Fútbol, Friends and Fun Times - Ministry Update November 2022

Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? ‭‭James‬ ‭2:5‬ ‭NIV

Dear Family and Friends,

Another month has flown by since we arrived in Honduras in August. We continue to give thanks to all of you for praying for us during our time in language school! Learning a new language is more difficult than we even imagined but each week we are feeling a little more confident, thanks to God and our awesome teachers. The kids are picking it up faster than us – no surprise there! By March we should have a good foundation so that we can effectively communicate with all the adults and kids at Rancho Ebenezer. The kids are mostly bilingual, but many of the Honduran staff speak very little or no English and it is very important that we be able to communicate well with the other adults as we all work together to serve the needs of the children. 

Being able to study the language and immerse ourselves in Honduran culture before beginning full-time service at the Ranch is a true blessing. In addition to classroom lessons, our language school learning includes occasional field trips. During a recent field trip we had the opportunity to learn about how Lenca pottery is made - so much fun! We also have been going on some “field trips” on our own, outside of school. There are numerous recreation areas, tourist sites and family-friendly activities near or within a couple of hours of Siguatepeque and Rancho Ebenezer. When we first arrived, the director of the language school provided us with a list of “50 Things to Do When You’re in Language School.” We have been able to check a few of them off the list, and perhaps in the future we’ll be able to take you to some of them … when you come visit! 😃 

Outside of school and exploring, our days are pretty routine but also busy! The kids are doing well with their home-school and they are participating in a youth fútbol league run by the church we are attending. Speaking of church, it’s completely in Spanish! Even though we don’t understand everything that is being said, we enjoy the opportunity to worship and fellowship with other believers. Finally, Kris has started volunteering on Wednesdays with a local after-school program. The kids receive a hot meal, Bible lesson, group activities and sometimes a bag of food or hygiene supplies for their families. 

Through church and the language school we have made wonderful friendships and connections with other missionaries who serve in many different areas of Honduras. We believe God is going to use those relationships in the future to help us better serve Him and the kids at Rancho Ebenezer. He is so good! 

We love you all!

Steve, Kris, Bryeten, Chance and Mac
Steve.Nelson@wgomission.org  
Kris.Nelson@wgomission.org

In early October we spent a week at the Ranch and got to visit a nearby waterfall and hiking area. 

 The boys learned about the ancient Lenca style of pottery. The Lenca people are the largest indigenous population in Honduras today. 

 We enjoyed a “students, teachers and family” game of fútbol on a Friday night! Mac and Chance played also, though they are not in this picture. 

Chance (second from left) and Mac (center) during their team fútbol practice

Kris playing PI-KA-CHU with kids at the after-school program. PI-KA-CHU is like hand jive and Rock Paper Scissors in one!

Some of the sweet kiddos enjoying their hot lunch after games and Bible lesson. 

October 2022 Newsletter - Language School in full swing!

Can you believe it is already October? Neither can we! We have completed over a month of language school here in Honduras. Already we can see a big difference in our communication abilities, though we still have a long way to go. Thank you for praying for us during our time in language school!

In September we were blessed to attend the Honduran Fellowship of Missionaries and Ministries Conference in San Pedro Sula. Childcare was provided by volunteers from the U.S. that came to Honduras for the purpose of serving at the conference and blessing the missionary families here. Our boys enjoyed a mini Vacation Bible School conducted by these volunteers. For the adults, there was live worship in English, several great speakers and lots of opportunities to connect with other missionaries. Some in attendance have been serving for 25+ years in Honduras! It was a great weekend of laughter and encouragement. Following the conference, we took a day trip to Tela, a small beach community on the Caribbean coast. We had a great time walking around, eating lunch, and swimming. 

We have many prayer requests and praises this month. First, on our way to San Pedro Sula, we saw many families with children living under tarps on the median of the highway. It is the rainy season here in Honduras, but we’ve been told that the rain has been more than is typical. We drove past numerous communities that were still under water. Please keep these families in your prayers. Second, we request that you join us in prayer for all those affected by Hurricane Ian. Finally, please continue to pray for our family. Language school 4 hours a day + homeschooling has given us a new appreciation for teachers! Please pray God continues to give us endurance!

As for praise reports, there are so many we could share. First and foremost is that we are healthy. Many people have asked us how we have adjusted to the food and water here, and the answer is: Great … Gracias a Dios! (Thanks to God!) Another praise is that on Sept. 30 we finally got the vehicle that we purchased in mid August! We learned firsthand that paperwork on a vehicle purchase can take some time here! We are thankful to have our own vehicle again and also that we will be able to spend the first week of October at Rancho Ebenezer. We are loving our time in language school but are eagerly anticipating the true start of our service to the Ranch children and community in early 2023.  

In closing, we want to share a verse from the book of Hebrews, which we have been studying during the Tuesday night Bible Study/Fellowship Group at the language school. “Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16 NIV) Isn’t it amazing that God loves us so much that He calls us His children and Jesus is not ashamed to call us brothers and sisters? Praise God! 

With love and blessings,
Steve, Kris, Bryeten, Chance and Mac Nelson

Interested in a mission trip to Honduras or want to connect with us? Please email us at Kris.Nelson@wgomission.org or Steve.Nelson@wgomission.org. 

 

We are enjoying our time at the Spanish Institute of Honduras, in Siguatepeque.

 

Enjoying Día del Niño celebrations with other missionary families at the language school and at church

 

We attended the Día de la Independencia on Sept. 15, celebrating 201 years since independence was declared in Honduras. 

 

On our way to the HFFM conference we saw many flooded communities and hundreds of makeshift tents on the sides and medians of the highway 

Can you find Bryeten, Chance and Mac? We enjoyed our visit to Tela!

 

Bryeten and Chance in Spanish class with their teacher, Cesia! 

The baleada is a typical dish in Honduras and we love them! Simple baleadas include a flour tortilla, fried beans and butter and/or grated cheese. Baleadas can also included eggs, meat, avocado, plantains, or other items. 

During class one day Steve and Kris learned from Angie (Kris's maestra) how to make homemade tortillas. 

Enjoying a snack at church! 

This December we will celebrate 8 years of marriage. We are thankful to be in mission together! 

How to Love God and Love Others - Nelson Mission Kids

We're the Nelson Mission Kids and a few weeks ago we moved to Honduras with our parents. They are missionaries and they tell us basically every day that we came to Honduras because God wants us to love people and love Him! So far we have learned that the kids in Honduras are fun, just like kids in the U.S. In this video, we share a few ideas we thought of for how to love God and love others, no matter where you live. Matthew 22:37-39 is the Scripture that our parents shared with us so we could make this video. Please pray for us to learn more each day about how we are to love God and love others! Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ (Matthew 22:37-39) This video also includes a sneak preview of one of the Independence Day parades that will take place in Honduras on Sept. 15. Our dad got to see one of the bands as they practiced for the parade! This year, Honduras will commemorate the 201st anniversary of its independence from Spain (which was declared on Sept. 15, 1821). Honduras shares its independence with its Central American neighbors of Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica. On Día de la Independencia, the streets are adorned with national symbols and many people take to the streets in celebration. We will celebrate with our Honduran friends at a parade in Siguatepeque, Honduras.

September 2022 newsletter

It is hard to believe but we have been in Honduras for over three weeks now. The past few weeks have been a whirlwind!

God blessed our travels immensely. We flew from Pensacola to Miami to Comayagua with no difficulties. We spent four days in Tegucigalpa at the Mission House - the home base of the city outreach side of WGO. While there we worked to get all of our affairs in order, from residency paperwork to searching for a vehicle. Another missionary was driving for us and translating, but at the end of each day, we were exhausted! We also got to spend time with a visiting Serve Team and experience one of WGO’s medical and evangelism brigades. At least 100 people were waiting in the rain when the event started and all were able to receive medicine, medical or dental care as well as spiritual care during their visit. 🙌 Praise God!

On Saturday, August 13 we arrived at Rancho Ebenezer, a.k.a. The Ranch!!! Words do not express how thankful we were to be back. It is such a beautiful place and we love the staff, other missionaries and children so much. Our boys picked right back up with the children they had made friends with during our visit in March. We played fútbol, four square and “ball tag” at the escuela each day. We met Bryeten and Chance’s teachers and received their school work for the first quarter. We got to attend a quinceañera and we participated in small group worship with a Honduran family who serve as Mentor Parents at the Ranch. It was an awesome week!

We are now in Siguatepeque - a city of about 80,000 residents located about two hours from the Ranch. We are attending the Spanish Institute of Honduras for four hours each day to learn the language and culture. We walk back and forth to school each day. We have purchased a vehicle but it will take about 30 days to get the paperwork in order. Thank you for the prayers! Please continue to pray as we work diligently at learning the language. We really enjoy the one-on-one learning approach, but most days our brains feel overloaded! Please pray for our boys. On top of being in a new country, their school teachers for the next 6 months are us. 😅 Please also pray for a daughter, Yese. We are so thankful for your support and we want to remind you, even though you are not physically here, your prayers and financial support have allowed us to be here. We are a team and we are all being used by God for His bigger, greater plan!

Finally, we have created a YouTube channel and will be posting videos led by the kids. They will share their experiences as MKs (mission kids) as well as Scriptures that we are all trying to learn and live out. Here's the link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClbSYAkaBfyljkHrUc2MqAQ    

We love you all!
Steve, Kris, Bryeten, Chance and Mac

Interested in a mission trip to Honduras or want to connect with us? Please email us at Kris.Nelson@wgomission.org or Steve.Nelson@wgomission.org. 

What an awesome flight crew! 💙

Shortly after arriving in Honduras, we made a quick stop in the former capital of Honduras, Comayagua. It is one of the oldest cities in Honduras and still has much of the architecture from the colonial era. Here we are standing in the city square in front of the Catedral de la Inmaculada Concepción, aka the Comayagua Cathedral, which was built between 1634 and 1711 and is one of the oldest in Central America.

Perla is one of Mac's favorites! 

Alex is another of Mac's favorites! 

Eat, sleep, play fútbol - it's what these kids do! 

Hiking around the Ranch

These sweet girls were so welcoming to include us in their Quinceañera celebration! 

On our way to Siguatepeque to start language school!

View from a lookout in Siguatepeque

Hiking in Siguatepeque

Our first Sunday in Siguatepeque we attended a wonderful church called Esperanza Viva. We are thankful to have found a warm and welcoming church to attend during our time in Siguatepeque! We miss our church families in Lynn Haven and Pensacola though! 

Our first day of classes at the Spanish Institute of Honduras! 

First week in Honduras!

 We have been in Honduras for just over a week! So far we have spent time in the city of Tegucigalpa and also at Rancho Ebenezer (where we will be serving). This Saturday we will leave the Ranch for the city of Siguatepeque, where we will take language courses for about 6 months. We are all healthy and happy, and things are moving along!

Please pray with us for all the children of Rancho Ebenezer. They have experienced much change over the last couple of years, and COVID has been particularly challenging for these precious kiddos. We are grateful for their kind and welcoming reception to all of us. 

More to come with our next newsletter, but here are some pictures covering some of the highlights of our first week in Honduras.