International Missionaries
David & Christine Anasco: Thailand
David and Christine Anasco have been missionaries in Asia for more than 10 years. Currently, they live in Chiang Rai, Thailand. They are the national team leaders of their agency, Go to the Nations. They also are involved in Bible schools, having taught in Thailand, the Philippines, Cambodia and with the underground church in Vietnam. Their special focus is in the area of social justice, ministering to women in the sex industry. Learn more on their website.
Barry & Desma Abbott: Cameroon
Barry and Desma Abbott serve with World Team in the African country of Cameroon. The Abbots have two children, Brianna (12) and Brendan (11). They work with the Baka people who live in the rain forest. Until recently, this pygmy people group was isolated from the rest of the world and lived as hunters and gatherers in the forest. Today, their world has been turned upside-down by loggers, who are destroying their livelihood and introducing diseases, such as AIDS. The have all sorts of needs, such as education and health care, but the greatest is spiritual. Barry and Desma are using the traditional style of storytelling to introduce the Bible into their culture. They are equipping the Baka people to learn the oral Bible stories from the Old and New Testament and share them with their own people. These stories are bringing transformation as people are turning away from abuse and alcohol to God, who loves and cares for them. At the same time, the spiritual transformation is inspiring people to get more education and develop a more sustainable village life with farming and wells. Barry and Desma's vision is to plant churches among the Baka that are led by local people and to ultimately work with the people to translate the Bible into their own language. Recently, Oakdale has helped the Abbots to fund repairs on the village well and to build a guesthouse for Cameroonians who will come to their village to help them translate the Bible. Learn more on their website or YouTube (under Baka - Story Tell) or Facebook
Grace: Middle East
Grace (last name and specific location withheld and photo altered to protect identity) serves in the Middle East, engaging young adults with the Gospel through international conversations, outreaches and meeting tangible needs. She and her team seek to come alongside young adults as they discover who Jesus is, with the aim of seeing them become mature followers of Jesus who multiply their faith in others.
