Thursday, June 30, 2011

June 30, 2011 Update

I just received an email from Joe and he shared with me some news and prayer requests.

As you may know, there is a crusade coming up there and right now it looks like Joe will be directing the kitchen. It'll be an exciting time!

School has begun for Joe too. He will be going when he can, outside of other ministry. If he is not helping somewhere, he'll be in school.

The kids are also wrapping up their school year in about a month. Marissa is reading well too.

Ministry is in full swing and preparations are underway for the team that will be visiting!

Sarah, Tyler, and Marissa need prayer for health. Sarah is having pain on the left side of her abdomen and they are watching for any progression of it and if it gets worse, they will get it checked. Tyler and Marissa are sick but not sure with what. It could be a cold and there is a bad cough as well. Pray that it won't turn to pneumonia.

Also remember to pray for the things mentioned in the previous post. It's a busy time for Joe and Sarah and there are a lot of needs coming up as well as on-going needs. Thank you for your prayers and support!

Mike

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Joe's Visit

Hi all,

I apologize for the late post. I thought I had worked out the email issues but there was another snag. In any event, I think I have it figured out now and so I wanted to post some information for you. I am going to split this into two posts because I really want to highlight the needs they have in their upcoming move to Thailand in this first post. This is going to be an exciting but surely taxing and stressful time and so I want to strongly encourage everyone to be praying A LOT for the Nelsons. This isn't just a simple task of jumping on a plane and moving right in to a fully furnished place with everything ready and waiting for them when they land. Consider that they are moving four young children with them and all of the items needed for the children as well as their own belongings. Couple that with the fact that they are moving from one foreign country to another foreign country and you can imagine that it's not a simple task.

They will pretty much be starting all over again when they get there. They will need to purchase a number of things to get up and running and functional just for daily needs. Please consider digging a bit deeper this month to provide financial assistance to them. They are going to need a number of things right off the bat. They are basically landing and moving into an empty shell that will need furnishing.

Please be diligent in prayer for the following needs:

1. Beds
2. Furniture
3. Appliances (stove, refrigerator, washing machine).
4. Ability to pay for curriculum for homeschooling.
5. Smooth preparation for the move.
6. Smooth transition into living and ministry once in Thailand.
7. Ongoing health and strength.
8. Spiritual refreshment and encouragement.
9. Sufficient financial support.

And the heart of the Nelsons is such that their biggest desire is that the lives and eternal destinies of those that they have touched in the Philippines would be forever changed! After all, that is why they are in the field sharing the Gospel!!

I thank all of you who have been consistently giving to support the Nelson family and I thank those of you who have provided occasional support as well. If you are not giving regularly, please consider doing so. There is a substantial shortfall in the minimum budget required for them to make ends meet and it will be even more expensive once they arrive in Thailand. Let's not allow that to be a detracting factor for them as they minister in Thailand. I am of the strong belief that if we can't be out in the field, we should be supporting those who are. In doing so, we parter in propagating the Gospel to the world!! That is exciting and pays eternal dividends!!

Thanks again for all of your prayers and support! Joe and Sarah also send their thanks and they look forward to sharing many wonderful stories as their tenure in Thailand commences. Continue to be diligent in prayer and watch how the Lord adds to His kingdom through the work of the Nelson family!!

In His service,

Mike

Monday, June 20, 2011

While Joe was gone

Joe was gone as most of you know for almost a month. I thought our life was just going to stop without him here. The children and I missed him very much. I can’t imagine how Britney was away from Jason for so long. However, I do know that at some point when you are serving the Lord you do have to make some sacrifices. As long as it brings the Lord glory that’s all that matters t o me.
The day before Joe left our washer kind of broke. What a way to start his going away. Then the next day when he left someone stole our chicken. Then to top all things off the kitchen sink broke. I guess you can say that God had given the kids and I a lot to pray about, which helped pass the time.
God had given the kids and I plenty of opportunity to serve him in Joes absence. Saturday mornings we had a feeding at the Bible School. Monday is English study; Wednesday is midweek service and Sunday service. I had the privilege to teach women’s midweek study. That was such a blessing. Thank you Lord for using me in such a mighty. Not only were we kept busy serving the Lord, we had school to finish up for this year. The kids are doing great in school. Joey is continuing to excel in his history, Jacob is working really hard on his English, Tyler is moving very quickly in his math and Marissa is doing such an amazing job with her reading. This next year coming up the kids will enter into grade 7, 5, 3, and 1.Pray for us as we are starting a curriculum this year.
Also during the time Joe was gone a member from the church had come to me and asked for me to pray for a family member whose son had just died. Of course I prayed and I was asked to go to the hospital with them to plead for the body of the child back, as they had owed for the medical care they received. So the kids and I went to the hospital and I met the family outside and to my surprise they had the baby locked outside by the trash. I was taken back, you can’t believe the feelings that I felt in that moment. At that very moment my heart broke for the 19 year old girl. I walked over to her; she was just standing there in a dead stare. Did God ever so use that moment for me to share with her about her savior and that her baby was with him at that very moment. After that we went inside to see what we could do they had half of the money they needed to pay the hospital. There is one thing I have learned from the culture here is that everything is up for negotiation. The other church member which is her Aunt and myself proceeded to plead with the financial Dept.They wouldn’t budge, not even with half of the money. We went before the Lord in pray right there in front of everyone. We were able to talk the doctor into dropping some of her fees. Then the hospital dropped some of their fees which were a huge blessing. Then after some intense negotiating or should I say arguing with them they agreed to release the body, on the terms of half the money a promissory note with collateral. We could not find a ride home from the hospital no one will transport a dead body. They have some superstitions about it. So the police dept.was willing to give us a ride in a vehicle they use to transport prisoners. The family was able to raise all the funds by that evening. That night was the funeral and we were expected to be there. The family had no money to embalm the body so they needed to bury the next day. I think the hardest thing that I have had to deal with here is death. In our culture we don’t deal with the bodies or have to build the coffin or clean and dress the body. You defiantly look at death differently. From my observation there is more closure. Either way God was glorified through this situation by answering our prayers for that family.
Well, that was the highlight of things that happened when Joe was gone. He is now home and we were at the airport waiting for him when he arrived. A six hour journey to the airport was the least we could do to see him sooner. Thank you to all that took excellent care of my husband. Again thank you all for the prayers and support that is given to our family and the work of the ministry. May God have all the glory for all that he does in and through our lives. God Bless!
So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor.
1 Cor.3:7

Pray Needs
Please pray that God will continue to grow in the hearts of the people in the Philippines and they would come to repentance.
Pray for the upcoming school year for us.
Pray for God to prepare us now for our big move coming up. We leave Aug 23 to Thailand.
Pray for our health.
That we would continue to grow in the Lord and to have that thirst that only he can fill.

Praise God for Joe returning to us safely. Praise God for all of his provision. Praise God for all of you!

Sunday, June 19, 2011

I Am Back!

Well everyone after almost four weeks in America away from the family, I am back in the Philippines. I had a great time of fellowship, fun and travel while home in the states but am relieved to be reunited with the family. While in the states I was able to travel the entire length of California while traveling to both Oregon and Mexico. Upon arrival back to the Philippines I was met by Sarah and the kids at the airport, what a blessing to see their smiling faces. We are currently in Tacloban, as we need to get our visas extended one more time. I arrived Friday so we have spent the weekend here. Hopefully today after our visas we will be able to make the trip home. Thank you for all your prayers and support. All the details of the business I had to handle and everything to follow with the Nelson Family will be available soon. Keep checking back! Blessings, Joe.

Thursday, June 2, 2011

Joe's Visit to Hemet

Hi all,

Joe asked me to let you all know that all is going well! I spoke to him yesterday and he was on his way to Oregon to get the visas for their upcoming travels. There was a minor bump in the road with one passport photo but that is all straightened out too. Joe has been in contact with Sarah daily and she and the kids are doing fine!

Joe will be back in town (Hemet) probably today and has been conferring with Pastor Jerry about what is yet to come. It's an exciting time for the Nelsons and I, for one, count it a privilege to be a part of what is going on in their lives!

God is so good and has shown His boundless mercy in Joe and Sarah's life. To see where they came from and where they are now is a testament to the awesome goodness of the Lord! Joe will be the first one to tell you that.

And so, as things move forward, keep them all in your prayers. Everyone is doing well and seem to be in good health although Sarah was dealing with Strep Throat and so please lift that up to the Lord. Thanks and God bless.

In His service,

Mike

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Visitor Statistics

Hi gang,

It's Mike and I just wanted to share with you that Joe and Sarah's blog has had visitors from the following countries and I think it's exciting!

- United States
- Philippines
- Malaysia
- Brazil
- Slovenia
- Thailand
- Germany
- Netherlands
- South Korea
- Australia

If you have friends who know the Lord and are interested in being a part of HIS work, point them to Joe and Sarah's blog so they can see the work being done for the Lord in the Philippines and soon to be moving on to Thailand. I'm a firm believer in the concept that if we can't go out as missionaries, we need to support those who do. It's not about Joe and Sarah and it's not about us. It's about being a part of something much bigger than all of us and that is the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ!

I'm proud (in a humble kind of way) to be a part of a church body that is so strongly inclined to not only support missionaries on the field but also sending out teams all the time for short-term missions work. And we don't need to travel overseas to be on the "mission field." Right where we live is also a ripe harvest field as well and so don't think you can't be a "missionary" right where you are as well.

That being said, remember to keep the Nelsons in your prayers and also give very serious consideration to supporting them financially because it's the right thing to do. 1 Timothy 5.18 says, "For the scripture says, You shall not muzzle the ox that treads out the corn. And, The laborer is worthy of his reward." Joe and Sarah are laborers and we all can be co-laborers with them by supporting them in prayer and by putting our money where our mouth is!

It's an exciting time for Joe and Sarah and the kids as they prepare for their move to Thailand. Please give diligent attention to prayer for them during this time. Spiritual warfare is happening all the time and we need to focus our prayers where the battle lies. Satan would like nothing better than to thwart the forward progress of the Gospel and that means he goes after those who are moving it forward. Joe and Sarah are on the front lines, people. They need prayer and support and that has to come from those of us who aren't there with them.

God bless you all! More news to come in the days ahead.....

In His service,

Mike