We entered the New Tribes Training in the fall of 1989. We attended New Tribes Bible Institute in Waukesha, Wisconsin, graduating after two years of study. The following year we went on to the next phase of training in Kentucky. There we learned the more practical side of missionary life and work. Camdenton, Missouri is where we attended one year of linguistics training. In the spring of 1993 we finished our formal training with NTM and moved to Michigan where we spent 1-½ years of raising prayer and financial support.
We arrived in Mexico in October 1995. We lived in the city of Chihuahua while we completed the Spanish course. We made the move to Baborigame, Chihuahua, Mexico in February 1998. Beth started teaching school to the children on our missionary team. Ben began language acquisition working with the Northern Tepehuan Dialect.
We finished our first term and spent most of our home ministry furlough in New Berlin, Wisconsin. While our children continued on in their education, we traveled many miles on the weekends and during the week to visit supporters in many different states.
After furlough we returned back to the field in July of 2001. Ben had a change in ministry upon our arrival. With the pioneer missionaries, Kevin and Wendy Case, returning to the Tepehuan work there was no need to have another Tepehuan speaker. The Tepehuan language is very difficult and takes approximately 6-8 years to arrive at a teaching ability. So, Ben began using his gifting in the areas of radio communications, team correspondence, computers, children’s ministry, community projects, teaching Sunday school, and leading worship. Of recent, he has been helping in the production of literacy materials, doing computer formatting and the printing of needed booklets and flashcards. Beth has continued teaching the children of our team, helping in leading worship on Sundays, children’s ministry, and teaching music to some of the youth here in our village.
We are a family of seven people. Erin, our oldest daughter, is 17. Caleb is 15, Emily is 13, Samuel is 8, and Olivia is 6. Our two oldest daughters are attending school in the city of Chihuahua. There they live in a dormitory with an NTM missionary family. Every six weeks they have a school break so that we can reunite once again. Separation is not real fun, but it’s good that our girls can be there studying and being with their friends. The others are here with us. Caleb is home schooling for 9th grade. Much of his work is done with videos and the computer. Sammy and Olivia are attending our MK school here at our location.
Please see all of the photos depicting the different areas of ministry we are involved with.