WHY ARE WE HERE?
For most of our adult life, we were the average church-goers who were actively involved and serving in our local church, but we had no concept of "missions" (locally or globally). That changed in 2005 when we both went on separate short-term mission trips...Jim to Honduras and Janice to the inner-city of Philadelphia. God used those trips to show both of us that we were missing out on participating in Jesus' final instructions to His followers: "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matt 28:19-20)
We became enthusiastic "short-termers" for several years, going and visiting missionaries or projects each year which the Lord had led us to support. We eventually took a class about missions to help us learn how to anticipate and meet the needs of those we were supporting, but God used it to show us we needed to be the ones to go! We learned that the Great Commission isn't a suggestion, it was Jesus' final command to His followers. It doesn't mean every believer has to "go," but every believer should be involved by either supporting/sending or going.
We spent 3 years learning more about missions, determining our call (what and where), and exercising the necessary gifts (teaching, serving, administering) in our local church so our leadership could confirm and lay hands on us. In the interim, we sold everything we owned (except our vehicles) and began the process of learning to live differently.
Once we got into the field and had been involved in the ministry work for a couple of years, we decided that a formal Bible college education would be beneficial to advance the work God had put in front of us, so we both got a Masters Degree in Intercultural Studies (Missions) from Moody Theological Seminary. Jim's thesis was on "Expositional Preaching in Tanzania" and Janice's was on the biblical practice of "Widow Inheritance" which is still common throughout Africa and Asia.
What we've discovered is that we love learning, as well as teaching. In addition, we're so much more aware of how the culture we are each raised in (American, European, Asian, etc.) can influence our interpretation of Scripture, and we try to be careful not to impose our Western concepts into what God is doing in other parts of the world. He made us all different for a reason, and our goal is to help them learn to discern His truth but then apply it to their lives, churches, and country in a culturally relevant way.
We became enthusiastic "short-termers" for several years, going and visiting missionaries or projects each year which the Lord had led us to support. We eventually took a class about missions to help us learn how to anticipate and meet the needs of those we were supporting, but God used it to show us we needed to be the ones to go! We learned that the Great Commission isn't a suggestion, it was Jesus' final command to His followers. It doesn't mean every believer has to "go," but every believer should be involved by either supporting/sending or going.
We spent 3 years learning more about missions, determining our call (what and where), and exercising the necessary gifts (teaching, serving, administering) in our local church so our leadership could confirm and lay hands on us. In the interim, we sold everything we owned (except our vehicles) and began the process of learning to live differently.
Once we got into the field and had been involved in the ministry work for a couple of years, we decided that a formal Bible college education would be beneficial to advance the work God had put in front of us, so we both got a Masters Degree in Intercultural Studies (Missions) from Moody Theological Seminary. Jim's thesis was on "Expositional Preaching in Tanzania" and Janice's was on the biblical practice of "Widow Inheritance" which is still common throughout Africa and Asia.
What we've discovered is that we love learning, as well as teaching. In addition, we're so much more aware of how the culture we are each raised in (American, European, Asian, etc.) can influence our interpretation of Scripture, and we try to be careful not to impose our Western concepts into what God is doing in other parts of the world. He made us all different for a reason, and our goal is to help them learn to discern His truth but then apply it to their lives, churches, and country in a culturally relevant way.