Jesus, Savior

Great Chris August song for Christmas that I found on you tube.  Merry Christmas everyone!

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A Week in the Dominican Republic

A couple of weeks ago I returned from spending nine days in the Dominican Republic. The main purpose of my trip was to be a part of a short-term missions team comprised of members of a few churches in southeast Alabama. The trip, organized by a former IMB missionary to the Dominican Republic, was a planned project involving three local Dominican churches doing what we call saturation evangelism.

Saturation evangelism is a method of establishing and nurturing relationships within a community for the sake of earning the right to share the Gospel. It is a common and proven practice among our field missionaries, except in our case, weeks, or even months of relationship-building had to be compressed into a few days.

We worked with these three churches in three distinct and diverse communities, and I am pleased to report that the Holy Spirit had preceded us in each one. Countless lives were touched and many souls born into the kingdom. The churches were encouraged to see God at work in the members as they shred their faith. Physical and medical needs were met and the love of Christ was shown in a real and tangible way.

I was particularly impressed with the passion and missionary zeal of our interpreters, every one evangelists in their own right, both eager and quite capable in spreading the Good News. I believe the Dominican church is in good hands and I look forward to many more exciting reports to come from all of my new Facebook friends.

A special highlight for me was to be able to fly down a couple of days before the team and spend a little time with our dear friends the Gillens. I had not seen them in the nearly two years since we all finished language school in Costa Rica, and it was a joy to see their miracle baby as well. Baby Addie is another story for another day.

Too much happens on an intense trip like this to recount, so I have included a little musical slideshow crafted by a fellow traveler to help tell the story. I hope the many smiling faces convey the joy of the Lord we found so prevalent among the people of the Dominican Republic.

Dad's Life

Love this video! Happy Father's Day to all of you Dads. Ken is in the Dominican Republic this week with a mission team, so this is dedicated to him. We miss you and we promise to keep our "peanut butter hands off your 50" vizio" while you're gone!

Can I be real?

It has now been a year since we returned to the states from living overseas. So much has happened in this short amount of time it really feels like it has been much longer. Strangely enough it still feels foreign to us to be here. I guess there is a piece of us still there that will never belong here, no matter where "home" for us may be.

Just last weekend we were able to spend some time with some old friends from Ecuador that served with us, but spent many more years as missionaries than we did. As I talked with them I saw that they too struggle with many of the feelings we have. In some ways it is almost like mourning the loss of something that was once a part of you. And, although we know that regardless of where we live we will always be missionaries, we know in our heart that not all mission fields feel like "home".

So this is a shout out to all of our old missionary friends either living on the field, returning from the field, retired from the field...can I be real? Do you ever stop feeling that hole deep inside for the people and places that you served? Is this a unique feeling, or is it just me? I am just curious, because as the year has passed I feel that this has not abated at all and I wonder if it is a singular feeling or if it is something universal felt by all former missionaries. Please feel free to be real with me too.

Spring Break at Disney

To Let Go

My little boy, Cade, turns 5 this week. I look at him and no longer see the little baby or toddler that he was, but a big boy that now has taken his place. Although he will always be my baby, I know that I need to let go of the notion of treating him like my baby and allow him to grow up some. This was much easier to do with Connor and Kayleigh as I knew they were not the last I would experience those "firsts" with.

I remember the first time Connor lost a tooth. He was so excited when he found a letter from the "tooth fairy" under his pillow and money to spend. Now that he personally knows this tooth fairy it is not quite the same when he loses his teeth and with only 2 more to lose, I know pretty soon that part of his childhood will be gone.

Kayleigh's first day to take the bus will always be so memorable for me. She looked so excited as she stepped up to get on the big yellow school bus. Of course when she came back home I had not expected her to run to me with tears in her eyes saying that the bus was too loud with too many kids on it! It took some coaxing to get her back on, but she soon grew to love her bus driver and all the other kids on the bus.

And so this week it was time to take the training wheels off of Cade's bike. This first for me was a little bit harder knowing it gave him that extra step towards independence, but his enthusiasm was contagious and so off we went to explore the new world of two-wheel riding. It seemed like I really didn't need to hold on to him for long, and as soon as I let go he was flying solo down the street with a grin on his face and shouts of joy as he said "I'm doing it! I'm doing it!" I knew he could. I just needed to let go.

On Letting Go

To "let go" does not mean to stop caring.
It means I can't do it for someone else.

To "let go" is not to cut myself off.
It's the realization that I can't control another.

To "let go" is to admit powerlessness,
which means the outcome is not in my hands, but in God's.

To "let go" is not to try to change or blame another.
It's to make the most of myself and let God make the changes.

To "let go" is not to care for, but to care about.

To "let go" is not to fix, but to be supportive.

To "let go" is not to be in the middle, arranging all the outcomes,
but to allow others to affect their own destinies.

To "let go" is not to deny, but to accept.

To "let go" is not to nag, scold, or argue,
but instead to search out my own shortcomings and correct them.

To "let go" is not to adjust everything to my desires,
but to take each day as it comes and cherish myself in it.

To "let go" is not to regret the past, but to grow and live for the future.

To "let go" is to fear less and to love more.

He Is Risen!

DaySpring E-Cards

DaySpring E-Cards

The message is simple and profound. Happy Easter everyone.

All Things Are Possible

I recently came accross this video that to me is such a beautiful example of not allowing our present circumstances to dictate what God can do through us. Enjoy!



Her name is Zheng Guigui, she's 19 and from Henan Province in China. She was born with no fingers on her right hand and only started playing piano three years ago.

Home Sweet Home....sort of

   Well, things have been crazy here at the Nelson house, so I apologize for the lack of blogging on my part.  We closed on a house a month ago and are just moving in now.  There was a big incident with a plumber and flooding and a hot water heater.  New carpet, flooring, etc... later and I can now say we are officially living at the house.  It is still a work in progress, but we hope to be settled in by mid-April.

   For us it is a joy to finally have a place to call home after having several temporary homes over the last 3 years.  And yet we still feel in many ways that we are not quite home, since we have no neighbors (we are the first ones in the subdivision), or friends here in town yet.  It is times like these we really miss our missionary friends from Ecuador and Costa Rica, and I especially miss my buddy Teena. 

  Since our family can't break away to come stay with us, we want to invite all our friends to come visit.  We have lots of room and the kids would love to have some friends to play with.  You really would not be imposing at all.  In fact, it would be a blessing to have you here.  So ya'll come now, ya' hear?

Girl's Night Out

Last night Teena and I went to the Anita Renfroe/Mandisa Girl's Night out Concert. It was a blast! So, for your viewing pleasure I have embedded a few, so grab a glass of big ol' sweet ice tea and enjoy!

Dothan Loves Out Loud

   

Dothan's Love Out Loud



 Yesterday Ken had a wonderful opportunity to work with Hispanics in the area through a new outreach here in Dothan called "Love Out Loud".  This was a joint effort between the Columbia Baptist Association which represents many Baptist churches here in the Wiregrass area and the Dothan Rescue Mission.  The purpose of this effort was to minister to the people of Dothan in need of help through the food pantry, medical care, dental care, and even family portraits for those that wanted them.  This event had more than 400 volunteers and reached over 3,000 people from this area. 

 


Lunch is served



Ken was a part of the team that met the needs of the Hispanic people in the area.  Because of the area farms there are many Latino migrant workers living in this area and Ken saw firsthand the great needs these people have.  Bags of groceries, clothing, medical screenings, dental care, and even a professional family photo was offered to all of those that came through the registration area.  Ken said as a translator he heard many moving stories of the difficulties being faced by area residents during these tough economic times.  What made this ministry unique though was the fact that every single one of these people were given a gospel presentation before leaving.  We do not know yet how many people made professions of faith, but there are follow-ups being planned by community churches in efforts to try to plug people in for discipleship and to make a more long-term commitment to these people.

http://www.wtvy.com/home/headlines/Love_Out_Loud_116541373.html
 


Food distribution

 

Ken told of one story in partcular about a teenage girl that had a new baby with her.  Her boyfriend was recently deported and now she is looking at being homeless very soon.  Until now she has been staying with family of the boyfriend, but this arrangement is about to go away.  Our sister Hispanic Church "Calvario" has reached out to this woman to try and help her not just physically, but also spiritually as she sees God's love in a very real way.



The lines continued throughout the day



We are so excited to see what God is doing in this community among the Hispanics.  Please pray for Ken as he continues to work with our church to start a new church in the neighboring town of Slocomb in the homes of two Hispanic families.  Also please pray for guidance from the Lord concerning Ken being in full-time ministry in this area.  We see such a great need and know God has a plan.  We just want to be in the center of His will about where He wants us to serve Him.

Evangelism and Statistics

I recently read a statistic from a well-known evangelist stating that nonbelievers must hear the Gospel an average of 7.6 times before they receive it. While nearly every case of repentance recorded in the New Testament would seem to dispute this figure, I am confident that it was arrived at through valid surveys and interviews. So, it follows that on average most former nonbelievers will have heard the Gospel on various occasions and from various people before coming to faith in Christ. And that is where we come in. We never know which encounter will be ours. We may present the Gospel to someone for the first time or the tenth time. We may never know, but our obedience in sharing is all that matters. I say this to encourage people who have taken that step to witness to others and have never personally seen anyone come to Christ as a result. Every encounter is vital.

However, from time to time we need to see the culmination of the Holy Spirit’s working in someone’s heart. This is certainly true for me. Though we know God’s Word never returns void, it doesn’t hurt to actually see it once in a while through a life transformed and a soul retrieved from darkness and hopelessness.

This week Kirsten and I, along with our Sunday morning Bible study teacher, got to experience what for evangelical Christians is nothing short of an adrenaline rush unmatched by any extreme sport. Sometimes, the Lord presents us with a person who is so primed and ready to receive Christ that they are ahead of us. I mean to say that they began professing faith in Christ and repentance of sins before we can get that far in our “presentation.”

Wednesday evening we dropped in on the home of a young couple who had recently visited our church as a result of their children attending through a bus ministry in their neighborhood. As we arrived, we were welcomed in and spoke for a few minutes about their recent visit and their children’s attendance. The conversation quickly turned to their own spiritual journey, and before we knew it we were on our knees in their home praying with this young man. When asked if he would like to give his heart to Jesus, he did not hesitate in replying yes. We were almost caught off-guard as we expected some hesitancy or some line of questioning that may lead us down a rabbit trail. We were mistaken. God had brought this young man to this point through other means and other people and here we were, looking at fruit ripe for picking. We simply kneeled and prayed, in awe of the power of the Holy Spirit who had preceded us.

While every encounter certainly does not end this way, perhaps one of every 7.6 encounters will. It is not the statistic we rely on, but the promise that His Word will not return void. Diligence and consistency are needed in our endeavors to share Christ’s love and plan for salvation at every chance we get and with everyone we can, both in word as well as deed.

I also read another sobering statistic - that less than 5% of born-again Christians ever share their faith with others. I repeat – EVER. For many years I lived as one of the other 95%. I have learned something in recent years that I never fully grasped before. There is no greater joy in the Christian life than the joy of sharing the hope that is in us. No other activity buoys our faith, our enthusiasm, and our gratitude for what Christ has done for us than to share it with others. It is a sure way to rekindle our love and desire for God. We must never get past the experience of salvation. If we move beyond the cross in our lives as Christians we have strayed. It is simply something we cannot afford to “get over.”

Trust me, one experience like the one I just described is enough to carry you through a host of less than positive encounters. Our success as ambassadors of Christ is not found in the results, but in the obedience we demonstrate. The results are not up to us anyway. What is in our control is that obedience. That aspect we can surely do something about.