Merry Christmas

We have decided to do Christmas a little different this year and get back to the basics of what it really is all about. As we prepare for China we have given away, and sold most of the excess things that we had. We are prepared to have much less material things in China, so what better time then now at Christmas to begin shifting our eyes from all the over the top gift spending, and really focus on the true meaning we celebrate Christmas.

This year we are thankful for the gifts we will never lose: love,joy,the assurance of God's grace and the nearness of heaven.

My Prayer as we count down to China

As we begin this journey our hearts are full of anticipation. God we want to be different. We want not only to be stirred, but forever changed. We invite you to do a work in us that we cannot explain, and we dedicate this journey to you entirely. We know that to serve sometimes means to suffer, and that sometimes this road will be painful. We know your desire is for us to live a life full of passion and purpose, glorifying your name in all that we do. We humble ourselves before you and ask you to do a mighty work in us, and through us so that we can proclaim your name for the rest of our lives. Thank You Lord for everything you do, and are going to do. We give you EVERY bit of the glory.

Jessica

It's official people... The Nelsons are headed to China!

Time is ticking as we count down for our January 18th departure for Changsha, China! Although we will officially be there to teach English, our work there will be much deeper as LOVE really is our first priority.

We are excited and feel blessed that God has presented us with such an amazing opportunity for our family to love, serve and grow. We hope anyone that follows our story will be inspired to step over the line of their comfort zones by serving, connecting, and loving in big and small ways. Our prayer as we move along this journey will be to grow in faith, love, and hope and to be able to encourage others to do the same.

We want to make it clear that we give all of the Glory of what we are doing to God, and in no way want to make this blog as a place to shine a light on ourselves. We believe sharing our triumphs and trials will inspire our friends and family to step out in faith, just as many of them have done to us this past year.

We are grateful for all of the prayers and support from our friends, family, and church as we get ready to take this plunge. Prayer and love do make a difference, and to have people to walk with you and help you survive on a journey like this is vital.

Jon and I at times have felt unqualified for this task, but we believe that you can share Christ with others through the way you act and by the way that you love. We believe that God makes Himself known through the way that we love the unlovable. When we love the unlovable, we get a glimpse of what God does for us.


Our time in China may only be six months, could be more. I pray that while we are there we can be the hands and feet of Jesus to hold the hands of those who are cold, lonely, hungry and hurting. That we will be able to reach them one life at a time.


God Bless,
Jessica

For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him. Philippians 1:29

Our own little world

"What if there’s a greater purpose, I could be living right now... Outside my own little world. Father break my heart for what breaks Yours, Give me open hands and open doors. Put your light in my eyes and let me see .... that my own little world is not about me." - Matthew West

A page has turned ...

This blog is the beginning of a fork in the road for myself, my husband Jon and our two year old daughter Grace. In the last several months our hearts have been stirred and we feel God is calling us to a greater task then we ever imagined for ourselves. Jon and I both hear God whispering to us that his plan is greater; and to the one that has given us everything how can we say no?

We have recently read two books, one being "Radical" by David Platt and the other "Crazy Love" by Francis Chan. The central message in both of these books is to stop living a luke warm Christian life and to find a deeper intimacy with God by serving, reaching, loving, and sacrificing.
After we read those two books which are both in your face, bold and even frightening at times we both realized that it was time to wake up and start living a life full of purpose, and to lead other's to Christ while doing so.

We are ready to start loving and serving all of God's children. This means loving the people who are the least among us. One of my favorite verses is Matthew 25:40 which says : "Whatever you did for the least of my brothers you did for me." That really puts it all into perspective for me. The greatest gift our maker gave us, and the greatest gift we can give one another is LOVE. Love is something our lives are never lacking, and we could not feel more blessed.

I feel like we have finally found the true secret to life. It's all about serving other's and glorifying God by doing so. Not serving because we feel sorry for people, or because it makes us look like such wonderful people. Serving simply because that is what we are ALL called to do, and that is to be the hands and feet of Jesus on a daily basis.

I love in the book Radical where it says something about we as Christians think doing mission work, or becoming missionaries is a calling. The truth is that it is everyone's calling as a follower of Christ. The real calling is where you will serve, and how long you will be there. That is so exciting to me!

We know there will be many challenges and bumps in the road we are about to face, but we could not be more excited to live a life full of passion and purpose. We want to be spriritually and emotionally filled every day of our lives. We want to challenged endlessly, learning and growing with everyday that passes. We hope to be able to share Christ with those who may otherwise never hear his name and to follow a calling God has placed deep within our hearts.

We ask for your continual prayers as we move through this journey. We know it will be full of sacrifice and suffering, but we cannot imagine being called to a greater vision than to love God's people.

Jessica, Jon and Grace