Nelson’s Story of Peace

If you have come through our south entrance in the last year – there’s a high chance you’ve been met with one of the warmest smiles on planet Earth. You’ve met Nelson! This week, we celebrate the second week of Advent and the theme of Peace. When Jesus came as the promised “light of the world.” His light that shines into our darkness also brings us His peace, a peace that Nelson has seen evidence of in so many moments of his life.

Nelson’s life began under challenging circumstances. His mother, rejected by those closest to her and battling depression, poisoned herself while pregnant with him, but they both miraculously survived – and she later became a follower of Jesus and God used her prayers in beautiful ways for Nelson’s family.

Nelson, however, was initially distant from religion. During his early adulthood, he struggled with depression, unhealthy friendships, and alcoholism, particularly during the 2009 global recession. A life-changing car accident left him physically and emotionally broken. During his recovery, his grandparents’ prayers brought him unexpected peace, sparking the first stirrings of spiritual curiosity. At 21, he reluctantly prayed with his grandfather and attended a church gathering, where he had an emotionally powerful experience with God – which was surprising for him because (as he said) he was such a “tough guy” (honesty hard to believe if you know how warm he is!). This marked the beginning of his faith journey.

Nelson had already met his wife, Vandana, but his experience with Jesus led her to follow Jesus too. Since they began their marriage journey together and shared their faith, life wasn’t easy all of a sudden. They faced new challenges: their immigration to Canada started with Nelson in Canada alone, their separation from each other was especially hard on Vandana, and supporting their parents from a distance who faced their own health concerns.

Currently, Nelson is praying for his family to be granted the status of Permanent Residency. Yet the same peace that Nelson experienced when he prayed with his grandfather, is the same peace that they experienced in the waiting. Nelson shared how grateful he’s been for our church community that’s been sharing the weight of what they were and have been carrying. Recently it was Vandana and his desire to have children. They’ve experienced the prayers of this community in that season as well and are so grateful for their son. Nelson prays over his son, believing  that God is going to use him, and reminding him that God has chosen him. Through it all they’ve been learning to experience the peace of God despite their circumstances.

If you haven’t yet – we hope you get a chance to experience that warm smile that Nelson brings as he serves. That smile comes from the peace that Nelson would invite all of us to experience today.