When we returned to the US two years ago for our first Home Service, there were obviously a lot of places and people we couldn’t spend enough time with. The nature of a short six weeks of time, when most everyone wants to see you on a Sunday morning, necessitates a rotation of sorts. Some… Continue reading A Peace-Full Sunday
Category: Partners
First Santa Barbara Engagements
Our family lived just a few months shy of eleven years in Santa Barbara. It defined our children’s youth, and remains a truly unique and magical place. The climate and the human contributions to the landscape remain breathtaking to us even after years apart. And at the heart of all of this magic is the… Continue reading First Santa Barbara Engagements
Concordia University Irvine ~ Irvine, California
Today was our university day. We joined students, faculty and staff of Concordia University Irvine (CUI) for chapel at 10:30am. It was a special day for chapel. First, it was the last Monday chapel of the school year, as graduation is right around the corner. And as such, it was also the commemoration of the… Continue reading Concordia University Irvine ~ Irvine, California
Christ Lutheran Church ~ Costa Mesa, CA
Our first joint Home Service visit was to Christ Lutheran Church located in Costa Mesa, California. Our visit here was initiated by Gena’s life-long family friend, Mary Scott. We were blessed to be able to talk with several people in between the two worship services led by Rev. Drew Ross. As is often the case,… Continue reading Christ Lutheran Church ~ Costa Mesa, CA
First Home Service Visit – Grace Lutheran ~ Henderson, NV
This past weekend I launched Home Service activities officially with a solo visit to the folks at Grace Lutheran in Henderson, NV. While we aren’t able to visit every congregation we’d like to on every Home Service, Grace has been a regular spot for me to visit and this time they were as welcoming and… Continue reading First Home Service Visit – Grace Lutheran ~ Henderson, NV
Back in the USA!
I arrived safely back in the US today. Gena preceded me by a couple of weeks and has been enjoying time with our kids. I’m grateful the 24 hours of flying and layover time went smoothly. I’m looking forward to recovering and preparing to start our Home Service travels! It’s amazing how readily the brain… Continue reading Back in the USA!
A Bit of Sightseeing
While there was plenty to do on this trip (just getting around town is laborious given the incredibly dense traffic!), Nomin and his wife were gracious enough to take us a little ways out of the city to see some things they are very proud of as Mongolians. They were eager to share a bit… Continue reading A Bit of Sightseeing
Bridging Church Bodies
This morning I had the opportunity to meet with the President of the Mongolian Evangelical Lutheran Church (MELC), Pastor Puje. We spent about two hours together as he shared about his history with the Christian faith and Lutheran theology, as well as his hopes for the future of his church and country. Christians make up… Continue reading Bridging Church Bodies
Mongolia
The view on exiting the airport. March is early spring for Mongolia and people are thrilled the snow is beginning to melt. But this is more snow than I’ve seen in multiple years combined! When I knew I would be making this trip, I knew Gena had to come with me. She’s talked about wanting… Continue reading Mongolia
Building Relationships
As my role has evolved over the last four years in Asia from a roaming theological educator to a manager, I’ve grown in my appreciation for what it takes to be the Church overseas. It seems like a simple thing, right? Pack up, move to a new country and start sharing the Gospel. Sure, culture… Continue reading Building Relationships
The Nelson Family Indonesia 