OpenMission

Nelson Newsletter – May 2012

GCM Nelson — Mon, 14 May 2012 20:09:50 GMT

Dear Partners in the Gospel,

Danelle and I praise God for each of you! We are acutely aware of our dependence on your prayers and support. In this newsletter I will be highlighting prayer, especially since I am leaving May 16^th for Tanzania. Your intercession is invaluable for our success. “Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it.” Psalm 127:1 Our team has been praying together every Wednesday morning at 6am because we know the Lord must save souls and build His church in Tanzania, because we can’t.

In this letter I also want to encourage you to “devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving.” Colossians 4:2 Remember, we don’t have a separate “prayer life,” we have a relationship with Jesus Christ 24/7, and to have a healthy relationship with Him, we must “pray without ceasing.” God tells us in Philippians 4:6-7 to not be anxious about anything, but instead to pray about everything. Then He promises to guard our hearts and minds with His peace. Hallelujah!

Tanzania Why go to Tanzania? God opened the door to go to Tanzania and evangelize through a few nationals that Matt Gordon and the church in Gainesville, Florida know. These men share the same vision of starting a church planting movement in their country. We are going to work with them to find other men and women who also want to make disciples all across Tanzania, especially in the villages. The villages have had little opportunity to hear about Jesus Christ.

What will we do? We will spend the first week in the capital, Dar Es Salaam, teaching orphans in a Christian orphanage. Then we will travel to Mwanza to go to villages in that region. There we will drill wells and evangelize, seeking to make disciples who will start new churches. Jesus said, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations.” Matthew 28:19

Rehab Center Maxim and Sveta Bagdon recently invited me to speak at the rehab center in Canton, GA. I was impressed by their hunger for God. I spoke about relationships and used my book as a reference, leaving them copies to study. Please pray for these men and for Max and Sveta in this new ministry. (She was my first translator in 1994).Max invited me to teach them on a regular basis. We spoke a lot of Russian since they all had a Russian heritage!

Prayer Requests and Praise Report

Tanzania, May 16-June 10 Pray for God to prepare hearts, save many, raise up workers to take the gospel all over Tanzania. Pray for our health, safety, and unity. Pray for God’s wisdom and discernment.
Atlanta House Churches Pray for them to grow in Christ and reach out to others while we are gone.
New Granddaughters Pray for Danelle as she goes to NYC to help Julie with her new baby, due May 14^th, and then Amanda’s baby, due June 1^st. Pray for safe deliveries and healthy babies.
Timmy and Kenyon Praise God, they are both doing well after having their gall bladders removed!

Your partners on mission…Steve and Danelle

Nelson Newsletter – March 2012

GCM Nelson — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 14:11:11 GMT

Dear Friends in Ministry, Thank you for your prayers over the past month for all of our travels and service. Here is a brief report.

Student Conference In February Danelle and I enjoyed teaching singles and college students from the University of Florida about marriage. There were over one hundred enthusiastic young people who came. After each teaching, we had a time for questions, and then broke up into small groups for discussions to talk about practical application. We used the principles about relationships from Steve’s book, Secure In An Insecure World. The folks from Gator Christian Fellowship made us feel very welcome. Thank you!!

Latvia On February 17^th Danelle and I traveled to Kiev, Ukraine to work with our dear friends and missionaries, Timmy and Kenyon Powers for three weeks. The first week we went to Riga, Latvia for the first time. The young people there were eager to listen as we spoke about God’s desire to reach the lost world and make disciples through their lives. It was encouraging to us as well as we recounted how God challenged us in a similar way 38 years ago through Herschel Martindale. We challenged these Latvians to also follow Jesus Christ and fish for men, train them, and function as His body, the church. We also spoke of practical ways to spread the gospel using our testimonies. The very next week several of them told unbelievers how they were saved! Please pray for these two young couples (below) who are leading.


Alice &Andris Dekants, Danelle, Timmy & Kenyon		Marta, Amelija & Raimonds Logins

Odessa Trip We took the overnight train to Odessa and had an encouraging time with the people there. We were very encouraged by Gannadi and Leana and their family, seeing them grow in their personal walk with God, as well as the faith of their teenagers. We spent all day Sunday with the house church at Leana and Misha’s. We are always amazed at how people are drawn to them and are affected by them.

Rehab Center Maxim Nicolaev invited Danelle and I to speak at a meeting with all of the rehab centers in Kiev. There were about one hundred gathered to hear us speak about salvation and how to over-come addictions and sin. I shared God’s promise from Philippians, “For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.” God began the work in them and He would complete it by His grace and Spirit. I encouraged them to rest and trust God with their lives, their all. Then, as Danelle shared her testimony, they hung on every word. Maxim thanked us several times and said he had never heard us speak with such clarity and influence. Praise God, it was all Him! It was so cold inside that we spoke with our heavy coats on, but the Holy Spirit warmed our hearts and bodies!

House Church Conference On March 30-31 we will go to Columbia to join in a house church conference with believers from Riverbend Community Church, as well as others from the southeast. We will seek God to make us more effective in lifestyle evangelism, and to see Ephesians 4:11-16 become more of a reality in our churches.

Family Update My mother fell last week and fractured a vertebra in her back. She was in a great deal of pain initially. Praise God, she is getting better! But it is difficult to walk and will take weeks to recover. On a positive note, both Julie and Amanda are doing well with their pregnancies. Please pray for them.

We visited our Beekeeper friend Nadia in Kiev

Prayer Requests

1. House Church Conference March 30-31. Pray for us to hear from God, encourage one another, and be doers of God’s word when it comes to loving the lost and serving the saints.

2. SE Leaders/Wives Meeting April 13-14 We will meet with pastor’s and their wives for two days of fellowship, encouragement and prayer. Pray for us to more effectively make disciples in our region.

3. Tanzania Mission For God to prepare our team and the nationals for this May 16-June 10 mission trip. Please pray for God to provide the finances necessary to go. Thank you all very much for your support!

4. Timmy and Kenyon Pray for their current health issues, and for leadership development in Ukraine.

5. Mom, Julie, and Amanda Pray for my mother’s recovery. Pray for Julie and Amanda’s pregnancies and deliveries in May and June respectively.

Grace and Peace from God our Father,

Steve and Danelle

Nelson Newsletter – February 2012

GCM Nelson — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 14:54:32 GMT

Dear Ministry Partners,

Thank you for your special gifts at the end of last year and for your continued monthly support! Danelle and I are amazed at the team God has provided for us to be able to spread the gospel and make disciples. Because of your generosity and faithful giving, we have been able to continue in building God’s kingdom here in America and overseas. Here are some events that your partnership and prayers make possible.

Faithwalkers Conference God showed up at our annual Great Commission conference in Asheville, NC. There were over 800 eager learners who were inspired by the teachings and enjoyed the sweet fellowship with dear friends. I taught two seminars and participated in a round table discussion about overseas ministry and they all went very well. Thank you for praying!! Please follow this link to listen to any of the teachings: http://www.gccweb.org/conferences/faithwalkers/east/2011_teachings

Singles Conference Gator Christian Fellowship invited Danelle and I to lead a conference February 10-11 (This weekend!) for singles and students from the University of Florida. Our goal is to prepare these young people for marriage by teaching them how to be secure in God’s love. This security in God will enable them to make a wise decision about who they marry, and for all the right reasons. We will use material from Secure In An Insecure World and other Biblical principles for Christ-centered marriages.

Ukraine and Latvia We will fly to Ukraine February 17th for 3 weeks of ministry with Timmy and Kenyon Powers (in the photo). Please intercede for us as we help teach three conferences in Latvia, Kiev, and Odessa.

Family Update We have some exciting news! Our daughter Julie, and our daughter in law, Amanda, are both expecting little girls this spring! Please pray for everyone’s the health and safety. Here are other requests…

Prayer Requests

1. Singles Conference February 10-11 Pray for us to meet the needs, and for everyone to have a desire to please God and trust Him with their relationships.

2. Latvia and Ukraine. Pray for wisdom to discern their needs, and equip them to make disciples who will multiply throughout each country. Ask God to unite our hearts with our old Ukrainian and Latvian friends. Pray for an effective and encouraging time with the Powers and Hensons.

Yours in Christ’s unfailing love,

Steve and Danelle

Nelson Newsletter – December 2011

GCM Nelson — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 19:14:00 GMT

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.

Giving Danelle and I thank you for your support! Many of you have stood with us for years. Some of you may wish to send a special year-end gift, and/or being to support us monthly. Please visit the GCM website www.gcmweb.org, or call the office, 407-671-9700 and they will help you. Thanks again!

Ukraine and Latvia in February In February Danelle and I plan to return to Europe and work alongside our good friends and missionaries, Timmy and Kenyon Powers. We plan to travel to Riga, Latvia and work with Andris Dekants and his new wife Alicia (left). They have a heart to reach their country with the gospel. Then we will also return to Odessa, Ukraine to encourage Gennady and Lena Grazdanken (right). We will be teaching the believers in each of these countries for several weeks.

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.

Housing Update Thank you for praying for us about this. God heard and provided an old house near my mother. It took six intense weeks of remodeling to get it ready to live in. We have been in our house for a week now, but it will still take a few weeks to finish unpacking and finish all the little things - like hanging light fixtures. We praise God that we will be settled, organized and better able to serve others. It is a huge emotional blessing for us to be at this point!

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

Nelson Newsletter – September 2011

GCM Nelson — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 21:07:13 GMT

Dear Friends,

Finally! There is a little chill in the air here in Atlanta and we are loving it! We are also excited about what God is doing here in the three house churches. One of our members recently went through an ordeal with her husband’s health. She said, “I think God brought you back just for me!” We continue to seek God, learning how to hear from Him through His word and His Spirit, minister to one another, and reach the lost.

Gospel Opportunities Recently, our son Scott, who is also in one of the house churches, gave a contractor a copy of Secure In An Insecure World. Today this man was working on my mother’s house and said he finds my book very interesting and useful. He told me he is on his fourth marriage and really needs help with relationships. Please pray for him to come to know Christ!

Columbia House Church Conference The weekend of September 30^th Danelle and I are going to South Carolina to help lead a house church conference with Riverbend Community Church, which has 3 house churches at this time. We are eager to see what Jesus Christ will do to build His church in practical ways.

Support Danelle and I greatly appreciate your support! As we continue to adjust to life back in the US, it greatly humbles us to know you have confidence in us. Your sacrifice for God motivates us to be people of integrity. Your gifts help us pay the bills so we can devote ourselves to serving people. They also build our faith in God and affirm we are doing His will. If you wish to send a special gift, and/or support us monthly, you can visit the GCM website www.gcmweb.org, or call the office, 407-671-9700.

Housing Update Waiting! Who likes to wait, and wait, and wait? Not me! Maybe you have been waiting on God for a new job, a spouse, children, or to change the heart of someone close to you. God has been teaching us to wait on Him to provide a house for us close to my mother, to enable us to be settled. It has been challenging to wait for months, and to look at hundreds of potential homes, especially when we already feel a little out of sorts living in the US. “Yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary.” Isaiah 40:31 God has given us grace to persevere and wait. We finally have a contract on a fixer-upper house just a few minutes from my mother. Praise God! Please pray we will close the middle of October and be in by Thanksgiving.

Prayer Requests

The believers in Atlanta to grow in love for Jesus, one another, and be faithful to share the gospel.
The conference in Columbia, SC. Sept 30-Oct 1. God would inspire, lead and meet the needs.
Our financial support increase to keep us going strong.
Getting settled in our home by Thanksgiving. There is much remodeling work to be done.
Multiply disciples and simple churches in Atlanta, South Carolina, and beyond. (Remind you of Buzz?)
We would like to return to Ukraine this winter to minister in Kiev and Odessa. Pray for God’s leading.

Yours in Christ’s love,

Steve and Danelle

Nelson Newsletter – July 2011

GCM Nelson — Sat, 30 Jul 2011 21:54:54 GMT

Dear Friends and Ministry Partners,

Thank you for your patience and understanding as we transition to living in America. We have been told numerous times how returning is more difficult than moving overseas. We believe it! So much has changed here, as well as in our own lives, that adjusting has not been easy. God has given grace, and your prayers are very valuable to us for these times. We are still in the “unsettled” stage, as they call it. We have been told it can take between 6 months to a few years! We praise God that He never changes - His love, care, and faithfulness are immovable. We have struggled to believe this at times, but here are some people God has used to help us move forward.

Missionary Debrief 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.

New Job Description Steve will remain on staff with Great Commission Ministries serving churches in the Southeast and continue his work overseas. He will mentor leaders and begin a network of organic churches in the Atlanta area; assist Riverbend Community Church with their house churches; and help the new house churches in St. Petersburg and Gainesville, Florida. Steve and Danelle will continue their work with Great Commission Europe to assist nationals in discipleship and multiplication of simple churches. They plan to return to Odessa, Ukraine in the next few months. Steve will also continue to write materials for evangelism, discipleship, leadership, and the Faithwalkers devotional. His book, Secure In An Insecure World, is in its third printing and being used around the world. It can be found on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and I-books now!

Support Opportunities You all have been an amazing team of supporters while we worked in Ukraine. Thank you very much! As you can imagine, the cost of living, health care, and travel expenses are higher here than they are in Ukraine. Therefore, Danelle and I will need more financial support ($1,000/month) to serve on staff with Great Commission Ministries here in the United States. Also, GCM allows returning missionaries to receive a one- time housing bonus to help cover their initial housing expenses. Therefore, please prayerfully consider sending a special gift, and/or increasing your monthly support. Some of you may want to start supporting us each month for the first time. You can do so by visiting the GCM website (www.gcmweb.org), or by calling the office, 407-671-9700. We are still full time missionaries for Jesus, and we need you on our team. Please pray for us.

Prayer Requests:

Our financial support needs to be met so we can return to serving full time.
Finding and getting settled in a home.
Starting new simple churches in Atlanta and serving those connected to Riverbend in South Carolina.
Wisdom to help churches multiply disciples. The harvest is plentiful here!!!

Yours in Christ’s love,

Steve and Danelle

Nelson Newsletter – May 2011

GCM Nelson — Wed, 25 May 2011 01:06:47 GMT

Dear Friends and Ministry Partners,

We are now back in America, adjusting to life here, and seeking God for where to serve next. Leaving Ukraine was a very emotional experience. We became very close with Timmy and Kenyon Powers and David and Mindy Henson, so saying good bye was difficult for all of us. Parting ways was the same with


Powers, Nelsons, & Hensons	Tuesday Night Bible Study

our Ukrainian brothers and sisters in Christ. Danelle and I attended our European missionary conference in Greece last month. While we were there, we took a day trip to the ruins of Philippi. We studied Paul’s letter to the Philippians during the week and I had the privilege to teach from Philippians 1 about how Paul felt about his fellow laborers, “It is only right for me to feel this way about you because I have you in my heart.” This is exactly how we feel about the Powers, Hensons, and so many others in Ukraine. They will always be in our hearts and prayers!

Leaving Ukraine was an exhausting process - visiting numerous friends to say good bye, packing, selling, or giving away our belongings, and finally traveling back to our native country. We thank God for the opportunity to serve in Ukraine. He changed many lives during the six years we were there, including ours! We praise Him for His grace which has been sufficient! We thank you all for making this possible with your prayers and financial support. You all have been fantastic! We would like to sit down with as many of you as possible to exchange stories of His amazing grace in all of our lives. Lord willing, we would like to continue serving with Great Commission Ministries overseas and here in the Southeast. Our future is in His hands. Here is a comforting verse God has given us that may be relevant to you too.

“O Lord, You are my God; I will exalt You, I will give thanks to Your name; for You have worked wonders, plans formed long ago, with perfect faithfulness.” Isaiah 25:1

Prayer Requests:

Counsel during the Missionary debriefing May 29-June 3 & the Pastor’s conference June 13-15.
Quality time with our supporters, friends, and family this summer.
Wisdom for future ministry overseas, in the Southeast, as well as Atlanta.

Yours in Christ’s love,

Steve and Danelle

Nelson Newsletter – March 2011

GCM Nelson — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 23:35:55 GMT

Dear Friends,

We thank God that He continues to change lives here in Ukraine. Danelle and I spent last Friday evening with women from one rehab center. We met at the Power’s apartment

Danelle, Natasha, and Oksana

for dinner, fellowship and a great Bible discussion about how to avoid temptation. We have begun a weekly meeting with the leaders of the rehab centers. The past two Mondays I taught, first on how to develop Biblical convictions, and then on how to love and preserve the unity in the body of Christ. It’s always a pleasure to teach these dear saints because they are eager to learn and grow!

Rehab leaders meeting

The Ukrainian house churches also continue to grow; leading others to Christ, and expanding the Kingdom. They are now completely led by nationals; therefore, we believe our ministry in Kiev is winding down. As you know, we have helped churches in Odessa, Ukraine and other countries like Moldova and Latvia. In the fall, we may live in one of these places to train leaders and help them in evangelism. We would also like to help new house churches in Atlanta and the Southeast this summer. We will remain on staff with GCM, and we always appreciate your support!

In late April we will move out of our apartment in Kiev, and plan to spend the summer in Atlanta. It will be a time of being Mom and Dad and Granddad and Grandmother, as well as a time of assessment and planning. We will participate in a missionary evaluation at the end of May with Missionary Training International (MTI). They will help us evaluate our ministry in Ukraine, and give us guidance for our future ministry. I will also be attending the Great Commission Pastor’s conference in Indiana for encouragement and guidance. Please pray for us as we seek God and His will for our future.

Our Prayer Requests:

1. Wrapping up ministry in Kiev and graceful closure with our friends.

2. Wisdom for our future ministry overseas as well as in Atlanta this summer.

3. Spirit-led counsel at MTI and the Pastor’s conference.

4. Quality time with our family, friends and supporters.

Yours in Christ’s love,

Steve and Danelle

Nelson Newsletter – January 2011

GCM Nelson — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 03:05:34 GMT

New Year The New Year is a natural time to stop and evaluate one’s life. For those of us who know and love Jesus, it provides an opportunity to examine our lives from an eternal perspective. We are here on earth but a short time. Someone once said, “Life is short, death is sure, sin the cause, Christ the cure.” James described our life as a vapor, “Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.” Therefore, we need to make our one life count! Moses said, “So teach us to number our days, that we may present to You a heart of wisdom.” Psalm 90:12 “Is what you are living for worthy of Christ dying for?” someone once asked. It is spiritually healthy to examine what you are doing. Are you accomplishing the goals God has for you? If not, why not? What needs to change and how? Please pray that we too would do some healthy soul searching - to be very fruitful and honor God in all that we do here in Ukraine. Thank you!

Columbia, SC Danelle and I always enjoy visiting our friends at Riverbend in Lexington, South Carolina. On Thursday, we attended a house church where my sister and her husband are involved. On Saturday, we participated in their house church leadership meeting. Then, on Sunday, we attended the church service and held a luncheon and a Q and A time with friends and supporters of our ministry. It refreshed our faith to see their desire to reach the lost and make disciples in Columbia and beyond!

Christmas God is so good! He gave us a rich time with our family and friends in America. Here is a photo of the Nelson Christmas, including the Newtons by Skype! :-)

Faithwalkers Danelle, Merry and I attended the Faithwalkers conference in Asheville, with David and Stephanie Shirley, and David’s mother. Hundreds gathered to seek God and learn about discipleship. Steve enjoyed teaching two seminars. You may listen to all the teachings at:

http://www.gccweb.org/conferences/faithwalkers/east/2010_teachings

Steve teaching “The Gospel: Pure and Simple”

Andre’s Father Pastor Andre Skyped me in America to tell me the good news about his father’s salvation! I rejoiced as he told me the story. Their church decided to go through Evangelism Explosion to learn how to share Christ. They were encouraged to pray for their lost family and friends and to practice communicating the good news with them. Andre spoke with his father, and he decided to trust Christ as his Savior and Lord. Andre and I made a covenant more than ten years ago to pray for our father’s salvation! Why do people become Christians? The Holy Spirit convicts them of sin and reveals their need for Jesus. God also uses our prayers and our speaking the good news of Christ dying for their sins, and their need to repent and believe. It is so simple eh? How do we miss it?

Our Prayer Requests:

For Ukrainian leaders who would mobilize believers to spread the gospel and make disciples throughout this nation.
For Kostia to become a Christian. We had another excellent discussion about salvation recently. He is seeking the truth about God, but only the Holy Spirit can open his eyes.
For Scott and Maria’s second son who is due at the beginning of March.
For Timmy and I. We will travel to Odessa to teach house churches January 28-31.

Yours in our Savior’s love,

Steve and Danelle

Nelson Newsletter – December 2010

GCM Nelson — Sun, 12 Dec 2010 00:42:27 GMT

Merry Christmas Dear Friends!

What a wonderful time of year to remember how rich we are because Jesus Christ came to earth to be our Savior, and we are united in Him! “All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ.” Ephesians 1:3 We pray that you will be filled with praise and thanks to God for His Gift during the Christmas holidays and all year long!

Grace’s Wedding Our daughter Grace married Ward Bearden on November 14th. It was a glorious time centered on our Savior! Grace and Ward share the same purpose in their marriage, to seek first God’s kingdom in all that they do. Please remember to pray for them as they need God’s strength to grow in this new relationship.


Grace and Her Daddy	Ward and Grace Bearden Leaving	Bridesmaids – Her Sisters & Sarah

Thank You! We thank God for your friendship and partnership in the gospel of Jesus Christ! We greatly appreciate each of you who give regularly and/or pray for our ministry; it is indeed a team effort. Please prayerfully consider supporting us with a special year-end gift to enable us to continue working in Ukraine to spread the gospel and make disciples. If you desire to do this, make your gift out to Great Commission Ministries and mail it to the address below. You may also give on line if you prefer. Thank you again for your love for God and people that enables us to serve overseas. We included a page of testimonies of the men and women in the rehab centers who we are serving. Their lives are changed forever because of God’s grace. Enjoy!

Prayer Requests

1. Our remaining time in America with our family and friends to be eternally profitable.

2. Steve’s teaching at Faithwalkers December 27-30.

3. Our financial support to remain strong and for year-end giving. Thank you!

Yours because of God’s Gift,

Steve and Danelle

“There will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents, than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.” Luke 15:7

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?”

Not everyone has the courage to look into their heart and honestly admit - this is who I really am. How many of us have things we will not tell our friend or even admit to ourselves? I realized that my selfish desires (more accurately - lust) will never be satisfied, I will never have enough, and most importantly - I'll never be happy pursuing addictions and selfishness. This state of addiction, which everyone experiences in someway in their life, leads to depression and emptiness. I finally dropped my hands and knew there was nothing else to do, but to turn to God. I thought - if you are really depending on Him, then everything is up to Him. Now I'm at the rehabilitation center and I am immensely happy! I thank my God that He gave me wisdom to make the right decision and I pray to Him, so that noone and nothing could separate me from Him!

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.

On April 12, 2010, God begin to answer my prayer. I had reached the point where I could not work or do anything productive. God miraculously opened the door for me to become a part of a Rehab center. At first it was strange- the men prayed together often. No one smoked. I thought, “This is not for me.” I would sneak away to smoke on my own. One of the brothers serving in the center found out about me sneaking away. He was very gentle, but said that I could not keep doing this if I wanted to stay. I thought, “What awaits me if I return home?” The brother asked me to think about my sins and the harm it brought to others. He said that God was giving me a choice. I began to think and pray, and to read the Bible. I began to understand that I was a sinner in need of God’s grace and forgiveness. On June 6^th, I repented and was born again by God’s Spirit. On August 28^th I was baptized, and now I understand "It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me." I have put my heart in His loving hands and I ask that He strengthens and nurtures it, just as He wants, I will submit to His will. He says: "For my yoke is easy and my burden is light". I simply trust Him and thank Him. Without Him, I have no life. I cannot imagine losing what he gave me - His eternal love, I pray to need Him and cling to Him until the end of my days and to let Him do what he wants in my life, which is in Him and from Him . "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all." (2 Cor. 13:13)

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!

My name is Lena, and I am 21 years old. It was not long ago that I was depressed, not sure about anything in life and only interested in sin. I'm not sure you can even call what I had life. I was totally lost in this world. I was addicted to drugs for over four 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.

Friends! I beg you, turn away from sin and cry out for help to God. He is sure to help! Give your problems into His hands and He will bear you in His arms!

Nelson Newsletter – November 2010

GCM Nelson — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 18:55:31 GMT

Greetings Fellow Workers!

Recently I noticed how Paul often referred to his fellow Christians as “workers” in the gospel. That is what we are too! We are working in God’s fields, the harvest of souls. Jesus Christ is building His church, and He is using us, His workers! Last month we asked you to pray for, “the believers we work with to have a greater passion for the lost.” God heard and answered your prayers! Here is a beautiful story about how He used a young Ukrainian mother’s hardship and pain to have a greater passion for the lost.

A Beautiful Story of Sacrifice

Our friend Alisa’s invalid grandmother had Alzheimer’s. The total responsibility for her care was thrust upon her, because Alisa’s mother was unwilling to care for her own sick mother. Therefore, Alisa’s grandmother lived with her family in their small apartment in Kiev. All through her pregnancy, and later caring for her newborn baby, she fed, bathed, and cleaned up after her incontinent grandmother. Alisa struggled with the situation, but more often than not, she sacrificed her life in the power of God’s Spirit to love her grandmother. Alisa was an amazing example of Jesus’ love!

Her grandmother died a few weeks ago in her husband’s arms as they were bathing her. How could God use such a tragic situation for His purposes? He changed Alisa and her husband’s character, refining and purifying them daily as they sacrificed. Then, a few days after the funeral, a friend of Alisa’s called her out of the blue. He asked her how she was able to care for her grandmother for all those years. She told him it was all because of God’s grace. Then, she powerfully shared the gospel with him! Where did this power come from? It came from walking with Christ daily, trusting Him for the grace to serve her grandmother. Since she had her mind on eternal things, she was ready to speak about salvation to her old friend! Her example reminded me of this verse from 1 Peter 3:15 “but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence.” I think we should all ask ourselves, “Is Christ Lord in my heart?” and, “Am I ready to give an account for the hope that is in me?” Alisa’s example speaks a powerful “Yes!” to me!

Prayer Requests

Pray for each of the believers in Ukraine we have worked with to be devoted to God’s word daily, learning how to build each other’s faith, and be powerful witnesses of Christ.
We return to America November 1^st for our daughter Grace’s wedding November 14^th. We thank God for her fiancé Ward Bearden. Please pray for them to start this new marriage with a strong dependence on God and love for others.
Pray for us to have an encouraging and fun time in America with our family and friends. We hope to see many of you!
Please pray for Steve as he speaks at the Faithwalkers conference in Asheville, NC right after Christmas.

We thank God for you! Happy Thanksgiving!

Steve and Danelle

Nelson Newsletter – October 2010

GCM Nelson — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 23:58:06 GMT

Dear Friends,

In this photo I am running on one of the many trails in the forest near our apartment. Danelle and I frequent these trails to run and pray and ask God to change lives. Paul traveled to Rome to preach the gospel, “That is why I am so eager to preach the gospel also to you who are at Rome.” Why was he eager to speak about Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection to them? Paul knew the gospel’s power to save and give a sinner new life. “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.” Romans 1:15-16 We moved to Ukraine to preach the gospel of Christ to all who will listen. Here are some recent stories about how the gospel is changing lives in Ukraine.

God led us to the “good soil” Jesus spoke about – people who know they are sinners, and want God’s power to change. Last spring we were in Dimitrov, where we met a young Christian and told her about our Rehab Centers in Kiev. She had a Christian friend, Natasha, whose husband Maksim, was an alcoholic. Shortly after that he went to the rehab center and his life was changed. A few months later Natasha’s mother, Sveta, became one of the first women at the newly opened Women’s Rehab where she too committed her life to Jesus. Maksim and Sveta are pictured above (in brackets), were baptized with 11 others!

Several weeks later Spring of Hope Church baptized three people. Dima, pictured on the left, is the young lawyer who helped us share the gospel at the sports camp this summer. We’ve had the pleasure of seeing him take steps of faith to share his testimony at camp, and now to follow Christ in baptism.

Prayer Requests

1. For those who were baptized to grow in God’s grace and lead others to Christ.

2. For God’s wisdom on how to prepare those in the rehab centers to transition into society.

3. For the believers we work with to have a greater passion for the lost. 2 Corinthians 5:14

Yours by God’s grace in Christ,

Steve and Danelle

Nelson Newsletter – August 2010

GCM Nelson — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 01:00:58 GMT

Greetings in the name of Jesus!

We trust that you are walking with God and receiving His abundant grace to do His will. He has provided abundant grace to us this month to keep serving, even with the record temperatures almost daily reaching 100 degrees. We are so looking forward to the fall! We have been actively making disciples, serving the men and women at the rehab centers, attending small group meetings, and devoting ourselves to fervent prayer for needs here and for many of you.

Recently, we attended the wedding of two of our close friends. They both love the Lord, and will be a good example of a Christ-centered marriage in a country that so desperately needs good role models. In the photo is the new couple, Vitalic and Oksana Rizol, with Pastor Maxim Nicolaev, who conducted the ceremony. Yes, they got married on a dock on the Dnieper River on a sunny afternoon in August! Umbrellas and water bottles were essential fare to survive the hot, hour-long ceremony. It was a beautiful wedding, and Maxim shared some excellent Biblical truths that touched all our hearts.

Marriage Seminar

Maria, a businesswoman in Kiev, read Steve’s book, Secure In An Insecure World (in Russian of course), and loved it so much that she asked us to lead a marriage seminar next month. We will use Steve’s book as a supplement to the four training times at Maria’s Christian Singles Club, in hopes that many unbelievers will come and hear the gospel. We will have discussions about the need for love, respect, and trust in relationships. They will hear how Jesus Christ loves them, can forgive their sins, give them new life, and make them complete and content.

Prayer Requests

1. How to help the Rehab Center graduates successfully transition to normal life & grow.

2. Discipleship Conference Sept. 17-19 in Kiev. Several countries will be represented.

3. GC Europe Conference Sept 23-25. Pastor Doug Brown from Kansas City will teach.

4. Marriage Seminar Sept 8-15. People to be saved and begin Christ-centered marriages.

Yours in Christ’s love,

Steve and Danelle

*Please view the Running to Win video, if you have never watched it before, or want to watch it again. The link is located on the left side of the page.

Nelson Newsletter – July 2010

GCM Nelson — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 20:47:17 GMT

Dimitrov, Ukraine

Danelle and I just returned from leading a week-long sports camp in Dimitrov, a poor mining town in eastern Ukraine. The local church invited us to work with them in this outreach to the youth. Not only did dozens of teenagers and adults hear about the Lord Jesus, but God strengthened our relationship with the church there. He also did some transforming work on our character as well. The living conditions were, let’s just say, rather Spartan! David Henson, a fellow GCM missionary, participated, as well as Dima Gusar (in the yellow shirt), a young Ukrainian lawyer. This was Dima’s first mission trip, and he said he was thrilled to share the gospel for the first time. Andris (in black & red shirt), a young man from Latvia, was staying with us in Kiev, and then he traveled with us to Dimitrov. Andris had come to observe what God is doing in the Ukrainian churches and serve where needed. He said after the first day in Dimitrov, “I think God has me here to learn to live outside of my comfort zone!” We all felt that way during the week in the heat, with only very cold water available from 6-10 in the morning and evening, sometimes not even that. And there was only one “shower” (I use the term loosely) in our entire four story dormitory! Danelle happened to be reading in the book of Job that week and I told her to stop! :-) Today she shared James 1:2-4 with me. Here is the Message translation, “Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.” We trust that God will bear much fruit for His glory from our being “under pressure” for the gospel. Please pray for Igor and the church there.

“Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look on the fields, that they are white for harvest.” John 4:35 (Dima Gusar and David Henson)

Family Matters

Our recent time in America was very encouraging because we saw many of you. Steve was able to attend the installation of his brother Kurt as President of East-West Ministries in Dallas. We both traveled to Omaha for the Great Commission National Pastor’s Conference, where we enjoyed catching up with old friends.

We were refreshed through by being with my mother and our children and their spouses, as well as our grandchildren. We attended Stephanie’s graduation from the University of Georgia and Grace’s graduation from Shorter College. We were also blessed to be present for the birth of our grandson, Ezra Lydon Stansell, on June 6^th. Ezra is growing so quickly that he will be entering his first Peachtree Road Race in just a few years! Finally, Grace became engaged to Ward Bearden, and they will be married November 14^th! We thank God for Ward and how He led them to serve Him together!

Prayer Requests

1. Danelle and I will travel with Timmy and Kenyon to Odessa July 23-25 to teach and encourage the believers.

2. Wisdom to effectively disciple leaders in Kiev. Luke 6:40

3. For God’s wisdom on how to prepare the men in the rehab centers to transition to life, work, and family situations.

4. We will open a women’s rehab center. Pray this would be effective and life-changing.

5. The youth in Dimitrov who heard the gospel to get saved, and the church to love them. Pray for Vitalic, Natalie, and Artom in particular to trust Christ.

Yours in Christ’s love,

Steve and Danelle

* Please go to my Facebook page if you wish to see more pictures from our outreach in Dimitrov.

CEF Newsletter - May 2010

Cutting Edge Foundation — Mon, 10 May 2010 01:45:00 GMT

"The wilderness and the waste land shall be glad for them, and the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose…"Isaiah 35:1

When you see the photos in the newsletter, you will see why we chose the above scripture. Our team in Chad is today working in 116°F+ scorching heat and dust.

We are really excited now that the medical team members are either already living on the campus of Hôpital de Guinebor II or they are on their way. The Lord is recruiting a top quality international team, and we now plan to open the hospital in September after eight years of prayer and much hard work. Many of you readers have been a part of this journey and have seen the Lord work..

Nelson Newsletter – May 2010

GCM Nelson — Mon, 10 May 2010 01:29:01 GMT

Dear Ministry Friends,

Wow, what a crazy time of travel and ministry we have had over the past two months! I honestly don’t know how Jesus and His disciples did it. They walked everywhere! At least we traveled by train, car, or bus to cities in Ukraine, Moldova, and Romania. Jesus and His disciples walked about 25 miles one morning to Samaria. The Scripture tells us in John 4:6, “Jesus, tired as He was from the journey, sat down by the well.” Of course He was tired! But, the beautiful thing about Jesus was that He always thought about others as more important than Himself, even when He was tired and had nothing to eat. Because of this love, He shared the gospel with a Samaritan woman under these challenging circumstances! Remember, Jews did not associate with Samaritans! When His disciples returned with lunch, They were amazed to see Him speaking with a Samaritan and a woman. He said, "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work.” John 4:34 Jesus’ food was doing the will of God, it energized Him! What was the will of God in this context? It was caring enough to show respect to this sinful woman, and tell her how to find living water! He met her deepest need – for love and forgiveness!

This is the way we have felt during our travels recently, honored to take the gospel to the thirsty, hurting and lonely. Timmy and I have traveled to numerous cities to help new house churches and share Christ whenever possible. We are thankful that our wives joined us in this ministry on several occasions. Yes, it has been physically exhausting, but spiritually we have been well fed. Our souls were satisfied by doing His work.

DIMITROV, UKRAINE


Timmy teaching organic church principles	Galina, Kristian, & Victor - my new running buddy	Marina, a Ukrainian missionary

ROMANIA

Razvan, Steve and Tudor in Lasi, Romania

My uncle Dave recently told me about a Romanian student, Razvan, who he met on the internet. He suggested I contact him by e-mail, which I did. Timmy and I were taking a trip to Moldova to teach a conference. We were going to be relatively close to Lasi, Romania (pronounced Yash), where Razvan lived, and so I prayed about God giving us an opportunity to meet him. Timmy and I traveled in a public van 3.5 hours to meet Razvan and his friend Tudor. We had a wonderful time getting to know them, their city and country. They were very kind and gracious to show us around for several hours. While we ate on the 15^th floor of a hotel, looking out over the entire city, we shared with them how Jesus Christ changed our lives, how He loved them, and how they too could know Him. They were very open and we had a great discussion. Please pray for God to show them the difference between religion and a personal relationship with Him through Christ. They told us there are 50,000 students in Lasi, and most of them speak English. They also said they did not know of any Christian ministry at these universities! Pray for any future work God may have for us in Romania.

“Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look on the fields, that they are white for harvest.” John 4:35

PRAYER REQUESTS

We will be in the US for 6 weeks for the graduations of our daughters Stephanie and Grace from college and the birth of our grandson, Whitney and Micah’s first child.

Quality time with our seven children, spouses, other family members, and friends.
For Whitney to have a safe delivery and healthy baby.
We would know God’s plans for possible trips to Kharkov & Russia when we return June 19^th.
We will go to Moldova for a Simple Church camp July 4-9. Pray for wisdom in preparation for teaching as well as God’s leading in bringing who he wants to be there.
Effective transition of the new believers at the Rehab center to normal life. Recently, we opened a 2^nd center. Praise God for the 25 men have come to Christ in the past 18 months! Pray for plans to open a women’s center.
Ask God to save Razvan, Tudor, and many of other Romanian students.
Please pray for any future involvement in Romania.

Yours in Christ’s love,

Steve and Danelle

Nelson Newsletter – April 2010

GCM Nelson — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 22:37:50 GMT

Dear Ministry Partners,

This month we decided to do something different. Danelle recently wrote two devotionals for Faithwalkers based on our ministry in Ukraine. We thought you would enjoy them!

GALINA

It is hard to believe that we have lived in Ukraine for nearly 5 years! Our first two years were spent intensely studying Russian with our teacher, Galina. During our first year of class, Galina’s father died suddenly, leaving her as the only caretaker for her invalid mother. Galina’s mother was very unhappy and difficult, and demanded her constant attention. God had given us a special love for Galina, and she for us, but her circumstances motivated us to pray for her even more. While we knew it was likely that we would rarely see each other after we finished our two years of Russian, but we knew we would always be friends.

Many times we spoke with Galina about God’s loved for her personally; about Christ’s death on the cross for her sins. Although she was interested, she wasn’t ready to make a commitment to Christ. And so, it was with great joy that we recently received the news that Galina had become a Christian. We went to see her last week, and we all cried and laughed as she told us her story. She said, “One day I was complaining to myself that I was all alone and without hope. Then I heard God’s voice in my heart say “Who’s alone? I’m with you!!” At that moment I knew it was true and I gave my life to God.” While we weren’t the only ones who shared the gospel with Galina over the years, she said our love and care, and discussions about salvation by grace, were a vital part of her decision to become a Christian.

SASHA

“Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.” II Corinthians 9:6

A young lawyer named Sasha attended one of our English clubs. Many times we would weave the gospel through our lessons. Sasha even met with Steve privately a few times to ask questions about how to know God, but like Galina, he was interested, but not ready. That is until his roommate had a dream in which Sasha died. Sasha took it to heart, and realized that if he had died, he would have gone to hell. At this point he started to reflect on the things Steve had shared with him about having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, and immediately decided to trust Jesus as his Lord and Savior. Sasha has continued to grow as a new follower of Christ. Just last week he and Steve had lunch together, because he wanted to learn how to more effectively communicate the gospel with his family.

As I have reflected on our afternoon with Galina, and Steve’s lunch with Sasha, I am reminded that these times are just a sneak preview of what heaven is going to be like. We will see people that we have shared Christ with who later became Christians, but we never knew it! Or we will see others we have lost touch with who have continued to be faithful and obedient to Christ. In heaven we will be able to hear all the stories when we meet together again! Our hearts will be exploding with so much joy and happiness that we will barely be able to stand it!

Finally, when I think of people like Galina and Sasha, it motivates me to notice the people around me and recognize they ARE either going to be in heaven or hell. God will use every instance that we show love to someone, take a risk, and tell them about Jesus. We may see the results on this earth – or maybe not until heaven! Therefore, let’s sow bountifully!

PRAYER REQUESTS

Our trip to Odessa April 21-25^th to train the new house churches.
Our trip to Moldova April 30– May 3 helping with house churches.
Wisdom to help City on a Hill church here in Kiev, & the group meeting Tuesday night.
Wisdom about a sports camp here in June, & simple church training in Moldova in July.
Effective transition of the new believers at the Rehab center into ministry in normal life. We just opened a 2^nd center. Praise God for the 25 men have come to Christ in the past 18 months!
Continued health & a safe delivery for our daughter Whitney & our new grandson, who is due in early June.

Yours in Christ’s love,

Steve and Danelle

Nelson Newsletter – February 2010

GCM Nelson — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 02:00:42 GMT

3 New Churches in Odessa God has led Timmy Powers and I to be more involved in starting new churches outside of Kiev. We believe He wants us to be more catalytic. Recently, we took our second trip to Odessa to help three new house churches. Misha, Gennady and their wives are leading these new works. Lately, they have been sharing the good news with people in the hospital. Good men! We plan to return with our wives March 5-7. Please pray for God to lead us during this time.


Misha playing guitar	Gennady & his wife Lena	The joy of the Lord is their strength

Baptism of 7 New Believers It was a joy to see these new Christians celebrate their new life by being baptized, especially because we know them personally, and we have been praying for their salvation! Bagdon is baptizing Oksana, one of the orphans living at Safe Haven, where Bagdon & Anya are the house parents.

Trip to Dniprodzerjenck (Easy for them to say!) Timmy and I just returned from…yeah, that place. Victor, a local pastor, invited us to come encourage the church, and the students at their mission school. He shares our desire to start new churches- they have already sent out missionaries. I was able to speak with the students about relationships, and how to be secure in God and His love. One young man poured out his heart to us afterwards. He expressed his deep gratitude for the teaching and our time with him.

Sports Camp - June 25-July 4 This camp is to build relationships with teenagers, and to share Christ with them in a variety of ways. If you are interested in coming to help, please contact me. We need you!

Our Prayer Requests:

Misha & Gennady, as they lead the new house churches in Odessa.
Timmy, Kenyon, Danelle & I as we travel March 5-7 to serve in Odessa.
Wisdom and grace to effectively train disciples all over Ukraine and beyond.
For our future ministry of starting new churches with Victor in Dniprodzerjenck.

Yours in our Savior’s love,

Steve and Danelle

CEF Newsletter - November 2009

Cutting Edge Foundation — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 18:14:00 GMT

"Oh come, Let us sing to the Lord! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving. Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms. For the Lord is the great God, and the great King above all gods."Psalms 95:1-3

We at the CEF ministry, are so very thankful to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and to our faithful supporters who have partnered with us through prayer and financial giving. We hope that this newsletter and project update blesses your heart as you see how the work has continued at the Guinebor II Hospital near N’Djamena, Chad.

Nelson Newsletter – January 2010

GCM Nelson — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 22:01:11 GMT

New Year… New Decade… New Hope… New Love!

There can be something inspiring and spiritually healthy about a new year. It gives us an opportunity to evaluate our lives; what we have done, and what we want to change - a fresh start. I just finished reading Jeremiah’s prophecy about the Lord’s judgment on Judea and Israel for their rebellion. It was a depressing and hopeless time for God’s people. Then, on January 1^st, I read Lamentations 3:21-24, Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, "The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him." The Lord has a great love for you! His compassions toward us never fail – they never stop! May we all trust in His unfailing love every day of this New Year. I encourage you to remember this and rest in His love every morning!

Christmas in Ukraine

We thank God for making it possible for our daughters, Merry and Grace, to be able to come to Kiev for Christmas. We enjoyed many hours together in our apartment, attending house church, walking in the snow-covered forest, taking in The Nutcracker at the opera house, and running together. They were able to reconnect with their high school friends on many occasions as well.

House Church Growth

Danelle and I have been encouraged by the openness and desire to grow among our house church friends. These men pictured here are all young professionals, and the girls are former orphans who are presently enrolled at the university. Please pray for them by name to embrace God’s vision for reaching the lost and making disciples in Ukraine. Pray for us to love them unconditionally, understand their needs, and build their faith.


Lena, Ivan, Grace, Oksana & Irina	Oksana and Merry	Vitalic & Dima

Awaken 2010

God brought 150 people from all over Europe to Spain for the 2010 Awaken conference. The theme was 24/7 Life in the Kingdom. We heard stimulating teaching, had practical workshops, and had rich fellowship together. I had the privilege of teaching one of the main sessions on How to be People of Influence, as well as leading a workshop on Preparing for Marriage. Our faith was strengthened by believers from all over Europe who also want to influence their world for Christ. Thank you for praying for us!

New Territory… New Requests

Please pray for us as we work with Timmy and Kenyon Powers to begin new house churches and strengthen existing ones in Odessa and several other cities in Ukraine. We will be taking extended trips to train believers in Ukraine and Moldova beginning the last week of January. We need God’s grace. We want to see God make many disciples who will commit to reaching others with the gospel.

Thank you to everyone who gave a special gift at the end of last year. Thank you to all of you who give faithfully each month. Thank you to everyone who remembers us in prayer before God! We are sustained by your efforts of love. May God bless you as you live 24/7 in the Kingdom!

Yours in Christ’s love,

Steve and Danelle

Nelson Newsletter – December 2009

GCM Nelson — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 05:06:39 GMT

Merry Christmas from Ukraine! –Thanksgiving was last week. I thanked God for each of you on our team! Like Paul said, “We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints.” Colossians 1:3-4 Now we

Thanksgiving with our house church

are looking forward to celebrating the birth of our Lord and Savior! God is love! He loved us so much that he gave us a Gift - His only Son Jesus to die on the cross for our sins. He wanted to make it possible for us to have a relationship with Him through simple repentance and faith. Salvation is a free gift! But, as we know, it cost God everything! We pray that this season you will rejoice in our Savior and look for His second coming each day of the New Year!

Secure In An Insecure World published in Russian! This is the cover. A Ukrainian friend who lives in London wrote, “Steve, just wanted to say how proud am I to know you and to have an opportunity in the past to work with you. Your book is amazing opportunity not just to improve on one's marriage but also to be re-assured in Christ love. And, those Christian who failed in the past (btw this subject is hardly raised) to be re-engaged with Christ and even more believe in his Power and Word and for others get to know the Lord and be saved. I live in the West London, and how little people know God in this part of the world, I mean West Europe. I think I had such a privilege to be born in Kiev and to get to know Christ and saved.” Christmas Gift Idea: Order a copy of Secure In An Insecure World (in English of course) for your friends! It could change their lives! Go to www.gcmnelson.com to order today and receive it before Christmas!

You know that I seldom speak about money in these letters, but this is the time of year when people are looking for ways to give. Our support has dropped off over this past year with the economic crisis. Please consider sending a special gift for our ministry. Here is the address:

Great Commission Ministries
PO Box 7101
Winter Park, Florida 32793-7101

Thank you to those who have faithfully supported us over the years! It means so much to us, and even more to the Lord!

Church Conference in Odessa Timmy Powers and I took 14 men from Kiev down to Odessa. We taught a conference on the church to several small groups of believers. They recently began to function under Christ’s headship (leadership), to meet in homes, and encourage each member to participate. A group of 15 believers also came from Moldova to join us. Timmy, myself, Stas from Moldova, and Maxim Nickolaev (pictured at right), each taught. It was a rich time studying God’s word together and enjoying fellowship with like-minded men and women. Thank you for your prayers. Please continue to pray for them! They are charting new waters with God.

Please Pray For:

The Ukrainian leaders we mentor to be humble, teachable and walk with Jesus daily.
The Awaken Conference Jan. 2-6. Steve will be speaking several times.
Grace and Merry are coming to Kiev for Christmas & we will attend Awaken together. Pray for God to make this short time of growing in our love for each other and Jesus.
God to powerfully use Steve’s book to save unbelievers & transform believers.

With Christ’s Love,

Steve and Danelle

Nelson Newsletter – October 2009

GCM Nelson — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 15:31:52 GMT

Fall Greetings from Ukraine – What a beautiful time of the year- its cooler, the leaves are changing and its harvest time! Fortunately, Steve now has a Nimbus 2000 to zip around Kiev and avoid all the terrible traffic! An owl brought it last month for his birthday.

European Summit We met in Berlin last month for our annual leadership summit. These are the men with whom I am linked heart and soul to make disciples and plant churches in Europe. Herschel Martindale, (centered on the couch) along with Joe Dunn, (back row -4^th from right) came to participate with us. Discipleship, leadership and equipping others were discussed, and we had excellent times praying for the Lord to send out workers into the harvest.

Discipleship on the Run Danelle, Ivan and I went to Germany, where Ivan and I ran the Cologne marathon on October 4^th. Ivan’s first marathon! Training with Ivan over the past six months afforded us numerous opportunities for fellowship. God used this time to build this young man’s new faith, as well as mine! Two are better than one! The believers in the Cologne were very kind and supportive. We enjoyed excellent fellowship with Lori Goering, the Fords, and the Bonnets.

Secure In An Insecure World in Russian soon! It has been translated, and will soon be published in Russian! Thank you so much for praying with us for this project. The truths have already transformed the lives of many Ukrainians who read the English version. A resent testimony from a young man:

“I will be sending a copy of your book to someone who I love dearly. Would you please pray for her? She is trying to find herself right now and I am praying and hoping that God will reveal Himself to her and guide her into His will for her life. Thank you for your ministry, and may God bless you.”

Please Pray For:

Many from City on a Hill Church to embrace discipleship.
These disciples to multiply and many unbelievers turn to Christ.
The young adults we meet with on Tuesday night would take real steps of faith.
Our child raising conference October 31^st would equip young families.

Yours for Christ!

Steve and Danelle

Nelson Newsletter – September 2009

GCM Nelson — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 13:19:11 GMT

Clemson Community Church Reunion “As for the saints who are in the earth, they are the majestic ones in whom is all my delight.” Psalm 16:3 In August over 200 majestic ones (and their children) gathered in Clemson for our church reunion. God started the church 35 years ago through Herschel and Mardean Martindale, who also attended the celebration. Everyone agreed that it was a rich time of fellowship, worship and testimonies of God’s faithfulness. All praise to Jesus Christ for the transformed lives, disciples, and churches planted from our humble beginnings! Special thanks to the Smiths, Barrie Sergio, Kirby Player, Clemson Community Church and countless others who worked hard to make this a memorable time.

Our Daughter’s Wedding Stephanie and David Shirley were married on August 8^th. “What God has joined together,” is exactly the miracle we observed on that special day. It was a beautiful celebration of God’s grace and love. Stephanie plans to graduate in May from UGA with a degree in Education, and David with a Masters in Counseling. Please pray for the new couple as they adjust to marriage and finish their degrees while living in Athens, Georgia.

Visiting Supporters Danelle and I were able to meet with many of you personally, as well speaking at Riverbend Community Church, the Rock KSU (photo) and Sanctuary Baptist Church. Thank you to everyone for your kindness and love this summer. It is always refreshing to experience sweet fellowship and to sing songs to Jesus in English! We wish we could have met will all of you. Maybe we will be able to next time we are in town.

Book Signing Steve had his first book signing at Sweet Spirit Christian Bookstore in Atlanta. It was fun and successful. His book is being translated into Russian with the goal of printing it this fall. Please pray for the translation to be excellent and for God to use it in the Russian speaking world to build secure, Christ-centered people and marriages. If you are interested in purchasing a copy, please go to our website, www.gcmnelson.com. All of the proceeds will be used to print the book in Russian. One friend in Dallas bought 6 copies for Christmas gifts.

Ministry in Ukraine – Year 5! Wow! We are starting our fifth year of ministry in Ukraine. God has given us a clear vision of what He wants us to do – make disciples of Jesus who will make disciples. It is simple, but will take 100% of our devotion and love, the Holy Spirit and the grace of God. We also need your prayers, your fervent prayers! Please intercede for us & our disciples.

Yours in the love of Jesus Christ,

Steve and Danelle

Care Givers Housing

Cutting Edge Foundation — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 21:24:00 GMT

Skip Piotrski, building contractor and CEF board member leaves the first week of September for Chad to supervise the construction of the care-givers housing at Hopital de Guinebor ll. Skip and his wife Stephanie, a nurse, both serve on the CEF Board of Directors. They live in Indiana.

CEF Newsletter - Summer 2009

Cutting Edge Foundation — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 16:19:00 GMT

"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen."Ephesians 3:20-21

The above scripture expresses our heart as the Lord continues to abundantly bless the CEF ministry. It is now time to introduce you to some of the members of the CEF international team. The Lord is bringing together servants from different languages, nations and continents with a wide variety of gifts, training and skills. I suspect this is just a hint of how it will be in the heavenly kingdom when we gather around the throne of grace.