January started with a delightful trip to Hanoi, following the All Asia Family Retreat in Taiwan. Gena and I were blessed to worship with our LCMS brethren in Hanoi and bring devotions to the staff of Concordia International School Hanoi (CISH). There were also times of fellowship with staff and leadership there. All of this… Continue reading Frigid January
Category: Change
Parenting Wins
To be a parent is to worry. To wonder. It is a broad avenue to constant uncertainty and self-doubt. In a culture of experts bombarding us every moment through television and radio and the Internet with new or time-tested techniques and products for successful parenting, it isn’t humanly possibly to engage all of them, even… Continue reading Parenting Wins
An Early Christmas
After my time in the Philippines I flew directly to Singapore for a meeting with Bishop Lu, head of the Lutheran Church in Singapore (LCS). He has been a friendly face and welcoming friend over the last few years and it was good to reconnect with him again to talk about how things with the… Continue reading An Early Christmas
Orienting Change
December began with a trip back to the Philippines. Normally I don’t go there this time of year but there is a special occasion – an introductory orientation trip for a missionary new to Asia but not to the mission field. Rev. Dr. Walter Steele and his wife Robyn will be transitioning from the Africa… Continue reading Orienting Change
New Year, New Responsibilities
Work on the mission field is always in flux. At times I’m surprised that, after close to a century doing ministry work in Southeast Asia we lack things that seem basic and obvious, more extensive systems to capture the work being done and connect it with previous work and future work. Part of this is… Continue reading New Year, New Responsibilities
Growth in Hanoi
We were blessed to have time in Hanoi this past week, providing care & support to the staff and leadership of Concordia International School Hanoi (CISH). This time we were blessed to participate in several larger staff events, allowing us to have more focused time in conversation with different people. One of these events was… Continue reading Growth in Hanoi
Into the Mountains
The small village of San Roque is located in the mountains about two and a half hours out of Davao City. Pastor Roeske has arranged drivers who will meet us and take us there. He directs me to meet him at a local Lutheran church – Christ Our Savior Lutheran Church. It’s located on the… Continue reading Into the Mountains
Adjustments
I awoke to my alarm early in the morning, prepared to meet Rev. Roeske as planned at the airport for our flight from Manila to Davao City. But I awoke to texts from the airline telling me our flight had been cancelled, and prompting me to begin the process of rebooking. Scant moments later Pastor… Continue reading Adjustments
Samantha*
Summertime, the first week of July, 2012. Our second anniversary of my second pastoral Call, this time to the California seaside community of Santa Barbara. But we were living about 15 miles south of there in a sleepy little beach town called Carpinteria, where we were renting a house about half a mile from the… Continue reading Samantha*
Chiang Mai
Our last stop is in the northern Thai city of Chiang Mail. As with everywhere we’ve visited, it’s lovely. Lush, green. Plenty of rain here in Southeast Asia! In fact, a week before we arrived Chiang Mai was hit by a typhoon that submerged sections of villages outside the city center. By the time we… Continue reading Chiang Mai
The Nelson Family Indonesia 