Julie in words

Sometimes all it takes is a rainbow, a sunny day, a warm breeze, an afternoon with friends or a child's smile... all it takes is something small for me to realize once again that something big. God is beyond me sometimes and I am honored to have been called to be his daughter and follow this life he has set out in front of me. Life lately has blown my mind, humbled my heart and completely challenged my faith.

Soon I will be flying over to the Big Island to take the SLS crew on their adventure trip, than to Sri Lanka, than to Indonesia and back to Oahu. My place here teaching the SLS crew is crazy amazing and I'm stoked to see what God has next on this adventure for sure. God is so present in this place it's amazing.

I know there are a lot of you including my friends and family that wish they would hear from me more but there is a balance. The more time I spend updating my blog, e-mail, facebooking, and calling the less time I am spending with those I have been called to here. I wish I had time to blog every day ... actually I really don't, I love how busy God keeps me. But I guess this is more of me saying I apologize for not being better at staying in touch but please trust me I do the very best I can.

A bit into my heart.

I live on a first world island in a third world society. There may be a Starbucks within every mile you drive, but stuck between the drive through and sun kissed tourists you will find the true Hawaii. From where I stand I see those tucked in, unseen and I am one of them. The rubbish fills the crevasses of the streets; the shoes hang from the wires signaling the drugs available and the rain drips through the tattered roof. My neighbors suffer from addiction. Addicted to every substance, every hurt, and every consuming option that could possibly pull them from the reality they live. I fall asleep to the shouts, the shots, the sirens - it all becomes white noise as the months pass. I pray the next morning I won’t find the after math of the night before. They call this street “blood alley”, they won’t even drive this block, they act as if we don’t exist, and they stay silent. They are those - the ones that think Hawaii is simply sun, surf and palm trees. I wish they could just listen. I wish they would simply stand where I stand. If they could only see what I see, feed those who I feed, love those who I love. Then…then when I tell them I live in Hawaii to reach the unreachable, love the unloved, feed the hungry, tutor the unschooled, take in the homeless and spread Christ’s love over them. Then they would understand that my Hawaii is different. Maybe then they would too sit in prayer for those in our own country that need Jesus. I pray that today God you send your angels to protect me as I walk these streets. I pray that I am covered in your armor and s I choose you each and every day, as I choose you  - they do too. Wake up and choose Christ for he as called upon your life.

This is me. This is my life. This is a little opening into the door that has swung wide open to this journey God is guiding me through.  If I could sit down with each and every one of you for a few hours than maybe you may have a small understanding of God’s presence in this dark area. But until that day comes this letter must be the spark that I pray ignites that fire within to jump on board. Though this is my neighborhood today soon my surrounding will change, soon I will no longer be on the streets of Wahiawa but the dirt of Aragum Bay. Soon the language barrier will be as evident as the heavy hot air.  Soon my home will be a tent, my clothes will be appropriate for the Muslim culture, my days will be filled with hot tea and curry and my life will drastically change. My life will soon change but this change I am stoked for, this change is what I Know God has called me to embrace and I’m as ready as you can be for something I believe you can never be ready for. Nothing can prepare me but prayer.

And if they change of Sri Lanka wasn’t enough, my path winds in a new direction for the month of July. After a gnarly month in Sri Lanka sweating bullets every minute, swatting flies off my face and digging reef from my hands I fly over to Indonesia. The humidity may lighten, the flies may too but the drastic culture change will once again take a turn. Our mission may stay the same but our means of communicating it all will change. Just as I may becoming slightly adjusted to the ways of the Sri Lankan woman I will be getting on a plane and flying over to Indonesia for a month. My team will change, my surroundings won’t be the same, my body will be taxed, my emotions running high, my spirit will be in need of renewing but I know God has called me and I’m willing to go.

I am willing but still on me knees in prayer. Will you join me as I diligently pray for the following.

: Finances (1,000 dollars to cover needed shots + ground fees while traveling) (committed monthly supporters for the rest of my commitment - Deceember [$500 a month total] )

: Protection (Over myself and the team during all of our time)

: Guidance (I want to be used in all situations, from the traveling to the people I know God has a plan)

: Strength/Endurance/Encouragement: (I pray that I will wake up renewed each morning)

: Health (I pray that my health isn’t an issue again and that I am never hindered from doing God’s work to the fullest)

So as you may have gathered my time here in Hawaii has opened my eyes to another culture within our country. The calling God has on my life is undeniable and where my heads rests at night is where I must call home, for now my home changes and my feet keep walking. In less than a month I will be traveling to the nations but that is simply two months out of this year commitment to Surfing The Nations. When I’m not flying to the ends of this earth I am here in Wahiawa. If I would to sit and write to you all that I do here this letter would quickly turn into a book. Please take the time to reach out to me as I have taken to reach out to you if you would like to understand more of what God has called me to do.

Please partner with me as I pray for the finances to be delivered before I fly out to the nations. This letter is to simply ask you to open your eyes to the things that God has revealed to me. My mission is not only in Wahiawa, Sri Lanka nor Indonesia. My mission is not an event but a lifestyle. My mission is to lead, live and serve like Jesus. I am called to love God and love people and if I can get those two things straight I am doing as Jesus asked us to do. 

1 Peter 4:8 “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.”

Luke 10:27  “He answered: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'"

Matthew 28:19 “Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.”

With all of my heart,

Julie Nelson

http://epicescapade.blogspot.com/ (keep updated on my blog)

Julie.nelson@surfingthenations.com (e-mail if you want info / my monthly newsletter)

http://surferschurch.com/nelson (to send support via online with tax receipt)

1.503.440.7836

(Send Checks To)                                                     (Write Checks To)

Julie Nelson                                                             Surfers Church - you will receive a tax receipt

c/o Surfing The Nations

PO Box 860366

Wahiawa, Hawaii

96786