Missionaries

John and Lori DeCleene, along with their children, are missionaries to the Philippines. Since 1986, the DeCleenes have been involved in a variety of missionary activity. After spending several years focusing on church planting, John and Lori have recently begun focusing more overtly on evangelism. This work has included putting the gospel message on TV and the radio on a weekly basis. To view a 6 minute video of the DeCleene's work click here.

Japan is Jane Fischer's mission field. Beginning in 1991, she went on a series of short-term mission trips to Christian Academy, a school for missionary children in Japan. Her experiences there and her growing love for the Japanese people led her to begin full-time missionary work. While her occupation is teaching missionary children, she also enjoys ministering in a Japanese church in her neighborhood.

Cam and Mary Hurst met at the New Tribes Bible Institute, soon got married, and went to minister to the Quechua Indians of Bolivia. They have been faithfully serving there since 1980. Cam was born to missionary parents in Cochabama, Bolivia, and his grandmother was also a missionary, making him the third generation of his family to serve with the New Tribes Mission in Bolivia.

Mabel Hurst is Cam's mother, who also served in Bolivia from 1949-2004. Since that time, she has retired to her native Michigan, where she continues to be a faithful servant in whatever way she can. Since she dedicated so much of her life to God's work, we still support her in recognition for everything she has done.

John and Elaine Mehn have been missionaries in Japan since 1984. Using evangelistic strategies such as conversational English classes and Bible studies, the Mehns have gathered a community of faithful Japanese. They live about 45 minutes by train from downtown Tokyo, and spend their energies on continued evangelism and church planting. Click here to go to the Mehn's website.

Luke and Becca Rickert are missionaries that are serving in the campus ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ. Both are originally from the Fox Valley area. (Becca and her family attended Fox River as she was growing up.) As college students they attended the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. It was there, as students, that they were led to invest their lives into college students upon graduation. Their current assignment with Campus Crusade for Christ is in "The Greater Twin Ports." They provide leadership, train student leaders, lead bible studies, and reach out to lost college students. Overall, they are overseeing ministry on thirteen different campuses surrounding the Duluth, MN and Superior, WI area. With hearts to see college students reached for Christ, they desire to turn lost students into Christ-centered laborers. While they do spend much of their time on-campus, they also enjoy getting outdoors. They hope to find winter activities they enjoy to endure the Northern Minnesota winter season!! Click here to view the Rickert's ministry website.

Many people don't realize that a fertile mission field exists right inside our own borders. Chuck and Betty Selander have been missionaries to the Hispanic community in Minnesota since 1993, and also had prior missionary experience in Mexico beginning in 1985. Their work includes holding Bible studies in cities with large Hispanic populations, and integrating their work with existing BGC churches in the area.