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We hope the FaQs below will help you
better understand what we're doing now and how we're carrying sharing the love of Christ with the world at MCC's doorstep in Phoenix area.
- • Benefits from living in Central America
- • Why reach the world in Phoenix area?
- • What are our needs?
- • How did God give us passion to reach the world?
QUESTION: Why did you benefit from living in Central America for 9 ½ years to help you minister to internationals?
ANSWER: We loved our time in Costa Rica and Guatemala! We raised our 3 girls there. This was a excellent experience for us all. It definitely repaired us for understand the challenges went through with language, culture, far from home, problems of figuring out how to deal with everyday life challenges, needing someone safe to ask questions from culture and wanting to make friends. We learned about different world views and how that affected their insights from life and Scripture. Loved the rich variety to how other cultures look at life, do thiendship, express art, leadershch variety to how other cultures look at life, do thth every day lifeall. It defings, express friendship, express art, leadership, cooking, etc.
QUESTION: Why did you choice the Phoenix area to serve and help internationals?
ANSWER: I (Joe) wanted to stay in the West so to be somewhat in a place close to family along with his love for the West. We both were open and felt draw to Phoenix sensing God’s leading. We checked the area out and ministry here in November 2010. There are about 9,000 international students in Phoenix area of graduates, ungradu place close to family alsong with his love for the West.ates, visiting scholars, visiting teachers, and those wanting to learn English better. There are ….. colleges & universities here. Only 3 campuses have staff on them – ASU, Thunderbird, PolyTech and now Mesa Community College. The highest groups of Internationals are from China, India, S. Koreans and Saudi Arabia.
QUESTION: What resources do you need?
ANSWER: Our most important resource need is PRAYER. “If God is not with us, we cannot move forward and need to wait till we have it!” You can commit to PRAY WITH and FOR HIS MINISTRY along for US no matter where you are. Some have already done so, but we need to build that team. Our second resource need is committed financial investers to undergird His outreach here at MCC. Please pray about seeking God if you should JOINING Our Partnership Team! Our third needed resource is CONNECTIONS with individuals, churches and other organizations in the area. Do you know someone? We are still new to “The Valley” (as they call the Phoenix greater area) and are building this area. Please LET US KNOW!
Finally, we need those who want to REACH OUT DIRECTLY hands-on themselves with internationals. If you are interested in doing that, we'd like to HEAR FROM YOU!
QUESTION: When did God give you each a passion for internationals – the world?
ANSWER: We each before marriage had built friendship with internationals. I (Joe) had a dear Christian brother, Matthew G who is back in Ethiopia doing…. I (Sheryl) grew up in the NY City metro area so was aware of the world. My home church growing up had a focus of reaching the world – near and far – along with many mission organizations were nearby (at that time) which impacted her life greatly. Somehow we both knew that God was calling us to reaching the world but did not know fully what that would look like. I (Sheryl) got a was involved with internationals for 2 years in NY City and 2 years in Atlanta – 3 of these years were with International Students, Inc. I (Sheryl) loved doing this but God also gave her a heart for ministering overseas too. God had give each separately a heart for overseas ministry & yet a heart for the world. It did not seem to make sense. We cannot understand God’s mind fully but He has a plan to bring things together.
God knows what we need to help us grow as individuals/as a couple in the area of personal character, spiritual growth, skills, knowledge and . The path He took us kept developing these areas. He brought all of this together by bringing us to “The Valley” to serve the international students coming to our doorstep here. We have and are being stretched but see more than ever God’s miracles or as we like to call them “His fingerprints at work” which have or developing into God stories which only He can write and bring about as long as we are open and focus on Him. We love being cross culture, helping internationals, and guiding both N. American college kids and internationals in leadership development and their spiritual needs.