Grace Elizabeth Nelson

Matthew 28:18-20 says, “And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Grace spent her life going and making disciples. October 19th, 1954 was a date she always remembered, it was the day she left Seatac Airport to follow the calling the Lord had placed on her heart to go to Africa. She arrived in Gabon and began to learn the local language of Yipunu. During that first term she was teaching school, running a dispensary and learning to speak the native language.

Her second term in Gabon, she was sent to Ileka where she continued to teach religious education in the mission school, teach new missionaries the local language, and by far her favorite thing- village evangelism. If you ever heard Grace talk about her time on the mission field, this is where the “trying monkey” story comes in.

After two years of living in Ileka, Grace and a fellow missionary, Betty, moved to Mouil, where Grace was taken up very ill. By the grace of God, she was healed and was able to finish out her 2nd term relying on the words in Zeharia 4, “not by might, not by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord.”

In 1964, the beginning of Grave’s third term of service, she was assigned the task of translating the New Testament into the Yipunu language. Little did the team know, this assignment would take 23 years to complete.

During this time, after Grace relocated to Niali, her time was spent spreading the Gospel. Tchibanga was about 45 miles away from where they lived and she would take every Sunday to go teach in the five villages on that stretch of road. For two years she did road services watching as the church began to grow.

After returning home to the states for a much needed furlough, Grace spent her next few terms as a missionary heavily focused on the translation work. October 18th 1973, just one day shy of 19 years in Gabon, the final manuscript of the New Testament was sent for printing. 3 years later, the printed copy was held in the hands of those who had spent the years working on it. She was asked to then continue on with the Old Testament. By the end of her fifth term she had gotten into Psalms and by the sixth term well into Isaiah.

Her final years on the mission field were spent deep in the word of God, translating it into a language so that others could know the Lord. God has given her the desires of her heart, being a missionary had been ever better than her younger self could have imagined.

Coming back to the states, Grace spent the next few decades working with the Christian Missionary Alliance serving the retirement community and women’s groups. To know Grace was

to love and respect her. She served the Lord with her entire being and it shined through all that she did.

Grace is survived by Niece-Christy Wood(husband Michael), Nephew’s- Tim Nelson, John Nelson, Paul Nelson, Mark Nelson and David Nelson. And great Nephew’s and Niece’s.

Those who are in Heaven with Grace- Her parents- Axel & Dorthea Nelson, her brothers-Charles(first wife,Joyce) and (second wife, Diana) & David(wife Jean) and Nephew- Steve.