Judy Estell teaches English and music at Yu-Shan Theological College and Seminary, a theological institution of the Presbyterian Church with whom the RCA partners in Hualie, Taiwan, a country where 96% of the people are either Buddhists or Taoists. She also teaches English Bible Studies and cooking classes in her home, is involved in Prison Ministry, and is very active in the Tu Hsing Presbyterian Church, all in an effort to be Christ to the people of Taiwan.
Rowland Jr. and Jane Van Es were appointed by the RCA in 1999 to serve in The Gambia, Africa. In January 2004 they accepted an assignment to Limuru, Kenya and began work with St. Paul's United Theological College. St. Paul's is an ecumenical institution sponsored by the Presbyterian, Reformed, Anglican, and Methodist Churches in Kenya. Rowland teaches courses in Theology and Economics and Jane teaches Psychology and Sociology. They have two daughters, Jennifer age 13 and Michelle who is 10.
In 1989 Brian and Donna Renes were appointed as RCA Missionaries to Chiapas, Mexico where they were involved in Bible translation work. Now because much of Brian's work is done through computers they live in Sioux Center, Iowa and he helps translators in many countries from there. He makes frequent trips to various locations to give local translators personal help and encouragement and to check on various projects. Donna uses her Spanish language skills to teach ESL in the local school system in Sioux Center where there are many Hispanics. They are the parents of four daughters.
Jackson County Ministries began in Annville Kentucky in 1909 as the first boarding school in the area and served as Annville Institute until public schools came to the area. Now it serves Jackson and surrounding Counties with an active program of evanglical and social services such as a trade store, Family Ministry, youth programs (BarnabasHome, Inc, vacation bible school, summer camps and ASO (After School Outreach), etc), and a housing repair ministry. Jake Moss is the current director of JCM. He has served in this capacity since March 1, 2004. JCM houses many volunteer work groups that come to serve the area each year and the campus is used by a number of groups for camps and retreats throughout the year. (To see a history of Annville Institute visit www.berea.edu/library/special/saafindaid/saa43history.html)
Earl and Sarah Smith serve the Umoho Reformed Church and surrounding areas in Macy, Nebraska as pastor, counselor, and advocate. This is a small struggling congregation of American Indian and Anglo Christians with many special needs and opportunities. They have been with the RCA since 1995.
Barry and Terryl Bruce, who are now directors, began The Way Out Ministries in 1982 with an after school club in a garage in Hawaiian Gardens, California. The Ministry is now housed in a large building in this predominately Latino, 9/10 of a square mile, city inside Los Angeles where drugs and gangs are evident. The Way Out Ministries offers many after school programs and city wide youth activities, a Christian Academy for 7th through 12th grades that graduated its first class in 2003 and a church- The Garden's Christian Fellowship which began in April of 2002. The Bruce's and their 3 children live in the community where they serve, thus striving to show Christ to the community by example as well as words.
Pat and Harry Miersma began their missionary careers in 1972. They are supported by the RCA but work under Wycliffe Bible Translators. Since 1989 they have served as counselors to RCA and Wycliffe missionaries in Africa. After a year of rest and study in the Dallas Texas area they have now received stateside assignments in that area. Harry is serving as Coordinator of Counselor Development and Ordination Courses. His duties include equipping U.S. trained counselors to deal with the problems that foreign missionaries face, preparing them to serve in the work he and Pat did while in Africa. Pat is working with Counseling International, a Bible study based program that helps Christian workers in troubled areas find healing from the trauma of war, AIDS, and persecution. She is also involved with Literacy for Women, a Wycliffe program that teaches women around the world to read, thus improving their lot in life and making it possible for them to read scriptures. They currently reside in Dallas, Texas.
Appu and Lali Varghese are an Indian couple who began their missionary experience in Oman in 1996 working with the Protestant Church in Oman. Their ministry was focused to the expatriate workers in the remote areas of the country by visits and by forming small worship groups. Appu also helped to train Christians for leadership through the theological education by extension program by running classes in various places. Lali taught English to Omani girls in the Government schools for many years. In 2002, Appu was appointed chaplain of the American Mission Hospital (founded in 1903) in Bahrain where he serves both patients and staff through chapel services, visiting and counseling. He also directs the TEE program of the National Evangelical Church in Bahrain. Lali is a professor at an International University in the capital city of Manama, striving to let her light shine there as she teaches English to Bahraini youth.
Alan and Sue Schreuder are missionaries with the RCA serving in Chiapas, Mexico since 1980, primarily working with the Tzotzil people. They have seen incredible church growth, numerically and spiritually, in the Tzotzil churches. Their current ministry emphases are theological education, developing leadership training materials, leading village workshops, and helping develop women's ministries and youth ministries. They have a family of four married children, some of whom live in the Pella area, and three grandchildren.
Tom and Aichatou Johnson. Tom began his service with the RCA in 2002 in Maradi, Niger, West Africa. In 2003 he married his substitue Hausa language tutor, Aichatou, who is a member of one of the oldest Christian families in Niger. Together they partner with the Eglise Evangelique du Niger (Evangelical Church of the Republic of Niger-EERN). Tom works as a community and organizational development consultant and is based at the Dogon Gao Bible School. Aichatou will join the RCA mission service as a medical doctor missionary upon receiving her medical degree from Abdou Moumouni University in Niamey, Niger in 2007. She plans to assist in the development of a community health program in the area. Tom and Aichatou have two daughters, Marie-Florence who was born 4/14/04 and Laurey born 11/2/05.
Since 1984, Larry & Jean Rus have supported various organizations in different countries with administrative and financial management assistance. They serve as on-site Administrative Consultants. The length of their assignments are varied depending on the complexity of the project. They find their service opportunities to be challenging to not only learn a new culture each time they move to a new country, but to find ways of providing systems that will be effective in that culture. However, their primary goal is still to "come alongside" existing organizations to help them with administrative and financial concerns in a way that is pleasing to God.
