Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

We had a White Christmas, although nobody else around us did:

Here’s how that happened:

My brother Jody was thinking that our odds of a White Christmas for the foreseeable future are pretty low, as in Mozambique Christmas is in summer and usually 90-100 degrees.  Uncle Jody came up with a magical surprise.  He woke up early Christmas morning (think earlier than kids who don’t sleep because they’re so excited for Christmas early), drove my mom’s truck up into the mountains Mount Baker, and loaded it full of snow.  He arrived with perfect timing as the truck pulled onto the lawn just as Diego was awakening.  Holly’s family was also in town from Texas so it was a huge family adventure!

I’ve been reflecting on the Christmas story a lot since I met a friend for breakfast last week to talk about MAF and missions.  We had started talking about the story of the wise men, and the star of Bethlehem.  It was probably not some huge cosmic spotlight as we usually see depicted – it seems that no one in Israel even noticed it (Herod had to ask when it had appeared, and even when the wise men left Herod and went to Bethlehem, it seems they were alone in following it).  It is much more likely to be some sort of astrological sign which was so significant the magi were willing to spend months and riches to follow it and bring gifts.  A link to a few good candidates for the magi’s star/sign: http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-20730828

But if it was just a “normal” astronomical event isn’t the story a huge disappointment in place of our miracle star story?  Just the opposite in my opinion. It is so powerful that when God created the heavens and set the stars and planets in their place, He orchestrated them to do exactly what they needed to do to draw the pagan wise men to Himself.  From before creation He had a plan to reach the nations through even the birth of Christ!  Before this year I’ve always missed how the story of the star is missional. 

If you’re interested in how almost all of the Bible’s stories are missional and how they really are a part of one epic story stretching from Genesis to Revelation, you can listen to a sermon I preached on the topic here: http://naceswithmaf.blogspot.com/p/blog-page.html.  Or better yet, go take a Perspectives class: https://class.perspectives.org/.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

The Newest Nace

Mr. Lucas Charles Nace was born at 9:38 this morning via a C-section.  Both Lucas and Holly are doing great now.  He weighed in at 8 lbs 2 oz and is 19 inches long.  Holly is thrilled because he was born on the day she guessed - five days late - Saturday the 15th!  Below are some pictures of the little guy as well as a short run down on the birth.

Holly went into labor around 2:00 am, woke me up about 4:00 for showers, and we arrived at the hospital a little after 5:00 for check-in.  When I woke him up to take him to Grandma, Diego had been really excited to learn his little brother was coming and said "I would LOVE to go!"  Thankfully he settled for sleeping more with Grandma and visiting later in the day.

Things were progressing well, although from Holly's back pain the nurses suspected Lucas was sunny side up.  (Diego had also been in this position.)  Her water broke around 6:40 with meconium and the anesthesiologist strongly recommended an epidural in case we had to go to a C-section.  We got that arranged and Holly was able to relax enough to get a little sleep.  She woke back up around 8:30 and things started progressing faster again, although Lucas' heart rate dropped with every contraction.  Then about 9:00 his heart rate started dropping pretty dramatically during a contraction and we got about 10 people rushing into the room.  They put Holly on oxygen, and flipped her into a different position which somewhat stabilized things, but it was time to go for a C-section.

They got Holly in pretty fast, and since she already had the epidural I was able to come back (although they did not let me watch the actual cutting/removing like they did in Costa Rica with Diego.  I was much more tired/starving this time though, so maybe that was good).  When they got Lucas out he was not breathing, which initially was OK as they wanted to clear the meconium out, but he did not start afterwards and his heart rate was low (they had about four people working on him).  It was rather nerve wracking to watch, especially since we could not see Lucas through the crowd.  They used a respirator on him and stimulated him a little to get the heart rate up, and in just over a minute he started breathing on his own.  Turns out he WAS sunny side up and the cord was slightly below him to where it was compressed with every contraction.

He and I went the the nursery where they monitored him for a couple hours while they sewed Holly up.  A little while after recovery Diego came to visit and meet his little brother.  Diego was pumped to meet Lucas and give him a present he had picked.  Then he was REALLY excited to get a present "from Lucas" - a Planes 2 Fire and Rescue BLADE RANGER!  (That is how he would explain it).  As Lucas slept all the way through the meeting, who can blame Diego for being more spellbound with the helicopter than the baby?  There were also visits from Grandma (my mom), Uncle Jody and Grandma Great.

Thank you for all your prayers!  Praise the Lord for a healthy little guy to hold and love on. 

A Look at Our Timeline

 

Currently we are in Washington State, working on building up our partnership team.  This is people who are committed to praying for us and/or supporting our ministry.  We have the privilege of meeting with many different individuals, families and churches to share about Mozambique.  Sometimes we have people over for dinner or go to their homes.  Other days involve large group presentations at churches, bibles studies, mission conferences and civic organizations.  Often it finds us working at connecting over the phone, internet or by mail.  It is a full time job!

NOVEMBER 10, 2014: DUE DATE

Along with the ongoing team building, we are also growing our family.  We are preparing to welcome baby boy #2 this November.  Diego is especially excited to have a brother, and has proven to be an excellent helper.  His arms become a forklift with which to organize baby clothes and he is so eager to introduce his little brother to the world of baby toys!

Diego began pre-k classes three mornings a week in October.  We wanted him to have the opportunity to adjust to school now, rather than among so many other changes coming next year.  He walks in confidently carrying him Thomas backpack by the handle since there is NO WAY he will wear it on his back and waves goodbye when his teacher reminds him. He is already saying that he’d rather go all five days…

The Pre-K classes are also making our work time more efficient and that gives us extra time devoted intentionally to Diego when he is home.  We’re trying to make the most of our days off as well, enjoying friends and family in the area and crossing a few things off the family “before we leave we should _____” checklist!  Visiting the space needle was high on Diego’s suggestion list.  We visit the pool to keep progressing on his swim lessons from this summer too.

 

JANUARY 12, 2015: MAF FUNDING DEADLINE

We are very excited to let everyone know we have reached 97% of our outgoing funds! It is such an encouragement and blessing to see the many different ways the Lord provides. Friends, family, strangers… we are so thankful. Monthly support is also growing weekly. To date we are over 2/3 of the way to fully funded. Our goal is to reach 100% on both by January 12th. That is the MAF deadline to sign up for the next scheduled training session offered March-May.

  

Assuming we are funded by January and that our timeline is the Lord’s, that will give us time to pack up/sell our belongings in January/February.  We will be making decisions on what to take to language school in suitcases on the plane, what to put in crates bound eventually for Mozambique and what to leave behind/sell.  We also have work to do with visas, school applications, immunizations and such.

MARCH 9 ~ MAY 16, 2015: MAF STANDARDIZATION AND ORIENTATION

The training we will do March-May is at MAF headquarters in Idaho.  There’s ground school, flight standardization and maintenance training for eight weeks which are followed by two weeks of orientation.  Flight standardization is what every airline or air taxi does to make sure all their pilots are flying their way, but at MAF it is a little more than that.  MAF uses very short strips in remote areas, sometimes built into the side of a mountain.  Landing on that kind of slope is something we have never done before, so MAF will teach us how to do it safely.  Here’s a link to some footage from the spring 2014 flight training by our fellow MAFers:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2phgCmTrmRk

Grady will do something similar in maintenance.  In the US, when most components need overhauled, the mechanics' job is to pull them off, send them to a specialty shop, and install a new one.  But in Mozambique there is not a specialty shop, so often we are overhauling the components ourselves.  Grady is excited to learn how to do this, as well as MAF's general maintenance procedures.

Orientation is MAF's cross cultural and ministry training.

JUNE 2015 ~ 2016: LANGUAGE SCHOOL

After all of these classes are complete, it will be time for us to head to language school.  Because Mozambique speaks Portuguese, we will be attended a university in Coimbra, Portugal for classes similar to English as a Second Language classes here.  The university has over 700 years of experience and is also used for language studies by Wycliffe.  Classes there begin in June and will last about a year.  While we are there, Diego will be in school too – kindergarten – and the new baby will be in childcare during our classes. 

 

Photo by: Andreas Trepte, www.photo-natur.de

JUNE 2016: MOZAMBIQUE

Then it will be off to Nampula, Mozambique in June 2016.  MAF terms run in four year cycles with 3.5 years on the field and then 6 months back in the states for updating supporters and family time.  Our first term includes language school so it will actually involve 1 year in Portugal, 2.5 years in Mozambique and then 6 months in the states.  We intend to remain indefinitely with MAF, which means the cycle will begin again with another Mozambique adventure June 2019. 

 

Whew, I can tell it will be a whirlwind!

Answered Prayer

A couple weeks ago I was worn out.  While still excited about moving overseas, I was discouraged.  I could not help but think – this is going to take forever, we’re never going to get there and if we do I’m going to be too old to fly! 

Rationally, my brain could chastise my heart and say “shape up Holly, God has perfect timing” or “God has this under control”… but my heart just wasn’t feeling what I knew to be true.  Ever been there?  So Grady and several friends and I had been praying for an attitude change for me.

Zoom forward a few days and you would have found me in the kitchen, washing dishes.  Next up, one of Grandma’s big pots.  And as I washed that pot back up to a shiny silver sparkle, I could not help but be back in Grandma Unruh’s kitchen with its avocado green oven.  Her arthritis was bad enough that she sat and taught me, taste testing the mashed potatoes for Thanksgiving dinner.  Perhaps we needed more salt, or another stick of butter (this is the Midwest mind you).  Pies would have been covered earlier in the week.  If I was lucky, I had already made town by then and gotten a lesson in rolling out pie crusts as well.  (And probably followed the filling recipe exactly instead of listening to Grandma about her slightly smaller pans, thereby overflowing pie filling into the oven…)

Grandma spent much of her life on a farm, but my memories are all of her in town, in a corner lot home built by Grandpa with flowers and a vegetable garden out back.  My mom, as a little girl, remembers the day a traveling salesman came out to the farm and sold Grandma all her pots and pans.  She said he talked her into hosting an event for her friends and he cooked for them with no water in the pan!  So many of our family and friends were privileged to eat delicious meals made in those pots while visiting around their table.  Now I am blessed to be cooking out of them and hopefully continuing their legacy.  And to be taking them to Africa with me.

Back in my kitchen again, I could not help but laugh to myself when I thought of how surprised Grandma would be to hear her pots were going to Africa.  Somehow I doubt she ever guessed her little Holly, the one she had to chastise for doing somersaults and handstands near the china cabinet, would be headed overseas.  But she would be happy.  Excited by the work the Lord is doing in Mozambique. 

And so, as I stood there with that dripping pot going in the drying rack, God gave me a gift.  A flood of joy at the thought that in many ways, Grandma is coming with me to Africa.  In our pots and pans and most importantly through my memories.  I just had to grin and dance a little jig.  Because we had prayed and the Lord had answered.  It was as though he said, “See, I’ve got this.  Everything is all lined up with perfect timing, just trust in me.” And I could feel His peace. 

(Although I imagine my mashed potatoes could still use a little of Grandma’s tasting expertise...)

Role Models

“My mind leaped for joy at the thrilling thought of combining flying with my love for God.” ~ Betty Greene in Flying High

Betty Greene ~ MAF photo

 I recently read through a book full of stories from Betty Greene's life.  It showcased the loving spirit with which she served so many.  Betty was a remarkable Christian woman who used her talents flying for the Lord all across the world.  With many others, she helped found Mission Aviation Fellowship and she flew MAF’s very first flight to Mexico in a bright red biplane.  Throughout her lifetime she gave to the Lord her efforts and time for his service in a wide range of environments that included the US, Mexico, Peru, Sudan and Dutch New Guinea. 

 “(Betty) showed… an overall commitment to give her best in response to God’s calling, working cooperatively with both men and women in service together under the lordship of Christ.  She was a quiet pioneer who demonstrated by her life that serving God faithfully provides both the greatest satisfaction in life and all one needs to make life challenging.” ~ Dr. Marguerite Kraft in the Epilogue of Flying High: The Amazing Story of Betty Greene and the Early Years of Mission Aviation Fellowship.

Throughout our lives Grady and I have both been blessed to have many examples of Christian believers at work for the kingdom at home, church, work and in formal missions settings.  (I say formal because we are firm believers that we should all be missionaries sharing Christ’s love in all the different settings we may find ourselves).  We have had the privilege of being raised in Christian homes by loving parents who gave of themselves to others on a regular basis.  There are grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins, siblings, friends and neighbors who have shown us regularly what it means to love one another as Christ loves us. 

Grady's Grandpa & Grandma Ellis, long time missionaries on the Navajo Reservation

Grady's parents, strong Christian role models

Holly's Grandpa & Grandma Clark, gifted in hospitality

Holly's Grandpa & Grandma Unruh, faithful servants

For that we are truly thankful and can only pray that we will do half so well at showing others Christ’s heart for them.  Please keep us in your prayers as we continue on this journey.  We need the Lord’s strength and support to minister to others not only overseas but also here as we prepare to go. 

As pilots we are delighted to be able to use a skill we love to aid the work of the Lord.  I feel a kindred spirit in Betty, my sister in Christ, as I read her words: “My mind leaped for joy at the thrilling thought of combining flying with my love for God.”

A collection of shots, showcasing our love of aviation:

A family legacy of aviation in missions ~ Grady's Grandpa flew as an air ambulance on the reservation.

Grady, the private pilot

Holly's first solo flight, with her instructor Wally Funk

Holly's parents fly in during college for a visit

Holly & her Dad during her internship

Holly & Grady out for a flight over the San Juan Islands

Diego in Opa's RV8

Pink or Blue?

Friday was an exciting day in the Nace household!!  Despite three sets of runny noses, we got up early to go see the baby in the ultrasound.  We are already 24 weeks along but due to all our travels this was the soonest we could schedule for.  Sure was fun to see the baby yawning and punching away! Diego's attention was held the whole time.  

Here's some pictures of the newest Nace, due November 10th.  I see resemblance to Diego as a baby on the 3D shots (Grady agrees in that he feels all ultrasound babies look the same...).  What do you think?

Nice big yawn - the baby must think it's early too!

Profile

Already a thinker?

Perhaps prepping for self-defense against an older brother?

We're thrilled to announce that Diego's wish for a little brother is coming true - he is excited to have a playmate in Mozambique!  Looks like a lot more blue in our future (which just happens to be both Grady AND Holly's favorite color... yippee!)  

Here's a little video of the yawning action we saw during the ultrasound as well.

Now we're off to show Diego the pictures of when HE was in Mommy's tummy... 

and to pack for our week long trip to Idaho & Oregon.  We've got several days of security training at MAF Headquarters and then a Sunday School presentation just outside of Portland on the way home.  Pray for Diego, Grandma and Uncle Jody as he is staying with them instead of making the long drive with us this week! 

A Jew, a Palestinian, and an Arab Christian all walk into . . .

Many of the tribes we will be working with in Northern Mozambique are Muslim.  In preparation for living there, we are doing training this week to learn about Islam and how to build relationships and effectively share Christ's love in those environments.

Besides all the training, we got to meet one of the other MAF families headed to Mozambique and we are getting to know them a little this week, as well as Christians from around the world who God is using in amazing ways.  Tuesday night a group of American’s, Koreans, a Pastor from India, and another pastor from Sierra Leone spent a long time praying for our family, and it was very exciting and humbling.

There is a lot about Muslims I did not know.  This week I have been challenged, convicted, saddened, and inspired all at the same time.  There are on average three Christian missionaries working with every one million Muslims.  In North America there are about seven million.  I have never had a meaningful conversation with one.  Almost none of us have.  Ninety-nine percent of Muslim international students never enter an American home.  I am hearing stories of people doing little things, who go over and are welcomed into houses, and are told they are the first Americans to ever visit.  One women just said a simple prayer after they met and talked a little, and the women who was prayed for cried, because no one had ever prayed for her before.  Many of them come from restricted access countries where it is next to impossible for them to hear the gospel, even though the Qur’an claims the New Testament as a Holy Book of Islam.  They come here, and we have ignored them.  They come from a culture that is extremely hospitable, and they find our doors shut and locked.  And I have been a part of that.

They are told America is a Christian nation.  That might be all they know of Christianity, and most have never met a Christian (that they engaged with long enough to know anyway).  To them the adjectives of Christian and American are synonyms, so playboy is a Christian magazine.  Please consider what you are doing to the cause of Christ if you call America a Christian nation, but do not feel too good if you do not, because until they meet you they will continue to see Christianity as whatever they see as American in Hollywood.

I have also been overwhelmed with testimonies this week from people who grew up Muslim, some devout.   Despite the overall apathy we have shown, more have come to Christ in the last decade than in the previous 1400 years combined.  It does not take super Christians to build friendships, Christians who were unprepared made huge impacts in their lives just by loving them and being willing to go where they are.  God is moving.  Many of the Muslim background believers I have met this week came to Christ largely through dreams and visions.  Their stories are amazing, but I do not want the rocks and the trees crying out because I have been silent.  Even in the dreams and vision stories God is working through believers.  Often God sends the dreams after someone starts praying for them.

Today we learned a little about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.  We heard from a Jew who grew up Zionist, a Palestinian who grew up Muslim and whose father lost everything in 1948, and a Lebanese from a Christian background who grew up hating both as his friends and relatives died in the conflict.  They, and their families, have been through incredible tragedies.  And yet they all stood at the front of class today as brothers and explained the conflict as it relates to the cause of Christ, without taking sides.  Their love in Christ trumps all of that, and at the end they prayed together for those who used to be their enemies.  It was amazing.  Beauty for ashes . . . that is what my God is doing, and if that does not give you hope, I do not know what will.

Flying, Caterpillars and Thunderstorms

Today I got to go flying in the airplane my Uncle Keith built, which was also the first small airplane I ever flew (an RV-6 for you pilots out there).  It was a flight in that plane (N55KE), somewhere around 2002 that hooked me on flying and redirected my college plans to commercial aviation.  This was the first time I have flown that airplane since.  It is pretty cool how God used that flight with my Uncle to ultimately lead me to missionary aviation.

The last couple months there have been several times where Holly and I have both felt extremely blessed to be part of the families we are in.  Last month in Kansas we stayed several days with Holly’s Aunt and Uncle who flew for MAF in Zaire (Now the Democratic Republic of Congo).  It was encouraging and exciting for me to talk to Terry about their time with MAF and get advice about a lot of things.  Apparently the caterpillars they eat there are actually pretty good when dried, and taste kind of like bacon (I hear we will probably get to eat some in Mozambique, and if they really taste like bacon I am all in!).  He did have a story about the caterpillars though which led to some strong advice that we not fly anyone’s stash of live ones.

About a week and a half ago in Penrose, Colorado I had the honor of preaching at the last church my Grandpa Ellis pastored in Colorado.  We went there almost every summer when I was little so it felt pretty good to go back in that little church.  We were extremely warmly welcomed as Grandpa’s grandkids before we ever said anything, and I have always loved the feeling of being accepted based only on my relationship to someone like my dad or grandpa.  It is part of what I imagine heaven being like.

As a kid growing up in Washington I almost never got to see thunderstorms, so one of my highlights visiting Penrose as a kid was getting to watch the lightning zig-zag across the sky.  As we walked out of church we saw probably the best storm I have seen in years, and somehow it just seemed perfect.

Diego's Agricultural Education

Over the last week Diego has gotten quite the agricultural experience.  He collected eggs at my aunt’s “small” chicken farm operation (about 300 chickens which seems big to me).  We all learned how to candle eggs a little later (with a flashlight which seems like cheating based off the name.  For those of you who do not know what that is, it is when you check eggs to see if the chicken inside is viable in the incubator).  A little later in the week Diego got to plant tomatoes, but the pinnacle of his farming experience came yesterday when we got a tour of Holly’s Uncle Calvin and Aunt Shelly’s farm in Lindsborg, KS.

We got there Friday evening, had a great dinner, and Diego enjoyed showing Calvin our new map of Mozambique (as well as the opportunity to play farm toys with a REAL farmer).  Saturday morning Calvin took me to his men’s prayer group where I got a chance to share what we are doing with MAF, as well as participate in a good Bible study and prayer time.

A little while after we came back it was time for the tour.  Diego got to help herd cows, ride a tractor, sit in a combine, climb on big hay bales, and finally sit in the driver’s seat of a real cab over engine semi-truck (which is DEFINITELY his favorite type of truck, as compared to a conventional cab of course).

I also really enjoyed getting to know Calvin better.  He almost died (a few times) as a result of heart problems similar to what my dad had.  Once he was saved by a birth “defect” that put an artery in the “wrong” place.  It was good getting to talk about my dad with someone who in many ways understands, and our time there was a real encouragement.

Today we taught a Sunday school lesson and presented at a church that used to support my grandparents on the Navajo reservation, which is pretty cool.  We also met with a mission board at a different church this afternoon, and we are spending the night with another Aunt and Uncle in Kansas City.  Tomorrow we go to Memphis to spend a few days there.  We will get to spend some time with two young men that I had the privilege of tutoring in an inner city high school in Memphis four years ago, so we are very excited about that.  It will be a busy week, including a 5:15 a.m. prayer breakfast, so please pray for strength, that God will use us to minister to those we see, and that we find the partners God has prepared for us.