In September 2021, I felt God pressing on my heart more than ever the idea “what if I am called into missions?” I remember having this conversation with my dad because I was in a relationship at that time. In May 2022, I continued to become more open to the idea becoming a reality. I committed to River Valley as my church home and learned more about the MAP. I signed up for Global Team Thailand, was fully funded, read “Change the Map”, went to team meetings, went on the Global team, came home and processed the experience, and stayed in contact with the Missionaries. Raising funds was a huge challenge for me in many ways. Internally, God led me through lies that I believed and hooks that were on my heart. I was lead out of the boat of hyper independence and softened up to the idea of dependence on others. I experienced a willingness to support without ties. It encouraged me to build more relationships with people at church and share with other what God was doing in my life. Mark Durene’s book “Change The Map”, opened my eyes to the spiritual realm, Buddhism, and the Thai culture. Through reading the book, I was able to relate to the spirit of religion, connect experiences of religion, and learn more about religion, spirituality, and strongholds. I grabbed a hold of relating Catholicism and Buddhism together and the beauty of sharing the hope in having a relationship with Jesus. In Thailand, we were involved in painting, light construction, children’s ministry, prayer walks, street ministry, and more! I enjoyed connecting with the missionaries, Thai pastors, and community. Three things that stuck with me were: 3. The length that relationships take to form due to cultural and linguistic barriers. 2. The reality of family being 22 hours away and the uncertainty life brings, praying is the only response at times. 1. One evening we had a time of games and fun together at the Missionaries home. A group of us were playing Farkle. At home with my family it is common for us to play games as well although I haven’t been one to be very successful. Anyhow, we are playing Farkle and the dice were showing me favor. I won the first round, then the next… jokes were being thrown around about me going back to Thailand for missions, then eventually the group agreed, “hey, if you win this round you are staying” well.. the rest is history. I won the game and lo and behold.. I AM going back to Thailand. Through prayer God has grown my heart for Thailand, the Thai people, and current team over in Thailand. When I got back to the states I dealt with jet leg for 2+ weeks, prayed into and through the weight of my experience, and stepped deeper into the MAP program. God is GOOD.
“Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”” Genesis 28:15 ESV
Steve and Trina are missionaries with Assembly of God World Missions in Nairobi, Kenya, Africa. They are serving as Team Leader Overseers of Live Dead East Africa. They have responsibility for teams in 6 countries. Their primary focus is church planting among unreached people groups and training. In addition, Trina ministers to young ladies.
The Kenyons are missionaries to the Youth Culture of Panama and present the gospel to students in the high schools of Panama City. They are launching a Youth Church that will establish a model to other churches in Panama of how to incorporate the emerging generation into their community without requiring them to meet an unstated list of rules and regulations in order to enter the premises or participate in the church community. This church will also provide a place where Panamanian students can retreat to feel safe, valued, and heard…a REFUGE. This REFUGE will house and rehabilitate abused girls within the context of the church.
According to the CDC, there are over ONE BILLION people in the world who live with some form of disability*1, including... - 61 million adults, one out of six children, in the United States. *2 - Within the disability population, more than 200 million experience considerable difficulties in activities in daily life. *2 - If pulled together, individuals with disability would represent the third largest nation in the world, with the highest rate of abuse, divorce, suicide, homelessness, and joblessness (WHO 2011 report). *3 *1 - 1 Billion people worldwide *2 - 61 Million Americans - Disability Impacts All Info Graphic *2 - Increase in Developmental Disabilities Among Children in the U.S. (1 out of 6 children) *3 This stat can be found in the WHO Disability Report on the WHO website here:
Tod and Andrea Chapin are pioneering a ministry in the capital city of Edinburgh in Scotland. They minsiter to university students and young families seeing lives transformed by the power of Jesus and giving the spiritually hungry an encounter with the living God.
Almost 18 million people, .2% evangelical, over 90% Muslim, 26 unreached people groups, 6 UPGs with over 1 million people each
England is the 4th most secular nation in the world, with close to 70% claiming to be non religious.
We have identified 14 strategic nations throughout Africa that will serve as hubs to train and sent teams to reach and disciple the universities of the surrounding nations. As the training Hub for campus ministry in Africa, we hope to have a viable disciple making movement on every major African university resulting in churches planted among Africa's most unreached. Our target nations are: Chad, South Sudan/Sudan, Cameroon, Senegal, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Madagascar, Botswana, South Africa, Angola, Gabon, DRC, Tanzania, Malawi.
Richard and Kim work with Youth Alive, which strives to equip Christian students to reach their peers with the Gospel. This is provided in schools through training, resources and outreach opportunities.
Mark and Janie have served as missionaries in Chiang Mai, northern Thailand, since 1994, where they have been involved in university campus ministry, leadership development, and church planting. Through their “Churches for Churches” program, the Durenes are helping with new church plants in 5 cities, including Teung, where River Valley Church partnered to launch the church. Currently, they are helping to train several other potential church planters, and also serve as mentors to many other pastors throughout the northern Thailand area. In addition, they are the directors of the Global University Thai’s second Bachelor’s program, where they are training current and future Thai ministers. Mark serves as the AGMF Thailand Country Moderator, as well as on several national boards, including Evangelical Fellowship of Thailand (Northern region); Every Home for Christ, Thailand; Thailand AG Northern Region Board of Presbyters; and others. Janie writes Sunday school curriculum for several churches and directs the children’s program at a church in Chiang Mai.
As of June 1st, 54,325,725 Gospel Presentations, 2,759,142 Evangelism Responses, and 458,621 Discipleship Connection. All in 242 countries and territories, as tracked by Google.
Paul and Mechthild Clark have been planting churches in Germany since 1984. They are presently planting a church in Bad Duerkheim, which is located about 60 miles southwest of Frankfurt. Paul is activity involved in mentoring church planters.