Dear Friends,

Thanks for taking the time to read this update. As always, we so much appreciate your prayers and support.  

Stasia, Noah and I just returned from Portland Oregon, where we spent ten days meeting the family of Kyle Yang, Destiny’s fiancé. Sadly, the occasion was the funeral of Kyle’s mother, Bao Samantha Kong, who passed away after a long struggle with her health. She was only 49. 

I have often described our years in this life, measured to us by God, as a “sandbox” designed to provide a season for character development. For those who know the Lord (like Bao), there is so much more in store! 

“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.”

1 Corinthians 2:9 

The funeral lasted three days as family members from all over the country worshipped, shared meals together and celebrated Bao’s life.  

As missionaries celebrating our 40th year in the King’s service, we were reminded of many cross-cultural experiences we have experienced on our journey. This week was another such adventure.  

Kyle’s family is Hmong, an indigenous tribe from Southeast Asia. His whole family belongs to the Christian Missionary Alliance Church, which is the same denomination that I (John) served as youth pastor in Hong Kong from 1988-1990. The Hmong people are a very tightly knit group, rooted in traditions that go back centuries. The first Hmong family was converted in 1950, and today thousands of Hmong Christians live throughout the United States, with the majority belonging to the Christian Missionary Alliance denomination. The relationship between the Hmong people and the Christian and Missionary Alliance (C&MA) is deeply rooted in history and spiritual transformation. It’s a remarkable story of faith, resilience, and cross-cultural mission. Here is a summary:

Origins of the Connection 

• In 1950, the first Hmong individual in Xieng Khouang, Laos accepted Christ through the ministry of Rev. Ted Andrianoff, a C&MA missionary. 

• This sparked a “People Movement”, where thousands of Hmong came to faith—by 1975, about 20,000 Christians in Laos were recorded, 70% of whom were Hmong. 

Growth and Evangelism 

• A Bible school was established in 1951 to train Hmong evangelists and pastors, who then spread the Gospel to remote villages. 

• When war disrupted Laos, radio broadcasts from the Philippines became a vital tool for reaching Hmong communities. 

Migration and Expansion 

• After the fall of Laos in 1975, many Hmong Christians fled to Thailand and were later resettled in the United States, often sponsored by American churches. 

• In 1978, the Hmong Field Conference was formed in California, later renamed the Hmong District of the C&MA in 1985. 

• Today, the Hmong District includes over 115 churches across the U.S. with more than 35,000 members. 

Cultural and Spiritual Impact 

• The C&MA helped preserve Hmong identity while nurturing Christian faith, offering leadership training, community support, and theological education. 

• Hmong churches within the Alliance often blend traditional values with renewal-style worship, creating a vibrant spiritual culture. 

As I sat down with a Hmong elder from a Christian Missionary and Aliance church in Wisconsin who attended the funeral, all of this was brought to my attention. It felt to me like God was tapping me on the shoulder and reminding me that every step I have taken on the mission field these past 40 years has meaning and purpose well beyond what I can understand or appreciate. 

In preparation for the memorial weekend, the men spent the day butchering a water buffalo, which was used to feed everyone for the three days, providing the inspiration for many delicious recipes. The Hmong fare is similar to Vietnamese food. Very delicious and nutritious! 

Nielsen Family Updates/Prayer Requests

The first update: This concerns Stasia’s health. Her knees have been bothering her for some time, and at the recommendation of her doctor, she will be receiving knee replacements. She has opted to receive these procedures separately, spaced over a couple of years. Her first operation (to replace her left knee) will take place on August 19th. Your prayers are much appreciated. She will spend many weeks in home confinement after the surgery receiving physical therapy. This is a costly endeavor, and if the Lord leads you to give, you can use the dropdown to give directly to these costs on our donation page at this link:  DONATE.

Our second update: Many of you know that Chelsey’s twins suffered serious complications last year. One miscarried early, and the second, Claire Jean, was born with a heart condition so severe that she passed away a week after she was born. As you can only imagine, this was heartrending for Chelsey and her husband Jonathan, as well as our whole family. Stasia and Destiny were there to provide comfort and assistance, and the hospital staff was wonderfully supportive, but who can measure the depth of the pain and heartache for Chelsey and Jonathan? Please hold them up in prayer as they move forward. Join with us as we pray that God gives them a healthy child in due season.  

Our third update: Destiny has invited Noah and John to accompany her on a mission trip to Albania at the end of the year. They will depart on December 28th and return around the 15th of January. For those of you who don’t know, Destiny took a mission trip to Albania back in 2021and made quite an impact and gained many friends at a local church in Elbasan. The pastor of the church, Christian, has been asking her to return and finally, this year, the Lord is leading her to do so. 

Destiny serves as youth Director of a Lutheran church in the Vancouver, Washington area and will be taking granny blankets and other items with her from her church. Albania is considered an unreached nation, with only 0.4% evangelical Christian. Once an official atheist country under the control of the Soviet Union, it is now open to the free world, but in dire need of more Christian workers. Please pray for us as we prepare for this missionary journey where we will end the old year and bring in the new by demonstrating and proclaiming the gospel! 

While there are many more things we can mention, we will leave you with these three prayer points. Until next time, may the Lord bless and keep you… 

 In His Mighty Grip, 

This Summer: Celebrating 40 Years in Missions:

Knowing God and Making Him Known

This video, produced 5 years ago, summarizes our journey: