Nielsen Family 2026 Spring Update

Greetings from Lake Chapala!

Thanks for taking time to read this update. We want to catch you up on the ministry trip Destiny, Noah and I took to Albania to start the New Year, and send you some photos of the newest addition to our family, my grandson: Atlas John Baer!

First, let’s talk about Atlas. This little guy is a genuine treasure. He came in at just over 7 lbs and is perfectly healthy and ready to enter into all that God has for him. He is blessed with two amazing parents and if that weren’t enough, he’s got Tucker and Willow (a blue heeler and a husky) to keep him company and entertained. Chelsey and Jonathan are over to moon happy that all went well and that they have this little guy in their lives. As grandparents, Stasia and I are thrilled. We have included a photo gallery (below) to show him off.

Albania Trip Update

We experienced a lost luggage hiccup that delayed us a couple of days and stranded us in Rome. We took a tour of the largest church in the world (the Basilica) and did a great deal of walking– and we were blown away at the beauty and the history of the Eternal City!

Albania was amazing! Pastor Kristian met is at the airport in Tirana, Albania and brought is all the way (an hour’s drive) to Elbasan. The place we stayed was located right on the road that the Apostle Paul walked on his Third Missionary Journey,  as he took the Gospel into Illycrium and beyond. Paul’s ministry reached Illyricum, sometime between AD 54–57, likely while traveling through Macedonia. In Romans 15:19 he wrote: 

“From Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ.”

It gave me goosebumps to realize that every morning when we went out of the gate, we were walking where Paul walked.

What’s more, we really did get to work with a Man from Macedonia. Pastor Kristian is “central casting” for the part. He took us everywhere, sharing his testimony and vision all along the way. His testimony: sentenced to 20 years in prison when an Uber car he was in was stopped at the Albania-Greece border. As police approached, the driver and other passengers fled, and he stayed in the car, wondering what was going on. Drugs were found in the trunk (unbeknown to him) and he was accused of being a cartel leader, even though he was just an Uber passenger.

Already a Christian, he started a Bible study in prison and it ended up being his first church plant. Four years into his 20 year sentence, someone came to his cell and took him for a walk to down the hallway. He thought he was being transferred to another prison, but when they got to the front, he was told he was free to go. No one had told him that was going to happen, but he was glad it did!

After his release, Kristian went to the top of a nearby mountain to fast and pray and seek God about what he should do with his life. God called him to be a church planter. That is what he has been doing the past 22 years since being released from prison.

Kristian asked me to preach on Sunday and he translated. He gave the message a “two thumbs up” (I spoke from Matthew 13:34-35)  and now he wants me to move to Albania and help him plant churches! We are praying about that!

Here is a real-time update from Destiny, written while we were there:

“Even as I write this, I am reminded that being a missionary often feels like a “Mission Impossible” movie. All the Tom Cruises on the mission field are brought together to complete one goal: the Great Commission. In order that the Gospel be preached effectively, there needs to be two things. The first is Vision and the second is Humility. Where there is no vision, the mission dies!!!! Without a clear and concise Vision from the Lord, there is no hope or ability to capture the heavenly dreams and make them a reality on earth. The Lord’s prayer teaches us the second thing we need to be effective, which is humility. Operating out of a place of humility allows us, as image-bearers of our Creator, to love others in our deepest capacity. Without this humility, there is no multiplication in the Kingdom. So, just as in a Mission Impossible movie, we see that there is first a plan set in place, as well as the humility of the team, to cohesively make things happen. With this in mind, I would like to share the Vision with you all!!! Pastor Kristian shared with us the vision that God gave him to reach not just Elbasan (the city we are at) but all of Albania with God’s love. This is called “Vision 8.” To the right is a map with the major roads connecting the 3 nearby cities of Elbasan, Cerrik and Kucove. This is in a figure ‘8’ with all the little red dots being the villages. As you can see, when people live in the remote villages, there is extreme difficulty reaching Elbasanis to go to church. Not everyone has a car, and people travel far just to hear the good news in Elbasan.”

The Wilderness Leadership Summit

Finally, let me share with you this new ministry opportunity that I am engaged in. Over the past months, at the invitation of a dear friend and brother in Christ, I have been invited to play a foundational role in launching a Christian ministry focused on Generation Z, headquartered in the Rocky Mountains of southern Colorado. I’ve been asked to write the curriculum for the Wilderness Leadership Summit (WLS), a leadership formation intensive designed to shape young leaders—both guys and girls– from the inside out. This is one of the most energizing and meaningful projects I’ve taken on in years, and I want you to know what your partnership is helping make possible.

The heart of WLS is simple: get young men and women into the wilderness, remove the noise and hurry of everyday life, and create space for God to speak, form, and redirect. When you strip away comfort and distraction, something powerful happens—clarity rises, character surfaces, and the voice of God becomes unmistakably clear. The week-long Summit uses that environment intentionally, pairing physical challenge with biblical teaching, guided reflection, and honest, supportive community.

My role has been to craft the teaching arc, the journaling framework, the daily formation rhythms, and the theological backbone that holds the whole experience together. Every session is designed to help participants understand who they are, who God is shaping them to become, and how to lead with courage, humility, and spiritual authority.

What I love most is that WLS doesn’t just aim to create “better leaders.” It aims to create rooted disciples—young people who know how to listen to God, persevere through hardship, work in community, and carry the presence of Christ into their homes, churches, campuses, and future callings. Many of them will look back on this experience as a defining spiritual milestone.

Your support allows me to invest deeply in this next generation. Through your prayers and partnership, I’m able to help build a ministry that strengthens young leaders at the very moment they’re deciding who they will become. Thank you for standing with me in this work.

The Wilderness Leadership Summit is scheduled to launch in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains this August. There are plans for a second Wilderness Leadership Summit in Patagonia in January. By God’s grace, Noah and I are hoping to attend one or both. Below I’ve included a video explaining the program, along with the website, if you know anyone that might be interested registering or finding out more about the program.

Until next time, may the Lord bless and keep you—

In His Mighty Grip!