The Funks Archives

August 25, 2023 by Nelsy Paz Leave a Comment

Hard Goodbyes

Saying goodbye is not fun, but as one of my friends says, “Every hello ends with a goodbye.” Two years went by too fast, and they always do when you love what you do. My time working with 61 Isaiah Ministries was an incredible experience that I will treasure for years to come. I met wonderful people, including some of my best friends. Being the ministry’s Field Logistics Coordinator gave me a lot of great experience working with two different cultures at the same time. There were fun times, like when we had pillow fights that made me laugh until my stomach hurt, (which was a great stress reliever!) There were also less fun times, like calling lawyers, waiting in line at the bank, and solving logistical problems on the fly. To be honest, I miss all of that!

Now, we are sad to announce that Jason and I have to say goodbye to the ministry. We moved back to the United States this past July. After more than two years of paperwork and waiting, my residency was approved last August. We were very excited as this allowed me to come visit family and friends in the US for the first time since 2018. But in order to maintain my residency, we could not be outside of the US for more than a few months at a time. Because of this, we decided to move back to the US this summer. Jason has already started his accounting job with Tyson Foods in Springdale, Arkansas, while I will be taking some time off to take care of Addie and to adapt to a new place. Addie has been keeping us all busy as she has been walking, talking, and growing quickly!

We are so thankful that we were able to walk with the team over the last few years, and look forward to visiting in the future. For now, we will be walking with them from afar!

September 23, 2022 by Nelsy Paz Leave a Comment

Wonderfully Made

Psalm 139:13-14 says, “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.”

These have been some of my favorite verses for a long time, but they took on a whole new meaning for me when I became a mom. When I look at my daughter, I cannot help but be in awe of God’s craftsmanship. I take great comfort knowing that God created her exactly how He wanted her to be. I look at her and see God’s beautiful, perfect creation. It is easy for me to see all of these things in her. It is much more difficult, however, for me to see myself in this light. If I make a mistake, thoughts can creep in that I am not good enough, or that I’m not worthy of God’s love. I begin to doubt that God could really love me. I surely don’t deserve it! But I do not love my daughter because of what she does or how she acts. Instead, I love her because of who she is– my daughter.

If I, as a human parent, can feel this much love for my child, how much more must my heavenly father love His children? He loves me because I am his child, not because of what I do. I am also God’s beautiful creation. Just like my daughter, God made me exactly how He wants me to be. I am a child of God. Nothing can change that. And because of this, nothing can separate me from his love.

January 7, 2022 by Nelsy Paz Leave a Comment

Mourning Into Gladness

The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.
– Psalms 9:9

As I think of all the events that happened in 2021 for me and my family, this is the verse that comes to mind. In 2021, I lost my grandmother, my grandfather, and my brother. The pain that I feel for those losses is huge. This verse helps me to breathe and to trust God more than ever. I’m not going to lie, at the beginning, especially after the death of my dear brother, I was mad at God. I could not understand why He had to take him away from us. But as I think of my brother, I have the assurance that he is in a better place now, enjoying God’s presence. I know we will see each other again, and this brings joy to my heart. God is a faithful God. He will always be with us in the good and bad moments.

2021 was also the year that Jason and I found out that we are going to be parents. For us, this is a sign of God’s faithfulness. Our baby is bringing hope, strength, and joy in a time of mourning. This is proof of what God is capable of. He is the only one that can change our pain to joy, our suffering to worship. Our broken hearts are made whole again.

This holiday season was quite different for me and my family. Someone was missing at the table. It was a time to remember our loved ones. This is not easy, but God always fills our hearts with strength.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
– Romans 15:13

Trusting in the Lord is the best way that we can surpass any suffering we are going through. If we allow God into our hearts, He will bring joy and hope even in the darkest times. He has shown me how loved I am by putting special people around me, and by giving me the gift of becoming a mother. God has different ways to show us His great love. We just have to allow Him to govern our lives and to trust in His holy will and purpose for our lives.

August 9, 2021 by Spencer Wolverton 1 Comment

Jason and Nelsy Join the Team!

Nelsy

Hello everyone! My name is Nelsy Paz and I will be the new Field Logistics Coordinator with 61 Isaiah. I am from a small town 2 hours away from Gracias called La Unión, Lempira. I was raised in a Christian home, so I grew up hearing about God and His love for me, but it was not until I was nine years old that I accepted Him in my heart as my personal Lord and Savior. God has been extremely faithful to me and my family. I was part of the first graduating class of Abundant Life Christian School in La Unión. During my senior year I started applying to different universities in the USA. In March of 2014 I received a call from the principal of John Brown University, which is one of the universities that offers the Walton Scholarship. This is a full-ride scholarship for students from Central America and Mexico. My college experience was awesome. I met amazing people from different parts of the world. I graduated with a double major in International Business and Business Administration. During this time in college I met my best friend and husband, Jason Funk! In 2018 we both came to Honduras and started working with the Abundant Life Christian School (ALCS) in Gracias. In September 2019, we got married! I taught first grade at ALCS for 3 years. I loved my job, but every year I felt that God had something else in store for me. This year when Shannon asked me if I was interested in becoming the new Field Logistics Coordinator at 61 Isaiah, I felt excited and at peace. I felt in my heart that this is where God wanted me to be and He had been preparing me for this moment! I know that God is doing great things through 61 Isaiah, and I am very excited to be a part of it! My husband and I believe that this is our calling and we are excited to be part of the 61 Isaiah family.

Jason

I was also raised in a Christian home and accepted Jesus as my Savior when I was very young. When I started college at John Brown University, I had never really thought about working in overseas missions. I was majoring in accounting, and figured that I would graduate and start to work in some business there in Arkansas or where I grew up in Kansas. But then I met Nelsy! As graduation (and Nelsy’s return to Honduras) kept getting closer, I could feel more and more that she was the woman God had planned for me to be with. So when she moved back to Honduras, so did I. Obviously, there were so many things about this change that sounded scary! I did not really speak Spanish very well, I did not know anything about being an elementary teacher, and I did not know how I would handle my student loans. But as He always does, God provided for every need at the right time in the right way. He reveals each step at the right time, and along with it He gives the strength, wisdom, and resources that will be needed. I know that God led me to Nelsy. He led us both to teach at ALCS. And now He is leading us to a deeper involvement with 61 Isaiah. This year I am going to continue teaching while also doing part-time accounting for 61 Isaiah Ministries. We are very excited to be a part of 61 Isaiah Ministries and cannot wait to see what God has in store for us.

Nelsy

Jason

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