Heidi Bender

Heidi Bender was one of 110 individual volunteers in 2006 who stepped out of their comfort zone, and left family and friends behind. Bender shared her time, gifts, and resources to serve side by side with people of another culture -- our Baptist partners in Nicaragua. Bender was one of several who helped coordinate short-term mission teams visiting from the US, and interfaced with the host communities throughout the country. She writes, “I am daily amazed by how enriched my life has been by this incredible experience- a lifetime of impact stemming from an innocent one-week mission brigade. I can’t say that I expected to end up a whole year in Nicaragua when I left last May- but sometimes our expectations fall so much shorter than what God can do for us.”

Douglas Avilesbernal

Many young adults who engage in a significant cross-cultural mission experience gain greater clarity and insight on what God’s call for their life might be. Doug Avilesbernal served as a leader for two Xtreme Teams- a one month radical mission immersion experience for participants, ages 19 to 29. Aviles says, “The impact the Xtreme Team had in me has been incredible. My first trip was to Mexico in 1999. That began the change in me towards looking at ministry in a more serious way. Soon after my second trip in 2001, I was ready to go on to seminary. There were other factors that influenced my going to seminary but the Xtreme team was certainly one of the major ones.” Avilesbernal graduated from Palmer Theological Seminary, and currently pastors Calvary Baptist Church in Norristown, PA

Elizabeth Landau

Elizabeth Landau is from Shawnee, KS and was the youth director for First Baptist Church of Kansas City, MO. She is currently serving alongside global consultant Lauren Bethell for one year. Landau provides administrative support to and travels with Bethell -- who encourages and facilitates Christ-based ministries addressing the exploitation and abuse of women and children around the world. Landau sees her volunteer service as a way to live out God’s call on her life to engage in human rights and women’s issues. She says “I am so thankful to be able to serve here. Being able to assist Lauran with her tasks is not only helpful to her, but also teaching more than I thought possible.” Thus far, she has traveled alongside Bethell to Ethiopia and Moldova.

-- Compiled by Jonathan Hilsher