American adventure awaits Kistans
American adventure awaits Kistans
10 May 2017
Captains Cheryl and Nesan Kistan, and their four children, are moving to the USA to take up a new appointment in Orange County, California.
By Lauren Martin
“Surprised”, “excited” and “humbled” are words that Captains Nesan and Cheryl Kistan use when talking about their new appointment to Orange County, California. But the overwhelming feeling is one of trust and faithfulness in a God who provides.
The Corps Officers of Ryde in north-west Sydney, the Kistans have been appointed to the USA Western Territory as Corps Officers of Tustin Ranch in California. They will also take on the role of County Coordinators in Orange County.
The Kistans are busily preparing for the move with their four children – Joshua, Samuel, Micah and Faith – as their appointments take effect on 28 June.
“We actually don’t know very much about it,” says Cheryl of Tustin Ranch. “But it is quite a large corps.”
The corps runs a range of ministries, including a youth centre, pre-school and music programs. At the same time as appointing the Kistans, the territory has also appointed associate officers to run the Korean ministry of the corps.
Having a heart for the nations, Cheryl and Nesan have overseen two multicultural corps in Sydney – Auburn and Ryde – prior to this appointment. They have travelled to the United States twice to attend and speak at multicultural conferences. They have also hosted visiting American corps officers at Auburn Corps who wanted to learn more about multicultural ministry.
“The Chief Secretary [of USA Western Territory] rang and said, ‘I just want to tell you that we actually feel like you guys could do this. This is a large corps that we want to see grow ... and we believe you guys are the right ones for it,’” Cheryl recalls of the weekend that she and her husband Nesan were asked to consider the appointment. “It’s pretty exciting that someone has faith in you ... we already feel like we’ve got someone over there cheering in our corner.”
Across Orange County there are four Salvation Army corps and six social service centres that the Kistans will be overseeing. The services provide accommodation and support to people experiencing homelessness, recovery services, and family and youth support.
Cheryl says when contemplating the appointment, she and Nesan stepped out in faith. “We were praying about it and you know how Gideon put a fleece out before God and God showed him that it was the right thing? So, we thought, ‘we’ll just say yes, and if it’s the right thing then everything would fall into place.’”
Since saying “yes”, the couple’s concerns about care for their hearing-impaired son, Micah, have been put to rest. A member of the Tustin Ranch Corps contacted them to explain that her son also lives with a similar condition. “This woman works for The Salvation Army and looks after its medical insurance,” says Cheryl. “I knew that God was sending me a message that I don’t need to be worried for Micah with this move.”
There have been many challenges to overcome – obtaining visas, packing and preparing to move in the midst of the Red Shield Appeal and Nesan preparing to step down from the territorial multicultural ministry he has developed.
“We obviously have mixed feelings, leaving our family and friends at Ryde Salvos and the Multicultural Ministries team in Australia would be tough,” Nesan posted to his Facebook account after the announcement, “but the challenges and opportunities that await us in the USA are significant and exciting.
“My late father had imbedded a pioneering spirit in our hearts, as children we were challenged to think globally and trust God with our future, to never grow comfortable but to live on the edge. So we step into a new season of ministry, believing that our ministry in the USA is authored by God and we step into an unknown future with confidence that God goes ahead of us.”
Comments
I am sure you two are the right people for this challenge! we will be praying for you and keen to follow your journey .
Wow! Dear Nesan & Cheryl - Well done good and faithful servants of our Lord Jesus. Congratulations too for what you are achieving for Jesus in your combined outreach all these past years since we last saw you at Sydney Congress Hall in 2002/03.
Living on the edge is always exciting with Jesus, sometimes a wee bit intimidating then YES as we step out in faith He is ahead of us joyfully leading the way.
You may not remember my name. My late husband Peter and I worshipped at Bondi Junction, then Sydney Congress and StreetLevel under dear Paul & Robbin Moulds. Our daughter Melanie - she had worked for a year on faith serving Jesus with the Moulds involvement with John Irwin Lodge. We were sworn in as soldiers in 1998 at the old Albion Corps in Brisbane by Colin Maxwell. It was lovely to read this morning how Jesus can rely on your love and service to Him.
May Jesus provide travel mercies on your journey next month, help you all as a family to settle in joyfully and that you and your family remain in good health. I ask these things in Jesus Precious Name. Amen.
Sincerely always in Jesus
Sharon Budd