Missionaries
Sam and Emily Copeland
Cave Springs Fellows
Sam and Emily are directors of the Cave Spring Fellows program. Cave Springs Fellows is a nine-month leadership experience that develops and inspires young professionals to connect their lives and vocations with God’s mission in the world.
The hope is that each Fellow will develop a deep love for God and their neighbor, a more robust biblical worldview, and a fuller understanding of themselves and their calling in the world.
Contact:
Samuel Copeland, Director
Samuelclaycopeland@gmail.com
Cave Springs Fellows Program
1114 Palmer Drive
Blacksburg, VA 24000
Rebecca Gibbons
YWAM Thailand
Rebecca began her missions work with YWAM in the Czech Republic and has been working in Thailand since 2010.
Her heart is to see Thai nationals raised up and sent into missions and the work place as ambassadors for Christ. Rebecca is serving in discipleship training in local churches, and has recently taken on responsibility being a coordinator for all the Discipleship Training Schools in all of Asia
Pacific. Rebecca’s influence and responsibility stretches beyond YWAM Thailand, to a
Foundation under YWAM called Project life, working with children at risk, elderly, and
women coming out of the red-light district. Her focus is always on those overlooked or forgotten, and has recently moved to a more remote area of Thailand that has little or no access to the gospel.
Lamun “Eve” Buasri
YWAM Thailand
Eve is a Thai national and was brought up in a Buddhist family. She had never heard about Jesus until college. A few years later while studying at university Eve was introduced to YWAM and shortly after joined the Discipleship Training School (DTS). She has been serving full time since 2002. Eve’s desire is to see her people turn their hearts to the only True God. This is not easy in Thailand as religion and beliefs are so closely connected to Thai culture, so when someone chooses Jesus they are seen as rejecting their culture. Currently Eve is serving in DTS and alongside the local churches (many of which do not have full time pastors) in remote areas of Thailand there is little know of Jesus and the gospel.
The Spitale Family
Church Planting, Turin, Italy
The Spitales moved back to Italy from California in 2016. They have planted and are pastoring a church in Turin. Turin is the capital city of Piedmont (one of Italy’s twenty regions) which has population of almost 1 million. This city is known for the “holy Shroud,” a linen cloth kept in the Cathedral of Turin, in which, according to Roman Catholic tradition, the body of Jesus was wrapped after he died. Turin is not only a Roman Catholic city, but in it there are also a great number of Muslims as well as Jehovah’s Witnesses. There are only 4,320 church members (possibly believers) of the total population. Therefore, only 0.5% attend church, but most likely less than 0.5% are born again Christians.
In our church planting the Spitales prayerfully focus on ministries whose ultimate goal is to glorify our Lord Jesus Christ through:
- Biblical Evangelism
- Expository Preaching/Teaching
- Biblical Shepherding/Counseling
- Biblical Training
Contact:
Raffaele Spitale
raffaspit@gmail.com
Grace Missions International
13248 Roscoe Blvd.
Sun Valley, CA 91352
http://gracechurch.org/spitale
Pastor Paul Sandberg
Messiah’s Outreach, International
Pastor Paul is the President of Messiah’s Outreach, a local mission board, working with churches to foster healthy missions involvement, ministering to missionaries in the field, running short term missions trips and sending long term missionaries. Ministries include youth sports ministry, orphan care, bus scholarships, pastor and teach training in Nicaragua and other nations around the globe.
Contact
Pastor Paul Sandberg
pastorsandberg@gmail.com
Messiah’s Outreach
1 Eldorado Drive
East Northport, NY 11731
Barry and Peggy Owen
Wu Chang Bilingual Fellowship, Taiwan
Barry and Peggy began their ministry in Taiwan in 1988. They have been serving in Wu Change Bilingual Fellowship since 2015. The ministries at the Wu Chang church help motivate, model and mentor Chinese Christians in missions, and Barry and Peggy serve as active examples to both the Chinese congregations and the Bilingual congregation of the church. Barry’s primary focus is working with the local church to develop a vision for missions and mentor missionaries, Peggy has maintained contact with a previous church plant, specifically with a village outreach which has given them an opportunity to challenge the large city church to reach its Judea, as small groups from the Wu Chang Church become active in the village outreach as well. In a few years as missions becomes a stronger part of the DNA of the church, they anticipate returning to church planting in the least reached areas of Taiwan.
Contact:
Barry and Peggy Owen
blowentw@gmail.com
Patrice “Ara” Picazo
Word of Life, Southeast Asia, Philippines
Ara works with a Word of Life team whose mission field is among the youth and young professionals. Our passion and prayer as a team, is to lead them to our Lord Jesus Christ and to be able to guide them in their relationship with Him; then, train them to make disciples who will make disciples.
Currently Ara is teaching the English language and handling small groups for follow-ups.
Contact:
Word of Life International Ministries
PO Box 600
Schroon Lake, NY 12870
give.wol.org/patricepicazo
Reference No. 09662S
Patrice Arianne M. Picazo
patricepicazo@wol.org
Pray for our missionaries serving in the 10/40 Window
The 10/40 Window is a rectangular geographic area stretching from North Africa through the Middle East to Asia, covering 68 countries. Its name comes from its position between 10- and 40-degrees north latitude. Two-thirds of the world’s population live within the 10/40 Window. Three out of every five people in the 10/40 Window have no access to the gospel. There is little if any separation between religion and state in much of the 10/40 Window. The poorest of the poor predominantly live in the 10/40 window.