We are in awe of HIM and how he has orchestrated our lives so far!
Born and bred in California, Richard (or Rich, for short) met Jesus when he was 14, after a very difficult childhood and on the verge of suicide. God filled him with His love and radically delivered him from alcohol, drugs and depression. When he was 17, God touched his heart during a Missions Conference and he knew that he was called to be a missionary.
After studying Criminal Justice, he attended a “Discipleship Training School” (DTS) with "Youth With A Mission" (YWAM) in Switzerland in 1985.
That’s where we met 2 years later and got married in 1988.
I, Isabel, grew up in a small German village in a Christian home and have believed in God as long as I can remember. When I was 16, I committed my life to Jesus 100% and soon became active in evangelistic outreaches. After finishing school I attended a DTS with YWAM in California. That’s when I felt the call of God into missions. My ambitions to go to (secular) university were replaced with a deep desire to get trained for full-time ministry and give my life to serve in missions.
We have both gone through a number training courses of the “University of the Nations” (YWAM's university) and have lived and served in several countries. Our 4 biological children were born in Tahiti, French Polynesia, where we lived for 12 years.
In 2005, we have made Tauranga, New Zealand, our home base.
Over the past 30+ years, we’ve been involved in pioneer-missions, children-, youth-, family- discipleship-, prayer, counseling-ministry, training, church planting as well as setting up large evangelistic campaigns (YWAM Campaigns).
We are now involved in mercy ministries - see the page with our Vision.
More than anything else, we want our continuing story to reflect JESUS and give glory to HIM!
Don’t ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and then go do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.
Harold Thurman Whitman
Harold Thurman Whitman
