Dear Friends,
Merry Christmas! We hope that you are enjoying your Lord and Savior during this special time of the year. It is a challenge in America to not be distracted from our devotion to Christ with all the activities and busyness of the holidays. Paul wrote the Corinthians, “I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.” 2 Corinthians 11:3. The Amplified says, “that your minds may be corrupted and seduced from wholehearted and sincere and pure devotion to Christ.” We pray that you would be able to hear God’s voice when you read His word, love your family and friends, share the good news with the lost, and worship Jesus Christ without distraction!
Columbia House Church Conference Danelle and I helped lead a house church conference with Riverbend Community Church in September. There was a lot of enthusiasm to learn and make disciples in Columbia and throughout the Southeast. Just this week Danelle and I met with Robbie McAlister, Sarah Bedi, and Ray Vaughn to evaluate, plan and pray together for 2012 and how we can be a part of a church planting movement. Look for information about conferences next year which train and inspire us.
Tanzania Mission in May Lee Gordon, from Gator Christian Fellowship in Gainesville, Florida, invited me to join him and a small team to go to Tanzania in May for three weeks. Our desire is to see a church planting movement started in the remote villages of Tanzania. I have been told there are very few churches in these remote areas, so I am excited to see how God will use us. We will also drill wells and minister in orphanages. We will need your prayer support and will send more information later.
Faithwalkers Conference Danelle, Merry and I will attend the Faithwalkers conference in Asheville again this year. I will be teaching seminars, one on house church and another on relationships, based on
the content of Secure In An Insecure World. BTW, you can order my book for Christmas gift from our web site, www.gcmnelson.com or as an e-book from Barnes and Noble, Amazon or I Tunes.
Prayer Requests
- Faithwalkers Conference. Our teaching at Faithwalkers to minister to everyone’s needs and be a blessing. Pray for God to encourage all who attend. We would come away abiding in Christ and rejoicing in Him more consistently.
- Latvia and Ukraine. Pray for wisdom to discern their needs and equip them to do the work of making disciples who will multiply throughout each country. Pray for an effective serving with the Powers
- Tanzania Mission. Pray for our team to be united. Pray for us to have discernment to be fruitful in this culture. Pray for God to raise up many men and women of peace, teachable and filled with faith in God.
- Please pray for the finances for Danelle and I to minister overseas and here in the Southeastern US.
Yours in Christ’s unfailing love,
Steve and Danelle
In May we attended DAR, “Debrief and Reentry,” at Mission Training International in Colorado with missionaries from all over the world. It was a wonderful, beneficial time of teaching, reflection, and fellowship with ones who could empathize with us and vice versa. Steve also received good counsel at the Pastor’s conference in June.
My name is Oksana and I am 38 years old. When I was 23 I started going to church, repented and was baptized. But two years later I found myself back in the world. Of course, then I thought that nothing much had happened, because I lived as I had before I repented. And to be honest, I liked living for myself and doing my own will, not God’s. My heart was far away from God. So I started using different drugs, became a drug addict, and began to treat my friends and relatives as if they were dead. I do not know where I would be now, and what would have happened to me if not for God! For 13 years I was in the "wilderness" until the Lord showed me the truth and the truth is that everyone reaps what they sow. Every choice we make today will have consequences in the future.I began to ask myself: “What do I want? What is the goal? Why am I doing what I am doing? And in general - where am I going?”
My name is Volera, and I have lived all my life in Kiev. I was the third child born in a typical family when my Mother was 41 years old. Mom and Dad worked all the time, so basically I grew up on the street. At the age of twelve, I was already registered as a juvenile delinquent. I was stealing, drinking alcohol, and smoking cigarettes. Soon I started using marijuana, then it was on to hard drugs and I became a slave to them. For a couple of years my sin was covered over in beautiful wrapping: going to interesting clubs and bars of all different sizes. But then reality set in. I alienated my loved ones by deceiving and lying to them. There were numerous scandals, sickness, many tears, and eventually imprisonment. I was disappointed in everything: in my choices, in my beliefs and, of course - in life. There was no point to my life- no purpose, no joy, and no peace. Instead, there was only a vast emptiness, and all of this because of the deceptive beauty of sin. I buried a lot of my friends, acquaintances, as well as my elderly parents. I realized that all I was doing was a dead end. I was totally broken, lonely, and no one needed me. I had nothing and I did not want anything. So I came in brokenness to God. I was able to get into a rehab center and it was the happiest time in my life. All this time I stayed at the feet of Jesus Christ. He has blessed me with a whole hearted devotion. And now my whole life and all my time belong to Him. I now serve God in one of our rehabilitation centers. I realize there is no greater purpose to life than helping people to find and know Christ. I am a very happy man because of His mercy and love for me. To Him be all the glory and praise.
My name is Maxim, and I am thirty-one years old. Thirteen of those years, I was hooked on alcohol and drugs. One night I realized that I had no way out, and I asked God to change my life and help me to regain the trust of my parents and my family. I promised I would serve Him if this occurred.
My name is Sasha, I am 47 years old. I was an alcoholic and drug addict. I filled the emptiness in my heart with vodka, drugs, and women, but it did not help me to find true joy. Then in 2009, Christ came into my life. I cannot explain in words how Jesus has set me free. After 32 years of smoking, in one fell swoop the Lord delivered me. And in the same way, the Lord delivered me from the rest of my idols, which were very many. The Lord cleansed my heart from all defilement, and replaced it with His love. Now I gladly yield my heart to Jesus and will serve the Him until I enter eternity! 
years. In my heart there was a void, which I tried to fill with drugs, alcohol and other artificial pleasures. This feeling led me to despair. I turned to my faithful friend, who had been freed from drug addiction and lived with God. And after listening to his advice, I went to the rehab center. When I went, I did not know where I was going and what was going to happen. I was very scared and worried. The first days in rehab were very difficult, and many times I wanted to leave. But, thanks to the prayers of the sisters, brothers, and, above all the Lord, I stayed here. God really changed my life and my heart. I asked forgiveness for my sins before God and received him into my heart as Savior and Lord (ie, gave my entire life into his hands). And He gives me many miracles and great joy! He fills my heart with His love. I thank God that He loves us as we are. I thank Him that He extends a helping hand when it seems that everything in life is over.