What defines your ministry as unique from that of all the other missionary grads?
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Jim (MABS, '93)
and Sandy Leslie, Military Chaplain, Iraq
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Leslie: The military chaplaincy is a ministry where you could be sent to an area where you could get killed by gun, mortar, rocket, or IED. A chaplain doesn’t have to raise his support to go to the field.
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Tim ('94) and RoseAnne (Gordon, '94) Bower, Haiti
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Bower: Our ministry is a church planting work that is centered on the church and seminary. We preach the gospel and do a lot of evangelism door to door. We also train preacher boys to start new churches, effectively training Haitians to win Haitians to Christ. The adult literacy school, primary school, and ladies’ college are supporting ministries, aimed at helping the church and seminary function to their fullest capacity.
Cunningham: Our focus is winning Muslims to Christ.
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Dave ('04) and Hannah (Komis, '06) Muse, English teachers in China |
Kuhns: I am a missionary widow who decided to return to the field rather than retire in the States.
Holmes: The only thing unique that I can think of is we are probably the closest to the U.S., which is ideal for missions trips.
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Karen Kuhns (Honeywell, '69) Uruguay
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In fact most who come to visit us fly into San Diego, CA. We are only about 80 miles south of the border. Crossing this border is an experience in itself—it is the busiest border crossing in the world. They say a million cross each day. In fact, there is a cable channel that shows live how long the lines are. To cross into the US usually takes over an hour.
What is the biggest blessing you have experienced in your ministry?
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John (MA, '05) and Patty Himes, Japan
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Himes: Without a doubt our biggest blessing is the salvation of precious Japanese souls. Perhaps the greatest blessing in that area was in 2000, when two Japanese men were saved, and then I was privileged to baptize them on the same day.
Kuhns: It is difficult to list one specific blessing as the biggest, but at this point in my life, I feel that having my two daughters marry and return to Uruguay in ministry would be the biggest, and having my national son-in-law take my husband’s place in ministry here.
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Dennis ('76) and Cheryl Killoran, Pakistan
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Killoran: During the years when we did much evangelization (1994-2000), we saw literally hundreds saved and scores baptized, and a number of churches started. In 2001 we established a Bible College with 17 students. It now has over 40, and over 20 graduates. One of those graduates that graduated last year pastors a church of over 200. This is all in the second largest Islamic nation in the world, a nation of 160 million, 97% Islamic. God is able to do great things.
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Bob ('87) and Marjorie Engelhart, Ivory Coast, Africa
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Engelhart: Seeing Africans trust Christ, be baptized, begin to tithe, memorize verses, witness to others, become responsible, stay loyal, and show loving concern where before they were indifferent. I love hearing Africans give the glory to God and thank Him for protecting them from a snake or providing for their needs.
Cunningham: It was through the desire to go to reach the Muslims that the Lord showed me to get married. I had been single for 38 long years, but marriage has made all the difference.
What is your favorite national food?
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Mark ('73) and Tacy ('72) Tolosa, Lithuania
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Tolosa: Lithuanian food is quite different to the taste of many Americans, but we found it rather tasty though different. My favorite Lithuanian food would be karbonadas, a breaded fried pork chop. Tacy’s favorite food is balandele, cabbage rolls. Our favorite dessert is a tortas with much whipped cream and fruit on top of and between thin layers of cake.
Clapp: Fried rice and grilled wahoo "steaks."
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Don ('80) and Susan Holmes, Mexico
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Holmes: Mine is mole, chicken in a chocolate sauce, and Susan’s is sopes, which is hard to explain.
Bower: One of my favorite national foods is mayitchaka. It’s a soup made from corn ground in a big mortar and pestle, mixed with beans, choyote squash, yams, and tayo root—if I’m not mistaken.
Engelhart: I like tapioca, bananas, mangoes, and pineapples. One lady in a village makes a wonderful peanut sauce with chunks of fish or wild game like porcupine or gazelle, all served over rice.
What was the biggest culture shock when you first went to your place of ministry?
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Bob and Julie (Erb, '82) Enemark, Paraguay
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Leslie: While in Iraq I was again struck by the poverty of the people. I was stationed down by Najaf, which is a very desert-type area. As I would fly by chopper to different areas, I would see these shacks in the desert with a satellite dish and that amazed me.
Enemark: The DUST as well as only having water from a cistern—and that depends on the rain.
Tolosa: The greatest culture shock when we first arrived in Lithuania was 1) lack of personal space and 2) toilets without seats.
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Jim ('83) and Valerie (Quintana, '82) Knies, Hungary
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Knies: Coping with learning, using and integrating into our vocabulary the very difficult Hungarian language.
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Garth ('85) and Lynette (Hayward, '85) Piper, New Zealand |
Piper: Since New Zealand is a modern country, there were not many shocking things. Even though the houses look modern, we were surprised that they didn’t heat the houses through the night, so when you wake up in the morning it may only be 40°F inside the house. The first city we lived in was very foggy with rain and cold temps in the winter. Of course we were sleeping on air-mattresses for the first 6 weeks. We often felt colder at 30°F in New Zealand then 0°F in Wisconsin.
What do you miss most from the States?
Enemark: Convenience foods (mixes for dressing, quick breads, soups, etc.) are hard to find. The kids want to be heard—they miss Doritos!!
Holmes: Not much, as we go to pick up our mail in the US every two weeks. Why? Because mail going through Tijuana has a habit of disappearing. I think the mules get lost or something!
Engelhart: My wonderful American wife has learned how to make from scratch just about any of the foods I would miss from the States. I do miss reliable American auto mechanics, even if they sometimes are expensive.
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John ('03) and Heather (Rushton, '98) Clapp, Palau |
Himes: Other than our family, especially our son, we miss the easy freedom of American society, the freedom to relax and "be yourself," as Americans like to say.
Killoran: Running water, hot water, safe drinking water, and sometimes the lack of western food or cooking.
Clapp: Wal-Mart!!! Oh, and Heather misses "indoor playgrounds" like McDonald’s Playland. Also, it’s the same season all year here, so we do miss the seasons, especially fall.
Knies: Nothing. Hungary has become our home; however, when we visit the United States, we always enjoy seeing our family and American friends.
Missionaries as seen in their undergraduate/graduate yearbook pictures.Visit mbbc.edu/alumni for more alumni missionary prayer letters and updates. If you're an alumnus, let us know what's happening in your life too!
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