Darlene Martha Gabler
Church: Grace Baptist, Bowie, MD
Phone: 410-451-1846
COUNTRY: Mexico
My father was in the Air Force,
so we moved a lot. I lived for a while in Turkey, and
at age 15 moved to Bangkok where
I got involved in an ungodly life style. In that city I
met Beth and Shirley Porter, godly women whom I thought
of as "goody-goody." I returned to the USA to
enter college, and, unexpectedly, Beth and Shirley lived
in the same town. Since I didn't have friends there, I
gravitated to them. They invited me to church.
During this time my brother-in-law's brother, who was
two years younger than I, was killed in a car accident.
This started me questioning what would happen to me if
I died. One Sunday evening I clearly understood the gospel
message and invited the Lord into my life.
In the fall of 1995, I began
witnessing through Evangelism Explosion. My Sunday school
teacher, Sandy Seaton, asked
if I had ever considered working on a mission field. I
said, "NO," but she insists I said, "Yes,'
and started praying that God would work in my life.
I taught in the public school system from 1994-1999, and
in the summers worked as a counselor in a camp in Maine.
I began to feel God's leading to serve Him full-time. I
went on a summer missions trip to Papua New Guinea in 1998.
That is when I knew for certain that God wanted me on a
mission field, and I have studied at Capital Bible Seminary
in Lanham, Maryland to prepare for my future work.
Tammy Elizabeth Gordon
Church: Calvary Baptist, Pemberton, NJ
Phone: 609-518-7687
Email: tambotg@yahoo,com
COUNTRY: South Africa
I trusted Christ as Savior at the age of five during a
Five Day Club my parents were having at our home. As early
as I can remember, I felt the Lord wanted to use me in
missions. As a child, I loved hearing missionary stories
and talking with missionaries. While I was in a Christian
elementary school, I had a teacher named Donna Matchett,
whose brother served the Lord in Togo, West Africa. The
more I heard about the country, the more I wanted to go
there or to some other African country.
While attending Cedarville College, I dedicated my life
to the Lord during the missions conference my freshman
year. I transferred to Philadelphia College of the Bible
and entered their missions program. My parents, pastor,
and church have been a tremendous encouragement in the
area of missions both through prayer and through confirmation
that this was what the Lord wanted me to do.
Two short-term mission trips-one to Broken Arrow Bible
Ranch, and the other a two-month internship in Durban,
South Africa-confirmed my desire to serve the Lord full-time
in missions. When I think of the future, I cannot imagine
doing anything else.
Russell & Mary (Tanis) Huff
Church: First Baptist, Hackensack, NJ
Children: Jeremy '73; Daniel'76
Phone: 201-265-5624
Email: rchuff01@bellatlantic.net
COUNTRY: Kenya
Russell: I accepted Christ as
Savior during Sunday school on "Decision Sunday" when
I was eight. During my teenage years, I went into neutral
and just coasted
along, but the Lord never let me drift too far, for which
I am thankful.
My interest in missions started early. A missionary sent
me a little curio which I kept in my sock drawer. Over
the years, the Lord has allowed me to teach in Bible school
and AWANA, preach at church, and participate in mission
services in New York City.
Ron Washer spoke at our missions conference this year.
He told about Kenya where only one ABWE missionary couple
are working. He mentioned areas of ministry where we felt
we could help: a youth center, which along with sports,
would offer computer training. I have worked as a computer
technician with various companies. The youth center would
also offer counseling to young people. Mary has worked
on the Crisis Pregnancy Hot Line, and we both have counseled
and discipled young people.
Mary: I wasn't brought up in a Christian family, but I
attended Pioneer Girls Club. When I was seven years old,
I didn't understand the Bible verse I was learning, and
as my leader explained the verse, she told me I could receive
a free gift--the gift of salvation. And I did.
I enjoy teaching and--with my husband--have been responsible
for organizing countless church dinners, missionary banquets,
and any other kitchen work that has to be done.
I have never been to a mission
field physically, but through the missionary slides,
and messages, I feel I've "visited" every
ABWE field. We are now eager to serve Him in Kenya.
Shyam & Paula (Pearson) Khatri
Church: Campus Church, Pensacola, FL
Mt. Adams Baptist, Trout Lake, WA
Phone: 011-977-524082
Email: nepalann@yahoo.com
COUNTRY: Nepal
Shyam: My father was a Hindu priest, and it was expected
that I would follow in his footsteps. By the time I was
eight, however, both my parents had died. I was taken to
a Christian orphanage, run by a Canadian missionary, in
Kathmandu. I lived there for nine years and came to know
the Lord when I was 16.
In 1990, I was chosen from among 50 children to go to
America. My idea was to study medicine and remain in the
USA for the rest of my life, but after two years, God called
me back to my homeland.
In preparation, I attended Pensacola Christian College
receiving a BA in pastoral ministries and an MA in Bible
exposition. I returned to Nepal in 1998.
Paula: When I was three years
old, my six-year-old sister said, "Paula, you're going to hell if you don't believe
in Jesus." I readily accepted. By the time I was seven,
I understood better and received assurance of salvation.
My parents were missionaries in Brazil and instilled in
me a heart for lost people. By third grade, I had decided
I wanted to be either a teacher or a missionary; later
I found out I could be both. Missions trips to Romania
and Moldova confirmed God's call. I studied elementary
education at Pensacola Christian College where I met Shyam.
I began my missionary work teaching at an international
school in Bangkok, Thailand.
Shyam and I were married in August 1999, and now serve
in Kathmandu. We hope to reach the great number of abandoned
and impoverished children in Nepal through an orphanage
ministry.
Shane & Erin (Lynch) Latham
Shane & Erin (Lynch) Latham
Church: Belgrade Baptist, Belgrade, MT
Children: Camilla '97; Gabriel '99
Phone: 011-051-484-3124
Email: latham@zaz.com.br
COUNTRY: Brazil
Shane: My family arrived in northern Brazil for missionary
service when I was five years old. I had received Christ
as my Savior earlier that year. As we traveled around the
country on our deputation meetings, I sat in a Sunday school
class in Montana with a little blond girl named Erin.
My parents made serving Christ appealing and adventurous.
My first memories are of chasing monkeys, eating mangoes,
and sucking on sugar cane. I was baptized in our Brazilian
church at age seven.
As a teenager I became rebellious and distanced myself
from the Lord. At 16, I returned to the USA for my senior
year of high school and to attend Pillsbury Baptist Bible
College where I had been invited to play soccer. At college,
I gave my life back to Christ and charted a godly direction
for my future. I also remet Erin from Montana.
After spending the summer of 1990 working with my parents,
I knew God had called me into full-time missions. Eight
days after our marriage, Erin and I filled in for eight
months in Cachoerinha, Brazil while my parents were on
furlough. Later, God led us to Gravatai, southern Brazil,
where we have seen the birth of a church and the lives
of many changed.
Erin: When I was seven, I heard
a radio preacher use the term "born again," and
asked my mother what that meant. She explained salvation
to me, and that day I received
Christ as Savior.
When missionaries came to our church, they stayed in our
home. I loved hearing their stories. Following my baptism
at age eight, I was convinced that I would be a missionary
someday.
When I was a teenager, however,
I wanted to be popular and being a Christian wasn't.
In an effort to draw me back,
my pastor asked me to tell a missionary story at AWANA.
After the story a little girl accepted the Lord, and said, "I
hope I can be like you some day." I knew I was a fake
and dedicated my life to Christ.
Becoming a full-time missionary was a dream come true.
We will now be part of a ministry team with whom we relate
well, including our good friends, Randy and Cindy Richner.
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Dr. Peter & Bibiana
(Fontinelle) Morgan
Church: First Baptist of Indian Rocks, Largo, FL
Children: Peter '77; Jason '79; Miranda '86
Phone: 727-394-9060
Email: pmorgan419@yahoo.com
COUNTRY: Liberia
Peter: Although I grew up in a non-Christian home, my father
was very religious. Our church did not preach the gospel,
but my father had an amazing repertoire of hymns. We had
no radio or television, so almost every evening, my father
formed his own choir to sing late into the night.
When I was 12 years old, my parents heard the gospel for
the first time and were saved. Salvation was a new concept
to us, and we were eager to see how it would alter their
lives. Anything would be better than the fighting and drunkenness.
We saw an amazing transformation. My father invited missionaries
to use our home as the church. That summer, at a vacation
Bible school, I invited the Lord into my life.
Since then, I have been involved in many forms of Christian
ministry including evangelistic work in several of the Caribbean
islands. We came to the United States to get more training
and have seen the Lord provide our needs in miraculous ways.
Bibiana: The Lord came into my life in 1969 at a Sunday
morning worship service. My mother invited me after her conversion.
I didn't want to go because we had been instructed that ours
was the one true church and our way to heaven was the only
way. However, when my mom was saved, her life was transformed
from rituals to a life dedicated to Christ.
I forget the sermon preached, but I remember my need for
a Savior. When the invitation was given, I went forward.
The missionary pointed me to Jesus and I received Him as
Savior
Since then, my life has been committed to the Lord. We planned
to return to the Caribbean, but seeing such a tremendous
need in war-torn Liberia, God is directing us to serve there
in church planting and Christian education.
Lloyd & Athena (Fardig) Peace
Lloyd & Athena (Fardig) Peace
Church: North Court Baptist, Ottumwa, IA
First Baptist, Cottonwood, CA
Children: Julia '00
Phone: 515-683-4487
Email: peace@pcsia.net
COUNTRY: Brazil
Lloyd: I grew up along the Amazon River, the son of ABWE
missionaries Tom and Beth Peace. One night when I was five,
Dad told me about a little boy who died without having accepted
Christ as Savior. Several weeks later, I told my dad I didn't
want to be like that little boy. We sat down on the curb
and I accepted Christ.
I went 2,500 miles away to high
school and started to rebel against God's will in my life.
When the time came to go to
the United States for college, I didn't want to leave Brazil.
But the more I was in USA, the less appealing Brazil seemed.
One of my college professors, Dr. Turk, said, "We'll
make you into a missionary yet!" This challenged me
to stick with an earlier commitment I had made to serve the
Lord. Throughout my college years, I returned to Brazil several
times to help my parents. Through these experiences I knew
the Lord wanted me in full-time ministry along the Amazon.
Athena: I accepted God's gift of salvation when I was five
years old. We often had missionaries in our home, and I saw
them as genuine, caring people. In junior high, I began sensing
God's calling into missions. I also knew I wanted to be a
nurse. We youth group members were encouraged to get involved
in the Lord's work and make a serious commitment for Christ.
In my senior year in high school, I went to Mexico on a teen
mission's trip. Each year for the next five years, I returned
to Mexico for a missions outreach.
In 1996, a physician I worked with
challenged me to go to India for a medical missions trip.
As I returned to my job,
I was no longer content doing what I had loved. I told the
Lord, "I'll go where you want me to go." The first
stop was the Amazonas Baptist Hospital where it became evident
God wanted me in full-time missions. I met Lloyd there, and
we look forward to serving the Lord together in Brazil.
Frank, Jr. & Marlea (Daniels) Pfeifer
Church: Breesport Baptist, Breesport, NY
Children: Timothy '72; Daniel '73; Stephen '79; Matthew '81
Phone: 607-739-0037
Email: Fjrpfeifer@aol.com
COUNTRY: France
Frank: In 1972, stimulated by my wife's new-found faith,
I began to seriously consider Who God is and what I am. During
that summer I accepted Christ as my Savior.
Over the years my wife and I have
served in most of the offices in our church. In 1988, I
began traveling to Europe
on business. We visited missionaries in France whom our church
supported. About five years ago, ABWE missionaries, Tim and
Marsha Weeks, challenged us about missionary service in France.
God nurtured the idea and orchestrated interaction with French
people on both sides of the Atlantic. I say "orchestrated" because
only the Lord could have set up the circumstances and events
that have taken place.
My career has been in sales and management. The easiest
thing for me would be to stay where I am. However, I desire
to do something more for the Lord than just send money and
occupy church space.
Marlea: I received Christ as Savior just before the birth
of our first son. On a Sunday morning in May 1972, I gave
up trying to please a holy God, and came to Christ, just
as I was.
My husband was saved soon after I was. I loved hearing missionary
stories. In fact, before I was saved, the Ladies Missionary
Fellowship meetings was what drew me to Breesport Baptist
Church.
I have had a love for missions for many years, but didn't
realize WE could have a part. I have been involved in soul-winning
and discipleship in our local church and would count it a
great privilege to continue this work in France.
Dr. Kent & Sandra (Giddy) Pool
Church: Trinity Baptist , Grand Rapids, MI
Children: Brittanie '82; Trevor '84; Tristan '86
Email: KentAPool@aol.com; Kentpool@skyinet.net
COUNTRY: Philippines
Sandra: I became aware of my sinful condition as I was entering
third grade. I asked the Lord Jesus into my life when the
invitation was given at a Pioneer Girls weekly meeting. That
same night I explained the plan of salvation to my younger
sister and led her to the Lord.
Kent: I grew up in a Bible-believing home. During an invitation
at the age of eight, I realized that having good parents
and a good church could not save me; only Christ could. I
went forward and accepted the Lord.
Over the years, I have been a pastor, director of Christian
education, and instructor in Bible colleges. In 1997, we
traveled to the Philippines as guest lecturers at Doane Baptist
Seminary in Iloilo City. The Doane faculty asked us to recruit
a Bible and a music teacher. When WE received a formal invitation
from the president, Dr. Selario, two days after he was killed
in front of the entire student body, we knew we had to go.
Our church, though sad to see us
go, felt the Lord was working in our lives and granted
us a one-year leave of absence.
During that year, we went from "giving ourselves to
missions for one year," to committing to a life-time
of missions. Trinity Baptist reconfirmed our decision and
enthusiastically endorsed our new ministry.
Doane has nearly 300 students whom we are able to impact
as we duplicate ourselves many times. These students are
then uniquely equipped to carry the gospel to numerous others
countries in the 10/40 Window.
We also have opportunities outside the school. Kent speaks
and Sandra is involved in music throughout the islands in
churches, conferences, seminaries, camps, and even secular
universities.
Beyond the ministry in the Philippines, we envision helping
in theological education in a number of the ABWE fields.
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