Mid July, Jordan flew to Sri Lanka to attend a course called “Tsunami Reconstruction.” On August 10th Jordan arrived at MTI’s base in Singapore, and a few days later she was on her way to Medan, northern Sumatra, to meet the Indonesian couple who would be her co-workers. But then came a major breakthrough. After 30 years of fighting, a peace agreement was signed between the Indonesian government and Aceh Separatists. The way was now clear for agencies like MTI to be based directly within the worst-affected zone of Aceh province.

Soon after the team moved to Banda Aceh, however, Jordan fell ill. MTI wanted to make certain that she got the best medical care available and arranged for her to be airlifted back to Singapore. Doctors diagnosed dengue fever, a mosquito-borne disease for which there is no specific treatment or vaccine, causing high fever, severe headaches, and joint and muscle pain.

Fortunately, Jordan had a mild case and was able to return to Banda Aceh at the end of September. Even eight months after the wave, the scale of devastation took her breath away. Another NGO took Jordan up in their helicopter to view it from the air. Vast miles of acreage had been swept clear of human habitation. Although some families were now re-housed, far too many survivors were still trying to manage, miserably, in tents. The reconstruction process was way behind schedule. Where did such a tiny team begin?

With MTI Director Dave Greenfield, they talked to local authorities about needs that they could reasonably tackle. Children had taken a hard hit from the tsunami and so had educational facilities. MTI agreed to building a kindergarten for the coastal village of Garut. Jordan would be project coordinator, for construction was something she knew. Back as a teenager she had helped her grandfather with roofing and laying concrete blocks. In 2003, she and her mother started their own construction business; they built their first house the summer before her senior year of college.

Obtaining materials and maintaining a schedule in the Indonesian context proved more complicated than expected. --“Everything takes longer than you think it will!” ruefully remembered Jordan. But with villagers providing much of the labor, the cheerful, bright blue-roofed structure was finished in December. Hopefully it will be the prototype for several others.

Restoring livelihoods dependent on the local fishing industry is another MTI project. A Singapore consultant has advised on the purchase of a fish farm—to be overseen by a newly recruited MTI family--that will help support tsunami widows.

Although she went through a steep learning curve in Banda Aceh, observed Jordan, “there were opportunities to put everything I’ve learned into practice.” She also had to come to terms with the region’s--and her own--vulnerability. Especially the day she was shaken by a tremor measuring 5.9 on the Richter Scale.--“All systems shut down,” she said, “everyone panicked, and the streets jammed!”

But probably the hardest adjustment for this American was living in a culture where she could not freely share her Christian faith. “How can I live in this place and love these people,” she asked, “and not speak about my faith, it is really hard.

“The area breaks my heart,” she added. “But I know that God has a plan for these people. He is doing something here, and I’ve been blessed beyond measure to be part of it!”

Jordan returns to the U.S. this December. Ahead are some hard decisions: whether to extend her commitment to MTI in Indonesia or whether to complete her studies and repay college loans. She must also decide between a specialty in disaster relief or long-term development.

But wherever life takes her, Jordan Reagan is certain she will never forget Banda Aceh. Her prayer is that the world will not forget.

“Once the intial shock of a major disaster is over, people think that homes are rebuilt. Lives are back together. But they’re not. We have to keep helping for as long as it takes.”

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