Jon and Jessie Ritchey

About Us › Our Family › Locate a Worker

Prayer Letter/Ministry Update

Jon and Jessie Ritchey are working within Latin America in the area of training and sending Latin American cross-cultural missionaries.

Jessie is the Director of the Cross-cultural Missions Graduate Program of FATELA (www.fatela.org) The Latin American Graduate School of Theology and World Missions is a graduate level program. Under the leadership of Dr. Miguel Angel Palomino, it offers a modular program featuring a solid academic curriculum with major emphasis on immediate practical application.

Jon is a Regional Missions Facilitator who works closely with the National Missions Directors through out the region. He is a member of the Ecuadorian Missions Department and participates in camps, conferences and workshops throughout the region. He also teaches in the FATELA program and other seminaries. His primary focus is on facilitating the leaders of the emerging missions movement within Latin America.

REGIONAL MISSIONS TRAINING CAMPS IN PERU AND CHILE

On this side of the Equator, our summer vacation takes place in Jan. and Feb. which means many summer camps and training events. We had the joy of participating together in the first Missions Camp of its kind in Peru. There were about 80 in attendance as well as 6 Peruvian missionaries who are working in various areas of the world. We thoroughly enjoyed getting to know them as well as the fellowship, food and fun that is part of these marathon events. Jessie proceeded down to Iquique, Chile to teach in a week long training event with about 40 in attendance. This desert city has drawn many immigrants and is a major trade center. Visiting the Hindu Temple and Muslim Mosque down the road provided a perfect backdrop as we talked about culture, worldviews and authentic communication. Chilean sociologists who participated in the event challenged the participants to evaluate their own culture as a first step towards understanding others.

ECUADORIAN EVENTS

The Ecuadorian Dept. of Missions has worked hard to plan training events throughout the country. The most recent one took place in Guayaquil with more than 60 participants. They will be working with the 7 potential candidates identified to prepare and send them out as missionaries within the next couple of years. There were 13 others who are at some stage in the preparation process. They are placing special emphasis on the Mediterranean Muslim nations.

Prayer Requests/Answers to Prayer

PRAYER REQUESTS:
1. Pray for the strengthening of the FATELA missions program in both Peru and Ecuador. As we hear the stories of those who have gone out without preparation, it becomes increasingly evident that this has been an overlooked element that brings a great deal of pain.

2. Pray for wisdom to evaluate and restructure the missions program to more closely fit the sending needs of the Peruvian and Ecuadorian churches and to also plan an effective practicum within an Islamic context.

3. Pray for each of us as we will be traveling to speak and teach in Brazil, Peru, Paraguay, U.S. and throughout Ecuador in the next few months.

4. Pray for us and the Ecuadorian Dept. of Missions as we plan a training event for the Missions Directors of all of our Latin American countries.

PRAISE:

1. The Urbana style missions event, Quito 08, went very well with over 249 participants from 6 different countries.

2. We continue to work closely with the Missions Dept. of the Batan Church here in Quito, involved in mentorship and monthly missions forums. Three of their members are students of the FATELA missions program.

3. Jon recently taught a course in Islam in both Peru and Ecuador. The positive response from the students reflected a growth in their understanding and appreciation of the Muslim peoples.

4. We have recently been contacted by another large church in Quito that is requesting help in the area of missions.

5. We had the privilege of being involved in teaching in Missions camps in both Peru and Chile. We have been very encouraged with the way those who organized the events have maintained the momentum through careful planning and follow through. In Lima a group of about 40 meet monthly and in Chile, the Dept. of Missions has developed a well through plan to decentralize and have local committees.

Approved Specials

If you wish to contribute to one of our specials (vehicle funds, building projects, etc.) you may select it from the Approved Specials List.

Share