American Missionary Fellowship

Sometimes I look at specific people’s lives, and I wonder how God has led them and how they have followed God’s Word and His will for their lives so well. This is the case with Linda and Foster Mays. Linda Mays has guided our Development Department at the mission for a few years. Her efforts have secured foundation money for Kaleo, for the AMFKids website, and for other worthwhile projects. She works hard, and she’s very connected in the area around the Home Office. She’s been involved in her kids’ schools, and her husband, Foster, has achieved success in the field of financial management.

There was only one “problem”: the Holy Spirit has called them into ministry.

Each one of our missionaries develops a prayer and financial support team. They communicate with the people on those teams through email, Facebook, and newsletters. For the first time in recent history, the Board of Trustees of the mission has asked missionaries to nominate people for the board. When missionaries nominate someone, it’s almost always someone who is a part of their prayer and financial support team.

I just spent four or five days with Jim and Linda VanVoorst. We rode around visiting people in the Northwest – went to camps and met with some missionaries to work out some other issues. RobAnne and I stayed in their home, and I want to tell you: Jim is a wise man. He’s a wise man because he knows our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He is wise because he’s in the Word. Linda is a woman of God’s grace and is in the Word, as well.

Ned Nay is a volunteer at Fir Point Bible Camp in Glendale, Oregon. I believe he’s been volunteering since shortly after the earth’s crust formed. He is an incredible asset to the camp. His job is to come each summer and do the dishes. He makes sure everything is clean, he organizes other volunteers, and he gives announcements before each meal – he stands on the porch and tells people what the menu is and how to proceed to get things done efficiently.  Ned is also the chairman of the camp board.

Steve Smith has been a member of the Board of Trustees of American Missionary Fellowship since 1987. He goes to the Church of the Savior just down the street from the Home Office and takes the train into Philadelphia to work in financial management.

Steve is as East Coast as you’re going to get – wears a tie every day, is very formal – but for some reason a southern California and this formal East Coast man have developed a friendship. I value very much his input into my life and the life of this mission. Our board is fortunate to have a person of his caliber.