God continues to amaze as he works to spread the good news of Jesus to the world through EFC-MAYM. Every time I turn around it seems another person from Mid-America is going to the mission field.
This past year Brad Carpenter returned from Rwanda, Africa, to marry Chelsea Roberts at Northridge Friends in Wichita. Since their wedding last August, the couple has been traveling to churches all across the U.S. telling about God’s goodness to them and his plans for their future together in missions service. The couple planned and executed an excellent future missionaries retreat in Colorado in conjunction with Evangelical Friends Mission Board meetings happening at the same time. Many of the Board members spoke to the retreat attendees about their work in missions. All in attendance were encouraged.
Liz Wine from University Friends and Molly Black from Friendswood Friends have both been approved to teach in the missionaries’ school in Kigali, Rwanda. These young women, called by God to this service, should be on site by the middle of August. The school year there starts in September.
The hearts of Jeremy and Betty Smuck, Andrea Byrne and Candi Foster continue to beat with passion for the lost in Aguascalientes, Mexico. We are grateful for their service and encouraged as those on the field send frequent “new believer” reports. The church is growing! Candi, of course, has not been able to be in the city she loves for several months. She fell ill while in Mexico and had to return to the U.S. After some time, the doctors searching for a diagnosis for her condition settled on chronic fatigue syndrome, a debilitating set of symptoms that drain a person’s energy reserves. Candi is on a year-long medical leave from EFM. She continues to receive prayer and financial support. A decision about Candi’s future service with EFM will be made at the Board’s November meeting in Oregon.
Prayers continue to go up to God concerning a church-planting missionary for Sinaloa, Mexico. When we merged with EFM, Sinaloa became an EFM mission point. Since that time, Chuck Mylander and others have actively sought to find the right persons to serve there. Ideally, a team would be sent. Could God be calling you to this needy place?
Finally, there are the dozens from EFC-MAYM who ministered around the world short term. Teams or couples or individuals visited, among other places, Bhutan, Congo, Rwanda, Burundi, Mexico, Nepal, India and Bangladesh. Others are in the process of raising funds to go later this year.
The 75th anniversary of the beginning of the mission Burundi was properly marked and enthusiastically celebrated. We are grateful to have several from Burundi here with us for Ministry Conference, including Dr. Elisee from the newly re-opened Kibimba Hospital.
As leader of an excellent team of missions mobilizers, I thank all those how have prayed and worked hard and contributed generously to the work of the Evangelical Friends Church worldwide.
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