Mark 16:15 "He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation."
The Nichols Family-Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico
furlough #1 is in the books: Thank you for all your support!
Karlee Nichols - October 1, 2023
In 52 days, we…
Shared at 11 churches (plus visiting two).
Slept in 9-10 different beds.
Met and ate with 30+ families one-on-one.
Gained roughly 75 pounds as a family.
Spent countless hours with family and friends.
Met new ministry partners.
Caught up with people we hadn’t seen in ages.
Said “hello” and “goodbye” more times than we can count.
Felt loved and encouraged with every step.
By definition, “furlough” means “leave of absence” or “a time of rest”. We may not have accomplished this with the schedule we kept this summer, but we want to thank each and every person who helped make the first two years of our ministry in Morelia and our first furlough trip to the States a reality. We didn’t know what to expect during our first visit back to the States as a family, despite dozens of hours of planning. With six very different personalities in our home, it is always a guessing game.
We feel very blessed to report that we feel our first furlough was officially a success. We had a very busy schedule trying to take in as much as possible during a short amount of time in each region, and we know we weren’t able to see everyone, but we feel so encouraged to have had the time we were given with so many people who love and support what God has put in our hearts.
Many people who have lived on the mission field asked us, with great concern, if we were going to have any time to ourselves during our summer trip. Despite everyone running in different directions trying to spend time with as many people as possible, Reggie and I were able to spend five days together at a Lake House while Levi, Wes, and Harmony went to camp and Selah spent the week with her best friend. We were also able to take a fun day together at a theme park, which was an extra-special perk, thanks to some very special people who helped make those days possible.
As of right now, we do not know exactly how our next furlough will look, as Selah will be graduating from high school in mid-July of 2025 and Levi the following year. As that time approaches, we will be sure to let you all know.
As a final reminder, in case you didn’t hear it enough this summer, please don’t forget to get your passport and schedule a week or two to visit us in Morelia – a nice warm bed, delicious meals, and a great adventure are waiting for you!
2023 Summer State-Side Visit Details
Friday, June 30th - NOE Graduation Ceremony and kids finish end-of-year exams at school
Saturday, July 1st - fly to Minneapolis, MN
Sunday, July 2nd – Share at Albion Evangelical Free church from 9:00-11:00 AM in Cokato, MN
July 6-9th - Rochester, MN
July 9th - July 20th - North-Central Iowa/Southern Minnesota area
Sunday, July 16th – Share at Britt E-Free Church in Britt, Iowa at 9AM sharing during Sunday School and 10:30AM during the service
Thursday, July 20th - travel to Brevard, NC
Sunday, July 23rd – Share at One Church service at 10AM in Brevard, NC. 4PM Nichols kids share at youth group.
Sunday, July 23rd – Share at Monte de Sión evening service at 6PM in Brevard, NC
Sunday, August 6th – Share at The Village morning meeting in Brevard, NC
August 9th – August 20th - Central Alabama area
August 9 – Share with youth at Northside Baptist Church at 6PM in Jasper, AL
Sunday, August 13th – Share at Mt. Carmel Baptist Church at 11:00AM in West Blocton, AL
Sunday, August 13th – Share at Mt. Olive Baptist Church in Coker, AL. Kids at 5; adults at 6.
Wednesday, August 16th – Visit Grace Life Baptist Church in McCalla, AL evening service
Sunday, August 20th – Share at Freedom Ministries at 10:30AM in McCalla, AL
Monday, August 21st - Fly home to Morelia
As our time to visiting the States for the first time in two years approaches, the Nichols family is flooding with emotions such as excitement, nervousness, joy, fear, curiosity, and confusion. Some have asked, “Are you excited to go home?” That question has never been more confusing. As a family that has lived in various places in the U.S., and now Mexico, “home” has become a very relative word. Even the term that is now used in the missionary community of “Home Assignment” instead of “furlough” is stressful.
The truth is, Morelia is home. For our kids, as excited as they are to see family and friends, Morelia is home. What we will be returning to are family, friends, and familiarity. We are SO excited to spend time laughing, praying, worshiping, being silly, and sharing our lives with people who have shaped us and have walked with us on this journey!
As we prepare for all of the details, we would like to give some “tips” to help us. Having spent almost two years in a foreign country without returning home, we are preparing our children for what is called, “Reverse Culture Shock”. Having experienced this many times personally, it is hard to describe it or know how each person will deal with it. Our children are very obviously third-culture kids now, which they learned about
during our CIT missions training in August of 2021. Who we are has changed, and so has the way we see life. So, to say the least we are re-entering the US a little different.
Here are some practical ways to help us navigate these potential strange weeks during our visit:
1) Ask questions and listen well. Summarizing 2 years in 2 minutes is impossible. We have ALL changed and learned so much. We would LOVE to tell you about it!
2) Be patient with us: This will be the first time for our kids and although Reggie and I each took a short trip to our home states at one point this year, things still take some readjusting. The kids will also be missing their ENTIRE summer for this visit. As excited as they are to see everyone, they may also be missing their friends, our home, and what has become our normal. We have also spent two years adjusting to new ways of doing things, some of which we have adopted internally. Give us grace, and please don’t take these cultural shifts personally.
3) Offer Practical Help: We have the majority of our trip covered with vehicles, places to stay, etc., but if you would like to help us out with meals, fuel cards, or any other practical service, we will gladly accept them to help off-set some of the costs of our trip.
4) Last but not least: Pray. We covet your prayers as we help our kids during this journey. They will be visiting people they don’t know or remember, sleeping in many different beds, experiencing many “hellos” and “goodbyes”, and a slew of emotions.
Looking at things practically, we want to be clear that although we will be seeing many dear friends and family, this is not a vacation. As you can see from our schedule on page 1, we will be busy! We are more than happy to make it all happen, but we may also be exhausted.
We also have a list of “priorities” for our time in familiar places. #1 is clearly to see and spend REAL time with people. We have learned to linger long in a relationship-based culture.
#2 is probably familiar food. Unashamedly, we will accept if anyone feels the need to feed us some home-cooked American meals. Do we LOVE Mexican food? Absolutely! But does Reggie long for some fried chicken, turnip greens, and sweet tea? 100% Do my kids mention eating at Chick-Fil-A every other day? Yes, yes. Would I approve of eating American breakfast sausage multiple times a week? Guaranteed. There is something beautiful about even the idea that makes us smile.
#3 is to do activities and go places that Mexico doesn’t have the equivalent. We live in a Latin American city of 1,000,000 people, but grew up in small town. If time allows, we would LOVE to have some familiar experiences, but not at the expense of prioritizing people.
If you have any questions about “reverse culture shock” or how to best help the Nichols, please feel free to ask. We are an open book, and are grateful for your interest!
We are the Body of Christ: Approaching the Closing of Year Two
Reggie Nichols - June 4, 2023
In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul shares about how we are all parts of the body of Christ. One body part cannot say to another, “I don’t need you.” We also cannot think one has less or more value than the other. We constantly remember this as we see God moving in the hearts of others to support what God is doing here in Morelia through our prayer partners and financial donors. We are so aware that this is one of the ways we see the body of Christ working together to grow His kingdom.
Thank you so much for your support over the last 2 years of us being in the field! We are so honored to be on this journey with you. Over the last two years, your involvement has been instrumental in being a part of at least 51 salvation decisions for Christ throughout the NOE Centers. Even more have become involved in discipleship opportunities through Bible studies and children’s and youth group involvement. You are an instrumental part of the body of Christ! We, working together, are His hands here in Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico.
Being a missionary from the US means that everything we have belongs to Jesus. When there are needs in the community regarding things such as healthcare and we know the Spirit is moving for us to be involved, we use all our means to help, including finances. Many times, we have prayed and spent money then received an unexpected gift that completely covered the cost of those needs.
Statistically, missionaries in a developing country plan to lose between 25% to 50% of their support after the first two years in the field. Because of this, we desire to ensure that everyone journeying with us knows the impact they are having in us and through us.
We Need You!
We are praying for an additional 30 individuals, families, or churches to partner with us.
Currently, we receive 67% of our long-term monthly budget needs through monthly partners. This means that 33% of the support needed for us to reach our annual long-term budget needs must come from one-time donation partners.
Would you consider partnering with us monthly?
Would you genuinely pray about your involvement in our lives and the lives of students and family at Centro NOE in Morelia?
We desire to be the hands of those who partner with us!
Home Assignment: We hope to see you!
Update and Tenative Dates for our Summer Stateside Trip
Sunday, January 29, 2023
This summer, after almost two years of living in Morelia, the Nichols family will be states-side! During our time in the US, we will be visiting our current donors to let them know what all we have been up to since hitting the road in September of 2021, but we will also be visiting new churches and individuals that God would have on our long-term team.
Yes, we will visit family and friends. Yes, we will attend church services to see as many people as possible. Yes, we hope to have Schulz Cousins’ Camp. Yes, we already have a list of restaurants and places written down that we miss and can’t wait to visit again.
But this is not some a crazy-long vacation!
We will be using our time to recruit new donors, and spend very intentional time with as many family and friends possible, as we don’t plan to visit the States again for 24-30 months.
We CANNOT do this without you!
We will be looking for a vehicle that can legally fit six people to use while in the Minnesota, Brevard, NC and Central Alabama areas. We will also be looking for a couple places to stay here and there to spend time with people and save some money as we journey. I imagine our kids may end up being a bit spread out with friends at times, but if you have some extra space, and plan to be in town during the dates to the left, please reach out to us, and we will let you know our needs as the time approaches. We can’t wait to see you all!
Saturday, July 1st – fly to southern MN
Sunday, July 2nd – Tuesday, July 18th – MN and IA
Wednesday, July 19th – 21st – Travel days
Saturday, July 22nd – Tuesday, August 8th – NC
Thursday, August 9th – Sunday, August 20th – AL
Monday, August 21st – fly home to Morelia
We are in the process of scheduling specific visits to churches, towns, and family homes. We hope to schedule group meet-and-greets, potluck gatherings, visits to local churches, and meet with people in their homes. Please let us know if we can meet with you!
8 Things NOT to do as a TCK: Solid Advice from Probably Real-Life Experiences
Learning note: We have included some acronyms to help you remember each one.
1. Don’t take a big bite out of a sandwich without asking if it has jalapeños in it…because it probably does. (DTABBOASWAIIHJIIBIPD) You might just find yourself in the bathroom of the restaurant splashing water on your face to relieve the spicy burn that has consumed your entire mouth and your friend (and parents) may continue to give you concerned and confused looks the rest of the afternoon. (Wes)
2. Don’t answer all the questions in English class or else everyone will think you’re trying to be a show-off. (DAATQIECOEEWTYTTBASO) It’s a thing, I promise. Harmony is still working on this one. (Levi and Harmony)
3. Don’t secretly hope for your neighbor’s cat/dog/goose/duck to go missing in the middle of the night. (DSHFYNCDGDTGMITMOTN) This may be just for Mexico, but loud pets are common. Personal human-to-animal vendettas are discouraged but highly likely. I think that’s enough said. (Selah)
4. Don’t use “dang”, “shoot”, or “darnnit” because non-English speakers will start thinking you are actually cursing. (DUDSDBNESWSTYAAC) This may lead to them feeling comfortable using actual English swear words around you because they assume they are hearing you talk this way on a regular basis. (Levi)
5. Don’t forget to bring toilet paper on long car trips…or anywhere. (DFTOBTPOLCTOA) You may end up stranded in a stall desperately waiting for a family member to rescue you after frantically searching every bag, purse, and vehicle for a used Kleenex. (Selah, Wes, and Harmony)
6. Don’t forget to put your socks on before your Mexican guests arrive. (DFTPYSOBYMGA) This will avoid full conversations about walking around barefoot will cause you to get a cold. (family)
7. Don’t frantically search for the missing seatbelt or seatbelt buckle when you get into your friend’s car. (DFSFTMSOSBWYGIYFC) It’s likely it has been removed, moved aside for convenience’s sake, and hasn’t been used for years. (Harmony)
8. Don’t attempt to talk to your parents (or each other) during the first six months of them learning to drive if you are transitioning to a large city in Latin America. (DATTTYPOEODTFSMOTLTDIYATTALCILA) They may, in so many words, tell you to stop talking so they can focus on not dying. (Fab Four)
Learning the Life of a TCK in Mexico by The Nichols Family
What do you eat in America? How much do your parents make? Can I touch your hair? Why aren’t your eyes blue? Do you prefer living in Mexico or America? Why did you move to Mexico? When are you moving back to live in America? Why are you so skinny? Do you know Spanish? Do you have a boyfriend/girlfriend?
Our house is filled with CONSTANT Spanglish. We talk about language and schedule changes more than anything else. “Flexico” isn’t just an expression…it’s a way of life to which we are still adapting. Missing what we’ve said goodbye to and loving what we have go hand in hand.
Life as a Third Culture Kid has its oddities. We spent the first chunk of our lives living in various states, but primarily western North Carolina. Now, we are making our new normal here in southwest Mexico. Old normals are still normal. But so are new normals. It’s a life in limbo. We never wish we were eating tocos while eating a hamburger. But we never wish we were eating a hamburger while eating tacos.
Watching your really smart Dad learn a second language at 48 years old, is tough to experience at times. Mama going to work full-time while Daddy takes care of things at home has been a significant shift. Perpetually (thanks, thesaurus) trying to translate in your head – even when you don’t have to – can be humbling as we constantly re-realize how much we still have to learn. At the same time, mental fist-pumping is a daily occurrence when you realize you understood a conversation and replied with no errors.
What defines a TCK? A colorful culture clash. In this case, our first culture was life in rural western North Carolina, U.S.A. Our second culture is Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico. These two beautiful lifestyles clash daily to create a new third culture that is its own beautiful creation.
July 1, 2022 Praises and Prayer Requests
Praises:
- The kids officially survived their first academic school year and are WELL on their way to being bilingual!
- Reggie had a safe and beautiful trip to Minnesota and Iowa
- Karlee finished her first year of teaching English at NOE and is looking forward to next year
- Brian and Mireya Overcast (as of June 30th) have officially retired as directors at NOE and have named Juan Peralta the new director with a smooth transition
- Another year of NOE English program graduates and Dream Team members selected for 2023
- Kids are gaining friends and feel more at home at school
Prayer Requests:
- Safe travel for Dream Team
- Positive personal and spiritual experience while they are in Portland
- COVID, the flu, and colds are spreading through our circles. Pray we can return to a normal soon with sicknesses normalizing and removal of masks at school
- We can reach 100%+ financial funding
- Language learning for Reggie and kids
- Karlee’s preparation for Teacher Training and general organization this summer as the middle school/high school English program coordinator
What does culture shock "feel" like? We may all be one body, but sometimes I feel like the appendix
“Culture shock is often felt sharply at the borders between countries, but sometimes it doesn’t hit fully until you’ve been in a place for a long time.” Henri Cartier-Bresson
Another massively obnoxious shoutout to CIT (Center for Intercultural Training) for incredible training about culture shock! As I frantically re-sift through ALL definitions, advice, and charts about culture shock from our training, I am astonished at its accuracy. Almost 10 months after arriving on September 13th, and I can confidently say I have experienced them all fully with no foreseeable end to this culture grind.
It's incredible how in the midst of doing something you absolutely love with people you love and students you love in a ministry you love, a strange uncomfortable feeling will sneak into your throat, work its way to your chest, then to your stomach, and before you know it, your hands are shaking, and you feel like crying…with NO. IDEA. WHY.
Sometimes it hits at the grocery store. Other times while driving or shopping. Sometimes it’s in a staff meeting or in a conversation with a close Mexican friend. Sometimes in a memory or idea. Sometimes in a planning session or in the sounds of the street or music on the radio. I’ll go days or weeks with all very neutral feelings or even feelings that I am actually “getting it”. Then, for seemingly no reason at all, I will experience strain to adapt to certain moments for long periods of time. Nothing seems to make sense and the longing for “normal” feels overwhelming.
This, my dear friends, is culture shock. Holly Carden states that, “Culture Shock is the time of adjustment, when my daily emotional discomfort takes over reasonable feelings, thoughts, or actions.” It is anxiety, confusion, fear, unfamiliarity, or even disgust when presented with a new situation that you have no reference for or when your map of understanding just got detoured with no guarantee that you will, in fact, reach the same final destination you thought you were heading toward.
Please be praying for us as we face these feelings of frustration, elation, irritation, joy, inadequacy, and love…sometimes all in 10 minutes!
At training we were challenged to discover these feelings and ask where they are coming from. We learned that it is often multi-level deep. It isn’t just behaviors, but values, beliefs, or even worldviews that are being challenged when presented with something new. Awareness and a profound desire to understand in order to share Christ most effectively with others will allow us to persist.
Bunco, Corn Hole, Levi’s b-day, and Slumber parties
March and April brought some more opportunities to spend time with students and friends. In March, we hosted our first youth Bunco party with about 18 students of all ages. Youth groups average between ages 13 and 26+ here, never distinguishing between middle school, high school, and college-age ministries. We LOVE it!
In April, NOE Loma Libre (where I teach) hosted our first ever Corn Hole tournament. Reggie and my student Ximena walked away champions, and my two other students came in 2nd place.
Selah hosted our first sleep-over with friends, which was another success, as sleepovers aren’t common here. Levi celebrated his 14th birthday bowling with friends – it was their first time bowling, so we loved making memories with them
Your Ways are Higher than Our Ways: Sometimes the journey is long (and bumpy), but it is always worth it - March 6, 2022
“Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it.” - Unknown
As non-spiritual as this quote may seem, the challenges that we faced in January and February were prime examples of the truth this statement holds.
On January 23, we took off for Brownsville, Texas to arrange our temporary residency paperwork. The process is easy, right? Find the information that applies to you on the website, complete said paperwork, schedule an appointment, go to said appointment, receive permission, and “Voila!” Done.
Unfortunately, Mexican paperwork and government systems are not always consistent nor quick. What we thought would take 3-5 days ended up taking 17. You read that correctly. 17. We had the opportunity, though, to stay with the Dávilas, a wonderful family who is originally from Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico, and planted a church in a very rough area in urban Matamoros. God knew this stay with them was going to be very important for our family, as they encouraged us in our ministry and overall transition during our stay there. Ultimately, we ended up going to a different Mexican consulate five hours away to obtain our visas, BUT WE GOT THEM!!
We then returned to Morelia where we had to register our visas and exchange them for a temporary residency identification card. To make a long story short, it required a “quick” 36-hour trip back to the border for a piece of paperwork we were not informed we needed upon entering back to the U.S. BUT WE GOT THEM!
Just like starting a new business adventure, career that requires education and training, or building a new home, establishing the foundation for longevity takes time. As much as we wish it could be so, we can’t simply show up and expect all things to happen without some elbow grease (as my dad, Glen Schulz, would say).
Clearly, we would have preferred being neck deep in ministry from the moment we stepped foot in Morelia with no distractions, no obstacles, and no surprises, but first we must build our foundation.
So we fill out the paperwork. We file the paperwork. We make appointments. We attend appointments. We wait for the paperwork to be returned. We file more paperwork. And so it goes. With each step, we are closer and closer to long-term establishment, which comes with constant celebration, victory pictures, victory tacos, victory hugs, and evenings with friends who remind us of why we are working so hard to make it all happen.
We have also seen so many positive changes in our children throughout these unpredictable times that require the flexibility of Stretch Armstrong. A major victory is when we returned to Morelia after being gone for 17 days. For the first time, they had a reason to be welcomed back by their friends at school. They were excited to go back to school to see their teachers and friends, eat the awesome food, and see everyone at NOE, who made such a fuss about their absence and celebrated their homecoming.
God knew we needed this experience to be different than we had planned. May He be glorified as we keep our calling and purpose in mind through all the changes and challenges we face throughout this journey!
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thought than your thoughts.” - Isaiah 55:8-9
A-Year-In-Review for the Nichols in Morelia
The Daily Nichols - Thursday, July 29, 2021
If you want to travel fast, go alone.
If you want to travel far, go together.
- African Proverb
In only ten short days, on August 8th, our family leaves for training through CIT (Center for Intercultural Training https://cit-online.org/cit-residential/) in Union Mills, North Carolina. To say the very least, I (Karlee) am excited. In all my cultural nerdiness, I am neck-deep in cross-cultural reading and discussions, and now I get to do this with other people who are venturing from and to all parts of this beautiful world God created. I’m beaming as I slide my glasses up by the center brim! I know that we will all be stretched to think beyond our Western way of thinking and consider mindsets from all over the globe. Our children will finally be surrounded by other children whose parents have also been called into something new, different, exciting, and intimidating (and for some, scary). We haven’t even arrived, and I am already encouraged at what God has planned for us during these 27 days. As I continue through the book of Acts in preparation for a new journey in spreading the gospel and growing the global church, I see clearly how Jesus taught his followers to interact intentionally with those from other cultures.
In 36 days, our training will be complete, which means we are already making decisions about post-training options. We fully believe that God will provide a way for us to transition in September. Just as the proverb above states, “If you want to go far, go together”. Although you are all not physically going with us to Morelia, we are humbled that so many of you have chosen to travel with us through your prayers and financial support. As of today, we are fully funded for our actual move and through the end of the year! Praise the Lord! We are at 39% of our proposed budget for January and beyond (a 29% increase from last month!).
We want to extend an enormous “THANK YOU!” to those of you who have helped us reach this point. We are so encouraged by all your prayers, words of encouragement, time spent in your homes and on Zoom calls, hugs, and financial support. We know that we are not in this alone and God has given us a wonderful group of people to help us transition and begin ministry in Morelia.
We would love for others to join us in our journey and reach 100% funding over the next 36 days! For those who have contemplated joining us, please consider (pray and discuss), commit, and communicate your support so we can begin solidifying the logistics to getting to Morelia once training is complete on September 3rd. Please share our information and website with others who may want to join our team, too! https://www.adventive.ca/all-project-list/reggie-karlee-nichols/
As we finish up many of our “lasts” in Brevard and the States, here are some praises and prayer requests we would like to share with you. Please continue reaching out to us personally, whether in person, Facebook, text, or email. We have absolutely loved reconnecting with people during this time and want to maintain these precious relationships God has blessed us with over so many seasons of life!
Praises:
- Reaching 100% funding for our initial launch and 2021 months
- Everyone has stayed healthy over these summer months
- Reggie and Levi traveled to Belize in July for a special coming-of-age father/son trip. They had no issues with travel or health and had a great experience!
- Selah and Weslee were almost unable to go to camp due to COVID reports at their camp. They were able to be rescheduled for the following week and are having a blast!
Prayer Requests:
- We all pass our mandatory COVID tests we will be taking this week in order to proceed to CIT training
- We reach 100% funding by September 3rd
- Clarity as we make decisions moving forward for the kids’ schooling
- Emotional growth and understanding for our Reggie and me and our children during training
- Working out the logistics for our physical move to Morelia
- Clear and healthy communication between Reggie and me as we prepare for our transition and help our children through emotional struggles
Finally, if you would like to Zoom call during training, that is 100% still an option, as we anticipate having evening and weekend hours free. Our address will be 6494 Hudlow Rd., Union Mills, NC 28167. Letters, cards, care packages, and chocolates are welcome. 😊
We love you guys and can’t wait to share more about how God is moving through our family in the next few weeks.
Blessings,
Reggie and Karlee Nichols
Family website: https://www.nicholsmorelia.com/
Reggie: (828) 556-9134 nichols.reggie@gmail.com
Karlee: (828) 556-9132 karleednichols@gmail.com
We put our "yes" on the table. God put it on the map! Pusimos nuestro "si" en la mesa. Dios lo puso en el mapa!
The Daily Nichols - The Countdown is ON!!
The Countdown:
Victor Hugo, famous French activist and author of Les Miserables, wrote, “The future has many names: The Lazy call it: The Impossible. The fearful refer to it as: The Unknown. But the Courageous embrace it by saying: ‘This is my Challenge.’” - The God Ask by Steve Shadrach
- Days of work Reggie has left: 11
- Days left in Brevard, NC: 47
- Days until we leave for training: 47
- Days until pre-field training is complete: 74
- Total funding raised for moving expenses and first year still needed: 58%
- Total funding for on-going monthly support still needed for year 2 and beyond: 90% of total budget
God has blessed us so much throughout this journey so far, and we know that He will continue to do so as we move forward with our calling to Morelia/NOE International and the Challenge to raise 100% of our support in only 5 ½ months.
The Timeline:
- Official NOE Meeting to discuss working with them full-time: January 14, 2021
- Receive acceptance from ACCI, our sending agency: April 7, 2021
- Karlee starts sorting/organizing/purging/donating sections of our home: early March 2021
- Send out first mailing announcing our calling to full-time missions: April 14, 2021
- Sell our home: June 2, 2021
- Reggie’s final day of work: July 13, 2021
- Leave for training: August 7, 2021
- End training: September 3, 2021
- Hopeful day to leave for Morelia: September 6/7, 2021
- NOE starts new Fall semester: September 20, 2021
We have had a lot of people ask us about our timeline, then respond with shock that we plan to leave so soon. Since beginning this process, we have learned that the majority of missionaries spend 18-24 months raising support.
Each Fall, NOE’s semester begins the Monday after Mexico’s Independence Day on September 16th. Our goal is to have arrived and be in a home (even if it is temporary until we can purchase a home) in time to allow us to be involved at the beginning of their new Fall semester, celebrating with the NOE staff as they open their doors once again to reinitiate their ministries that speak life into the communities they serve.
In order to “launch”, we need to be funded 90% with pledged on-going monthly commitments that will support us for years to come. We know it is a big “God Ask”, but we truly believe that God fully funds those He calls with the help of the global church.
As we pray about our calling to work with NOE International, we see the need to arrive sooner than later. Coming off the tail-end of a world-wide pandemic that left many nations devastated, NOE is prepping to re-open their doors for the first time since March/April 2020. Only 40% of their students had access to computers, meaning there are many families (both those who were able to continue virtually and those who were not) who are anxiously awaiting their opportunity to get back to normal, back to a life with community and the programs that NOE offers, back to a family who gives them hope in Jesus and sought to love them throughout these tough times.
We are so grateful for those who have committed to come alongside us in this journey! We could not do this without you! If you would like to actively journey with us and help us reach our goal of arriving in Morelia in September, please click on this link: https://www.adventive.ca/all-project-list/reggie-karlee-nichols/.
We would love to schedule a Zoom meeting or in-person time to discuss our future and how you can be involved! Please call or email us to get it on the calendar – we’d love to share more and catch up with you!
Reggie: nichols.reggie@gmail.com (828) 556-9134
Karlee: karleednichols@gmail.com (828) 556-9132
The Daily Nichols - May 30, 2021
Welcome to the first edition of "The Daily Nichols", an update from the Nichols family about our journey to the mission field!
The spiritual, emotional, and financial support we have received so far has been an incredible experience for us. We want to give a huge "Thank You!" to all of you for prayers, words of encouragement, questions about how to help us, love you've poured out on our children, and financial donations that are helping make this journey a reality.
To say the very least, it has been an eventful month! We would like to keep you updated with the events of this past month and give you a timeline for our summer. Many of you received our first newsletter we sent out toward the end of April. Since then, we have received and accepted an offer on our home, which was an enormous answer to prayer, as we didn't even have to put it on the market! We will close on our house on June 4th.
After a 12-day journey to Minnesota and Iowa to visit family and friends and share at my hometown church/VBS, we will be back in the Brevard, NC area living in a section of our church building until we head out to our month-long field training in Union Hill, NC (https://cit-online.org/) on August 7th.
The kids finished their potentially final day of American school on May 27th, which came with mixed emotions for everyone. Selah, Weslee, and Harmony will be on a swim team all summer, and Levi looks forward to working out and "bulking up" during the girls' swim practices. I (Karlee) look forward to a few weeks of simple living as we visit friends and family and enjoy our time in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Reggie's final day of work is July 13th, and he also looks forward to some special time with Levi and some family men's trips with both the Nichols and Schulz men in July and August.
Many people have been asking how we have been and how they can help.
- Please continue to pray for each of us emotionally as we will have many "lasts" in the next few weeks. Each child is processing the change in their own way; some days are easier than others when it comes to saying "goodbye" to the life they have loved here in Brevard.
- Logistically, we are moving forward and making progress. We will be loading up a 6'x12' trailer with selected items from our home that Reggie and I will drive down to Mexico with our van. It has been a learning experience to purge at this level! We are very grateful to have made it to this point and are SO thankful for friends who have helped with organizing and yard sales along the way!
- Please also pray for language learning (and motivation for some!) as we approach the reality of the daily need for Spanish skills!
Our greatest need currently is financial support. We have currently raised 27% of our first year's budget, but are at less than 1% of our on-going monthly financial commitments. With both of us seeking to work with NOE International 100%, donor support both in one-time donations and monthly support will be a determining factor for our launch date (shooting for September upon completing our training on September 3rd if we are 90% funded) and our ability to give of our time to ministry once we are there. If you haven't already, please partner with us! Even $5-10 a month is enough to make a huge long term impact in our lives and those we serve. We'd love for you to partner with us and be a part of what God is doing in Morelia!
https://www.adventive.ca/all-project-list/reggie-karlee-nichols/
We would love to share more with you about our transition, NOE International, and how you can support us. Please don't hesitate to reach out to us via email, text, or our website. Thank you again, and we look forward to sending you another update soon!
Throughout this process we have been learning the true meaning of Philippians 4:6 that says, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." Selling our possessions and home, starting our fundraising process, leaving a business and professional steady job, and helping our children through a major transition with a lot of unknowns has caused us to constantly keep ourselves and each other in check about trusting that God has control of this process and that He will be glorified through it all!
Karlee (and Reggie)
