Missions at Devon
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"Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you:
and, lo, I am with you alway,
even unto the end of the world"
Matthew 28:19,20
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 Roger & Julie Hederstedt
Serving God in Japan
Roger & Julie Hederstedt have served in Japan since 1982. Their boys Steve (high school) and Eric (middle school) are "Made in Japan." Roger and Julie were part of Devon from 1980-1982 after graduating from Wheaton College. As co-leaders of the Church Resource Ministries team in Japan, they develop leaders who can start and strengthen churches. Working with a broad range of Japanese churches, Roger helps leaders and potential leaders clarify and carry out God's purpose for their lives and ministry, in order to transform the church and multiply the church's impact on the harvest.
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 Beth Hedges
Serving College Campuses in the Chicagoland area
Beth Hedges is on staff with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship. She spent five years as a campus staff at Loyola University and currently is the Area Director Metro Chicago North. This work includes the supervision and leadership of area staff, involvement in student training, part of the leadership team for the Chicagoland division, and working to advance work on new campuses through networking and recruitment. According to Beth,
"The heart of our ministry is developing witnessing communities on each campus. Students create a setting for spiritual growth, nurture of young Christians, and proclamation of the Gospel. In this setting we train student leaders, train disciples, and offer cross cultural ministry opportunities."
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 John & Yoriko Livingston
Sharing Christ's Love with
International Students
It was in 1994 that God called John to be a missionary. In obedience, he threw a few necessities of life into his compact and aging Nissan Sentra and began the long trek from Midwest plains, over the Rocky Mountains, and down into the Willamette Valley to attend Multinomah Seminary in Portland, Oregon. At that time he thought it was just a stop on the way to his ultimate mission field overseas, but since, we have come to see that all along it was God's plan for us to minister to international students here in the States. John and Yoriko Livingston have been with International Students Inc. for several years now in the mission field. They have two children, Hope and Trueman.
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 Gregory & Debby Nichols
Sharing Christ's Love in the Czech Republic
It was during World War II that Bob Evans noticed the spiritual needs in Europe. In 1949, he returned to France to start the European Bible Institute. Since then much has changed in Europe but the original vision has not.Greater Europe Mission exists to assist the peoples of Europe in the building up of the body of Christ so that every person in Europe is within reach of a witnessing fellowship.
"My wife and I have been with the mission since 1990. We are convinced that the only way to reach Europe for Christ is by cooperating with the national efforts. We have been pleased to focus our energies into Eastern Europe. We were the first couple that Greater Europe Mission placed into the former Soviet Union and the third missionary couple to move into Odessa, Ukraine. Through our partnership with the Russian-speaking Baptist Unions, we have assisted them in developing several schools and planting several new churches."
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 Mark & Mary Esther Penner
Giving the Japanese Deaf a Bible
in Their Own Language
Mark and Mary Esther Penner have been working in church development among the Deaf of Japan for more than 20 years. They have found that the greatest need for aiding, outreach and discipleship in this community is a Bible in their native language, Japanese Sign Language. Mark is working with a team of Deaf people to meet that need, while Mary Esther works on discipleship, compassion ministry, and encouraging Japanese Deaf outreach to Deaf people in other parts of Asia. Both Mark and Mary Esther's parents served as missionaries to Japan in church planting and evangelism. They graduated together from an MK school in Tokyo. Mary Esther then went to nursing school in Kansas City and worked as a registered nurse. Mark went to Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, and then attended Western Seminary in Portland, Oregon. He graduated in 1982 with a master of arts degree in Old Testament Studies. After CBInternational appointed them to ministry in 1982, they arrived in Japan in 1983.
During their first term they worked with leadership training at a deaf church. The second and third terms, Mark served at the Sendai Baptist Seminary starting a Deaf department. Seeing the need for Deaf people to have a Bible in their own language, Mark began working on a Japanese Sign Language Bible Translation (JSL). Deaf ministries throughout Japan formed a JSL Bible translation group (ViBi) in 1993, and in 1995, the Penners moved to Tokyo to work with ViBi full time. With the support of the Japan Bible Society, ViBi has a 15-year plan to finish translating the whole Bible by 2018.
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For information on Missions at Devon Church, email us at info@devonchurch.org
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