New Year's Coming and Start-Up Funds Raised!

Ahe'hee'! As of today we have raised 100% of our start-up funds!  Any donations to start up fund beyond this is a blessing.  We are also still in need of 24 monthly supporters at 20 dollars a month!  Thanks everyone for getting us to this point!  Ahe'hee'!



~ Rob and Michelle Nickles

96% of Start-up Fund Raised!

 After just a month and half, we can say we are just 4% ($66) away  from being ready to leave for the Navajo Reservation and our work near Farmington, NM.  Keep us in prayer in the next few weeks as we contact possible duplex and apartments for housing.  We will be also packing our 2002 Dodge Neon, "Stormy", and seeing if Rob's bike, "Monsoon", fits on the roof rack we're buying.  It will be a busy month or so, as we prepare to move!

What a Christmas gift this as been and totally unexpected!  Literally, we went from 12% funded to 96% in a single Sunday.  It was December 15th, which is also our anniversary!  An anniversary/Christmas gift all in one!   Thank you to everyone who has given thus far!  We will still be need monthly supporters... but our start up fund is nearly full!  Ahe'hee'!  Thank you!

~ Rob and Michelle Nickles

Christmas Update 2013

What a year on furlough it has been! It was hard for us to leave the Navajo the first place, but God knew that Rob's mom would have back and neck surgery, and that we would start out 2013 in Kansas helping the Houser's due to my adopted mom, Linda's cancer treatments.  Rob even worked as a cart pusher at Walmart. April saw us returning to Kentucky, due to lack of jobs for both of us nor acquitted housing. It was a joy to return to our church home at Immanuel Baptist Church of Corbin and all our dear friend and family in Kentucky. We began making calls seeking what path God was going to have us take the next and quickly an answer came.

May 6th was a big day for us, because we became missionaries partnered with San Juan Baptist Association, at the advice of friends and NAMB.  Summer 2013 saw us on a whirlwind tour of churches from Kansas, Kentucky, and Tennessee.  In August we traveled back to the Navajo Reservation for a young friends passing.


September and October saw me employed for the first time as a temp worker at a local factory.  That fizzled on me.  Just as it did, we received a call asking us to be full time Youth and Student Ministry worker.  We will work bi-vocationally until the church can fully support us.  December sees us with 12% of our start-up support raised with a planed leave date at about February 1st!  Pray for God's will in our leaving...

As we leave this year of 2013 behind and prepare to enter into 2014, let us not forget Jesus, our Emmanuel, God with us, who came here over 2000 years ago as the greatest missionary and only Savior the world has ever known.  We pray that He will be the song in your hearts this Christmas, and the hope that dwells richly in your hearts throughout the New Years.


God bless and Merry Christmas to all!

~ Michelle and Rob Nickles

Central Baptist Church

Met today with Pastor Chad Fuggit at Central Baptist Church of Corbin, and shared with him about our missionary work.  It was an honor to sit down and talk with him about all we are doing.  For now CBC has pledged prayer support, and beyond that they are praying to see where God would lead.  ^_^

It was so good to be able to share, especially in this busy Christmas season.     In other news, we now have 12% of our Start-Up funds raised!

~ Rob and Michelle Nickles

Thanksgiving

Ya'at'eeh Keshmish Yazhi (Happy Thanksgiving - Navajo)!   

We have so much to be thankful for this year!  Good Family on all three sides (Birth, Adopted, In-laws).  A delightful Church Family at Immanuel Baptist Church of Corbin.  Bed, Board, and Hearth with family until we move to the Navajo Reservation full time.  A wonderful church, First Indian Baptist Church, in Farmington, NM and jobs waiting for us there as Youth/Student Ministry Leaders.  A superb growing team of supporters and prayer warriors backing us.  And Most of ALL: Salvation through Jesus Christ!

 God bless and Happy Thanksgiving!

~ Rob and Michelle Nickles

A team gathering...

We have a few friends gathering with us around the Nation to help with raising support and returning to the Navajo...
And we are now up to 9% pushing 10% funded!

Our future church home  is on San Juan Baptist Association at http://www.sanjuanbaptistassociation.com/church.php?assoc_churchID=3630 

~ Rob and Michelle Nickles

7 1/2 Weeks Till Tentative Move Date!

We are 3 & 1/2 weeks into our support raising for Start-Up Funds.  That said, we have just 8% raised at $149 of the needed $1,800.  Not bad with letters just being out a week, and many still being sent.   Thank you so much to everyone who has supported us thus far!  We truly can't do this without any of you!

~ Rob and Michelle Nickles 

Back in Kentucky/Opening Doors

Been back in Kentucky for about 2 months busy working and saving, and God keeps surprising us with awesome doors to walk though.  Not that everything is easy.  Never is when preparing to serve the Lord in ministry.  But the door that is opening for us right now is big, and we are praying whole heartily for wisdom on timing to walk through it.  When we do, it would mean being back in Dine Bikeyah for good this time and would be a major step forward for us... timing is the issue/wisdom we need!

~ Rob and Michelle 

In Dine Bikeyah...

So we are back out on the rez for a week.  Wish it were for better reasons we came.  The lose of a17 year old is never easy. Nor should it be. Yet sure are we of where he is today, in heaven with Jesus.  It was good to see our many friends who were here for the memorial.  Many from BABR, college, and Thoreau.  Now we have a week here to perpare and refocus.

What do we mean by refocusing?  When one faces  great hardships, tis wise to look at where we are at, what path God has set before us, and steps are needed to get there.  This is such a time for us.  We know that we are home nowhere but Dine Bikeyah... so what more can we do to get home?  Soon time will make that clear too.

Rob and Michelle

Trouble on The Road...

Here we sit, at a car shop in Tennessee...
Waiting to see if Stormy is going to be fixed.
Waiting to see if we can make it to New Mexico by August 10th...
Waiting to see what is going on...
Transmission being replaced....
On the bright side we learned that some hotels still take cash.
Praying we can get back on the road... and make it to the memorial.

~ Rob and Michelle Nickles

Server Heights Baptist Church and Stormy

We had a meeting Monday with David Harkins, Missions Pastor at Sevier Heights Baptist Church.  It was a wonderful meal at Cracker Barrel, where we shared about our heart and ministry with the Navajo.  David let us know he would be getting back up with us for other groups at Sevier Heights we will be able to share with!  What a blessing!

After visiting our old haunts in East Knoxville, where we lived when we were first married back in 2008 and picking up more Thank You Cards (always needed), we headed back up Jelico Mountain towards Keavy, KY.   This time all went well.  That teaches us not to go up big mountains with the air conditioner still on.  Blah!  Stormy, the car, is doing well.

~ Rob and Michelle

Knoxville and Car - Stormy

We went and shared for the first time with some staff at First Baptist of Concord, and will be returning August 14 for a more detailed presentation.  The trip was awesome.  It was fun to see and be places we had not seen in 5 years since we lived in Knoxville just after getting married.   The trip there was truely uneventful, but not so would be the trip back...

The trip back, well, we have to cross Jellico Mountain to get back to Keavy.  Well it was a nice hot day, and "Stormy", our car, did not like the height of the mountain combined with the heat.  Thusly, she kept slowly getting hot.  Finally, one exit from home we had to pull off and just let her cool down.  Took her into the shop Wednesday morning.  Thermostat is fine, hoses looking good...just keep an eye on her, at least she is ok.

~ Rob and Michelle Nickles

God's Timing!

God is so good, and He knows the perfect timing for everything.  After nearly a month of waiting, a Loving Offering came in, just in time to cover the cost for printer ink and gas for our upcoming trip to Knoxville to share with churches.  Just when we really needed!  Ahe'hee', Corinth Baptist Church!

Immanuel Baptist of Lexington

Went to Immanuel Baptist Church of Lexington, KY yesterday, a 175 mile round trip.  This is the largest church we have visited. It was good to speak with the Missions Pastor, Jeff Story, about our calling among the Navajo.  Whether we will be sponsored missionaries in their newly developed missions program remains to be seen, but it was both humbling and an honor to share with them.

God never stops amazing us as to when, where and how He will provide for us. After a dry spell of little new pledges, we just received a $250 lump pledge to be sent in very shortly.  This mean we now have pledged a little over 2%.  What does this mean?  We now have 1 Week of  support raised!  God is so good!  Thank you to everyone who has pledged, and we pray that God blesses you in these days and months to come!

~ Rob and Michelle Nickles

Immanuel Baptist and Wacky Wednesday

We had a good talk with our Pastor Allen, from our home church Immanuel Baptist Church, with alot of good ideas for ministry and work.  Our Love Offerings are helping big time with Gas and Travel Expenses.  Thank you to everyone who has given thus far!


This evening we also shared with the children of Immanuel Baptist, thanks to the invite of Jenni Lou Jackson.  It was awesome to hear them so interested in the Navajo, and to have them sit so still when Rob shared his story.  Some of them did look a bit quizzical and started giggling when he slipped into a rez accent while telling it.  After running some relays, the children went out to play water games.  It was good to share with the next generation.

We are working on getting pictures from San Juan Baptist Association from the Navajo work, and we are planing a trip for a week or two in October to visit the San Juan Region to meet our future team, and get some pictures.

~ Rob and Michelle Nickles

Pump Springs Baptist Church and Navajo Bibles!

Last night, we visited Pump Springs Baptist Church, where Rob attended in the early 2000's.  We had learned just yesterday morning, that Pastor Scott use to work at Immanuel Baptist, our home church.  Such a small world!  At Pastor Allen's advice, this was the first time Rob and I shared the talk, going back and forth sharing.  It worked well, and was our best talk to date.

The major thing that struck the People of Pump Springs Baptist Church was the fact the Navajo Bible had gone out of print, and they gathered an offering to buy as many Bibles as they could.  We came home to find in our e-mail box this morning, an update from our contact, the Navajo Bibles are BACK IN PRINT!
This is such a long standing prayer request dating back to 2011, and so awesome to see it answered.   We still will be getting Bibles to use for ministry from Pump Springs Baptist Church, and a great relief has washed over all of us.  God is good, He answers prayers, and has unique and special timing for letting his servants know the answers to their prayers.  Thank you to everyone who prayed and gave!

~ Rob and Michelle

Ahe'hee'! Thank you!

Ahe'hee', ahe'hee', ahe'hee'!
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
We could not do this ministry without all our friends: those who pray, those who give, those who send, and those who go.  You are the ones we represent out on the mission field, and you are the ones God uses to keep us going!

The bottom line is, while we may be the ones heading out to work on the mission field among the Navajo, without our teams of friends we would not be able to begin this awesome endeavor.  We are heading out to the missions field as extensions of you and your hearts to see the lost coming to a personal relationship with Jesus.  We are both honored and humbled for the awesome responsibility to be called to this, and to serve you by serving the Navajo.

~ Rob and Michelle Nickles

Corinth Baptist Church

 It was so good to get to share at Corinth Baptist Church in London, KY on Wednesday Evening.  It was good to hear of all the missions work they are already part of.  It always amazes us just how much God is guiding us to each church and person we share about the work with.  He is so good to provide for us, and blesses us with so many good new friends and churches to visit.  Thank you so much Corinth Baptist Church for hosting us, and for your join with us in our work!

We love to hear from friends while we are out traveling on furlough.  Wish to send us a card or a letter?

Our address is as follows while on furlough:
Rob and Michelle Nickles
PO Box 63
Keavy, KY 40737


~ Rob and Michelle Nickles

Laurel Lake Baptist Camp

We shared this Wednesday with the about 30 youth at Laurel Lake Baptist Camp.  We actually shared with 3 classes divided between ages: Grade School, Middle School, and High School, each with about 10 children.  It was awesome.  They especially were in awe of John 3:16 when read in Navajo, no matter what age.  It was good to share.  God bless the camp, and may many more youth come to Christ this summer!  Thanks for having us!

~ Rob and Michelle Nickles

A Shady Garden?

 I have been researching for the past two months "Dark Plants" especially veggies, herbs, and fruits for the gardens and homesteads out there.  Much to my surprise 2 months in, I have thus far discover over 90 plants, and the numbers are still growing.  Sadly, due to travel, my time to researching has been greatly cut, but I am continuing to work on info.

One thing that has caught my eye is Shady Plant growing.  Where we are at now, we do have a large garden we share with family (corn, beans, and potatoes) and pots on the deck, but I am eyeing under the deck for more growing space.  According to my research, beans, broccoli, salad greens, beets, radishes, leafy greens, cauliflower, beans, are good for shade gardens.

This means one can grow have stunning Detroit Dark Red Beats, Bull's Blood Beets, Black Elephant Kale, Black Tuscany Kale, Red Russian Kale, Lacinato Kale,  Purple Passion Spinach, Red Romaine Lettuce, Mammoth Red Rock Cabbage, Purple Cauliflower, 21 types of Beans, Dark Read Beats, Bull's Blood Beets, Black Elephant Kale, Black Tuscany Kale, Red Russian Kale, Lacinato Kale,  Purple Passion Spinach, Red Romaine Lettuce, Mammoth Red Rock Cabbage, Purple Cauliflower  and maybe more   ... now if I only knew what grew well in pots!

~ "Morria"

Christian Chapel Foursquare Church

Shared at Christian Chapel Foursquare Church about our hear for the Navajo this morning.  Started out by singing the chorus of "Jesus Ayoo'asho'ni (Jesus Loves Me in Navajo)".  Then shared about Rob and my past and future ministry working in Dine Bikeyah.  Things went well.  We received a few pledges, plus a Love Offering of about equal to 2 1/2 to 3 tanks of Gas.  When ministry gas money goes from one Love Offering to another, that is a major blessing!  Thank you so much to everyone at Christian Chapel who gave, thank you to those who gave pledges, and thank you soo much for our prayer friends.  Everyone makes a big difference in this ministry!

~ Michelle

Prairie Trail Cowboy Chuch

It was wonderful to see everyone at Prairie Trail Cowboy Church, Wednesday Night.  Thank you so much for giving me a chance to share with you about Rob and my heart for reaching the Lost among the Navajo.  Your hospitality and prayers, make you true "Sending" and "Praying" friends!   Rob and I both will miss you greatly, and we look forward to future visits when we are in town.  God bless!

~ Michelle

Trip going great!

Here I am in Kansas for a flying trip around Wichita (Hutchison Family I will see you next trip...) visiting churches, speaking with Friends, going to a medical check up, seeing adopted family, and all this while still connecting with our past Friend/support teams.  Yet, my mind keeps wondering off to this coming January to March, and our move to Dine Bikeyah.  I am so hom sick right now, in part because of how much I keep sharing about it.  Flue for the fire to get us back home....

~ Michelle

Travel and Our Hearts...

 So, our travels begin with Michelle taking a trip to Kansas.  Then we will be traveling around Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee, and then Texas and who knows where else.  It will be good to reconnect with old friends, make new ones, and see how missions is done around the USA at the churches we visit.  Cannot wait for this adventure... but even more we are longing to return to our home in Dine Bikeyah, the San Juan Region of the Navajo Reservation!


What can we say?  When there are over 265,000 Navajo living in an area a little larger than the state of West Virginia, and only 1% - 2% are born again believers.  48,000 of these live in the San Juan Region, and we have only 10 churches among the Navajo in this region. That is 1 Small Church (holding 100-200 people) per 4,800 Navajo.  Poverty is high.  Many areas have not had electricity yet, in 2013!  Hopelessness is a Great Plague, and often is the root of alcoholism, drug abuse, sexual abuse, and suicide all of which are 5x's higher than the National averages.  Is it any wonder we long to get back to our mission work among the Navajo?

~ Rob and Michelle Nickles

Trip Up Coming...

With Michelle upcoming trip to Wichita, KS,  we have been gathering the needed items for "Friend Raising"... What does it take to start off on "Friend Raising"?  A table to place items from the Navajo Nation, a long piece of Turquoise Velvet as a table cloth, 100 Prayer Magnets, 100 Support Cards, Table Banner, Presentation Board, Pictures, Offering Bucket, Money Box, plus of course the Tablet and Printer which was via Donation.  But even more than all of that we need Friends to Join with us!

Want a Prayer Magnet and to be a "Prayer Friend"?  Email us your mailing address to robmichellenickles at yahoo dot com, and we will send you one ASAP!

~ Rob and Michelle Nickles

Monsoon ~ Rob's 3 Wheel Bike

Came home from church last night to a big early birthday surprise.  Sitting between my parents car and truck, was a midnight blue (purple in certain light) 3 wheel bicycle... I had asked for one a few years back, but they had never found one.   Then surprise, one showed up last night a month before my birthday.  This is an answer to prayer, and an item we did not even put on the wish list.  So it is "Monsoon", joins our transportation, and I can ride him while Michelle rides her bike "Gypsy".

~ Rob

PS: Thanks to Mom and Dad Nickles for the Schwinn 3 Wheel Bike!

A Church Camp and Children's Church!

Blessings of all Blessings!  We will be sharing at Laurel Lake Baptist Camp on June 26th, and there is a possibility of other churches from this. We also have a Childrens' Church Wed. night class to share at in July!  Our prayer team is growing, and several possible Giving and Going Friends too!  As always, we have few supporters who stay anonymous, but come through just when we need them, but we never know when or how!  God is so good!  Still no love offerings or gas cards, but where God guides, He provides!

Thanks to our Anonymous Donner for the HP Printer and Galaxy Tablet for our ministry use!

~ Rob and Michelle Nickles

The Next Stage Starts...

Well, here we are in Kentucky, with 9 to 11 months of Friend Raising a head of us.  With all that travel and prepping for ministry, there is not much time for other stuff.  Yet we still have a storage unit full of items that moved back from the Rez with us.  Now, before we get super busy is the time to get it and our room sorted through...  What will we do with the stuff we don't keep?

The Flea Market of course!  Just like there are open air/flea markets out on the Rez, we have them here in Kentucky too. So any furniture, clothing, decor, and the likes that we don't need will go to a booth and sell off. If Michelle can gather supplies, we will most like sell soaps too.  Where will this money go?  Gas Money for traveling, and if there is a wee bit to spare: Rob's favorite chair gets reupholstered.

~ Rob and Michelle

Good Start...

 We had a good start at IBC's youth group sharing about our mission work.  A lot of good questions were asked, and there was a lot of interest in how they can farther help.  We possible have a pledge to help with some of our supply needs.  We have one small group, one children's group, and one church already booked for June and into July. Things are going well!

 Michelle found herself sick this morning.  So ill that she had to miss a day of work, which rarely ever happens.  It appears to be a type of stomach flu.  Navajo Tea and lots of rest are in order for her.  Keep her in prayer...

~ Rob and Michelle Nickles

PS: Big thanks to our Anonymous Donner for the Galaxy Tab 2 and HP Printer.

Speaking begins May 29th!

Our first sharing is this Wednesday, May 29th at IBC's youth group.  We will be sharing with our small group at IBC June 2nd, and the IBC Children later this summer.  Michelle will also be presenting at her parents' church around June , if all goes well.  We have several other churches in the works, too.  This is an exciting, but scary time for us as we step out in faith and begin this phase of our ministry, gathering our team of "Praying Friends", "Giving Friends", "Sending Friends", and "Going Friends".

Be in prayer, our monthly budget appears to be around $3,750 (cost of living, travel, and ministry supplies), with an annual budget of $45,000.  Outside of finances, our current needs are stamps, printer paper, HP 61 ink (black and color), and legal envelops.  We also greatly need to build our team of "Prayer Friends", who pray daily and receive our monthly e-prayer letters.



God bless and thanks again to all who supported us last time out on the mission field!  I know God changes things in every ones lives, so we re-invite everyone to look at where God has you now... to see where you might fit in on this leg of the journey-task!

~ Rob and Michelle Nickles

We head out to friend raise!

We are returning to the Navajo winter 2013-2014 as missionaries partnered with the San Juan Baptist Association, when our support is raised... We start visiting at our own church Immanuel Baptist of Corbin, later this month into early June.  After that, Michelle will be travelling to Kansas for a week to visit family and connect with our churches there.  Then we will expand on through Kentucky and Tennessee.  From there maybe Florida, Texas, Oklahoma, and states in between.

The missionary life is not for everyone.  That first step of faith (no matter how many times one has done it) can be absolutely terrifying.  Depending in God daily for our every need is not easy, but it is a blessing.  We have never been without what we need, and we learn more of what are wants and what are real needs.  While not everyone can live this life, we would not trade it for any other life.

~ The Nickles