Missionaries
Go into all the world and make disciples.
Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Matthew 28:16-20
Miriam Grady
Miriam was very involved in the life of her local church growing up. As a teenager, God used MTW missionaries to open her eyes and heart to the possibility of serving as a missionary herself. While at Covenant College, Miriam had the privilege of studying for a semester in Czech Republic, further opening her heart for international ministry. After graduation and several years teaching middle school, she again felt God’s call to missions. She initially went to Trnava, Slovakia, as a two-year missionary, and ended up serving there for an additional eight years.
The work in Trnava is coming to a close as the church plant there is being turned over to nationals, and Miriam has been led by the Lord to her next calling in neighboring Zlin, Czech Republic. She will help with the local Czech church plant by serving women and teenage girls, helping develop and grow a mother and child outreach, teaching English, helping with administration, and reaching out in love to lost and hurting people as God leads. In 2012, Miriam was privileged to adopt her son, Evan.
Jon & Sarah Pfeil
Jon and Sarah both came to faith in Christian homes in the Midwest. After graduating with a degree in chemical engineering, Jon was first led to serve with MTW in Japan from 1999–2001. Sarah attended nursing school and developed a heart for missions through short-term mission trips to Mexico. Jon is an ordained elder in the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA).
The Pfeils followed a call to move to Japan as a family in 2006. In spite of religious freedom and the world’s third largest economy, Japan is one of the least reached countries in the world—with only 0.4 percent professing Christianity.
Though there are many cultural and spiritual obstacles, lives are being engaged through new churches and transformed by the power of the gospel in community. After language school, the Pfiels served primarily in a college ministry role supporting local church-planting works in the Chiba city area. In 2011, the Pfeils were invited by Japanese pastor Rev. Seima Aoyagi to move to city center Tokyo to help him plant a new church in the fast growing Tokyo waterfront area. This church, Grace Harbor Church Tokyo, is the second in a growing Tokyo city center church-planting network.
The Pfiels have five children.
Ben & Susie Thomas
Ben and Susie joined staff with Campus Crusade for Christ (Cru) in 2002. They were drawn to the ministry through an Athletes in Action (AIA) short-term basketball trip Ben took to Kazakhstan, and so began their AIA journey in the basketball ministry. They served with AIA for 12 years, primarily in the Global department.
In 2012, Susie was diagnosed with brain cancer, which God used to redirect their path of ministry. Ben had been leading AIA's global ministry efforts, which required a lot of travel that was no longer possible. After a lot of prayer and waiting, God led Ben to lead Kigali International Community School (KICS)—a Christian K-12 school in Kigali Rwanda. Ben serves as Director of KICS, overseeing the faculty and staff and ministering to children and families from more than 20 nations. They are thrilled to be living in Rwanda, and thankful that a change in assignment did not mean they had to leave Cru - they remain on staff. Ben is a graduate of Gordon Conwell Seminary and Hobart College. He is currently pursuing a Doctor of Ministry degree at Gordon Conwell in Global Christianity and World Evangelization.
Susie graduated from Taylor University in 2001. Before mothering took over most of her time, Susie served AIA in communications, event and conference planning, and graphic design. In Rwanda, she's had the opportunity to teach 6th grade Bible at KICS.
The Thomases have four children.
Dan & Becky Young
BORDER MINISTRIES
Dan and Becky Young serve with Mission to the World/Northern Mexico Team on the border, working with the Center for Church Planting (CPI in Spanish) in Monterrey. They joined this team in 2012 after working in MTW border ministry (formerly BEAMM) in Juarez and El Paso, with San Pablo Seminary, and with PCA short-term missions teams since 1990.
In December of 2009, they moved to McAllen, Texas, and Dan became director of efforts in the eastern region of the border. Now he leads the CPI’s Inter-Border Network for Church Planting and Revitalization, ranging from Laredo, Texas/Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, to the Rio Grande Valley. He collaborates with both the National Presbyterian Church of Mexico and the PCA.
Dan helps train and mentor pastors and ministry leaders and leads the CPI border team. Becky works with him in discipleship and mentoring.
The Youngs have four children.
Ian Hammond
Ian and Hanna Hammond married during Ian's time at Reformed Theological Seminary in Jackson, MS. During their time in Jackson, they planted an RUF International among the students at Mississippi College. While serving with RUF International, both Ian and Hanna were convinced that serving internationals was the best job in the world, so in response to the call of the Chicago Metro Presbytery, they moved to Evanston, IL to plant an RUF-I at Northwestern University. RUF International is a ministry that serves the international students and scholars by welcoming internationals with hospitality, exploring the gospel with them through inductive Bible Studies, and equipping scholars to be ambassadors for Christ around the world in partnership with local churches.