Missionary / Church Planter of the Week
3rd Quarter: July – September 2015
July 5, 2015 – Alcides Gonzales, Field Coordinator, Hispanics for Christ, Paraguay.
Alcides completed studies at Word of Life Bible Institute in Buenos Aires in 1992. He
started out overseeing local Bible clubs in Paraguay and became the pastor of Iglesia
Cristiana Evangelica Florida in 1995. In 2010 he started an orphanage to serve a needy
community and is now focusing on planting new churches across Paraguay. Pray for
Alcides and his ministry through Hispanics for Christ. For more information, visit
http://www.hispanicsforchrist.org.
July 12, 2015 – Lyndell Campbell-Réquia, NAB Missionary, Brazil. Lyndell serves in
Brazil as a seminary teacher and as a church planter. Her husband, Paulo André Réquia,
is the chaplain at Chain of Love Homes, the NAB ministry for abandoned children in
southern Brazil. Lyndell is helping at Chain of Love as well as continuing her teaching and
coordinating a new Pastoral Formation program at the Rio Grande Do Sul Baptist
Theological Seminary. Pray that the seminary students will be able to keep up with their
studies and be well prepared as they also work and serve in their local churches.
Continue praying for Lyndell’s health as the pain in her back that spread to her hips is now also spreading to her
right leg and foot. For more information, visit http://nabonmission.org/missionaries/lyndell-campbell/
July 19, 2015 – Rick Linard, Mountain Valley Christian Fellowship, Albion, Idaho. After
being asked to start a church plant, Rick and his wife, Diane, felt affirmed to go to the
small mountain town of Albion to see what kind of interest there would be from the
general population. After Easter Sunday in 2013, they felt an affirmative response. God
blessed them with free use of a former LDS church and they now hold Sunday services
and Wednesday evening bible studies there. Pray for Rick and Wallace Keck (leaders who
helped start the church) as they are both full-time employees outside ministry and are
trying to make the most in balancing secular work and ministry opportunities. Pray that their witness would be
seen, heard, and impactful in the community. For more information, visit
https://www.facebook.com/groups/Mountainvalleychristianfellowship/
July 26, 2015 – Elsie Lewandowski, NAB Missionary, Cameroon. Elsie serves as a
supervisor and teacher in the Field Education System for missionary children; she’s been
serving in Cameroon since 1999. Praise God for eleven successful home visits and a great
school year, even with all the quirky schedules and many changes. Pray for the Teaching
Training School she is doing this month. Pray for the team in Cameroon as there are
many international missionary opportunities available and new missionaries coming on
board this fall. For more information, visit
http://nabonmission.org/missionaries/elsie-lewandowski/
August 2, 2015 – David Ibarra, Field Coordinator, Hispanics for Christ, Rafaela,
Argentina. David has spent more than sixteen years planting churches across central and
northern Argentina. Pray for David as he serves as pastor of Iglesia Jesucristo Mi
Esperanza, while training pastors and continuing his focus on planting new churches. Ask
God to give him great strength as he helps the church reach those in Argentina for Jesus
Christ. For more information visit HFC web page: http://www.hispanicsforchrist.org/ourstaff/
August 9, 2015 – Mayette Ativo-Bueno, National Missionary, Director Bicol Center for
Christian Leadership, Philippines. Mayette directs the Bicol Center for Christian
Leadership (BCCL) that provides biblical and theological training for pastors and church
leaders in the Bicol Region of the Philippines. Please pray for BCCL as it is identifying new
locations where they can restore homes, churches, and lives in the typhoon-ravaged area.
Pray for Mayette’s ministry as she strives to know each student and serve them directly
and intentionally. If you would like to learn more about Mayette’s ministry, please visit
http://nabonmission.org/missionaries/mayette-ativo-bueno/
August 16, 2015 – Tamas and Tunde Modi, National Missionaries, Romania. Tamas and
Tunde have been appointed as Director and Administrator of Camp Falcon Rock. Tamas
has a background in construction, and Tunde comes from a legal background, so they are
well suited for their respective responsibilities. They have been appointed as national
missionaries of NAB. They have become good friends and invaluable co-workers of NAB
international missionaries Paul and Tanya Gericke. Pray for them as together they are
working to realize this vision to see this camp reach its potential. For more information,
visit http://nabonmission.org/missionaries/tamas-tunde-modi/
August 23, 2015 – Antonio Lopez, Field Coordinator, Hispanics for Christ, Alberta,
Canada. Antonio has planted and served churches in central Oregon and has worked in
Hispanic radio. He moved to South Calgary to begin a new Hispanic work there and it has
grown exponentially. This church is a great example of a multi-cultural church
successfully reaching other people groups and seeing new believers come into the
Kingdom of God. Pray for Antonio and his ministry through Hispanics for Christ. For more
information, visit http://www.hispanicsforchrist.org
August 30, 2015 – Zach Sommerlot, Cornerstone Community Church, Brandon, South
Dakota. Pastor Zach and his wife, Cara, have been at Cornerstone since August 2011
when they originally were meeting in a house. Last year they moved in to their own
facility. They have a growing heart for the poor in Brandon. They are also helping a locals
be missional to immigrants in the area. Pray that God’s kingdom would further invade
Brandon and that God would break down the walls of Christian nominalism, cliques, and
an ‘American Dream’ mindset so prevalent in the area. Pray that God would grow the
church and give them a clear focus. For more information, visit www.brandonccc.org
September 6, 2015 – Ricardo Ayala, Field Coordinator, Hispanics for Christ, Chicago,
Illinois. Ricardo is from El Salvador and immigrated to the United States in 1974. He
studied at the Hispanic Bible School in Chicago. He has helped establish several churches
in and around the city of Chicago. He is one of the founders and was the director of
programming of Radio Esperanza, Moody Radio’s Spanish broadcast. For twenty years,
Ricardo served as pastor of Community Christian Church of Chicago. He is currently
pastor of both the English and Hispanic congregations at East Side Community Church, a
church plant on the east side of Chicago. Pray for Ricardo and his ministry through
Hispanics for Christ. For more information, visit http://www.hispanicsforchrist.org
September 13, 2015 – Dennis and Nancy Palmer, NAB Missionaries, Cameroon. Dennis
and Nancy are in their eighth year of the Internal Medicine residency. A lot of progress
has been made, but much remains to be done. They are training young Cameroonian
physicians; it’s a great opportunity to help them increase their medical skills and grow
spiritually. There is a lot of work being done at Mbingo Baptist Hospital which will be a
blessing to the work and ministry there. Please pray for Dennis and Nancy as they are
currently on home assignment for a couple more weeks. Pray for some current needs for
their team such as financial support for the Moodys and Taylors (MK houseparents and teachers in Yaoundé) as
well as raising the remaining funds for the Mbingo hydro-electric project. For more information, visit
http://nabonmission.org/missionaries/dennis-nancy-palmer/
September 20, 2015 – Marijana Cizmanski, National Missionary, Serbia. Marijana is a
national missionary of NAB. She has a background in Hospice care and in Social
services, both of which have helped shape her love for those in great need. Marijana
works alongside NAB international missionaries Ron and Jeannie Seck and is leading
the development of CHE ministries on behalf of NAB in Serbia. Pray for Marijana and
her growing ministry. For more information, visit
http://nabonmission.org/missionaries/marijana-cizmanski/
September 27, 2015 – Pastor Bob Melius, Wakefield Baptist Fellowship, Wakefield,
Kansas. In 2009, an effort to reach out to some neighbors in the Wakefield community
resulted in two separate ministry programs that would later be encompassed into one
NAB ministry project called the Wakefield Baptist Fellowship. The "Fellowship" is a church
plant endeavor out of Highland Baptist Church in Junction City, Kansas. The vision and
mission of the Wakefield Baptist Fellowship is to build a Christian community that is
dedicated to loving God and one another, growing in faith and doing for each other and
those in need, what God has called us and empowered us to do. Pray for Bob and Tracy as
they provide daily leadership. Pray for the outreach opportunities in the community. For more information, visit
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Wakefield-Baptist-Fellowship/167022440023179