Rod and Jackie Allen continue to serve in a multitude of ways throughout Northwest Argentina. Jackie runs and maintains the Cerrillos Conference Centre - a popular place for picnics, baptisms, workshops, and seminars. Rod is director of the Argentine Baptist Seminary in Salta, where he also teaches, writes curriculum and leads workshops for the students. In addition, Rod also serves on the board of the Baptist Union, counseling churches and pastors. They worked last term with a small church helping in a restoration program. Rod took the leadership role of pastor and did the Sunday evening preaching, and taught the adolescent Sunday School class on Sunday mornings. Jackie worked with the women of the church teaching them the basic spiritual disciplines of the Christian life. The Allen's find that the most exciting aspect of missions work is seeing the people they train put Biblical principles into practice. They feel that it is a privilege to serve in Salta. 2 Timothy 2:2 describes their desire to serve; training Argentinians to reach the world for Christ.
John & Dee Cook
John and Dee Cook, Indigenous Ministries
Indigenous Ministries seeks to reach nationals through nationals with the Gospel in difficult access countries. With the Church as the central focus, Indigenous Ministries works through local nationals in Egypt, Iraq, India and the Philippines using practical and effective ministry methods to draw hearts to a transformational life in Christ. Training is an important part of IM, and in 2003 Indigenous Ministries co-founded Grace Bible College in central India which now has a thriving student body on a two acre campus. Pastoral training in several countries is ongoing as well a church planting. John is the CEO of IM, overseeing national and international operations, and Dee is the director of Beautiful International Women’s Ministry, ministering to women in Hindu and Arabic communities overseas. They have been married and in full time ministry together for 42 years and have four grown children, seven wonderful grands, and two dogs, Chase and Barstow. They enjoy reading, walking, hiking, biking, sailing and traveling together. John is an accomplished beekeeper and Dee is a quilter and artist. Indigenous Ministries has three Child Sponsorship Programs, including a growing and very effective program in Iraq helping Iraqi and Syrian refugee families. Getting the children the practical helps they so desperately need such as food, backpacks, school uniforms is wonderful, but, in addition, our local teams (all themselves refugees) bring the children together for regular meetings with songs, games, Bible lessons and healthy interaction, helping the children to heal from the traumas they have experienced at the hands of ISIS both in Iraq and Syria. To learn more about sponsoring a child or getting involved in the annual backpack/school supplies fundraiser, please visit IM’s website.
Link: www.IndigenousMinistries.org Contact: Indigenous Ministries, 15455 Gleneagle Drive, Suite 130, Colorado Springs, CO 80921, 719-302-3028.
“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10, ESV
Rod & Angelika Ragsdale
Rod and Angelika Ragsdale serve in Cote d'Ivoire, Africa, and have for nearly 20 years. Rod helps with training and educating pastors at a Bible institute. Angelika teaches the ladies of future pastors in health and hygiene, as well as French and their walk with Jesus. Rod and Angelika are also trying to raise awareness among the people in North Africa to protect the wild animals from extinction, and limit the cutting of tropical forests around them.
Doug & Dee Valenzuela
In 1979 Doug and Dee Valenzuela moved to Naples as missionaries. They have stayed in Italy nearly 40 years to help the people of Naples, where there is less than 1% of Christian believers. The church family in Naples is very aware of the desperate spiritual condition in which they live. There are so few churches with so few born-again believers. They are passionate about evangelism, yet know there is no growth without solid follow-up. In this religious culture, Doug & Dee are able to transform what is a “family time” into a fantastic opportunity to preach the Gospel.