April 2012 marks our 30th Spiritual birthdays!

Char and I were “raised up” in an evangelistic, missions minded church and sensed the Lord placed the call to international missions in our hearts and lives from early on.   In October of 1986 I had the opportunity to take a 12 day missions trip to the Philippines.  While there the Lord clearly spoke to my heart to prepare my family to move to the Philippines.  I called Char during a layover at Los Angeles International Airport to let her know the direction  God was leading us and she told me the Lord had already spoken to her.  Char was pregnant with our daughter at the time.  We began to make preparations, Lily was born in March of 1987 and by August we were living in Metro-Manila.  The adjustments were huge for all including our 10 year old son Jeb and  7 year old son Peter.  We personally experienced  many facets of the grace of God.  In early 1988 we moved to Cebu City in central Visayan Islands  and planted a church which is currently thriving and growing.  Since moving back to Wisconsin in 1991 we have made many trips back to visit friends and churches.  Those 3 years in the Philippines continue to have an impact on our lives today.

Over the past 20 years relationships and connections have grown and expanded throughout the Philippines and in the past 5 years new doors have opened into Vietnam, Taiwan, and Thailand.  God has birthed into our hearts a ministry to network believers, pastors and missionaries within countries and across borders.  I have many testimonies throughout the past 26 years of Divine connections.  International Connection Mission ...ICON, is not just an idea.....it is a description of what has been occuring in our lives both in South East Asia and here in our local church and community.  In the past two years God has arranged meaningful connections with international workers in our local tourist industry from Taiwan, Ukraine, the Philippines,  Kosovo and Peru.  Countless opportunities for the body of Christ are coming into view for active involvement in the fulfillment of the great commission both at home and abroad.