Our Missionaries
Nick and Bekah Ecker
Eight months ago, we arrived in Rio Bueno, Chile to begin our first solo church plant. Almost exactly one month after our arrival, everything we had planned was flipped upside down by the pandemic. How would we start a new church plant in a country with intense quarantines, a military enforced curfew, and prohibitions on gatherings? How would we meet people from behind masks and
six feet away? How would we teach God’s Word in this uncharted territory?
Despite our questions, it became abundantly clear that the God who sovereignly called us to Rio Bueno had a sovereign plan for Rio Bueno.
Ed & Annita Hoagland
Have been serving Christ in México City since October, 1984. They are involved in church planting (3 established and 10 in the process), Bible Colleges (the main one in México City with 3 extensions in the country), two Manna feeding centers (ministering daily to 120 needy children in the city), a Christian magazine that they write, print, and distribute all over México and into 8 other Spanish speaking countries, and summer evangelistic youth camps (this year they plan on taking 8,000 unbelieving young people to their camp where they will present the gospel to them). The Hoaglands have 4 children and 3 grandchildren.
Chris and Sonya Goodman
We are located in the fastest growing region in Australia. On average less than 5% of Australians will attend church on a given Sunday. Australia is a country desperately in need of the gospel of Jesus Christ. In the history of Australia there has never been any kind of revival. We are praying and hoping that the Lord will use us to help start that revival. Our church has seen some exciting things happening within the last few months. Our attendance has doubled and we are seeing lost people attend as never before. Please make it a matter of prayer that Revival will start in Australia.
Masato and Miki Funakoshi
We started a Baptist church in 2003 and have been reaching people in Odessa through this church with various ministries including Free Japanese, English and Soccer lessons with Bible study and Drama ministries to reach children at schools and orphanages. We have camp ministries to reach children in Odessa and in towns outside of Odessa. We have been training believers through Bible training courses at our church so that they can reach their own world with the gospel of Christ.
Jeremy and Karissa Lynn
Wow! It is amazing to see God answer prayers! With the intention of helping the transition of moving our family go a little smoother, Jeremy was recently able to take a ten-day trip to Ethiopia. In anticipation of this trip, we requested prayer regarding the accomplishment of some very specific things. We prayed that he would be able to finalize important paperwork, receive a driver’s license, and find a house to rent. God answered those prayers in a miraculous way. While it has previously taken weeks in the case of others, both the paperwork and driver’s license were completed in a single day. It all happened so fast even the Ethiopian man who was helping said, ”Ethiopia is looking kindly on Jeremy.” O
April Fish
In 2006, I joined a team of missionaries working among the Madak people of Papua New Guinea. Madak is one of 800 different languages of PNG. In November 2008, our team began teaching through a series of evangelistic Bible lessons in the Madak language for the first time. We praise the Lord for those that have placed their trust in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. One of our main goals is to equip the Madak Church to read and comprehend the Bible on their own and in their own language. Our desire is for them to be able to recognize and discern what is and what is not in line with Scripture. This is a slow process, but we are encouraged with the growth we have seen. We also desire for the Madak Church to be able to stand firm on its own and have Bible teachers that clearly teach the truths of God’s Word.
Gary and Dena Pate
My name is Gary Pate and my wife Dena of 35 years and I are from Callahan, Fl. We are full time independent volunteer missionaries living and working in Ecuador. We started 30 years ago doing short-term missions, we have worked in about 10 different countries mainly in Central & South America leading mission teams. We have now been living in Ecuador for 6 years hosting mission teams and working in rural remote villages. We took our first short term mission trip 28 years ago, we have worked in over 10 countries doing short term missions. We came to Ecuador the first time about 18 years ago and this is where the Lord melted our hearts and has continued to do so since. 8 years ago we gave up a 6 digit income, ( my wife was a nurse and I was in the business world) we sold everything we owned, raised our support from churches, friends, etc., went to language school for one year and then moved to Shell Mera (the jungle) of Ecuador.