Carrie Bergman – Bogota, Colombia/El Camino Academy
Carrie began her one-year assignment in August 2012. She is teaching third grade at this international Christian school. El Camino Academy is a God-centered, multi-cultural, educational community. Other Orchard missionaries serving at the Academy are Bob and Vicki McCollum. The first quarter of the school year has already been completed.
PRAISE for working with a wonderful group of teachers.
PRAISE for digging deep roots into the Colombian culture and finding a home church.
PRAY for progress in becoming fluent in speaking Spanish.
PRAY for students’ hearts to be guided into the love of Christ.
Lowe & Yvonne Bibby – USA/Cru
The Bibbys reach international students with the Gospel. These students then return to their home country and share the Gospel with their countrymen. Recently Yvonne shared the following: “For two years, I have been ministering to some of the most unreached people in the world through Global Media Outreach (GMO). Cru began Internet evangelism in 2004, and I became an online missionary. By 2010 the number of people indicating a decision for Christ had grown to more than 15 million people! In 2011, for the first time, more than 1.5 million people in a single day visited GMO’s gospel website. GMO has websites in 15 different languages; many of these countries are in the 1040 window.”
PRAISE for the millions that are becoming Christians through GMO.
PRAY that God will raise up more online missionaries.
PRAY that our children, Ruth and Haydn, would walk closely with the Lord.
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Laura Decker – Budapest, Hungary/International Christian School
Laura began her two-year assignment in August 2012. In Budapest she is working as a teacher aide as well as mentoring and discipling high school girls and coaching a girls’ basketball team. Laura is serving with ReachGlobal, the missions arm of EFCA. Before going to Hungary, Laura was the administrative assistant to student ministries at The Orchard. She attended the Itasca Campus and was part of the worship team.
PRAISE for being fully funded a week before school started!
PRAISE for already being asked to mentor a high school girl.
PRAY for “an intuitive spirit when I interact with Lianna and the other kindergartners.”
PRAY for opportunities to reach out to the Hungarians.
Reg & Mary Epp – Indonesia/MAF
The Epps began their ministry with Mission Aviation Fellowship in 1986, serving in Botswana, Africa. They returned to the States in 1999 for a period of time and are now serving in Indonesia. Airplane maintenance takes up most of Reg’s time. Both Reg and Mary, along with other MAF team members have opportunities to serve by teaching Sunday School, preaching, giving testimonies, and showing the film, “End of the Spear.” They have recently put up a badminton net in their backyard which attracted many of their neighborhood children. This is a great opportunity to share the Gospel.
PRAISE for the privilege to serve in Indonesia because of the prayer and financial support of those in the States.
PRAY for many more opportunities to share the Gospel as we provide air travel where it is needed most.
Ben & Elizabeth Hagerup – USA/DiscipleMakers
Ben grew up in Ghana, where his parents were missionaries. While in college, both Ben and Elizabeth caught the vision to serve with DiscipleMakers. Ten years ago, they joined DM staff at the headquarters in State College, PA. Ben’s main focus is training team leaders to be more effective in their role of reaching students. Elizabeth homeschools their five children and spends much time ministering to staff wives.
PRAISE that unbeliever attendance at campus fellowships has doubled since Spring 2011.
PRAISE that ¾ of our campus staff report that unbelievers are bringing their non-Christian friends to DM events.
PRAISE that 14 students put their faith in Christ during the fall semester.
PRAY for continued healing of our son Tyler’s arm after a bad break.
PRAY for six new staff recently accepted and six more in the application process.
PRAY for our campus ministries this spring that “we win as many as possible” for Christ.
Jason & Deeanne Maas – USA/DiscipleMakers
In 2003 The Maas family joined DiscipleMakers, which is a strategic ministry to college students at Penn State. DiscipleMakers focuses on evangelism, small group Bible study, and one-on-one discipleship. In October a near record number of students from nine college campus fellowships packed a conference center to hear about the freedom of the Gospel. One student said, “I feel like I’m seeing the world through new eyes. Everything about my life is different now.” Deeanne also writes, “The recent Penn State scandal has increased opportunities to share the Gospel on campus.”
PRAY that doors to share the Gospel remain open as a result of this crisis.
PRAY for our children, Isaac, Esther & Seth, that they will continue to soak up learning about who God is as they share their love for God with their friends.
PRAISE for your friendship, encouragement and support of our family and ministry.
Janet Murray – Chad/TEAM
Janet has served in Chad, Africa, since 1983. Her main ministry is among women in leadership who have been chosen by the local church. Her goal is to see these leaders mature in the Lord. They will then be able to teach the women in their church to understand how they can be used in God’s service.
PRAY for my return to Chad in February 2012.
PRAISE for new ministry partners.
PRAY for some financial support still needed.
PRAY for plans to put together a team to organize the management of a leadership training center on the Kelo station where I live.
PRAY for a dairy goat experiment as a workable endeavor to feed undernourished babies.
Jon & Meta Nelson – Spain/EFCA ReachGlobal
Jon and Meta are involved in leadership training and development. They work closely with the Federation of Free Evangelical Churches of Spain and Latin America Training Network (LATN) in Costa Rica. Jon is currently working on a partnership between their own online school (EET) and one of Spain’s premier campus-based seminaries. Meta teaches a weekly English class at the local community center.
PRAY for Meta who is applying for Italian citizenship in February. If she receives this, it will give her greater freedom of movement and work in Europe.
PRAY for Jon to successfully complete two books he is currently writing.
PRAY for greater unity among the evangelical churches of Zaragoza.
PRAY that the Evangelical School of Theology will be able to finance a full time director of course development.
Amy Ravenscroft – Japan/TEAM
Amy has served in Japan since 1980. Through her ministry she desires to reach Japanese women with the Gospel. Amy works most often on a team with other church planters to reach people for Christ. Currently Amy is working with another couple and together they will be starting a new church in the area where she lives. Already people have shown an interest in being part of the church. Their intent is to start a worship service and Bible study, meeting once a month in a local community hall. Amy also has a weekly Bible study in her home for women in the area.
PRAISE for 45 non-believers who recently enjoyed a concert and heard the Gospel told through the Christmas story.
PRAY for the beginning stages of starting a new church group in Amy’s neighborhood.
Tim and Jan Stoker – Florida/Wycliffe
Tim and Jan have served with Wycliffe Bible Translators since 1986. Since 1992 Tim has worked at Wycliffe headquarters office in FL in the Information Technology Department and the Accounting Department. Since 2006 he has served as Vice President for Finance. Jan has spent much of this time as homemaker and rearing their four children.
PRAISE for the support from The Orchard toward our ministry.
PRAISE for the sale of Jan’s parents’ (Bernie & Marcia Seltzer) home at Luther Village.
PRAY for staffing situations at Wycliffe due to major health issues among several in the accounting department.
PRAY for children Katie (Nic); David (Michelle); Emily, a sophomore at University of Florida and Hannah, a freshman in high school.
Rob & Becky Thompson – Haiti/RMI
Rob is the Haiti Field Director for the ministry, and Becky cares for their three children and serves at RMI’s Guest House. She also uses her pharmaceutical training to help visiting medical teams. Rob says, “I love that we get to do this as a family. There is no bigger joy than to see our kids serving, loving, playing with the people of Haiti.” From May 28 to August 20, the Thompsons are on a home assignment. They will be at The Orchard, Arlington Heights, July 29, and Barrington, August 5.
PRAY for safety, endurance and spiritual refreshment during our home assignment.
PRAY for great fellowship and rekindled relationships.
PRAY for our financial needs to be met.
PRAISE for the sister churches from the States who serve their sister churches in Haiti.
PRAISE for Haitians who serve as part of the RMI national staff and do an amazing job.