Youth Ministries

Ron and Debbie Testa are from Minnesota where he
worked in printing and was an elder in his church. In
1982 they went to Mexico to learn Spanish and to
begin working with Freedom Ministries and have
worked there since.

They have three children, Angela, Caleb and Stella.
After four years of working in the Central Mexico work
they moved to Chiapas, Mexico where they currently
live and work.

There have been dozens of churches started there
and thousands of believers added to the kingdom of
God.

The River of God Church (an Assemblies of God Church)
2490 7th Ave. E. North St. Paul, MN 55109
Phone: 651.770.7777
Fax: 651.748.4670
email address: info@riverofgod.org

Jeff Baker is from Minnesota. He and his wife Ellie
were married in 1976. Jeff worked at a computer
company before taking a trip to Mexico in 1979.

He later moved with his wife to live and work with
Freedom Ministries in Mexico in 1980. Their four
children are Zach, Matt, David and Lydia. Since then
he has worked on the mission field in Mexico and
also for a period of three years in Yugoslavia.

Ellie Baker went to be with the Lord in 2001 after
serving God for 21 years on the mission field. Jeff
currently lives on Rancho Libertad and works in the
states of Veracruz, Hidalgo and San Luis Potosi.

The Clines are directors of The Gospel for Forgotten
Peoples, an organization based in France, which helps
spread the Gospel to unreached people groups of the
world, through evangelism and Bible translation. The
Clines have supported and/or planted churches in
Zaire, Benin and Russia, and built an orphanage in
Benin. In addition, they are reaching countries in the
Middle East through a Gospel radio broadcast.

Jon and Jennifer have been missionaries with the Assemblies
of God in Costa Rica since 2000. They coordinate a
multi-faceted national youth ministry that includes youth
evangelism crusades, school assemblies, ministry to pastors'
kids, university student outreach, and training the next
generation of local Christian leaders and international
missionaries through the Bible school in San José. In their first
term in Costa Rica they also pastored a church for two years.
Before missions they served as associate pastors in Saint Paul,
MN and as church planters in Chicago.

The Halls serve as missionaries in the region of Transylvania,
Romania. Their ministry involves evangelism, Bible College
teaching, pastoral training seminars and humanitarian aid
ministry. In 1988 the Halls were appointed as full-time
missionary evangelists to Europe and were involved in ministry
in Belgium, Germany and Romania, working with national
churches. Ian has conducted evangelistic crusades, planted
new churches, and taught seminars for pastors and in Bible
Colleges. He was also involved in establishing a Christian
medical center in the city of Pitesti, Romania.

Sheila is involved in Compassion Outreach Ministry, ministering
to women, children, families in need, and orphanages. COM
seeks to demonstrate the love of Christ by distributing food
and emergency aid to those in need.

Mark and Janie have served as missionaries in
Chiangmai Northern Thailand since 1994 where
they have been involved in university campus
ministry, leadership development and church
planting. Mark served as Assemblies of God
Missionary Fellowship Country Coordinator from
1999 - 2002 and again from 2004 the present.
The Durenes have worked with the Thailand
Assemblies of God to plant several churches in
Chiangmai and other parts of Northern Thailand. In
addition they helped to pioneer the work of
Thailand Book of Hope, and continue to work with
distribution teams. Janie has a weekly outreach to
poor children in Chiangmai and helps churches with
their Sunday School programs. Mark helped start
Global University's Northern Thailand extension
site, and is one of the regular teachers.

Jean began with 10 years of relationships and ministry
among Cambodians in the Twin Cities before going to
Cambodia. She has now served over 13 years in Cambodia.
Her goal is: "to develop networks of pastors training
pastors and networks of churches planting churches". In
Jean's words: "God led me on a step-by-step journey until
he prepared me to live and work among a people's group
known as the Khmer (Cambodian). He exposed me to the
existence of such a people's group in high school. The plight
of the Killing Fields sent two to three million Cambodians to
their death and thousands more to refugee camps in
Thailand. Those Cambodian refugees that were blessed
enough to be sponsored, found a home in various
countries. I began to wonder about life beyond America, as
many Cambodian refugees attended my high school."

Jerry and Susy McNally founded Living Hope International in
1999. Originally from Minnesota, they had lived in Oaxaca,
Mexico for seven years, planting churches and developing
leadership in remote, indigenous villages before moving to
Puebla, Mexico in 1994. There, an encounter with a boy living
on the streets changed the course of their ministry as they felt
God challenging their hearts and their faith. This led them to
begin Esperanza Viva Youth Home, a ministry dedicated to
rescuing and restoring abandoned children.

In addition to Esperanza Viva Youth Home, Jerry also founded
and is director of Nations Church, which opened its doors in
2003. The church focuses on raising up servants, reaching the
city of Puebla, and fulfilling the Great Commission by going into
all the world with the gospel of Jesus. One method of training
and raising up missionaries is La Viña School of Ministry for
young people who have a desire to serve the Lord in full-time
and part-time service.

Jerry and Susy’s future vision is to build The Living Hope
Community as a model of complete, effective ministry. Their
desire is to develop Communities of Hope in underprivileged
countries, ministering to and providing for children, families, and
the local communities.

The McNallys have a hands-on approach to their life-long calling
of providing opportunities “unto the least of these.” They
currently live on the mission field in Puebla with their five
children.

Marty and Mary Madsen have been involved in ministry
since 1979. They have four children. Marty was the
worship leader and an elder at River of God Church for
many years before he and his family left for the mission
field in France in 1985. There, they worked with the local
church and other missionaries in church planting.

In 1989, they returned to Minnesota and worked as lay
ministers in various capacities. In 1996, with a strong
burden for Mexico, they left for language school and a
year later moved to southern Mexico to be trained in the
work amongst indigenous peoples of the area. In April of
2000, they moved to Puebla, Mexico, where they joined
the work at Esperanza Viva, a home for abandoned,
abused, and neglected children and youth.

The Porters have served as missionaries in Sudan and Kenya.
They studied Arabic and taught English. Charles also coached
a men's basketball team as a way of making contacts in the
community. In Kenya, Charles did staff development for an
AIDS behavior change program. They then were instrumental
in helping plant a church called "the Journey" among
University students and post-university professionals in
Nairobi. Charles and Tahnya are both second generation
missionaries. Charles' family ministered in Europe and
Tahnya's in Zaire. They have a son, Joshua, whom they
adopted from an orphanage in Kenya.

The Lys are currently working in Siem Reapprovince
which is located northwest of Cambodia. They are
focusing on church planting, training leaders and
pastors. They will also oversee several school projects,
including a floating school that has four hundred
children. Siem Reap is the center of demonic
strongholds in Cambodia and has many temples built
to Hindu and Buddhist gods. The Lys have three
children.

The Lentzes have been serving in the Middle East for the
past 15 years in the areas of church planting and ICI Bible
course development. Steve also teaches English to a
group of military colonels, and has been asked to serve
on the board of a state Christian television project.
Camille is involved as board chair of the kid's international
school. She also recently helped a team from North
Central University travel throughout the region. The
Lentzes have four children.