Category Archives: Parenting

Nelson’s journal 4/1-2/22  

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Always looking forward, Nelson tries to tackle a couple of issues that are still up in the air. They’ve decided to leave Hawaii and their ministry for the summer but need a couple to step in for them with their Kokua Crew. It’s a big job, and not too many people want to take it on. The whole thing is complicated by continuing Covid rules and restrictions in Hawaii.

Then there’s the trip to meet the extended family in Kentucky around the 4th of July, to visit the Ark Encounter as a group of 28. Should it be a flight? A car rental? Or a motor home from the West Coast to the Midwest?

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April 1, 2022    

Everything I hear about this so called Pandemic and how it’s going to be handled in the future it terrifying, and I keep telling myself that we are on the way out and hopefully things will stay somewhat “normal” from now on. Somehow, I know it’s not true. We are in for a real ordeal I think.

I sit here after a night awake with our little man. He’s eating a lot now, and he’s healthy and doing super good. I think he’s like me, restless and ready for non-stop action. I hope we can handle him. Haha.

April 2, 2022   

What season is it? This week’s sermon is about knowing what time it is. What is God saying? Is there a prophetic voice to listen to? What should we be gathering? Or what should we be casting away?

Ann Sophie and I have all these cars and mopeds. We don’t have property. Possessions can help you, but they can tie you down. We insure the cars, pay for fuel. It’s fun, but maybe it’s time to thin the herd a little.

Bates [Klaus] left Hawaii yesterday. I am trying to think of someone to run Hale Ola while we’re gone this Summer. We offered it to a few folks, but now we have no one. Is there anyone else, Lord? Who else could run this thing?

I feel the Kokua Crew are the ones to think about here. You put together the staff teams, Lord, and I know you bring the participants. You have done it over and over, and I know you will do it this time, too.

I pray for the right people to run the place over the Summer while we are gone, and for us to get the best Toyota motor home for our trip that we can, with the money we have. I am grateful for the idea in the first place.

We have always dreamed of going across America in a motor home, and it seems like our trip of choice. Thank you for making it possible. Help me decide if it’s better to get the motor home in advance or just to buy it on the way. You know all things, and we are thankful for your leading.

Thank you that Bob is willing to lead the Easter Sunrise Service as we pass the church off to the next group. Thank you for allowing us to be there for this length of time. Thank you that we are not going to be the ones to close it after all, but that, in your grace and mercy, you have given us the chance to pass it off to other believers.

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“The Lord, he is the One who goes before you…” (Deuteronomy 31:8)

Nelson’s journal 3/31/22  

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Though Nelson feels sick in a variety of ways, he doesn’t dwell on that in this journal entry. Instead he focuses on the positive and the many ways God has blessed him.

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March 31, 2022    

Getting on, or staying on the right path is one of the biggest prayer requests people probably have. We are in the 3rd week of being parents. It’s going pretty good and seems pretty obvious that our little guy is like me, a little restless and likes action and has a thick skin.

Our Little Red Church is handing over the land to the owners of that land on Easter Sunday. It will be our last time meeting there as a Baptist congregation. I think it’s weird how things come to an end like that. We are ready for it to end, but it still doesn’t feel that great to have pastored a church for 6 years and at the end of my time, it closed. I guess it’s ok and God knew it would be that way from the beginning.

Annso and I have been thinking of leaving Hawaii for the entire Summer. We want to buy a Toyota motor home and travel from California to the Ark [in Kentucky] where we will meet the rest of the family in early July.

Then after that, we head overseas to Germany and finish at the Brentwood retreat in England, then back to the US mainland. We could take the RV back across the country and either sell it in the west or actually ship it back here to Hawaii.

It would be nice to have a break from Kokua Crew and hang out like a family for a while, just the 3 of us. After that, we might have a clearer idea of what to do, either coming back to Hawaii or calling it quits and going to Michigan and buying a house. And I become a fixit man. lol. Probably some kind of call on my life toward ministry.

I am thankful for our little baby, for Annso’s patient and sweet spirit. I am thankful that Will is healthy, that Mom was able to come out, that Bates [Klaus, left] was able to come out too.

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“The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance.”(Proverbs 21:5)

Nelson’s journal 3/26/22

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In the 13 days since Nelson last wrote in his journal, their baby had finally arrived. Though Ann Sophie labored hard for many hours in their apartment, assisted by two midwives, in the end it was a race to the hospital at midnight to make it happen. And Nelson “forcefully insisted” he be at Ann Sophie’s side through the emergency C-section, despite Covid rules.

 They named their little boy Willard Nelson Nyman—after his father Nelson, his grandfather Willard Nathan Nyman, and his great grandfather, Willard Nelson Nyman. It was exciting to see how they honored three generations with their name choice. They’ll call him Will.

The name Willard means “strong desire,” and their prayer was for little Will to have a strong desire for the Lord.

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March 26, 2022     

Day 12 of life with Little Will. We have John Hartley back with us. I’ll help him change the serpentine belt on his Jeep later this morning.

It’s really cool to have a son. Something I wrote off as probably not happening because it was too late, and because I messed up my life too much to get a woman young enough to bear children, or even be interested. God, you are so good to us.

You have put me into a place I could never have imagined. You have given me a girl beyond my dreams and a son. The Kokua Crew we have is amazing and the job here is even more than I would have imagined. Thank you for everything and for the things I don’t even know about.

Thank you that Annso survived the birth in good shape. Thank you that Mom was able to come out here and get a list for her prayer journal and that she and Annso talked about everything. Thank you for my rock solid heritage.

I pray for the service tomorrow that we can have a good turnout and that you would be found at our church. I pray for Jimmy [intern] and my service at the church in these last 4 weeks.

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“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord.” (Jeremiah 17:7)