the public school, however public schools in Costa Rica do not have the resources to social distance and implement the government safety precautions for COVID. We are thankful River already has great relationships with his teachers and classmates at Ficus Tree. Windsor will spend another year at home with Jordanna as she receives in home help whilst working for NOW Costa Rica.
Fundraising – NOW Costa Rica’s monthly support team fundraising total has been hovering at around 60% since Christmas. Please pray that we will reach full funding soon. Upon speaking with many other full-time missionaries, reading various missions’ resources and spending time in prayer, it has become clear that we are not able to launch NOW Costa Rica until we are close to fully funded. We are praying that by June, we may be able to approach a full launch of the program. Please pray alongside us that we will find 14 more families willing to join our monthly support team so we can proceed with prayerfully doing God’s work here and spend less time seeking financial supporters. Our monthly support team members mean so much to us, as having the consistent support of each of these family partners ensures we will have the resources we need to offer stable discipleship for the women and girls of Herradura. God has blessed us with 31 families who give monthly to NOW Costa Rica ranging from $10 to $135 per month. We feel so honored to channel these funds for the Kingdom. Thank you for trusting in us and for your prayers as we spend the next few months seeking just over a dozen more families. If you know of any families interested in hearing a zoom presentation or taking a virtual call in the next few months, we welcome the opportunity to share God’s vision with them. You never know, that family may choose to be one of the 14 or so families God is still revealing to us.
Seven Girls – In the interim, we will host a small group pilot course for a few preteen girls in Herradura on Saturdays afternoons. God has given us a few girls that we feel could really benefit from weekly discipleship in our home. We will focus on teaching these seven girls about our savior, His purpose for their lives and how/why God designed women, family and marriage. Please pray for these girls each Saturday as you’re able.
Horizon Church – Of course our family remains committed to the local church here and will be serving as leaders in Sunday School, in small groups and in discipleship courses. Jordanna is a member of the Mission Council and both Jordanna and Pepper will serve as group leaders for the church’s upcoming Emotionally Healthy Spiritually Course. This allows the Ailor family to continue bringing individuals and families from Herradura to Horizon Church for discipleship. We’re very thankful to partner with the Barrett family of Horizon Church in our work as they have lived her for nearly a decade and continue to pour wisdom and encouragement into our family. If you want to know more about our church visit www.horizonjaco.org
Praying for a Van – One of the largest barriers we have faced so far is the lack of transportation. Some families live in tucked away villages with poor roads and long distances to travel to discipleship opportunities. We feel very strongly that a 12-15 passenger van would enable great change to occur for many families God has brought to us from as far as San Mateo and Oratina (40 minute drive) to the more rural parts of Herradura (20-25 minute drive). We also hope to host mission teams when the world allows for more suitable travel opportunities. This van would serve as a dual purpose for bringing families to church but also providing transportation for our mission teams. We are praying for one donor or church to give $25,000 in alongside us in providing this large need.
Celebration in Marriage: Kerly and Esteban have been in our lives nearly every week of 2020
helping with our children and home. After getting baptized and attending a marriage retreat, they realized they needed to get married to show their two daughters and the world what a committed, Godly marriage is intended to be for a family. What a joy it was to celebrate with them as they stood before family and friends, making their public profession of faith in marriage to one another. They are a testimony to many other local couples and we are so blessed to have walked alongside them this year. We know they will be an example to others as we continue to minister to our community alongside them.
We pray this update finds you well, that 2021 is bringing you a new sense of purpose in a broken world. While “normal” may never feel like what it was this time last year, we know that we should have no fear for it is written that Jesus has overcome the world. John 16:33 reminds us in scripture, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” May the peace that surpasses all understanding be with you this year. May you have a greater faith than that which brought you through 2020. We would love to receive your specific prayer concerns and praises as you are able via email, text, whatsapp or a phone call. As you pray for us, let us pray for you. It would be our honor. Writing monthly updates to those who support and pray for us has brought us closer to so many families. What a joy it has been to reconnect with many of you in Jesus’ name. Thank you for loving our family and praying for us as we continue to seek supporters in 2021 for Neighbors Outreach Worldwide Costa Rica.
With love,
Jordanna and family