Big Changes – A Long Overdue Update

First, thank you for your continued partnership in the gospel with our family. Many of you have been praying for us since Togo or even before, and we are so thankful for your faithfulness. Over the last six months, God has been prompting us to make another move as a family. Our time at ITEC (four and a half years now!) has been a season of abundant and countless gifts. This ministry was a perfect fit for our family after the unexpected closing of the door for us to remain in Togo. We love the way ITEC strives to equip indigenous people to share the gospel in their own cultural contexts. We love the people here – at ITEC, our church, in our community – who have become like family as we’ve lived and worked alongside each other. This decision has been a bittersweet one, but thankfully one that the Lord has made very clear for us. 

JAARS (Jungle Aviation And Relay Service) is based in Waxhaw, NC. It was founded in 1948 by William Cameron Townsend, the same man who founded SIL and Wycliffe. JAARS “covers the last mile of missions” by providing the land, air, and sea transportation needed to get into the most remote unreached areas of the world in order to take the gospel there. 

While our co-laborers and residence will change, our mission remains the same: use our skill sets in IT and nursing to spread the gospel to every nation, tribe, and language. Jonathan will be joining the Information Digital Technology team as Infrastructure Engineer, and Bethany plans to work one or two mornings a week in the medical clinic which serves missionaries from JAARS and associated organizations.

Another big change this will bring is that our roles at JAARS will be 100% partner-supported. Thus, we are beginning the process of raising support. After informing ITEC of our intentions so that they have time to find a replacement, they have graciously given us until June of next year to transition out of our current position.

Pray that the Lord will go before us and provide partners and work out all the other necessary details.. We trust Him to provide and equip us for the work to which He has called us.

We ask that you pray for our whole family as we make this transition. Florida is all our youngest two children know as home and most of what our oldest remembers, so this will be difficult for all of us to leave our home and friends here.

We are excited for God’s leading to JAARS and thankful for His faithfulness in every season.

We would love to share more details with you! If you or your church or small group are interested, send us an email or give us a call so we can work out a time to get together when we’re in your area.

Serving Him together,
Jonathan & Bethany


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