Christie Nelson:  

Life Hi, It's been a long time since I've reconnected with anyone from good ole' RCHS. I'm looking forward to communicating with any and all of you! I attended Purdue University and graduated in Agricultural Economics, worked on my dad's farm in Arlington for a year before joining the Peace Corps. It was a great experience for me to serve the farmers in the lower Andes Mountains for a little over a year. My two year term was cut short because of a heart condition that popped up. In March 1982, I had open heart surgery for WPW which proved to be a life/death experience for me. After several months of speedy recovery, the Lord called me to serve as an elementary school teacher for missionary kids in Puerto Barrios, Guatemala. I did that for a year and for the next four years, I taught ESL to grades K-3 and 7-9 at the Lutheran spanish Christian school there. In 1987, I attended Concordia University in Chicago and in summer 1990, I graduated with a Master's in Theology & Christian Education along with a Deaconess Certification. From January 1991 - March 2006 it was my joy to serve the people of the Kingdom of Thailand through ministries of Christian outreach, human care, education, and church planting through the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod and the Concordia Welfare & Education Foundation - Thailand. Learning the Thai language, culture, and traditions has been a very enriching experience for me. Learning more of Buddhism has equipped me to better share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with persons of that belief system. The first 8 years in Thailand, my ministry focused on the development and operation of a home for sexually abused girls (ages 10 - 17), mostly from forced prostitution situations as well as rape back home in their villages. The latte...Expand for more