Our Story

Our Story

Ann

Originally from a Christian home in Indiana, I was saved at 8 years old and raised to love the Lord Jesus Christ and serve Him in whatever He directed me to do. In college at Moody Bible Institute I became burdened for the Native people of this continent while serving on three spring break ministry trips to reservations. I also spent my summer internship on an Indian reserve in British Columbia, with a ministry called North America Indian Ministries (sound familiar?).

When I returned to Moody Bible Institute to work in the Practical Christian Ministries department, I continued to be involved in Native ministry by leading teams of students to spring break trips to the reservations.

My love for the Native people can only be explained by Philippians 1:8:

God is my witness that I tell the truth when I say that my deep feeling for you all comes from the heart of Christ Jesus himself.

Jeff

Born in Michigan and raised on a small farm south of Detroit, I was interested in 4H and everything to do with horses and cars. After high school I went to Ferris State University in Big Rapids, MI, and received a degree in safety and industrial hygiene. A couple of years later I accepted a position as Safety Engineer at Ford’s Chicago Assembly Plant, makers of the Taurus and Sable automobiles. A few years after moving to Chicago I met my beautiful wife, and we married in 1998.

I received Christ when I was a sophomore in high school when I could not see any point in living. I had chosen to end my life with some cyanide I had stolen from the chemistry lab. I was walking in the woods, trying to determine where I was going to be found, and I ended up in a friend’s backyard. He said, “my dad wants to talk to you.” My friend’s dad opened his Bible and showed me God's unconditional love. Since then I have claimed Psalm 30 as my own.

Vs. 1-3 - I praise you, Lord, because you have saved me and kept my enemies from gloating over me. I cried to you for help, O Lord my God, and you healed me; you kept me from the grave. I was on my way to the depths below but you restored my life.

Vs. 5 - Joy comes in the morning

Vs. 9 - Are dead people able to praise you?

Vs. 11 - You have changed my sadness into a joyful dance

Getting into Ministry

About the time we were engaged, we started discussing our future ministry together. We thought we could move where I could get a job and work with a Native ministry “on the side”. We decided to follow the Old Testament principle to wait a year after getting married before heading into “the trenches” of ministry; ministry is a tough thing, not something you just jump into for the glamour of it or to satisfy a religious ego. Well, we enjoyed our first year together immensely. And just as our first year ended, God brought this opportunity to us that we saw to be a good fit for us both. We were hosting a couple that Ann had known from NAIM, from her college internship. When they told us about Gladstone (it was brand new then), we were excited. Then when they told us that they were looking for help, and the job description of what they were looking for, we knew the Lord wanted us to pursue that. When the application from the mission came on our first anniversary, we felt like the Lord was saying, “Ok, time to get to work!” He gave us many signs from then on that He was continuing to lead us in this direction.

For instance, when we were just about ready to start full-time support-raising, we knew we had to sell our house, since we would be beginning with no income. We were hoping to find a place to live, but first we knew we needed a place to store our stuff for free (or very, very cheap!). We went to a Christmas get-together with some people we hardly knew, and there met a pastor of a small fellowship. When we mentioned what we were looking for, he said, “My mother-in-law’s garage is empty; in fact, her entire house is empty; maybe you could stay there.” Her name is Mavis, and she was in California for a couple of years looking after her grandchildren there. She is a strong believer, and had been praying that God would use her home and even her garage for His glory. We were able to store our stuff in her garage and live there for 1 ½ years while traveling and raising support, rent-free. This amazing provision from the Lord, right at the beginning of our journey, was an encouragement to us many times.

Another time, when we were traveling with a 2 year old and a newborn, we were staying for a while where we were using 2 single mattresses, whose springs were shot, on the floor of a little room. After about a week of being poked all night long, one night I (Ann) prayed in desperation for a mattress. The next day Jeff had a lunch appointment with a black minister from Detroit, where he told Jeff that his church wasn’t able to provide support, but asked if we needed anything else at the moment? Jeff said, “You wouldn’t happen to know where to get a mattress, would you?” The man said, “I was just going to visit my friend who sells them. Come with and I’ll buy you one.” He came home with 2 queen mattresses on our van, within 24 hours of my prayer!