ActionSpring2021 (1)

Vol. 64
SPRING 2021
ACTION
MAGAZINE
The official publication of Men for Missions
Answering
God’s Call

Table of Contents
Volume
3 Answering God’s Call
By Kent Eller
MFM Global Executive Director
4 Radically Changed
By Doug Tankersley
MFM Director for Latin America
5 Changed for the Better
By Paul Chance
Regional Director
6 Send Me!
By Carl Poynter
Regional Director
8 Rock Bottom at the Top of
the Mountain
By Al Gaines
Regional Director
9 What Do You Want to Do?
By Garth Cartledge
Regional Director
2021 World
Ministry Teams
Due to the ever-changing nature of travel during the Covid-19
pandemic, you can find our updated team list at
www.menformisssions.org
o Please send info about Team to ____________ Dates__________
o My Gift for ACTION budget: $_____________ (Proj. #444520)
o Please send ACTION to the names and addresses enclosed.
o Please remove my name from the ACTION mailing list.
Name_________________________________________________________
Address_______________________________________________________
City____________________________
10 I am Blessed
By Steve Rehner
Director of Small Business Development
12 Tribute to Max E. Edwards
By Warren Hardig
MFM Global Ambassador
13 Louisiana Work Team
Opportunity
By Josh Krumencher
U.S. Ministry Team Specialist
14 Because One Said Yes
By Nathan and Saron Wiechmann
16 Thank You, Gene Bertolet
By Warren Hardig
MFM Global Ambassador
State/Prov______________________
Zip or Postal Code________________ Country__________________________
Phone___________________ E-Mail_____________________________
ACTION
MAGAZINE
63 4 No. 1/2021
ACTION magazine is a unique missions-focused
publication that tells the story of Men for Missions.
As our people share their experiences, you can
better grasp the magnitude of God’s use of laymen
throughout the world and also keep informed of
major events, which impact OMS, MFM, and the
Great Commission.
Executive Editor | Kent Eller
Office Editor | Mykaela Alvey
Managing Editor | Bill Heubner
Graphics | Seth Grandidge
Consultant | Gene Bertolet
Founder | Dr. Dwight Ferguson
Cover | MFM Evangelism in Haiti
INTERNATIONAL
Executive Director | Kent Eller
Global Ambassador | Warren Hardig
Director of Business Development | Steve Rehner
Latin America Regional Director | Doug Tankersley
CABINET PRESIDENTS
Canada | Keith Burns
United Kingdom | Alan Russell
United States | Grant Zerbe
NATIONAL DIRECTORS AND OFFICES
U.K. National Director | Alan Russell
30 Longhries Road, Newtownards Co. Down N Ireland
Canada | Marlowe Janke
101, 120 Country Hills Landing NW, Calgary, Alberta,
Canada T3K 5P3
Canadian Office Administrator | Charlotte Kroes
Box 265, Mount Forest, ON N0G 2L0
Cuba | Allen Quesada
Liberia | George Ville
Medellin, Colombia | Jonathan Tobón
United States | Bill Evans
P.O. Box A, Greenwood, IN
Director of Ministry Teams | Jenna Guerrier
U.S. Ministry Team Specialist | Josh Krumenacher
Director of Follow Up | Keith Smith
REGIONAL DIRECTORS
South Central | Gene Pollic
Southeast | Paul Chance
Northwest | Mike Miner
Northeast | Carl Poynter
Great Plaines | Al Gaines
Carolinas | Garth Cartledge
If you would like the E-Mail address of an OMS
missionary, direct your inquiry to the U.S. MFM office at
mfm@onemissionsociety.org
Follow us on:
facebook, pinterest, instagram - @menformissions
linkedin.com/company/men-for-missions-interntl
ACTION (ISSN 07440375) is published three times annually by Men for
Missions, a ministry of One Mission Society (OMS), 941 Fry Road, P.O.
Box A, Greenwood, IN 46142-6599, USA. All correspondence and
changes of address (please include old address label) should be sent to
Answering
God’s Call
By Kent Eller
MFM Global Executive Director
Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard
all night and haven’t caught anything. But
because you say so, I will let down the nets.”
I
n the first sermon of 2021, our pastor
preached on Peter’s story in Luke 5 and
gave us a great challenge for the year. In this
passage, Jesus got into Peter’s boat to speak
to the crowd and taught from the boat. When he
finished speaking, he said to Peter, “Put out into
the deep and let down your nets for a catch.”
Peter answered that they had been fishing all
night and hadn’t caught anything, but, “because
you say so, I will.” Our pastor’s challenge for
2021 was if Jesus asks, will you say YES?
As I thought about all the people who have
been involved with Men for Missions since
1954, I started thinking how many of them said
yes to Jesus when He called, even when it
didn’t seem to make much sense. The challenges
seemed very real. I don’t have the money, I’m
not sure I can get time off from a job, it might be
costly, challenging, or family and friends think
I’m crazy, but then they answered, “because
you say so, I will.”
It shows a growing faith when we trust Jesus,
even when it’s not our personal preference.
Even when everything screams it is not the right
time to take a trip, Jesus calls someone to go
on a short-term missions trip to build a medical
clinic or radio station in Haiti, to evangelize in
Colombia, to teach business ethics and morals
in Russia, to build a camp in Brazil, or to do
evangelism for a month in Ecuador.
In this ACTION magazine, you get
the chance to read stories of many
of our MFM Regional Directors
and friends that have been on
MFM teams with us. You
will see how God called,
and they said yes.
I always think of
what would have
happened had
I not said yes.
What would I
have missed
out on by
not stepping
out in faith
in Jesus?
What decisions
do
we make
that might
affect future
generations?
In these
uncertain times, I
pray that when Jesus
calls, whatever
it may be, we will have
the faith to say, “because
you say so, I will.”
Luke 5:5 NIV
ANSWERING GOD’S CALL
2Please | make MFM checks ACTION payable to Men for Missions and mail to the office in your country.
the Greenwood address above.
MFM ACTION | 3

Radically
ANSWERING
Changed
By Doug Tankersley
MFM Director for Latin America
I
n 1990, I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior
and began to receive invitations to go on a
short-term mission trip. However, I had all the
excuses why I shouldn’t go: I had small children,
I had no time off of work, it was too expensive, it
was too dangerous, I couldn’t leave my family, etc.
I had also previously convinced myself that if I ever
did go on a short-term mission trip, I wanted it to
be on a work team where I could use my hands
and not have to share my testimony or the Gospel
face-to-face. I believed I might mess that up and
confuse people.
In 2000, I was attending a men’s Bible study
that was covering the book of James. At the same
time, I received another invitation to go on a shortterm
mission trip from the team leader who had
never given up on inviting me. I was told that this
trip would be the most difficult trip of my life, both
physically and spiritually, and that I would return
home radically changed. We would be hiking into
five remote villages in the jungles of Guatemala
to EVANGELIZE in unreached areas. It was not a
work team!
During the Bible study, the words in James 1:22
seemed to become emboldened and lift off the
page, saying: “Do not merely listen to the word,
and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” As I
read those words, I was reminded that Jesus told
us to “go and make disciples of all nations,” so
how could I say no? I knew with
complete confidence that God
was calling me to “Go.” So, I
Meeting with national pastors
in Guatemala.
GOD’S CALL
MFM teams will use whatever transportation is needed to
share the Gospel.
said yes, joined the team, and had the opportunity
to share my testimony and the Gospel before a
group of people for the very first time.
On this trip, I also had the opportunity to see
a glimpse of Jesus in action as I witnessed the
on-field missionary and national pastors with
their authentic compassion for seeing the lost
souls saved. And it was also on that trip that I felt
the Lord calling me to surrender my plan for His
agenda. I returned home changed, knowing that I
was being called to full-time service for the Lord,
but I had no idea what that meant. During the next
couple of years, I prayed for the Lord’s leading,
focused on building our local church’s short-term
mission program, and led a team to Guatemala.
In 2004, my wife Cindy also felt the Lord calling
her to serve Him full-time. We didn’t know if any
mission would accept us since we were in our 40s
and working in secular jobs, but Kent Eller (MFM
Global Executive Director) said we should consider
One Mission Society. We began the application
and interview process, and we were ecstatic when
OMS accepted us. By 2005, we were raising support
as career missionaries and had become the
talk of our small hometown as people wondered
why in the world we would give up everything
and move our family overseas. In 2006, we excitedly
left our seemingly secure secular jobs, sold
everything we owned, and moved our family to live
and serve full-time in Ecuador.
Since that time, we have
been on a wild ride with the
Lord and remain amazed that
God could use us in Ecuador,
Colombia, and now serving
with Men for Missions in Latin
America. Short-term mission
trips are indeed a lifechanging
journey. Pray about
Doug Tankersley on his first shortterm
mission trip to Guatemala.
joining a short-term mission
team. You just might come
home radically changed.
CHANGED
FOR THE
BETTER
By Paul Chance
Regional Director
I
made a profession of faith
when I was eight years
old. My family and I were
regular attendees at church.
After high school, I enlisted in
the Army. But during my time
in the service, I drifted away
from The Lord and hung out
with the wrong crowd. The Holy
Spirit constantly convicted me,
and, in my heart, I knew I was
not where I needed to be, but
I still rebelled. I got married my
second year in the service and
failed to listen to my parents’
advice warning me that we were
not made for each other. We
had a daughter during my time
in the military, but our marriage
was very unhappy. After my four
years of service, we moved back
home, and it wasn’t long before
my wife filed for divorce.
Praying with church members in Japan
ANSWERING GOD’S CALL
I had to move back
in with my parents
and was at a very low
point in my life. During
this time back home,
my mom introduced
me to her best friend,
Jesus. I realized that
my profession of faith
at eight years old was
genuine, but I did
not truly understand
my need for a savior and what
that meant. I asked for forgiveness
and put my faith in the Lord
through Jesus, my Savior. During
that time, I asked God to send
me the woman he had purposed
for my life. Shortly after, I met my
wife Diana, and God has blessed
us with 36 years of wonderful
marriage.
One day I sat listening to a report
being given by members of
our church who recently returned
from a short-term mission trip.
It was like God was speaking
directly to me, saying, “Paul, you
have been a pretty good guy,
but you haven’t done the very
first thing I asked my disciples
to do.” That was to go and share
the Gospel with the world. On
the way home that evening, I
mentioned it to Diana, and she
said that she felt the same way.
I said that I would go on the
next trip if she would go with
me. That started our missionary
journey.
Diana and I went on the next
mission trip our church had, and
God changed our lives forever.
We were so impacted by what
God had done that we went on
five more trips and eventually
entered full-time mission service
with One Mission Society. After
serving in Ecuador, The Lord
led us to serve with Men for
Missions. God changed my life
for the better. Don’t just take my
word for it. Go on a short-term
trip and see how it will be your
life-changing journey.
An MFM’er is always ready
to share the Good News of
Jesus Christ.
Sharing the Gospel with the Evangecube will often draw a
crowd .of interested young people
4 | MFM ACTION MFM ACTION | 5

SEND ME
M
y life-changing journey began on a shortterm
mission trip with Men for Missions
in November of 2009, the day after
Thanksgiving. It was my first international mission
trip, and I had committed to spend two weeks at an
orphanage in Jérémie, Haiti.
I went with John Barber from our church, an
associate staff member with MFM, and Gene Pollic,
a Men for Missions Regional Director . . . little
did I realize how this trip would completely modify
my future plans. Although I was a solid Christian
in my faith, I was also a successful businessman
of 18 years who was earning a sizeable yearly salary,
driving a company vehicle, dining at the finest
Also, I heard the
voice of the Lord,
saying, Whom shall I
send, and who will go
for us? Then said I,
Here am I; send me.
By Carl Poynter
Regional Director
Isaiah 6:8
Carl and Theresa Poynter on one of their
many trips to Haiti.
restaurants, playing golf with clients, vacationing
with family, parking new cars in my garage, chasing
money, and striving for the American dream. I
returned from Haiti a different person, a changed
man who almost immediately lost all focus for
worldly riches. When I was in Haiti, God spoke
to me and put a calling on my life to forsake all
and follow Him (Matthew 4:19). One month after
returning home, on January 12th, 2010, a great
earthquake would strike in Haiti. I began taking
more trips into Haiti that year. I even led a couple
of teams myself, where our focus was on helping
an orphanage, building water filtration units, and
helping with the aftermath that a 7.0 earthquake
had left behind.
In early 2010, my wife and I applied to be fulltime
missionaries with OMS, and to our surprise,
in just a short couple of months, we had been accepted
as career missionaries. The two of us and
our two young boys would be moving to Spain.
However, I can say that our life was thrown
directly into a whirlwind. This whirlwind was something
much bigger than us, something only God
could do. During our deputation period (funding for
our ministry), we began traveling the U.S. Seeking
out prayer partners, we went from state to state.
Our family lived out of a van, staying in our tent at
campgrounds or different people’s homes. This
really allowed us to live a life of faith as an example
in front of our boys. But despite taking several trips
to Spain, God changed our course mid-stream.
During our two years of funding and traveling the
states, I found myself back in Haiti every couple of
months.
In November of 2012, Kent Eller (MFM Global
Executive Director) asked us to consider becoming
regional directors with Men for Missions. What got
my attention most is when Kent said, “You do realize
the world is much larger than just Haiti?”
He was telling us that if we were willing to Do,
Go, and Give, God could and would use us in
many other places, along with Haiti. We accepted
the role with Men for Missions, and our years as
regional directors have been a blessing. I have
had the privilege of travelling the U.S. and going
to Spain on a couple of trips. I have taken multiple
teams to Haiti, Colombia, Japan, and even visited
the Dominican Republic.
One of the greatest blessings for our family was
living in Haiti from 2015-2016. We hosted teams
and had the lead role of constructing the Bon Repos
church project and being one of the construction
team leaders for Homes for Haiti. We then had
the opportunity to move to northern Haiti in 2018
to help with the Cowman school project. I would
close by saying the words shared with me from
a dear Men for Missions brother, Tex Clark. “God
doesn’t care about your abilities. He cares about
your availability.” Is God calling you? Will you be
available?
Yes-Here am I; Lord, Send me!
ANSWERING GOD’S CALL
Children are drawn to the joyful hearts of MFM teams
around the world.
The Poynter family in 2010 on a trip to Spain.
Carl and Theresa hosted many teams during the Bon
Repos project
6 | MFM ACTION MFM ACTION | 7

ROCK BOTTOM AT THE
TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN
By Al Gaines
Regional Director
ANSWERING GOD’S CALL
G
rowing up in Minnesota, we didn’t talk
much about Jesus or go to church as a
family! My Dad, uncles, and grandfathers
never went to church, so I didn’t think it was
important enough for me to go or even talk about
church things. I idolized my Dad growing up and
wanted to be like him because he was a real man!
My Dad and relatives liked to drink, so I thought
all men drank. Anger came with Dad’s drinking,
and I didn’t like that. But because Dad was angry, I
thought it was just the way I was supposed to be!
As a teen, I did pretty much what I wanted
to do and didn’t make very wise choices. Even
after marrying my wife, Sandy, in 1979 and having
three kids, I hadn’t changed very much from my
teen years. And my anger was making my life a
mess! Nothing seemed right at home with Sandy
and the kids! My job was awful! Everything that I
tried ended in failure. I was on the edge of losing it
all, and I didn’t want that to happen.
I remember being on a hunting trip in
Wyoming in the fall of 1991, and I was just totally
disgusted with life. I was on top
of a mountain, and I felt like I’d
finally hit rock bottom! I gave
God permission to take over my
life! I told God that I needed His
help to hold my life together, and
I would serve Him if He could
help me.
From that defining
moment, God started to change
me little by little. My anger began
to go away, I quit drinking,
Sandy and the kids started to
like having me around again, and
I began to enjoy them more. My
job became satisfying, and life
was starting to improve day by
day. We took a considerable risk; we left our small
country church and started attending a Christian
Missionary Alliance Church in town.
I watched the men of the new church and
realized that they were different. I wanted what
they had, but I wasn’t sure what it was. It took
a little while, but I realized they had a personal
relationship with Jesus Christ! As I learned more
about Jesus by paying attention in church and
going to a Tuesday morning men’s Bible study, I
was challenged to be more like Jesus.
My family, coworkers, and friends didn’t
understand this radical change in me, and most
still don’t! I now understand what Jesus said one
night to the Pharisee, Nicodemus, about being
born again. Jesus has undeniably changed my life,
and nothing will ever change that.
In the fall of 2015, I went WAY, WAY out of
my comfort zone and took an evangelism trip to
Medellin, Colombia, with Men for Missions. That
trip changed my life from the inside out! I joined
the staff of Men for Missions in 2017, so I could
continue to help tell the world about the love of
Jesus Christ!
Al Gaines and team on a USA based work trip.
What Do You
Want to Do
By Garth Cartledge
Regional Director
Y
ou might think that a job
promotion would be a
good thing, but that was not
so in my case. Let me explain.
I was a firefighter at a mediumsized
department in suburban
Indianapolis. Over the years,
I had risen through the ranks
to become a Battalion Chief,
and I was very happy with this
job. One day, the fire chief
informed me that I was being
‘promoted’ to Assistant Chief of
the department. I had to trade in
my fire truck for an 8 to 5 desk
job. I was not cut out for desk
work. I’m too hands-on. I made
a gallant effort to be good at this
job, but my heart wasn’t in it.
After two years of grumbling,
my wife asked me, “What job do
you want to do?” I didn’t have
an immediate response, but after
a couple of days of thought and
prayer, I had an answer. I told her
I wanted to ‘talk to people.’ Her
response was lacking in grace.
She replied, “Good luck getting
paid for that.”
A couple of days later, I was
sitting at my desk at work, and
I received a weekly email update
from Bill Evans (MFM U.S.
National Director). Typically Bill
describes what’s happening at
From firefighter to MFMer, Garth Cartledge answered God’s call.
ANSWERING GOD’S CALL
Men for Missions, gives some
trip highlights, and presents
some prayer requests. But this
one was different. In this one,
Bill told of some job openings
at One Mission Society. One of
those jobs was Regional Director.
I replied to Bill’s update and
asked, “What does a Regional
Director do?” Bill’s immediate
and short response was, “Garth,
they talk to people.”
Sometimes God speaks to
us in a still small voice. In this
instance, I believe the Lord sent
me an email. He just used Bill’s
account. I knew that after 22
years my firefighting career
was over.
So, what would
have happened
if I had just
shrugged it off
and deleted Bill’s
email response?
I wouldn’t have
been a part of
over 40 mission
trips, I wouldn’t
have made great
friends who are
national partners
with MFM, and
I wouldn’t have
had the humbling
experience to
share the love
of Jesus with a
couple thousand
people. I’m very
happy I replied
to Bill’s email
that day.
8 | MFM ACTION MFM ACTION | 9

God has blessed the Rehner family through multiple generations.
with this memory for decades. I could never tell
anyone about this abuse until 50 years later when
I was 60, and I was finally able to tell my wife and
others about this traumatic incident in my life. Am
I blessed?
When I was 12, my parents brought us back
to the U.S. for a time of home-assignment. We
moved to East Lansing, MI, where my dad began
a doctorate at Michigan State, and I started 7th
grade. We missed Colombia, but we knew that
we would be going “home” as soon as my dad
finished his studies. My parents had to travel to
visit friends and speak in churches that were part
of their financial and prayer support team. On April
19th, 1970, my parents were returning with another
couple from meetings in Franklin, PA, my dad’s
hometown. The small private plane they were
in crashed in a cornfield outside of Lansing, MI,
killing all four occupants. Life turned upside down
in an instant. As orphans, we immediately knew
that we would not be returning to our beloved
Colombia, and the future was completely rewritten.
Am I blessed?
Most all of us have to go through tough times
in life. I assume you have been through dark days
also. I have chosen to take God at His word. He
loves me, and the circumstances which come my
way, or in which I find myself, do not determine the
love He has for me.
When I was 27, God blessed me with my wife
Pam, and God has blessed us with four kids,
Emily, Daniel, Jonathan, and Allison. We served as
missionaries in Costa Rica for nine years while the
kids were growing up, and we continue to serve
the Lord with Men for Missions at OMS. We now
enjoy six grandchildren as the kids have started
their own families. I am blessed.
Life has not all been a bowl-full of cherries for
me, but I know God has walked with me each
step of the way. God has blessed me with His
faithfulness through it all, and I will take every
opportunity I get to shout from the mountaintops
that God is faithful. I encourage you to trust Him
through any and all circumstances because He is
Faithful, and I know . . . I was blessed, and I am
blessed!
I am
Blessed
By Steve Rehner
Director of Small Business Development
S
ome of the first words I likely heard were,
“Hola, como esta, Esteban?” (How are
you, Steve?) When I was three, my parents, Wally
and Betty Rehner, followed the Lord’s leading to
serve as missionaries with One Mission Society.
Up until I was 12, I grew up in South America, first
in Ecuador and then in Colombia, along with my
older brother Tim and my younger sister Helen. We
had a wonderful and close family. I was blessed.
My parents were Godly witnesses to the Gospel
of Jesus Christ, both in word and deed. I knew
they loved me, and they encouraged me to know
their Lord and Savior. I know I asked Jesus into my
heart at a very young age, seeking the forgiveness
of my sins. As a pre-teen, it became clear to me
that there were still unyielded areas of my life. After
my dad gave the message one Sunday night, I
responded to his invitation to come to the altar and
give my life completely to the Lord Jesus Christ. I
was blessed.
I loved growing up in South America. I loved
the Spanish culture and the people. I was fluent in
Spanish, so I could communicate with everyone,
and I had wonderful parents and siblings who
loved me. We did not have a lot of money, but
I never missed a meal, always had clothes to
wear, and always had a warm bed to sleep in at
night. We rarely saw our extended family, but the
missionary community we were a part of was a
loving substitute. I was blessed.
I was 10, and it was a day like any other on
the Seminary compound where my dad and mom
taught and where we and the other missionaries
lived. But it was not destined to be a day like
any other! An older missionary kid, home from
college for the summer, asked me to go into a
deserted house with him, and he abused me
sexually. Like so many other children, I could not
tell my parents about the abuse, and I had to deal
Steve and Pam Rehner, along with an MFM work team, on a trip to Colombia.
10 | MFM ACTION MFM ACTION | 11

Tribute to
Max E. Edwards
LOUISIANA WORK
TEAM OPPORTUNITY
DISASTER RELIEF
By Josh Krumencher
U.S. Ministry Team Specialist
By Warren Hardig MFM TRIBUTE
MFM Global Ambassador
M
ax Edwards. Where do we begin to pay
tribute to a man who touched so many
lives in several countries and cultures? At one
time, Max had a goal and desire to be the biggest
farmer in Randolph County, Indiana.
I knew Max for nearly 50 years. He was always
a part of the Oriental Missionary Society (now One
Mission Society) and Men for Missions. Max had
Jesus in his heart, and he wanted everyone to
know Him and have peace in their hearts.
Max was a hard worker, and I often think of
Proverbs 14:4 as Max’s verse, “Where no oxen
are, the manger is clean, but much revenue
comes by the strength of the ox.” He was not
afraid to pay the price for integrity. Max was
honest and transparent, and the motives of
his heart were pure.
After the Edwards family arrived in Brazil,
South America, as missionaries, we began
sending Men for Missions teams to help with the
work. Without fail, the team participants always
came home “Edwardized.” Max and Dixie
won their hearts. Perhaps it was from
all of the homemade ice cream
or from building a dormitory at
a youth camp, or most likely,
it was from seeing Brazilian
youth having their lives
changed by the Gospel of
Jesus Christ. Whatever it
was, they came home
Edwards fans.
Max’s picture and said with great pride, “That is
my missionary.” Whether in Brazil, Africa, Mexico,
or the Eastern United States, the world was Max’s
parish. He drove those Park Avenue Buicks over
90,000 miles a year.
Max provided a lot of humor for those of us
around him. His transparency could get him in
trouble, but his honesty would get him out of
it. Stories of Max’s linguistic skills, or the lack
thereof, provided humor for all of us who watched
Max navigate different cultures. Best of all, there
are many changed lives because Max came and
talked to them about Jesus.
In the School of Life, Max’s
main concern was that he
made A’s and B’s with God.
I cannot imagine the joy in
Heaven as all the people
from different nations
greeted their friend,
Max, who had faithfully
committed to Do, Go, and
Give whatever the Lord asked
and was obedient to
the end.
Men for
Missions Global
remains
grateful
to Max
Edwards.
O
n August 26, 2020, amid the COVID-19
pandemic, Hurricane Laura, a category 4
hurricane pushed its way across Louisiana’s
southwest region. A few months later, in early
October, another category 4 hurricane, Hurricane
Delta, made its way through the same path.
They both left devastation in their wake, with
hundreds of churches and thousands of homes
and businesses destroyed. According to the U.S.
Department of Agriculture, these are the most
destructive storms to hit Louisiana’s coast since
1856. The storm will eventually be classified
as one of the top five storms to have hit the
continental U.S.
The storms decimated the Lake Charles community.
Many people have been laid off and jobs
have been eliminated. The world, specifically the
U.S., has been distracted, and the media outlets
have barely spoken of the devastation in Lake
Charles, Louisiana. Franklin Graham said, “The
media aren’t covering it, but so many families in
Louisiana are still reeling from Hurricane Laura,
whose 150 mph winds and torrential downpours
did significant damage to homes and businesses.”
MFM is proud to be recruiting and sending
work teams to help this dismayed, forgotten community
and to offer hope through the storm. We
partner with the Fuller Center Disaster Rebuilders,
whose primary focus is on low-income families
and those who did not have insurance. Work
teams have been mudding out houses, tarping
roofs, removing downed trees and debris, and,
most importantly, sharing the hope of the Gospel
with those they are helping.
Thanks to a generous donor, we have funds to
assist teams with travel expenses. FCDR provides
lodging, a cooking area for teams, tools, and
worksites. By God’s grace, MFM is looking forward
to coming alongside the least of these in Louisiana
and sharing the Gospel to those deeply impacted
by these disasters.
Would you prayerfully consider joining a
team in 2021? Contact Josh Krumenacher at
jkrumenacher@onemissionsociety.org.
A Fuller Center Disaster Recovery team renovating a
destroyed home.
As I traveled
through Iowa, I saw
many pictures of
Max and the work in
Brazil. One evening
my host pointed at
The flooded front yard of a Louisiana home
One of the many piles of debris left over from the hurricanes.
12 | MFM ACTION MFM ACTION | 13

Because One
Said Yes
ANSWERING GOD’S CALL
By Nathan and Saron Wiechmann
Saron:
One Mission Society missionaries sowed
evangelistic seeds into the hearts of my
grandparents Daniel and Julia, in a small town
in Colombia, many years ago. The missionaries
were traveling by the river, living on a ship called
El Cruzado. They stopped in every town near the
river and offered medical care and something
more important, the Gospel. After the seeds were
planted, my grandparents became the founders of
the first Christian church in their town.
My parents met at that church. They were
involved with the youth ministry. Later, by God’s
grace and with thanks to ministries like OMS and
Compassion International, they would finish their
studies and go to the Biblical Seminary in Medellín,
Colombia. They got married and started pastoring
a church in Medellín. I am the oldest of three kids,
and today we are the fruit of that evangelism.
Thanks to that heritage, I grew up in a family that
encouraged me to seek and serve God with all my
heart.
I am a graphic designer. When I first started
my studies, God called me to do mission work.
At that time, it didn’t make sense to me. How
can a Graphic Designer be a missionary? In
2010, I started working as a volunteer in the
Missions Department of IGLEICO, the OMSrelated
denomination in Colombia. In 2013, I
had the opportunity to serve at the OMS World
Headquarters in Indiana as an intern for six
months. While there, I saw a bigger picture of
what God is doing, not just in Colombia but
worldwide, and what role I could play in the Great
Commission.
I returned to Colombia with a better vision and
a more profound passion for God, and my English
was so much better. Shortly after my return, an
evangelism team from MFM arrived in Medellín,
and they needed people translating for them. I
signed up, which was my first time translating
for door-to-door evangelism in my hometown. I
translated for MFM Regional Director Carl Poynter
that week, and it was amazing to witness God
in action. That was also Nathan’s first trip to
Colombia. When we met, I had no idea what God
was orchestrating for us at that moment. But
looking back now, I can see how He was working
on us individually, preparing us for the right time to
be together.
Nathan:
My grandparents came to know the Lord at
an OMS missions conference. My grandpa only
decided to go to the missions conference because
the location had a place where he could go
fishing. So, he brought his boat. The funny thing
is, he never put the boat in the water. The Lord
grabbed his heart that first day, and he made a
life-changing decision not just for himself but for
his family.
I am one of nine children and was brought up
in the church. But it wasn’t until college when I
started to make my faith my own. That’s when I
realized that every decision I made wasn’t just to
please my parents on earth but also my heavenly
father.
At church one Sunday, Bill Heubner, Managing
Editor of ACTION magazine, announced he was
going to Colombia in two weeks. He wanted to
know if anybody was interested in coming with
him. I asked him if it was even possible to have
plane tickets, paperwork, and logistical details
ready on time. Two weeks later, I was in Colombia
on a bus next to Carl Poynter, who asked me if I
had ever thought about going to Haiti. I told him: “I
am just trying to wrap my mind around Colombia,
but my grandpa went to Haiti quite a few times
doing missions.”
At the end of that week, Carl and I felt like
brothers. God revealed to me the joy of sharing the
Gospel with an unbeliever. That trip changed my
perspective on life and the value of every decision,
for here and for eternity. Since then, God allowed
me to spend a year in Haiti helping and serving
the church and those most in need, ministering to
both their physical and spiritual needs. Just like
Isaiah said to the Lord, “Here I am. Send me,” we
all have opportunities to say yes to God’s call. If
we answer as Isaiah did, great blessings will come.
I can’t imagine where I would be today if I had said
no to even one of the calls.
Saron and Nathan:
We met in 2013 for the first time sharing the
Gospel in the streets of Medellín, but it wasn’t until
2018, in the U.S., when God used Kent Eller (MFM
Executive Director) and Bill Evans (MFM National
Director) to connect us again, and we started
dating. We got married in Colombia in February,
2019, embracing the legacy we received from
our parents and grandparents, serving the Lord
together, and feeling ready to say “Yes!” anytime
He calls.
We are thankful for opportunities
to serve others, like the missionaries
God used to show our grandparents’
truth. We are so blessed to have
grandparents who said yes to the
Lord and parents who shared that
legacy with us. Oftentimes, we
don’t realize how a decision can
impact our own future and future
generations. Even though God
calls us individually, and it is our
choice to say yes to Him, our
heritage plays a big part in who
we are today. How
will the legacy you
leave impact future
generations
for God’s
kingdom?
El Cruzado: The boat OMS missionaries used to
evangelize villages along the Cauca river in Colombia.
Saron’s grandparents have left a lasting legacy for God
in Colombia.
From a first meeting on an MFM mission trip to
Colombia to a wedding a few years later, God’s hand
was at work in the Weichmann’s lives.
14 | MFM ACTION MFM ACTION | 15

Thank You
Gene Bertolet
By Warren Hardig
MFM Global Ambassador
The first Men for Missions dinner I attended was in Albion, Illinois. I had
never heard of MFMI until that evening in November. As I was seated for
dinner, I noticed two or three pieces of literature to the right of my plate. The
piece that really caught my eye was the ACTION magazine, which listed ten
Men for Missions crusades to eight different countries. Now, we call them
ministry teams.
For your
Visit...
MFM
Simply check the list of MFM
teams and the reply coupon in
this issue.
Men for Missions (MFM) has
arranged a full slate of teams to
go to the mission field to work,
observe, witness, and pray (page
2). Utilization of laymen is critical
to OMS as it seeks to expand its
ministry throughout the world.
For the past several years, OMS
has been a part of more than one
million decisions for Christ each
year. We now serve in 77 countries,
with more than 120,000
churches planted through the
efforts of OMS and its national
churches.
Many laymen are now forming
teams to go to the mission field.
You can be part of this great
movement of laymen as they
seek to honor Christ by giving
personal obedience to the Great
Commission.
Call MFM at (317) 881-6752,
or contact the national director in
your country (page 2), for latest
team destinations, dates, and
costs.
Tax receiptable gifts may
be mailed to MFM, P.O. Box A,
Greenwood, IN 46142-6599.
That night, my interest was aroused at the thought of ministry in another
country, and I signed up to go to Haiti. Eight weeks later, my life was changed.
Now, and for over 50 years, the ACTION magazine has been my favorite
publication.
I later found out that ACTION was the work of Gene Bertolet, a young, talented,
and successful graphics artist. Gene had been an employee of a major
manufacturer and inventor in Indianapolis. The owner once commented that
Gene’s patent drawing and drafting skills were among the best he had seen.
Gene left the business world in obedience to God and joined the Oriental
Missionary Society, today called One Mission Society. Gene’s drawing board
became his pulpit as he spread the Gospel through countless pieces of literature
for OMS and MFM, proclaiming God’s message to the multitudes in many
countries. Gene is a strong, Bible-believing Christian with a sense of purpose.
He has often said, “I don’t want to reach a ripe old age and look back on life
with regret, realizing I’d missed it.”
Gene’s prayer ministry using a world atlas for
a prayer guide has enabled him to impact people
worldwide. His personal walk with the Lord, which
is guided by being marinated in God’s Word,
has helped Gene lead several individuals into a
personal relationship with Jesus Christ by the Holy
Spirit’s guidance. Prayer is a matter of life and death
to those who are drawn to the Lord. Gene’s vision
and witness to the lost are vital.
Gene dedicated over 50 years of outstanding
ministry to OMS and MFM. Even as he has stepped
back from his graphic design role, he continues to pray
for the nations of the world, and he is attentive to any
hungry heart needing spiritual help. Countless lives
have been changed directly or indirectly by Gene
Bertolet’s life and witness.
Thank You on behalf of Kent Eller, the Men
for Missions Global Cabinet, all the
readers of ACTION magazine,
and all those who have supported
a real missionary,
Robert Gene Bertolet.
MFM thanks Gene Bertolet for his many years of dedication to Men for Missions and
the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
MFM ACTION |
16