This is a privilege.

“If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans, even there your hand will guide me, and your strength with support me.”

Psalms 139:9-10

[This is a privilege. This is my calling. This is my passion. This is my life]

This is what I am made for. If I could give you two words to describe my life in the latest update it would be “Dreams and Discipleship”. It has been a dream of mine since I was a kid to be able to write for Surfer Magazine and after college that dream became career minded. When I came to join Surfing The Nations my degree took a backseat, or so I thought. I felt as if I had to “give up” so much when I decided to stay full time in ministry. But little did I know that I was soon to learn the lesson that you can never out give the Lord.

In April I was given the opportunity to lead a Surf Camp for the youth of the West side of the island, through this opportunity came the blessing of a lifetime. Bryan Jennings of Walking On Water and John Cobian of Cobian Sandals partnered with Surfing The Nations and sponsored a portion of our youth camp. With this sponsorship I was asked to write the Cobian advertisement in the August issue of Surfer Magazine.

The advertisement highlights our surf camp and the text is my testimony of what I do at Surfing The Nations. The reality of this hit me when I was in Sweden this past month and I picked up this issue. Across the world, in the most well known surf magazine, my story and the glory of God is being spread. It may take years for me to realize the dream that just happened.

I was on cloud nine of God’s crazy provision. The Surf Camp was a massive success, a leadership training ground and a place to fail forward from my mistakes. The summer was rapidly approaching and that meant Summer Challenge 2012.

It took twenty teenagers, two and half weeks and my life was impacted forever. Summer Challenge is a program designed to wreck the stubborn, ignite the lukewarm and bring reality to the adventurous Father God we follow. Drenching these kids with the Hawaiian culture, love for prayer, heart to learn and the fervor for a life lived for Christ – us leaders seem to walk away more changed than the students could imagine. Each and every one of the Summer Challengers touched my heart and opened my eyes to a responsibility of discipleship I will always strive to walk in. I know what it is like to have someone speak boldly into your life and I hope I too could have that impact.

When I was a sophomore in college at the University of Oregon I met the Riley family and from that day on my life was never the same. The mentorship gained from Stephanie and the patience and acceptance received from the entire family has left a stain of mentorship and lifestyle ministry I want in my life. This last opportunity of leadership has allowed me to walk freely in that call on my life. Getting on the airplane for Sweden was both exciting and impossible knowing I was leaving 20 amazing kids that had changed my life. Thank you Summer Challenge for ruining me for the good and opening my eyes to a major calling on my life. I ask you to pray for this crew to stay on fire for the Lord and to be agents of change in their communities back home. I also ask you to pray for me that I would learn to love like Christ and continue to fear nothing but the Lord.

Caleb, Sarah Sims, Libbie, Adam, Kiley, Jonathon, Kelley, Jessica, Michaela, Travis, Dakotah, Emma, Trent, Katie, Dallas, Alex, Tristen, Zeke, Maddi and Emily thank you for leaving a legacy and allowing me to lead you. My heart is forever molded by your hands and thankful for your investment.

            Somewhere over the great Pacific, our plane headed to Sweden and my hands grabbed the stack of letters from those who snuck them in my bags as I said my goodbyes.  Tears began to roll down my cheeks before the first one was even unfolded and my heart start to beat faster as the first line I read was, “ To my Stephanie”. I am humbled by the knowledge that God has used me to speak boldly into the lives of those you see above and I am brought to my knees in thankfulness I was blessed by the time I had with them.

            Sweden was another dream come true that was planted two years ago and came to reality July 16^th 2012. We left for Sweden to assist in establishing STN Sweden, help the Eriksson family move in as they commit full time over seas, reconnect with old friends and make new ones along the way. Go showed up in crazy ways as He always does and I was reminded of His fun way of showing His power and grace.

 (This photo is my dream list that I wrote August 14^th, 2011)

We took a five-day trip to Ireland to establish a Surf Outreach for STN Sweden to pioneer in the future. Five years ago I met a woman that would eventually drive us to Londonderry, Ireland and the spider web of connections and divine appointments would confirm our reason to be in Londonderry in search of a community in the rise of transformation. While we were in Ireland we met countless connections, arranged meetings to establish structure for the future outreaches and connected with Cornerstone Church. While with Cornerstone we had the opportunity to take their youth to the coast for a day of surf lessons. Yet again God giving me another dream come true.

 On our way back to Sweden to wrap up the trip we had an eight-hour lay over in London. These eight hours turned into one of the most God orchestrated moments of my life. A good friend of mine from college, Cyrus, was competing in the Olympic games and he happened to have the day off while we were in London on our layover. We got to meet up with him and spend a few hours reconnecting. My absolute favorite moment was when we got to pray for Cyrus as we stood deep in the London Tube Line. A place that is usually busy, loud and full of people too busy to even make eye contact all of a sudden went silent and still. All that I could hear was the sound of our prayers being blasted echoing against the walls of the underground railways. I am amazed by God’s reasons for everything.

The rest of the time in Sweden was an amazing ending to an intense 5 weeks. Within my five weeks away, I met some of the most beautiful souls, experienced a spiritually heavy culture unlike any other before and engraved another adventure on my road map of epic trails with Jesus. Thank you to all those who made this outreach memorable and thank you for those who opened their homes to us as we try to find Jesus in every corner and share Him in every moment.

 And a big Mahalo to those who supported me and made this trip possible, your investment is the pebble in the lake that ripples with endless affect.

“ Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord and he will do this:”

Psalms 37:4-5

On an adventure with Him,

Julie Nelson

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 julie.nelson@surfingthenations.com

1.503.440.7836

 Julie Nelson

C/O Surfing The Nations

Po Box 860366

Wahiawa, Hawaii

96786