God's Faithfulness Today

Vol. 72
ACTION
MAGAZINE
SPRING 2024
The official publication of Men for Missions
God’s Faithfulness
Today

Table of Contents
Volume
3 God is Faithful
By Michael Shaferly
MFM U.S. Cabinet President
4 Circle of Saturation –
A Global Initiative
By Doug Tankersley
MFM Global Vice Executive Director
6 Follow the Instructions
By Bill Evans
MFM U.S. National Director
7 God’s Faithfulness To
Satura Colombia
By Juan Guillermo Cardona Cano
8 G5-30 Update
By Kent Eller
MFM Global Executive Director
9 So Many Stories
By Glen Amis
MFM Canada Cabinet Member
10 MFM Global Prayer
By Warren Hardig
MFM Global Prayer
12 The Impact of MFM
By Jeff Edwards
OMS President
13 Changing Lives
Through MFM
By Megan Smith
14 Mission to MEFI
By Chris Cloyde
15 Nothing is a Coincidence
By Elaine Fahrenkamp
16 Of Guts and Grace
By Carroll Rader
2024 Men for Missions Ministry Team List
Dates Country Location Description Est. Cost
6/1-6/8 Colombia Bogotá Work Team 2000
6/8-6/15 Colombia Valledupar Evangelism Team 2000
6/17-6/26 Japan Tokyo Prayer/Evang. Team TBD
6/22-6/29 Mexico La Piedad Evangelism Team 2100
7/3-7/16 Hungary Vác English Camp 2500
7/6-7/13 Colombia Cali Evangelism Team 2000
7/17-7/30 Hungary Vác English Camp 2500
7/20-7/27 Mexico Sabinas Hidalgo Kids at the Casa 1400
7/27-8/3 Colombia Medellín Evangelism Team 2000
ACTION
MAGAZINE
72 No. 1/2024
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 Johnson
Managing Editor | Bill Heubner
Graphics | Seth Grandidge
Founder | Dr. Dwight Ferguson
Cover | MFM team in Mexico
INTERNATIONAL
Executive Director | Kent Eller
Vice Executive Director | Doug Tankersley
Director of Business Development | Steve Rehner
CABINET PRESIDENTS
Canada | Dave Busch
United Kingdom | Alan Russell
United States | Michael Shaferly
NATIONAL DIRECTORS AND OFFICES
U.K. National Director | Alan Russell
30 Longhries Road, Newtownards Co. Down N Ireland
Canada | Kyle Martin
Box 265, Mount Forest, ON N0G 2L0
Canadian Office Administrator | Charlotte Kroes
Box 265, Mount Forest, ON N0G 2L0
Cuba | Allen Quesada
Colombia | Satura
United States | Bill Evans
P.O. Box A, Greenwood, IN
Director of Follow Up |
Director of Ministry Teams | Bill Evans
REGIONAL DIRECTORS
South Central | Gene Pollic
Southeast | Paul Chance
Northwest | Mike Miner
Northeast | Carl Poynter
Great Plaines | Al Gaines
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____________________________
State/Prov______________________
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, instagram - @menformissions
linkedin.com/company/men-for-missions-interntl
Zip or Postal Code________________ Country__________________________
Phone___________________ E-Mail_____________________________
2 Please | make MFM checks ACTION payable to Men for Missions and mail to the office in your country.
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
the Greenwood address above.

God is
GOD’S FAITHFULNESS - TODAY
By Michael Shaferly
MFM U.S. Cabinet President
Faithful
S
eventy, soixante-dix, setenta, hetven. English,
French, Spanish, and Hungarian are just
some of the languages men and women have
used on Men for Missions trips through the years.
Seventy is the number of years that Men for Missions
has been sending people all over the world.
Seventy years of Doing, Going, and Giving, wow! If
we take a moment to look back through the years,
one thing is clear: God has been faithful! God has
called over 30,000 men, women, and young people
to invest in His Kingdom. They have knocked
on doors worldwide and built churches, schools,
roads, homes, and everything in between, but not
without difficulty. There have been injuries, cancellations,
evacuations, missing materials, lousy
weather, and a pandemic, to name a few, but even
through these, God has shown His faithfulness.
In recognizing God’s faithfulness, we can also
see the faithfulness of the people of Men for Missions.
Those 30,000-plus people came from all
walks of life. Many set about a task they didn’t feel
suited for, yet God used ordinary men and women
to accomplish His plan. Are you one of those
people? I know I am. God uses our weaknesses
and strengths to achieve something for His Glory.
“The harvest is plentiful, but the
laborers are few.”
Luke 10:2a
As we shift our gaze from the rear-view mirror
to the road before us, how will God demonstrate
His faithfulness? Will you be a part of the faithful
who respond to God’s calling? Opportunities
abound in things you’re good at and things you are
not, but your availability is more critical than your
strengths.
One of the things that we are excited about
is Mexico. Many of you have had the privilege of
evangelizing in Colombia, and we are excited to be
using that model in Mexico. There are also several
construction opportunities in Mexico. There are
opportunities throughout Latin America, Spain,
Hungary, Africa, and more. “The harvest is plentiful,
but the laborers are few” (Luke 10:2a). ¿Dónde
está Dios llamando a ir? Where is God calling you?
¿Dónde está Dios llamando a ir?
Where is God calling you?
MFM ACTION |
3

Circle of
By Doug Tankersley
MFM Global Vice Executive Director
Saturation
A Global Initiative
The Circle of Saturation will be intentionally
undergirded (saturated) with prayer as MFM incorporates
an intercession prayer initiative through:
• MFM National Directors and Global
Prayer Ambassadors
• MFM Staff and Associate Staff Members
• MFM Cabinet Members
• MFM Short-term Team Leaders and
Members
• MFM Council Groups
M
en for Missions is grateful for God’s
faithfulness in utilizing laymen in His work
through One Mission Society (OMS). As
we celebrate what God has done these past 70
years, we’re committed to seeking God, asking
Him to use the ministry of Men for Missions
to support the vision of OMS, which is to make
disciples of Jesus Christ and multiply dynamic
communities of believers around the world. In a
continued effort to engage the one to reach the
many, God is calling MFM to a new initiative: The
Circle of Saturation.
Please
contact our
office for a
copy of the
Intercession
Prayer Manual.
The Circle of Saturation is a 5-year MFM Global
initiative beginning in 2024 to saturate parts of the
world with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Starting in
Mexico’s Circle of Silence, MFM will come alongside
OMS partners with short-term teams in word
and deed to evangelize communities, support the
local church, and train OMS partners to multiply
evangelism efforts in their respective countries.
Warfare Prayer Manual
4 | MFM ACTION

The Circle of Saturation has five primary
responsibilities:
1. Saturate communities with the Gospel of
Jesus Christ.
2. Support OMS ministries, missionaries,
denominations, and partners.
3. Assist in training the local church to multiply
their evangelism efforts to reach their
communities.
4. Provide opportunities to identify potential
missionary candidates for 125 by 125.
5. Grow OMS/MFM constituents while
building relationships.
In 2024, MFM will continue to serve alongside
Satura Colombia by sending teams to help saturate
Colombia with the Gospel. This began in 2012
and has resulted in over 50 teams, 400 team members,
18,000 decisions for Christ, and 4,000 Bibles
delivered. God is FAITHFUL!
God is faithful to touch hearts, open doors, and
transform lives yesterday, today, and tomorrow.
MFM will faithfully go where the harvest is ripe and
help bring in the harvest.
As we look back at God’s faithfulness to MFM,
we can see a beautiful masterpiece that God has
created. We get a glimpse of how big God is in all
of it and how small we are, yet we’re completely
overwhelmed by the incredible privilege we have
to be a part of Doing, Going, and Giving in His
glorious kingdom work.
Please pause right now and
pray for this new global
initiative. Ask God how he
wants you to get involved.
Will you commit to praying
for the Circle of Saturation
in 2024? Will you consider
going on an evangelism team?
Will you help us recruit team
members?
We eagerly await seeing all
that God will do through the
Circle of Saturation because
He is faithful!
MFM will also send teams in 2024 into the
Circle of Silence in Mexico. This area consists of 8
states containing 28 million people with less than
1% evangelical witness for Christ. Last September,
MFM sent its first evangelism team to the state of
Michoacán, and many opened their doors to hear
about Jesus, the Hope of the world. It was far from
silent when the angels in heaven rejoiced over 210
people who accepted Jesus as their savior that
week.
Circle of Silence Area
GOD’S FAITHFULNESS - TODAY
MFM ACTION |
5

Follow
the Instructions
By Bill Evans
MFM U.S. National Director
GOD’S FAITHFULNESS - TODAY
S
ince I’m a man, I guess I’m authorized to
say that men aren’t always very good at
reading and following instructions. I am one
of those men. I remember when I was in school, I
was not a reader. The only thing I enjoyed reading
was the sports page. I was motivated to read the
baseball scores, especially as they related to the
Cincinnati Reds.
Since that time, things have changed in my
world; I became a Christian in November of 1990.
God’s Word became very important to me. I began
reading and studying like never before. Jeremiah
15:16 was true for me, “Your words were found,
and I ate them, And Your word was to me the joy
and rejoicing of my heart; For I am called by Your
name, O Lord God of hosts.”
Not only did the Word become important to
me, but I even
began reading
other spiritual
books. One
of my favorite
authors and
speakers was
Chuck Swindoll.
God was
moving my
heart to read
Working on the roof
and grow.
Let’s fast-forward to this past November. I was
with a team in Hatillo, Puerto Rico, doing roof
work on a Christian & Missionary Alliance church.
They had been struggling with their flat, concrete
roof leaking into their sanctuary. So, our little team
cleaned off and replaced the roof membrane. The
pastor worked ahead of our team to get the primer
and sealant we would need to make the roof leakproof
once again.
We decided to read the instructions for these
materials, so we applied them correctly. As we
read the instructions for the primer, we noticed
that this wasn’t primer at all but rather a concrete
additive. We each read the instructions carefully
and compared notes. Sure enough, this wasn’t
what we needed for the job. Thankfully, the pastor
could return this “primer” to the store and get the
appropriate primer for this job. And the new primer
was much less expensive, hallelujah! God is faithful,
even today!
Our little team finished the work at hand, and
we’ve since been told it was exactly what was
needed to eliminate the leaky roof. God is faithful,
even today.
How does all this relate to you and me? God
has given us instructions for this life. The real
question—the challenging question—for all of us is
whether we are reading and following His instructions.
What gets in the way of us making this the
priority it has to be? What changes will we make to
prioritize our lives rightly?
The Word of
God is a lamp
for our feet and a
light for our path.
God is faithful,
even today.
MFM Team
Working together on the roof
6 | MFM ACTION

God’s Faithfulness
By Juan Guillermo Cardona Cano
TO SATURA COLOMBIA
T
o talk about God’s faithfulness,
we must speak
of His love for us, which
was evident when He looked
for us when we were lost. That
love transforms everything and
drives us to tell everyone about
the wonders that our good God
does in each of us.
Satura Colombia is no exception;
it was the ministry that God
chose so that “no person is left
without hearing the Word of God.”
Satura Colombia began as
a dream, and we know it was
from the heart of God who gave
the vision of saturating Colombia
with the Gospel of our Lord
Jesus Christ, allowing all inhabitants
to hear, understand, and
respond to the Gospel.
It has been 13 years since
this dream began to take shape
with the help of One Mission
Society through its evangelism
department, Every Community
for Christ (ECC), support on the
ground from short-term missionaries
from Men for Missions
(MFM) from the United States,
and financial backing for the
purchase of Bibles from MFM
Canada.
God has been faithful, and we
celebrate the life of each person
who makes a decision of faith,
begins a process of discipleship
in the local church, is baptized,
and commits to starting a generational
cycle with other people.
Satura Colombia continues
to hear the voice of God to fulfill
the task and advances in the Colombian
territory, being present
in 28 of the 32 departments that
make up the country, with 25
facilitators in the church planting
teams and the development of
new materials teams. It is also
growing towards the borders.
Today, Satura is in three states
of the border country of Venezuela,
with four church planting
facilitators and a food assistance
program for the vulnerable
population with three community
service facilitators through the
“Soy Satura” program.
We see God’s faithfulness in
the 32 families depending on the
Satura Colombia Foundation for
daily sustenance.
We see God’s faithfulness
daily when, in the Colina sector,
municipality of Rubio, Táchira
state in Venezuela, we deliver a
food supplement to 500 people,
including children and older
adults, from the “Soy Satura”
program. For most of these
people, it is their only food.
God is faithful, and his mercy
endures forever.
We ask for your prayers for all
the Satura Colombia Foundation
programs and the new Satura
Etnias Indígenas project. His Word
and promises encourage us to
continue doing the ministry of
sowing His Word with passion
every day so that “no one is left
without hearing the Word of God.”
Juan Guillermo (center) - “God is faithful to the weak.”
GOD’S FAITHFULNESS - TODAY
MFM ACTION |
7

G5-30 Update
GOD’S FAITHFULNESS - TODAY
By Kent Eller
MFM Global Executive Director
G
lobal 5-30 aimed to start an
MFM-type ministry in 30 new
countries in five years. We are
excited to have MFM in Cuba, Colombia,
Israel, the U.S., Canada, Albania, Ireland,
and the United Kingdom. We are thankful
that the men in these countries have
said yes to Doing, Going, and Giving
anything God asks. As we talked about
what God was doing in these places
and how men were excited to be part of
reaching people through sharing their
testimonies and talents with people who
needed to hear and be helped, the
question was, why not do this in
more countries? With Covid shutting
down travel for two years, we
still feel God is leading us to challenge
men around the world to the
Lordship of Christ both at home and
around the world.
G5-30 Map
The founder of Men for Missions,
Dwight Ferguson, used to say, “You
don’t have to build a fire; find out
where it’s burning and carry wood.”
As we look to see how MFM can
expand into new countries, we want
to be a part of carrying the wood.
We are looking for opportunities to
partner with ministries within OMS
and outside if the opportunity gives
itself to that. We want to help people
realize that God can use their
talents and testimony to reach people for Christ.
Acts 1:8 says, “But you will receive power when
the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be
my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and
Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” We want to
come alongside men in their countries and help
them reach their end of the earth.
Men for Missions Representatives
Philippines, Uganda, Australia, New Zealand, and
more, as God gives us open doors.
In April, we will have an MFM multi-country
team from Albania, the U.S., the United Kingdom,
and Canada going to Spain to work and minister at
the OMS Camp Peña De Horeb.
We are praying for places where we have great
contacts and relationships to start an MFM-type
ministry, such as Brazil, the Dominican Republic,
Costa Rica, Japan, Puerto Rico, Mexico, the
Will you pray with us and for us? Pray that we
will be obedient to the Holy Spirit’s leading, to Do,
Go, and Give whatever God asks us to do and to
which countries He asks us to go.
8 | MFM ACTION

So Many Stories
By Glen Amis
MFM Canada Cabinet Member
GOD’S FAITHFULNESS - TODAY
S
ince joining the MFM Canada cabinet several
years ago, I have routinely been asked, “Are
you joining us in Colombia?” Over the past
25 years, I have had the opportunity to participate
in numerous mission trips around the world. Each
has left a different physical and emotional impact
on my life.
Each year, at our MFM Canada annual and
semi-annual meetings, a gentleman would ask me
if I was going to Colombia with the next group,
which always included him. A few of the cabinet
members have been several times for various work
projects, which usually include a day of door-todoor
evangelism.
As our meetings in April were approaching, I knew
the question would be asked once again. Every year,
I had excuses for not going: I couldn’t afford it, was
too busy at work, etc. Once I started thinking about
it this year, it felt different. I felt peace about this trip,
and God said, “It’s time.” “ So, when asked once
again, without hesitation, I said, “YES, I’m going.”
When you say “Yes” to God and step out in
faith, you discover what He has planned for you
and others who follow. I felt something incredible
would happen on my first trip to Colombia. During
the time of getting ready for this trip, I knew that this
was going to be big, but I thought it would be my
life that was going to be changed in a huge way;
that was not His plan. I returned from the meetings
with renewed excitement about going on another
trip and shared my plan with several people. One
good friend showed interest in joining the team. He
had never been on a mission trip, and after some
discussions, he committed to go. At that point, I felt
strongly that the reason I was going was to take him
with me. The incredible work that God had planned
was not for me. It was for my friend. Finding yourself
involved in one of God’s great plans is humbling
and overwhelming. My friend traveled to Colombia
and found God’s love and so much more; it was a
privilege to be part of it.
Our reason for this trip was to lay cement for
a new driveway at the seminary in Medellín. The
project included working with several local men
from local churches, local missionaries, and local
pastors. We finished the project by mixing over
300 bags of cement in two mixers and running
over 1500 wheelbarrow loads. With this driveway
done, deliveries, students, and teachers can access
their school buildings much more easily.
We also had the opportunity to visit a prison
and see the work of the prison ministry there. Talking
with some of the ex-prisoners involved in the
ministry and participating in a church service was
an experience I will never forget.
It would be effortless to fill a book with the numerous
blessings I experienced on this trip: meeting
a small boy while getting a tire repaired and
giving him a soccer ball one of our team members
brought with him, spending over two days traveling
both ways over a mountain due to overturned
trucks, spending a day doing door-to-door evangelism,
herding cattle, changing a stranger’s flat
tire on the side of a hill; oh, so many stories.
MFM team with locals
Enjoying a ride after a lot
of hard work
“Then I
heard the
voice of the
Lord saying,
‘Whom shall
I send? And
who will go
for us?’ And I
said, ‘Here am
I, Send Me!’”
(Isaiah 6:8).
MFM ACTION |
9

MFM Global Prayer
By Warren Hardig
MFM Global Prayer
MFM LEGACY
Men for Missions…was and is of the Holy Spirit. I sincerely
believe that the greatest contribution that Men for Missions
has made to One Mission Society and to the cause
of Christ is a spiritual contribution.
Dr. Eugene Erny, President
OMS International (1949-1969)
S
ince the beginning of MFM, seven books
have been written, along with thousands of
articles in periodicals, attempting to communicate
what the Holy Spirit has done and continues
to do in surrendered lives around the world. Ordinary
men from all walks of life discover God can
use their testimonies of His grace and forgiveness;
the Holy Spirit is not bound by cultural, racial, or
linguistic barriers.
Men and their families from Australia, Canada,
New Zealand, South Africa, the United States,
and other places have gone to many countries
under Men for Missions International, now Men
for Missions Global. They have gone to help and
encourage people of another race and culture
only to have their lives encouraged, value systems
changed, and come home with a deeper prayer
life. It is an incredible two-way street.
Dwight Ferguson asked, “Do we dare trust
God for an army of laymen?” Ferguson’s army
started small, but as the Word spread through their
testimonies of how God’s Holy Spirit used them,
70 years later, that small band grew to thousands.
Dwight Ferguson’s question continues to be answered
emphatically. Other ministries to help OMS
missionaries were born out of the hearts of these
laymen. Missions by the Mile, at one point, owned
110 cars and operated at a cost of only 11 cents
per mile because of the donated cars, hours, and
materials. The Trucking program was created, and
tons of missionary goods made it to ports of exit
at no cost. The Wings program was formed, which
allowed pilots to fly MFM staff to events, with the
pilot frequently being the program speaker. With
the Professional Services team, medical care was
given at home and abroad at little or no cost.
There were 140 MFM councils (ministry groups)
in North America, Australia, and New Zealand, and
50 in South Korea. Monuments to the obedience
of laymen are worldwide – radio stations, schools,
churches, youth camps, seminaries, and many
more. In addition to the thousands of individuals
who have gone on ministry teams and the millions
of dollars given, at least 32 individuals and families
contributed six months to two years on the OMS
fields as volunteers, let alone the countless number
who went multiple times to one or more fields.
Because of their participation on ministry
teams, I can tell you many stories about families
who were brought together and whose businesses
were dedicated to God. On the other hand, we
have met people severely persecuted for their faith
yet have seen first-hand victory over death, hell,
and the grave. Maury Graham, in Sharper Than
Any Two-Edged Sword, tells of an experience in
China:
We had an inspiring experience today, listening
to the wife of an 88-year-old pastor. Her husband
had graduated from the OMS Seminary in the late
1920s, before the communist occupation.
10 | MFM ACTION

In 1958, he was imprisoned for
his faith and spent 21 years and
8 months in confinement. Most
of that time was spent in the far
northeast, close to the Soviet
border, where winter temperatures
routinely dipped to 30 or 40
degrees below zero.
They worked nine hours a day
at manual labor without adequate
nourishment. Despite all the hardships,
his faith never wavered. And
when he was released in December
1979, he resumed preaching,
even though he was on (government)
probation for 10 years.
We were emotionally moved to
hear of his faith, and it increased
our resolve to do what we could to
help the church grow.
“Many plans are in a man’s heart, but the
counsel of the Lord will stand. What is desirable in
a man is his kindness, and it is better to be a
poor man than a liar. The fear of the Lord
leads to life, so that one may sleep
satisfied, untouched by evil” (Proverbs
19:21-23).
language he speaks: Will you Do whatever God
asks you to do, will you Go wherever God asks
you to go, will you Give whatever God asks you to
give? Jesus is and must remain the center of Men
for Missions Global.
When it comes to motivation and why it is good
to be involved with MFM, there’s no better source
than two men who are now with Jesus, who gave
countless hours to Him via MFM:
“One soul is more valuable than the entire
world. Accept this challenge of getting involved
and see how God will work in your life.” (R. Stanley
Tam, Still Sharpening)
“Just be fruitful day by day, and when you look
back on your lifetime, you’ll see how God has used
you.” (Howard Young, Still Sharpening)
Men for Missions is about giving God the opportunity
to prepare your heart to be part of life’s
greatest adventure, a life-changing journey.
Still today, we are
looking for men who will go
with us and tell of what He
has done for their souls
on a street corner, from
a pulpit, while driving a
nail in a board, or while
mixing concrete, sharing
Christ’s love wherever
that might take them.
Families are always
welcome. “God blesses
us, that all the ends of
the earth may fear Him”
(Psalm 67:7).
The fuel that has kept
Men for Missions going is the
Holy Spirit of God. If there is a
secret, it is the three questions for
membership that require Jesus to be
the Lord of every man’s life no matter
where he lives, the color of his skin, or the
MFM ACTION |
11

Impact
The
MFM of
T
he Men for Missions (MFM) team was
removing old, cracked ceramic roof tiles
from the five guest rooms attached to the
director’s house at Camp Panorama in southern
Brazil. Like any curious 8-year-old boy, I wanted
to “help.” Suddenly, swarms of wasps appeared
everywhere, and I started yelling and flailing my
arms. The next few seconds were a blur as I was
hurriedly passed from one set of muscular arms to
another amid the wasp onslaught until I was safely
on the ground and inside the house. I’m sure I had
a few stings, but the MFMers who rescued me
selflessly bore the brunt of the attack.
Growing up as a missionary kid (MK), I looked
forward to each group of MFMers, and I acquired
innumerable “uncles” and “aunts” over the years.
As a kid and teenager, I was always around the
teams, helping on the work project, swimming
in the river, interpreting at churches, and assisting
with shopping. However, the most cherished
memories were the evenings invested in listening
to their testimonies as my parents led devotional
times. MFM has become an integral part of the
rich legacy that has shaped my life through decades
of ministry with OMS.
Fast forward 20 years … Laura and I served as
OMS missionaries in Brazil, hosting MFM teams
to help build our daughter church in Londrina. We
were, once again, blessed by MFM teams that
helped us serve the Brazilian church.
By Jeff Edwards
OMS President
125 X125
Today, MFM remains committed to the vision it
had 70 years ago, offering short-term trips as a pathway
to involve people in missions. Stepping out of
one’s comfort zone to volunteer for service in another
country opens doors to remarkable experiences. Horizons
are expanded, and God often touches hearts
in ways that lead to profound transformation. This
pattern has been witnessed time and again. Many
OMS missionaries, including my parents, began their
missions journey through MFM.
When you participate on an MFM team, your
impact extends beyond the tangible tasks you
complete on that trip. You may never fully realize
how many lives are touched and blessed by your
commitment to Do, Go, and Give.
OMS is asking God for 125 new missionaries by
our 125th anniversary celebration in June of 2026.
Many OMS missionaries had their first contact with
OMS through MFM. What about you? Can you
participate on an MFM trip this year? Can you help
send someone? There may be 15 future OMS missionaries
that God will call because they go on an
MFM trip in 2024. Will God use you to challenge
them to go?
Please pray for the Lord to send OMS more
workers for His harvest … and for many of those
to come through MFM short-term trips because of
your obedience, prayer, and willingness to continue
to Do, Go, and Give.
Edwards Family
Jeff and Laura Edwards at their installation as
President and First Lady of OMS in 2022
12 | MFM ACTION

Changing Lives Through MFM
M
y name is Megan Smith, and I am currently
funding to work with Men for Missions
in Greenwood, as the Ministry Teams
Specialist. It is still surreal to me that I get to be a
full-time member of the MFM team. My goal is to
serve in this role full-time by the end of May.
By Megan Smith
MFM-USA
I don’t remember the first time I heard about
missions- it has always been a part of my life.
Growing up, my parents hosted missionaries at
church, summer camp, and in our home. I loved
listening to their stories, hearing them speak other
languages, and feeling the excitement and passion
for their work. I would think about the countries
where they lived and worked and wonder what it
would be like to go there myself.
In 5th grade, I had my first opportunity to experience
missions first-hand with MFM. My dad has
been a part of the MFM Cabinet for most of my
life. He and my mom had been on trips with MFM,
and they wanted to go on a trip as a family. We
went to Haiti for a month to host short-term teams
doing construction, evangelism, and working at
the medical clinic. I saw ordinary people using
their talents and abilities to further God’s work
in Haiti. I heard testimonies and saw God working
in the lives of the MFM teams coming through
the guesthouse. It was amazing. Our family came
home after that month changed.
Through my experiences in Haiti and other
short-term ministry opportunities, I knew God
was calling me into ministry. In college, I studied
linguistics and teaching English as a second language.
I spent extended time teaching English and
working with local churches in Ukraine and Spain.
Ukraine English Camp, 2012
I kept praying about where to go and what to do
long-term, but I needed a clear direction. I came
home from Spain and decided to get my master’s
degree in speech-language pathology. I worked for
a special education unit serving local schools. God
opened doors for ministry at home in North Dakota
that I walked through reluctantly. I didn’t want to
get “stuck” at home. I wanted to be overseas.
While serving in my local church and surrounding
communities in North Dakota, I have seen a lot of
brokenness and hopelessness. God has shown me
that He wants to use men and women whose lives
have been changed to help others around them find
the same hope they have found. People who are eager
to see others around them have the same hope
they have found. I have seen people energized and
excited about the Gospel through short-term missions.
In my role with MFM, I am excited to be a part
of these life-changing journeys- to help connect men
and women with experiences that will impact their
families, churches, and communities for Christ.
To support Megan in her life-changing
journey, you may visit:
onemissionsociety.org/missionaries/detail/smith-megan
or send your financial gift to
OMS, P.O. Box A, Greenwood, IN 46142
Spain 2014
Please mark your gift:
Account #802776
MFM ACTION |
13

Mission to MEFI
By Chris Cloyde
MEXICO
I
n the Spring of 2023, Jose Banales invited me
to join him on a mission trip to Mexico City to
make roof repairs on a homeless center building
(MEFI). In my 43 years as a professing Christian,
I had not served God on an adult mission trip
in a foreign country that did not speak English.
Two Tulsans (Jose and I) joined a team from New
Baltimore, Ohio. The experienced Ohio team welcomed
me with love and acceptance. We arrived
in Mexico City on October 21, 2023. The week was
a fantastic combination of immersion in Mexican
culture, service to an impactful ministry (MEFI),
and getting to know a wonderful group of fellow
servants of God.
The week started with worship at the UNIFAM
Campanario Church, touring the Biblical Seminary
of Mexico (SEMBIMEX), and touring Tepotzotlán,
a Mexican town just north of Mexico City. I was
moved by the Holy Spirit during worship with the
UNIFAM congregation and encouraged by the
words of Pastor Juan
Jesus Ramirez. Eating
breakfast with
the church members
after the morning
service was such
a blessing. Ladies
from the church
prepared the delicious
food, and even
though there was a
language barrier, the
team experienced
meaningful fellowship
with our brothers and
sisters in Christ. The
following Sunday’s
highlight was traveling
to Tepotzotlán,
MFM Team
where Jose led a tour of a museum that was
formerly a college for Catholic Priests. Due to the
rainy weather, Wednesday was a day filled with
education on Mexican culture. Jose provided an
interesting lesson on the history of Mexico and the
story of the Virgin of Guadalupe (Patron Saint of
Mexico). Jose guided the team through the Zocalo,
which contained the Cathedral, the National
Palace, the Aztec Templo Mayor, and the Basilica
of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday were
work days at Project MEFI (short for the biblical
name Mephibosheth). MEFI is a drop-in center for
homeless street children or “Chavos” of Mexico
City. The team’s primary project was to repair the
metal panel roof over the second floor. The team
also repaired the washing machine, fixed sinks,
removed damaged wall and ceiling plaster, and
prepared and served meals. On any given day,
MEFI offers shower facilities, a place to wash
clothes, the gift of new clothes, a tasty, hot meal,
an opportunity to worship and learn about Jesus,
and instruction in developing a useful skill (such as
carpentry or woodworking). In addition, the team
led worship, offered testimonies and devotionals,
played games, and fellowshipped with the MEFI
staff and the Chavos. Our hearts were touched to
hear the testimonies and learn about the day-today
struggles of the street children and the caseworkers
Alejandro and Pati Islas. On Tuesday, Alejandro
and Pati led the team to a square in Mexico
City where people experiencing
homelessness
congregated.
Alejandro presented
the Gospel, and the
team gave food to
an assembled group
living on the street.
Throughout the week,
many people accepted
or rededicated
their lives to Christ.
The OMS staff
(Troy Gentry, Jose
Banales, Carl Poynter,
and Teresa
Poynter) were highly
organized, guided
by the Holy Spirit, and supportive of the needs of
every team member. At the end of every day, the
team gathered to debrief about what we had experienced
that day, and these precious times helped
teammates bond by sharing their experiences and
perspectives. The last day of the trip was emotionally
challenging because I had to leave my new,
dear friends from Ohio and Mexico City. This Men
for Missions trip has changed my life by exposing
me to the international Kingdom of God and allowing
me to serve God and others in new ways.
14 | MFM ACTION

Nothing
is a
Sharing a meal with the church
Coincidence
members
By Elaine Fahrenkamp JAPAN
N
othing is a coincidence with God. What
started as two separate teams to Japan
turned into one:
• One team of men only – One team of both
women and men
• One team to work – One team for prayer
• One team at a designated site – One team at
multiple sites
• One team leaving the end of October – One
team leaving the middle of October
Due to unexpected circumstances, the prayer
team was canceled the week before our departure
date. However, God was not done yet. He continued
to intervene, and within 48 hours, a consolidated
Japan team was created.
Given all that transpired to make this happen,
expectations were high. Reflecting on the experience,
it may not have been what I had anticipated,
but it was what God had planned.
1 Peter 4:10 says, “Each of you should use
whatever gift you have received to serve others
as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various
forms.”
Like the blending of two teams, I was able to
use a combination of God’s gifted skills. I had the
opportunity to meet with a church member and
listen to her story of persistent loss, grief, and pain
and how that has resulted in her current life of
loneliness. During this time, she could share loving
memories of her family and laugh about good
times with old friends. Unfortunately, the reality of
loneliness quickly returned. We prayed together
for new friendships and for the sadness to be
replaced with joy.
Most days were filled with completing work project
duties, which included painting, grinding, fitting,
measuring, and cutting. It was a time to practice
accepting each other’s differences and extending
the love of Christ to all in all circumstances.
One of the trip’s highlights was sharing a meal
with the pastor, his family, and members of his
congregation. The team members were asked to
prepare American food for our Japanese guests,
and it was served with great enthusiasm. With 15
people in attendance and only one translator, I
had the chance to sit back and watch/listen to the
interactions. What a joy to see the smiles and hear
the laughter of people loving one another.
MFM ACTION |
15

Of Guts
and Grace
Fifty Years of
Men For Missions International
By Carroll Rader
LOOKING BACK
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 the
latest team destinations, dates,
and costs.
Tax-receiptable gifts may
be mailed to MFM, P.O. Box A,
Greenwood, IN 46142-6599.
From the prologue of Of Guts and Grace
J
im Miles sat motionless
on the crude bench;
his intense brown eyes
missed nothing. On tour in
Colombia, South America, with
other lay Christians like himself,
he awaited the onset of worship.
They had told him this ramshackle
building was a church,
a makeshift village sanctuary
where Colombians found God.
Jim was a new believer, having
accepted Jesus as Lord only a
few weeks before.
A small boy wriggled onto the
rickety bench beside Jim and
fastened his gaze on the foreigner
who had invaded his world.
“His eyes looked through me,
searching for some sign of my
love for him,” Jim remembers.
“I couldn’t restrain my right
arm. It reached across his shoulders
and drew him closer.”
The well-groomed salesman
from Indiana immediately caught
sight of his new friend’s untied,
dangling shoestring and reached
down to tie it for him.
“But the strain I put on it was
too much. It snapped, leaving
a piece in my hand,” Jim says.
“The boy was heartbroken. He
shunned my every attempt to tie
the string together.” Jim felt he’d
blown his opportunity to make a
new friend and perhaps to share
his faith with him. After all, that is
why he had come.
As Jim gazed down at
his own shoes, sturdy brown
oxfords bought for the trip, the
solution hit him.
“My new laces came out of
my shoes, and I put them into
the eyelets of the boy’s shoes.
Then I put his old knotted strings
into my shoes. My feet felt
strangely secure. And the boy’s
spontaneous smile of gratitude
gave me a clue about the reason
why missionaries were down
here in the first place.” And the
follow-up wonder to the case of
the broken shoelace is that during
the invitation to accept Jesus
as Savior, Jim watched as his
little friend’s mother walked forward
to do just that. To be born
again, into the family of God.
Men for Missions International
is the conduit that connected
Jim with his small Colombian
friend and separated him from
his shoelaces.
MFM ACTION |
16