7620 Kentwood Avenue NW, Albuquerque, NM 87114
Arnold Betoney is a Navajo Indian from Red Lake, Arizona. Arnold and his wife, Bessie, have three children at home: Audrey, Joshua, and Rachael. Their two oldest children, Aaron and Ardean, are both married and have families.
Arnold attended the Indian Bible College in Flagstaff, Arizona, where he graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Biblical Studies. After graduation, Arnold served as Youth Pastor and Senior Pastor at the Red Lake Grace Brethren Church. Arnold is currently Pastor of the Native New Life Church in Albuquerque, which was welcomed into the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches in 2003. He is also a certified Substance Abuse Counselor working with the Navajo Tribe and the Aspen Hill Hospital.
River City Grace has financially supported the Betoneys since 2002. Their missionary partner is Cindy Francisco.
5568 East Parkcrest St. Long Beach, CA 90808
codell@gbim.org
http://www.gbim.org/
Both Cecil and Debbie were raised in strong Christian homes, and both accepted the Lord as their Savior when they were 8 years old. While serving in the Air Force, Cecil first heard about what is called the 10/40 window and the great need for the gospel in Asia. He decided then to become a missionary. After his military service, Cecil returned to Long Beach and married Debbie in 1980. They began their ministry at the Long Beach Grace Brethren Church, ministering to international students.
The O’Dells were sent by Grace Brethren International Missions (GBIM) to start a church planting work in Japan in August, 1984. They spent 17 years ministering in Japan and saw the establishment of the Hoya Grace Brethren Church, now called Kiyose GBC.
Over time, Cecil and Debbie became aware of a new opportunity for advancing God’s Kingdom in Japan–the Japanese Christian Returnee movement. Surveys show that in the year 2000 nearly 5 million Japanese entered the U.S. as temporary visitors, students, or employees. Reports show that about 1,500 Japanese return to Japan each year as new believers in Christ, or those who are seeking.
In 2001, Cecil and Debbie and their three children (Chris, Andrew, and Heidi) made a strategic shift in their ministry to the Japanese. They relocated back to Long Beach where over 1,000 Japanese are working or studying. They are now working among college students on several campuses and developing relationships with the students. They hope to lead many of the Japanese to the Lord, disciple and train them, and then remain in contact with them when they return to Japan. Cecil travels to Japan frequently to accomplish this. They hope to see many churches planted in Japan as a result of the returnee ministry.
River City Grace has financially supported the O’Dells through GBIM since they first went to Japan in 1984. Their missionary partner is Patty Nevins.
1707 N. Richmond, Floor 2 Chicago, IL 60647
John and Amy Shirk are missionaries to urban Chicago. They have four daughters: Elizabeth, Esther, Emma and Elena. John is originally from Northern California. His father, Glen Shirk, is Pastor of the Grace Brethren Church in Ripon, California, a small, rural community. Amy grew up in a middle class neighborhood in the Mid-West. John says, “So, in some ways it may seem strange that God is calling us to ministry in a poverty-level, inner-city area, filled with an ethnically diverse population. But the fact is, God has placed us in situations where we’ve been with some of the same types of people groups. You find ethnic groups and different economic levels everywhere you go. It’s just that it’s more concentrated in a place like Chicago.”
Since moving to Chicago in 2003, God has opened up a unique ministry for John in Chicago’s arts community, where he uses poetry to build relationships and foster coversations about faith.
John is also involved with the Wicker Park Advisory Board and is involved in planning community service projects in the park. This has provided additional opportunities to make contacts within his neighborhood.
River City Grace has supported the Shirks since 2003. Their missionary partner is Sam Cook.
1387 Oak Street San Francisco, CA 94117
In recent years, the tide that once carried out missionaries to foreign countries has turned. Now it is bringing the much needed gospel back to our own shores. After Kevin and Siew Choo Ong accepted Christ, they left their home country of Singapore to study in the U.S. While studying at Grace College, they felt a desire to reach other international students for Christ.
At the same time, Grace Brethren North American Missions (GBNAM) began praying for someone to begin a ministry in San Francisco. They recognized that God was bringing people of the world to our own doorstep. After much prayer, the Ongs and their three sons (Jeriel, Ammiel, and Shemuel) moved to San Francisco in 2005. As internationals in a multicultural city, it did not take long for the family to make new friends.
In November, 2005, God presented a great ministry opportunity for the Ongs: a 9 bedroom Victorian house strategically situated between two local universities. At the International House, international students are being exposed to the gospel in a warm and accepting environment. The Ong’s desire is to lead these students to Christ. Kevin & Siew Choo are also discipling believers who will be returning to their home countries, so they can be ambassadors for Christ with the potential for planting new international churches!
RCG recently began providing financial support for the Ong family. Rebecca Fong is their missionary partner.
2758 Caulfield Drive San Diego, CA 92154
In 1983, Jack Churchill, career GBIM misionary, married Rosa, a widow whose husband had been the pastor of a Grace Brethren church in Mexico until his death in 1982. Jack and Rosa ministered together for 25 years until Jack went home to be with the Lord in January 2008.
Since Jack’s passing, Rosa has continued their ministry along the US border with Mexico.
River City Grace now financially supports Rosa through Grace Brethren International Missions (GBIM). Rosa’s missionary partner is Margaret Zook.