Jordan Rowley

Jordan Rowley, enjoying the Cordillera Blanca during Mission: Peru 2017.

Nationality: American (true citizenship in Heaven). Occupation: Since January 2011, I have been incredibly blessed to serve as the spiritual coordinator with Climbing For Christ!  Missions with C4C: Haiti 2009, 2011, 2012 and 2013 (January and November); Indonesia 2017 and 2018; Kilimanjaro 2014 (November), 2015 and 2018; Nepal 2013, 2015 and 2017, and Peru 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017 and 2018.

How long have you climbed? I’ve always enjoyed spending time outdoors, however, since working with Climbing For Christ I have taken climbing more seriously. Type of climbing you do: Whatever type is needed to get to people who need Jesus! Mostly hiking/trekking.  

Highlight of climbing career: I have a ton of highlights! But if I had to pick just one to share it would be from my second mission to Haiti back in 2011. On my first trip there in December of 2009, I brought along a backpacker guitar. I was blessed to teach many of the kids a few worship songs. We sang one song in particular so many times I know I’ll never forget the words. The song was “I Am a Friend of God,” or “Mwen Se Zanmi Bondye.” Upon returning to the same villages just over a year later, many of the children recognized me and the guitar and immediately started singing the song! I was absolutely blown away. It was such a blessing to hear that those words had been on the lips (and I pray hearts) of my precious little brothers and sisters since 2009. That realization alone greatly changed the way I ministered on that trip and all future trips. I learned to make the most of every single second the Lord gives me because everything we say and do will continue to resound long after we’re gone - and perhaps beyond. 

How long have you been a Christian? I’ve been a Christian for over 15 years. Type of ministry you are blessed to serve in: I’m beyond grateful to have my sweet family (wife and five - yup, FIVE - daughters) as the first ministry the Lord has entrusted to me. I’m also honored to be able to minister as the Spiritual Coordinator at Climbing For Christ. 

Favorite Scripture verse (and why): At the moment it is John 14:6, specifically, "I am the Way." In a long season of struggling to find my way, Jesus faithfully, patiently and lovingly reminded me again and again that HE is the Way. He is the only Way that we need to be concerned with. Simply seeking Him and His kingdom first is all we need to do to find our way in life.

Special “God moment” you'd like to share: There are certainly plenty of personal “God moments” to choose from, but if I had to pick just one from the mission field it’d be the story of Alejandrina. We were holding an impromptu evening worship service at a believers’ home in a village in the Cordillera Blanca range of the Peruvian Andes in July of 2013. We shared from the word, worshiped in song and spent some time in prayer. Towards the end of the evening a sweet elderly woman named Alejandrina tearfully spoke about being alone (none of her family lived in this particular village any more) and how she hadn’t been able to walk for several years. Fellow believers would often carry her to church meetings (in an open field or the homes of other believers), as they had done this evening. We earnestly prayed for God to comfort this dear sister, and for Him to bring healing to her body. We finished our prayer and vowed to continue to lift her needs. A few moments later, the Holy Spirit prompted us to pray for her again. During the middle of this second prayer, Alejandrina grabbed hold of my arm and rose from the concrete floor. We were all overjoyed for her and praised the Lord for the rest of the evening in song. Throughout the remainder of our visit to this village in 2013, as well as during Mission: Peru 2014, I was thrilled to see Alejandrina up and walking. The story of this precious sister stands out as one my favorite “God moments” ever.

What does Climbing For Christ mean to you? C4C is a ministry working towards the fulfillment of the Great Commission – specifically bringing the Gospel to “the ends of the earth.” Our calling is to the mountainous places; remote and hard to reach places; places where others cannot or will not go. From lack of basic healthcare, sanitation and education to desperate poverty to the deception of false religions, the needs are often immense in these places! There are so many people in this world who need to know and experience God’s love for them. They need to see and hear the truth of the glorious Gospel of Jesus. Because they are difficult to get to, people who call the mountains their home are often the last and the least reached. The great work of C4C is to make these “ends of the earth” peoples and places our priority.