Last year as the pandemic raged with uncertainty and caused a myriad of delays, Elise’s family moved forward with a family gathering on Oahu to honor their mother Helen (who was born in Wahiawa Hawaii).

Mark & Elise’s wedding date had been postponed over 6 times throughout 2019-2020! However, everything fell in place for the couple to finally tie the knot in Hawaii during June of last year in 2021! So with the help of Kathy Ireland and family and friends Mark & Elise were finally married on June 7, 2021, on the oceanfront estate of Elizabeth Taylor during a perfect spectacular sunset!


Mark’s mother LaVerne was admitted to ICU several days before Mark & Elise’s nuptials last year….so immediately after their wedding ceremony & dinner Mark caught a late flight to Seattle to tend to his beloved mother and sisters…Even though the couple spent separate time during the remainder of that week, they were able to coordinate outbound flights to arrive at LAX at the same time to be greeted by their driver for the first time as “Mr. & Mrs. Nelson” returning to their Palos Verdes home!


This past year Mark & Elise faced numerous challenges yet through the grace and providence of God and the unceasing prayers from our church, family and friends, we are blessed and celebrating the renewal of our vows this year in 2022 and finally getting to have our honeymoon (this time with Mark’s children and their significant others!)





Easter brunch after church 2022!
(L-R): Keely, Andrew, Jenna, Haley, Lange, Kai, Mark, and Elise

Seated on floor (L-R): Keely and Lange
Back Row: Andrew, Mark, Kai

Christmas 2021 - Nelson’s Gingerbread House contest

Disneyland (April 3, 2022) Celebrating Mark’s birthday in Star Wars land

Nelson Family annual Christmas Party (back again in 2022!)

Mark’s eldest son Andrew (pictured above with his love Jenna Perusich) works at NBC/Universal in marketing. Andrew graduated from Boise State and then moved back to Southern California to pursue a career in corporate marketing. Andrew and Jenna live in the Valley and enjoy home projects and a variety of sports. In his younger days Andrew was the lead man for a rock band!


Lange and his fiancée Haley are getting married Oct. 22, 2022! Lange is the Creative Director of Waiakea Water. He graduated from the San Francisco Art Center, after transferring from University of Hawaii where he played football before a major injury changed his direction. Lange and Haley live in the South Bay with their beloved 4-legged fur babies, Mabel (Australian Shepard), and Moro (Alaskan Husky).

Kai is turning 30 this coming December and recently completed his Masters in clinical psychology and is looking forward to having his own practice in the future specializing in family & addiction therapy. He is an accomplished martial artist with emphasis in Muay Thai kickboxing.

Mark’s youngest and only daughter, Keely! She’s smart, strong and stunning…and the baby! Keely is a 2021 graduate from Arizona State University and works at CAA (Creative Artist Agency) in Century City. She is an accomplished vocalist and quite a star in her own right. Keely and her beloved pup Bambi have a bright future ahead

David “Waxer” Tipton was raised near Papakōlea on O’ahu where he was immersed in Hawaiian culture and tradition. His parent’s deep commitment to the Lord combined with his local upbringing stirred within him a great love for the Lord and the Hawaiian people. He grew up surfing with his dad and was a part of the surf culture where his surfing buddies gave him the nickname “Waxer”.

While in college, Waxer’s love of surfing helped him to reach out to fellow surfers and begin the “Surfers for Christ” ministry. Soon after, he was approached and asked to come on staff at a local church as a youth pastor. He studied at San Diego State University and Point Loma Nazarene College and obtained a Masters degree from Fuller Theological Seminary and completed post-graduate work at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, eventually obtaining his Doctorate.

Waxer has pastored churches in California (San Diego, San Clemente, Santa Barbara) and Hawai’i on the islands of Moloka’i and O’ahu. He is married to Cindy and they are proud parents of two kolohe, furry, four-legged children, Hayden and Mango.

Waxer and Cindy founded One Love Ministries in 2006 with a God-loving group of college students. Weekly celebrations are held at our main Koinonia Hale (K-Hale) in Kaka’ako and also at our Windward campus.