mission partners
Since the beginning of our history, we have supported people who have responded to God’s call to seek his kingdom all over the world! Below are the bios of the partners we support. To read their latest newsletter, click on the “LEARN MORE” button below the bio. You can also download and print a Mission Partner Field Guide activity sheet to guide your prayers with your family!
Please pick one or two to pray for intentionally this week. They would love to receive your emails of encouragements (maybe include a picture of the Mission Partner Field Guide)!
Eugenio and pia restrepo, Serve globally, latin america
Eugenio and Pia are ordained ministers of ECC, were commissioned as Covenant long-term missionaries to Spain in June of 1996 at the Annual Meeting of the Evangelical Covenant Church (ECC). They are the Regional Coordinators for Latin America and the Caribbean (Since 2014). Their regional foci include Church Planting and Growth, Leadership Training and Theological Education, Peace, Reconciliation, and Rehabilitation, Community Building and Justice Ministries, and Holistic Care for Vulnerable: Children, Women, and the Marginalized. They have two children and two grandchildren. We enjoy the variety of local food, and the colorful dresses in each country that that we visit. You can reach them at eugenio-pia.restrepo@covchurch.org.
Elizabeth walsh, Intervarsity/USA,
I’ve been privileged to join in so many beautiful things God is doing in our world – helping campus communities grow in love and justice; teaching Scripture at Urbana; launching Study Abroad ministry; walking with multi-national teams reaching Muslim students in Europe; teaching and training leaders in Nigeria, Eurasia, Turkey, Mauritius. Now I’m filling leadership gaps in our movement as an interim staff director. In this strange year, we’re enjoying unexpected opportunities to care for students and neighbors and waiting to see what God will do. You can reach Elizabeth at elizabeth.walsh@intervarsity.org.
Peter and Ruthie Dutton, Serve Globally, Thailand/Laos
Peter and Ruthie Dutton have served as missionaries to Northeast Thailand and Laos for 32 years. Northeast Thailand was once a part of Laos--thus they share a common language, making the moves back and forth easier. Business as mission was our primary focus when we worked in Communist Laos. But In 2014 Peter was denied entry to Laos as government officials blame/honor him for the growth of the Church in the province of Luang Namtha. The past six years we’ve worked with our Thailand Covenant Church scattered in across the northeast “Isaan” region of Thailand. As we prepare for Christmas celebrations, we think of how Thai love a party. No celebration would be complete without their staple food: sticky rice accompanied by spicy green-papaya salad! They can be reached at peter-ruthie.dutton@covchurch.org.
MAUREEN HUANG, INTERVARSITY/USA, Multiethnic initiatives
Maureen Huang has been serving college students with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship for 20 years. Basically, college students today were born when she started! Maureen and her team design Bible studies for students, training for campus ministers and volunteers, and different ways for students to share Jesus with others (examples include: instagram content, artistic displays for their schools, and even an online scavenger hunt). Her favorite thing is to see students grow in their relationship with Jesus and to share God’s love with everyone.
You can reach her at Maureen.huang@intervarsity.org.
Tim Hsieh, INTERVARSITY/USA, NORTHWEST
I am InterVarsity’s Regional Director for the Northwest, which includes Washington, Oregon, Northern Idaho and Alaska. We establish witnessing communities of students and faculty at two-year schools, 4-year universities, and liberal arts colleges. The students in our fellowships are diverse: they are indigenous, from Alaska and northwest tribes, Asian American, Black, Latino, multi-racial and white. They are urban and rural. They are women, men and those who identify on a spectrum. They come from wealth and extreme poverty. They all have amazing stories, are incredibly gifted and are the future of the church.
Fun Food Facts: Favorite food is Nachos. Miss most about Pasadena is abundant / great Mexican food and sunshine. Interesting food from the Northwest: In Alaska, ate whale, seal, and moose, which are all regular parts of indigenous Alaskan diet. In Moscow, Idaho, I had Cougar Gold cheese, which comes in a can. Had oddly sweet Walla Walla onion from Walla Walla Washington.
Paul and Gretchen De Neui, Center for World Christian Studies, Chicago
After serving in Thailand for 18 years, God has called us to a new mission field: Chicago, IL. Paul trains Global Personnel serving with the Evangelical Covenant Church (ECC) as well as teaching missions and intercultural studies at North Park Theological Seminary. All teaching and training have gone online and while we sorely miss the personal touch, the capability of contact has increased exponentially. Living in a global pandemic has given all of us a reason to seek new creative ways to practice connectivity and concern for one another in ways we didn’t consider previously possible from Congo, Korea, Palestine, Thailand – anywhere there is internet. Gretchen continues to serve as the financial manager for Serve Globally, the mission arm of the ECC. She is also adept at preparing an international menu of our favorite foods from around the world. Thank you for your partnership and prayers. You can reach Paul at pdeneui@northpark.edu.
Jim and Joan Gustafson, serve globally, Thailand
Jim Gustafson grew up in Laos and Vietnam with missionary parents. In 1971, he and his wife Joanie began the work of the Evangelical Covenant Church (ECC) in Thailand. From 1971-1998, the Gustafsons worked in holistic ministry in northeast Thailand with the "Issaan" people group. Jim and Joanie worked alongside a team of Thai and missionary colleagues to establish the Thailand Covenant Church (TCC). They also established a number of Thai para-church organizations which work in coordination with each other and the ECC: The Sustainable Development Research Foundation (SDRF), The Abundant Life Center (ALC) and The Center for Applied Ministry.
Jim and Joan have two grown daughters and two grandsons. Joanie is a daughter of Pasadena Covenant Church having grown up the first 20 plus years of her life in Pasadena. Jim visited PCC when he started studies and Fuller Theological Seminary in 1965, saw Joanie in the Chancel Choir at PCC and joined the choir! This past April Jim and Joanie celebrated their 52nd anniversary. Sadly, Joan died in 2021. Jim continues to commutes to Thailand a couple of times each year. He can be reached at jimwgus@gmail.com.
dan stringer, intervarsity/usa, hawai’i
Dan Stringer is a missionary to academia with InterVarsity Graduate & Faculty Ministries at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa, which leads the nation in minority students earning graduate degrees. Dan grew up in Hawai'i, DR Congo, Nepal and the Philippines as the child of medical missionaries. He attended Wheaton College (BA), Fuller Seminary (M.Div) and UH’s School of Social Work (MSW). Go Bows! Dan's wife Rebecca is Renewal Pastor at Wellspring Covenant Church. They have 2 sons, ages 13 and 8. Dan’s first book is forthcoming from InterVarsity Press in 2021, Struggling with Evangelicalism: Why I Want to Leave and What It Takes to Stay. When trying not to be serious, he enjoys collecting baseball cards and playing ukulele. You can reach Dan at dan.stringer@intervarsity.org.
Bob and Koleen French, World Team/Philippines, Texas
Bob and Koleen French have served as church planters in the Philippines from 1980-2020. The Lord used them to help start over 200 house churches. They developed a long list of training materials, coached leaders, taught seminars, and provided field administrative leadership for their mission organization. Koleen is a graduated of Cal Tech and a members of Pasadena Covenant during her time in Pasadena. She and Bob met while serving independently in the Philippines in the early 1980’s. Their three daughters, affectionately called the French Fries, Lisa, Debbie, and Junia, were born in the Philippines. Bob, Koleen and Lisa recently moved to Texas and can be reached at frenches5@aol.com
Tim and Wakako Clark, Church Planters, Japan
Tim and Wakako Clark are church planters in Tokyo. Their focus is forming and multiplying Community Groups as the base for growing deeply as disciples of Jesus, developing spiritual gifts and reaching out together. Since Tokyo’s State of Emergency ended on May 25, society has remained mostly “open” with myriad adjustments due to the pandemic (people working at home, nearly 100% mask-wearing in public, large gatherings canceled etc). The Clarks are able to move forward with English classes and other outreaches, holding monthly worship celebrations, and running Alpha's Marriage Course. After the course ended, the husband of one of the non-Christian couples reported, “The course helped us understand why I react to my wife as I do sometimes. Also, my wife isn’t so resistant to church because the course was helpful for us, so maybe now we can visit your worship service.” This is what the Clarks pray for, that as friends’ relationships are enriched through the church, hearts will become more open to the most important relationship — with Jesus Christ.
Makoto and Hero attend the Christian Academy in Japan, a school that Covenant World Mission helped found in 1950. When they are in the U.S. they enjoy eating at IHOP and In-and-Out. You can reach them at timclarkjapan@icloud.com.