August 2010
1 post
Home - The End and the Beginning
Yes, I am home. Here’s the speedy run down on my final journey.
12 hours from Auckland to LA. 5 hours from LA to NY. Shuttle to the NYC. “Long” walk through Time Square to the wrong bus station. Had to buy another bus ticket (ugh, $20 I needed, the last time I ever take Greyhound). Long wait in the crummy station. 2 hours to Philly. Finally reunited with my Mom, Dad and sister!...
July 2010
1 post
Kia Ora!
Kia Ora! Or, hello! from New Zealand. I’m a month in here and week out from returning to the soil of the USA, much to my excitement. It’s been a privilege to travel all over this country and experience the natural beauty and exciting activities it has to offer travelers from all over the world (mostly Brits though I should add). The Kiwi Bus experience has been a good and interesting...
June 2010
2 posts
NZ - The Final Chapter
This may very well be one of my last posts from overseas. I am currently in New Zealand, staying at a friend of a friend of a friend’s I barely know (I love that). Tomorrow I leave for Kiwi Experience, a buss pass/tour of the north and south islands. It’s my “last hurrah” as you will, and I’m very excited to see a large portion of this beautiful country. My feelings...
Australia
G’day mates! Hello from the country down under.
Just a very quick update for those who are wondering where in the world I am and what in the world I’m doing.
I am currently in Sunshine Coast, which is about an hour drive above Brisbane and a one and a half hour flight from Sydney. Devon and I arrived in Sydney from Thailand the end of May, and spent four nights at YWAM Island Breeze...
May 2010
4 posts
SHE - a glimpse into her world
This is some raw content I thought I’d share on my time at SHE. It’s pretty much straight from the journal so don’t mind any spelling or grammatical errors. Also, it’s very vulnerable, so if doesn’t make sense or it seems a bit off, remember it was just processing. So, with that being said, here’s a glimpse into her world.
May 18, 2010
It all starts at 8PM...
Thailand Part 2
So it has been a pretty busy last two weeks, with some unexpected changes along the way (thanks red-shirt protestors). We ended up staying in Khok Kloi near Phuket much longer than initially intended. Originally, we were planning on going back to Bangkok last Saturday the 15th, but then postponed it to Thursday and further to this Saturday because of the violence and fighting going on there....
I Love Thailand
One of my favorite countries thus far is Thailand, something I determined in just the first few days I was here. Why, you may ask? Simple – beautiful scenery, green hills, lush jungle, wonderful waterfalls, mysterious culture, fantastic people, nice beaches, awesome islands, and plenty to do (as you can see) plus some.
So we arrived in Bangkok, Thailand April 24th after a late, sleepless...
April 2010
2 posts
India to Thailand
I just wanted to write a quick update and say that we have arrived safe and sound in Bangkok, Thailand after a fantastic final time in India.
Here’s a quick recap.
During our time in Chennai we were able to visit some YWAMers and see some of the work their doing. I was really imppressed. We visited a day care they hold in one of the slums; they take about 30 kids a day while their parents...
India - Pt. 1
India. Let’s see, where do I even start? At the beginning I suppose.
So, getting to India felt like the longest two days of traveling thus far. We left the Shenks in South Africa at 6AM on March 24, flew to Joburg, then to Honk Kong over night without sleeping (long layover), then our final flight arrived in Delhi after a stop in Bangkok. By this time it was the later house of the 25th. We...
March 2010
2 posts
Cape Town
Hello again friends and family! Our time in Cape Town, South Africa has come to an end, and tomorrow we leave for India. We fly into Delhi and as of right now have no definitive plans, although some things are coming together for other cities such as Kolkota. Another big step of faith is in front of us as we leave the continent of Africa and step into a whole new realm and season. We don’t...
Our time at Iris Ministries
Hello from Cape Town, South Africa! After 30 plus hours of traveling by bus from Iris Ministries in Maputo, Mozambique, we have arrived. We’re here for a much needed time of R&R with our good friend Jeff Burkholder, who will be with us for a good portion of our time. We’re looking forward to it, and let me say, it’s beautiful! From our room we have a view of Table Mountain, which we definitely...
February 2010
1 post
Past and Present
(An update from Devon).
Hello Family and Friends,
It has been another month that has gone by since I have sent a update. I would first like to thank everybody for their continuing prayer and encouragement for us, which has brought multitudes of blessing into my life. While being in Uganda, Mbarara I participated in a program called Outlook. While being there God continued transforming my life...
January 2010
2 posts
The Adventure of Africa
I’m sorry it’s been so long. We’ve been busy this month and I’ve been putting off updating, but I think the time has come. Let’s just say it’s been an exciting month!
Let’s see, where were we? We arrived back in Kampala, Uganda January 6 after taking a night bus from Nairobi. It was sad to leave Kenya but at the same time we were excited to go back to...
The Holidays in Kenya, Etc.
A belated Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all of you! It’s been a little while so here’s what’s been going on with us at Harvest Blessing Centre in Ngoliba, Kenya.
Aside from the daily grind, the most recent noteworthy events here have come with the holidays. It was a good time! Christmas Eve and Christmas were two very busy days. Devon and I spent lots of time in the kitchen helping out...
December 2009
3 posts
The Warmest Christmas Ever
Happy Holidays! We’re still alive and breathing here in Kenya. It sure doesn’t feel like the holidays simply because instead of the 2 feet of snow you all got at home (so jealous), it’s just sun sun sun, and man are we getting tan! (I’m sure all of the women reading this right now are very jealous. Haha.)
Things are still the same here. We’re still staying in...
Ngoliba, Kenya
Hey everyone! Devon and I are still in Ngoliba at Harvest Blessing Centre until the beginning of January. We’re still spending lots of time with the kids and helping out as we can around the compound. It’s a beautiful area.
This past Sunday, Devon and I had a chance to teach to the small congregation that meets at the centre we’re staying at. Considering it was our first time...
Children of Kenya
Sorry it’s been so long. Due to the circumstances and location of stay, we haven’t had internet for a while, and I failed to update before leaving Uganda. My bad! But no worries, we’re still alive and well. And I apologize ahead of time, because I think this one will be short.
Where do I even begin? Let’s see… We went to a town called Mbarara from November 30 to...
November 2009
7 posts
At Home in Africa
It’s been a little while since my last update, so here is what we’ve been up to.
Our good friend Steve Hoffman left on Sunday, November 22. It was sad to see him go, and it was almost a lonely feeling as we drove back from the airport. He had been such a blessing to us in the months and weeks leading up to our trip as well as the time we spent with him here in Uganda. Without him,...
Gulu and the Cross (cont.)
This concludes the rest of our journey in Gulu and Pabbo.
November 18
This was just a day exploring the city of Gulu and discovering how God can move in a stinky fish market. We got a good feel of the city and the size. Later we ran into a pastor John, a local pastor, while walking around inner Gulu. He informed our team of some open air evangelism his church was doing in the markets. After a...
Gulu
A quick update on what we’ve been doing. I’m leaving out many of the small things, but here are the highlights.
(November 14)
I’ll start with the radio experience. As I mentioned in our last update, we went going on public radio in Kampala. We met early with the host, and went over some topics in question and answer format. I think Devon and I were a little nervous, since this...
Alive in Africa
We’re in Uganda! Hallelujah.
This might be short because I am in an internet cafe trying to do 10 things at once while I have internet.
We arrived at Entebbe on Tuesday night and were greeted by our good friend Steve Hoffman and the rest of the crew (a Pastor Robert, and David “camera man”). Our first day was spent in Kampala, the capital of Uganda. We did some things in the...
Cairo, Egypt
I don’t know if we ever actually discovered how we feel about Cairo, Egypt. The feelings are by no means negative, it’s just hard to sort through the conglomeration of noise, trash, traffic, dust, dirt, sand, smog, pyramids, horses, and camels. Add 20 million aggressive Arabs to that equation, and it makes for quite an experience!
I’ll try to keep this short and recap the things...
A Day in the Old City and Mt. of Olives
Today was fantastic. We feel so blessed! This morning we went to Christ Church right outside Jaffa Gate with our new friend John I mentioned previously. It’s a beautiful building around 200 years old, the oldest Protestant Church in the Middle East if I heard correctly. The service was very good and very encouraging. After church we set off with John to explore some of the Old City and...
October 2009
3 posts
In Israel
I am currently in our hostel in the Old City in Jerusalem. We left Wednesday morning and arrived in Tel Aviv on Thursday afternoon, where we stayed with our new friends Brent and Abby, who were fantastic. We caught up on our sleep and got to spend lots of time with our hosts. We also got to see the Mediterranean and a great view from Jaffa, a very historical site below Tel Aviv. Today we made our...
Details
Fall 2009
Dear friends and family,
With our takeoff under a month away, we feel we are ready to go on this journey for which God has been preparing us. We have witnessed and experienced His goodness and faithfulness in the months and weeks leading up to this moment.
We purchased our tickets on September 7, 2009 and will be flying out of New York on October 28, 2009 to our first destination-...
Hello Blogworld
So this is where you’re going to want to check for updates, to see what we’re up to, where we’re at, pictures, and so on. We’ll try to post as much as possible, but it will depend on the availability of internet access.
We’re gearing up and getting ready to go! Keep us in your prayers.
God bless!
- Nielsen and Devon