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Jeff's Testimony |
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Helen's Testimony |
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We are missionaries to European Russia and are sent directly out of Wyldewood Baptist Church. We graduated from Fellowship Baptist College in 1984 and pastored churches in Minnesota and Wisconsin. We have been on staff at Wyldewood the past 10 years. After going on a mission trip to Russia in the summer of 1999, we felt God's call to full-time service in Russia. God has led us to work with Russia Inland Mission and missionary Mark Rose. This will enable us to learn the language, culture, and customs of the Russian people while aiding Mark Rose in Scripture distribution campaigns. These campaigns will serve as a springboard for church planting and discipleship throughout Chuvashia, Russia.
I grew up in a Catholic home. My parents were very moral, but unfortunately were not saved. I lived much the same as other kids living in suburban Chicago. When I entered high school, I began to make wrong choices in friends and activities. These choices led to many problems, particularly after graduating from high school.
I bounced from job to job for about a year. During this time, I became reacquainted with an old junior high classmate. As it turned out, his parents were Christians and witnessed to me whenever they had opportunity. I resisted salvation, using my Catholic background as my defense.
One Saturday, two soul winners led my friend Gary to Christ. Gary called me at work to tell me the news of his conversion. My first reaction was anger and then, conviction. For six months God had been dealing with my heart about being saved. At that moment I felt totally alone and without hope. Immediately after hanging up the phone, I left work and went to Gary's house. While driving over, I decided that I would do what ever they said I needed to do to be saved. When I arrived the soul winners were waiting with their Bibles opened!
They went through the Scriptures, and explained the entire plan of salvation to me. When they were finished, Gary's father asked me if I wanted to pray and trust Christ to save me. I immediately confessed my sin and asked Christ to save my soul. I left Gary's house a new creature in Christ! From that time on I never looked back. Six months later I was called to preach, and I left for Bible college in the fall of 1981.
I attended Fellowship Baptist College in East Peoria, Illinois. It was there that I met my wife, Helen. We both graduated with missions degrees in 1984. Helen was the valedictorian and I was the salutatorian. After college I started a church in Duluth, Minnesota, and then pastored in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. I have been on staff at Wyldewood Baptist Church for the last ten years. I have had a wide range of responsibilities including Sunday School Superintendent, Bus Director, Bible Institute instructor, and Christian school teacher.
In 1998, God impressed upon my heart the urgent need to reach Russia with the Gospel. In July of 1999, God led me to participate in the Volga River Campaign. This was an evangelistic campaign designed to plant churches in Russian cities along the Volga River. I spent two weeks working in the city of Cheboksary. During this time God broke my heart for Russia and her people. As I watched God save the souls of many Russians I became overwhelmed by the great need for missionaries in Russia. During an evangelistic meeting in Russia, God made it plain that I was to return to Cheboksary as a full time missionary. I plan to bring my family to Russia and begin this great ministry in early 2003.
Helen's Testimony I was raised in a Christian home, my father was a missionary and a pastor. I made a profession of faith at the age of six thinking that it would please my father. More than anything I wanted to please my dad. As I grew older I loved going out visiting with my dad, and giving out tracts with him.
At the age of 13 I attended a youth rally with my father and some friends, while listening to the preacher I realized I was no different than the other kids at my high school. I had given out tracts and had been carrying my Bible to school, so they all thought I was religious. Yes, I was religious, but I was lost. I was too embarrassed to go forward at the rally, so when I got home I talked to my dad about being saved. He showed me then from the Bible how to be saved, and I confessed and repented of my sins, and asked Jesus to come into my heart. That was on October 24, 1972. I was not baptized until January of 1974 because at the time we did not have a church home as my dad was in mission evangelism between Mexico and Georgia. We finally joined Rock Creek Baptist Church in Conyers, Georgia where I was baptized.
At about that same time my dad surrendered to go to the mission field of Mexico. Our pastor gave him the service one night to present his burden and preach. During that service God dealt with my heart about going to the mission field, so at the age of 14 I surrendered to go to the mission field of Mexico. I began preparing by taking 4 years of Spanish in High School. When I graduated from high school in 1976, my father and 2 other missionaries were in the process of building an orphanage and school in Diez de Mayo, Chihuahua, Mexico. I felt led of God to be a teacher in that school, so I went to Houston Baptist University in Houston, Texas (without seeking God's will in the matter) to take Bilingual Education. After one year there I knew I was not in God's will, I then left college and started full time on the mission field with my parents. I was able to serve God in many capacities while there. I was my father's translator while he was learning the language, I taught in Sunday School and Vacation Bible School at a national Baptist church in Delicias, Chihuahua, Mexico. We gave out tracts, and helped the national pastor start many missions around the area. We then moved on to General Trias, Chihuahua, and helped strengthen some of the missions that had been started in that area. I worked with the children teaching in Bible clubs until the Catholic Priest told them not to come anymore. I really enjoyed the mission work, but I have been off the field for about 20 years.
Most people go to Bible college, and then go to the mission field, well I went to the mission field and then went to Bible college. In 1981 I left Mexico (never to return) for Fellowship Baptist College in E. Peoria, IL. My major while there was missions as I have always kept my heart open to missions and God's calling and will for my life. I met my husband while there. We were married in 1982, and upon graduated in 1984. we surrendered to go to Duluth, Minnesota where we started the Tabernacle Baptist Church from there we moved to Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, to pastor the church there. In 1988 we joined Wyldewood Baptist Church where I have taught the First grade Sunday School Class for 11 years. I worked in the Christian school for 5 years. I have been involved in Ladies Soul Winning, and with our King's Daughters ministry at the church. For the last few years God has been dealing with both Jeff and I. We both had surrendered for missions so this has been our hearts desire since we were married. Jeff has been interested in Russia and Eastern Europe for many years, so when we heard about the Volga Campaign I knew that he should go. Without talking to him I began to pray for finances for him to go, God provided, and he was able to go. While he was there God gave him the burden for the people, and told him to go back. I feel also that it is God's will for us to serve in Russia.