GLOBAL PARTNERS
Global Partners are families or organizations with long term roots in our faith family whom we support financially, in prayer, during furloughs and through sending teams to partner with them when appropriate. Their work is expanding the reach of Rolling Hills’ mission throughout the world.
Families
ERIK & RHONDA BOEHME | JAPAN
Erik and Rhonda have been Church Planting Partners in Japan since 2006. Along with their children; Andrew, Katrina and Isaac, they have partnered with a Japanese congregation since 2012 to start a new faith community in a city devastated by three disasters in March 2011.
In Japan, Christians make up less than 1% of the population, so the ministry in Japan is two-fold. Erik and Rhonda come alongside the Japanese Christian leaders to encourage them and support them in their work of reaching out with Jesus’ love to people in the community. They directly build relationships with individuals through English classes which include Bible times, a Mama Club for young mothers and their children, and community outreach. They share Biblical truth at adult outreaches, children’s camps and special events. It is the desire of Erik and Rhonda and their family to see not only individuals but entire families come to know Jesus Christ and His great love for them.
DAN & ALMA ELLIOTT | ALBANIA
Dan is currently engaged in reaching influencers in the business community in Tirana, Albania. He does this through creating relationships in natural networks of business leaders and looks for opportunities to bring them together to interact, to learn and to hear the Good News of Jesus Christ. Dan has served in a wide variety of roles with Cru providing leadership in Albania, the Balkans, Eastern Europe and Russia.
Alma was the Albania Cru Associate National Team Leader for a number of years and now oversees the International School Project in Albania, a ministry to train school teachers how to use a character development school curriculum. Dan and Alma were married in 2012, have a son named Kaleb and live in Tirana, Albania.
MIKE & STACI ELSNER | OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY
Athletes in Action’s vision is to see a day when there are Christ-followers on every team, in every sport, in every nation. Mike and Staci’s focus is to build spiritual movements everywhere through the platform of sports so that everyone knows someone who truly follows Jesus. At Oregon State University, the Elsner’s work toward this mission by sharing the Gospel through the language of sport with team Bible studies, discipleship one-on-ones, all-athlete weekly meetings, retreats, camps and mission trips. They have developed relationships with almost every athletic program and meet regularly with athletes from 10 of the 17 varsity programs. They have seen student-athletes come to faith and plug into local church communities, get baptized, step up to the challenge of multiplying their faith, and go on AIA Opportunities and come back with a stronger faith. Their sons: Zachary, Luke and Derek love Corvallis and doing fun things with Mom & Dad.
DR. VAL & WAFFLE LOMILO | UGANDA
Dr. Val and Waffle minister to the unreached tribal herdsmen in NE Uganda. They use community development, livestock knowledge and education scholarships to develop community and discipleship relationships. They also oversee a multitude of ministries in the areas of pastoral training of indigenous leaders, veterinary programs, discipleship training, famine relief, and child sponsorships. They also have led a remarkable peace project that has brought together violent, aggressive warriors and tribal elders together in peaceful coexistence with their former enemies. What was formally a “no-man’s land” is now occupied by multiple villages with over 20,000 people living together in peace.
SCOTT & MAGGIE MODRALL | PORTLAND METRO
Scott and Maggie serve with Near Frontiers, which is part of One Challenge International. They are reaching out to immigrants and refugees coming to the United States through service and hospitality. They partner with Pamoga House that welcomes those new to our city from around the world and build friendships that often lead to gospel conversations. They also facilitate Kairos, an exciting, interactive Biblical worldview course that reveals God is “on mission”. Using different learning styles in a group setting, Kairos explains God’s unchanging purpose in human history by focusing on the biblical, historical, strategic and cultural aspects of God’s plan to reach the nations.
AARON & ESTHER | MIDDLE EAST
(For security reasons, names have been changed)
Aaron and Esther serve as staff with an international Christian organization reaching and discipling people to fulfill the Great Commission. God has given them a heart and vision to reach the top 20% of influential business, and community leaders in the large, unreached country where they live. Esther is the daughter of one of the first believers in Jesus in the country. She is a certified executive coach and also serves on the National Leadership Team in her country. Aaron is a Portland native, a trained consultant in leadership development, serves as a deacon in their local church, and also is on the board of their country’s Christian Business Association.
ELSE STANKOVIC | SERBIA
Else continues to minister in partnership with the churches and people in Serbia. Besides serving where needed, she is especially focusing on ministering to the widowed and singles, forming such groups in the Serbian/Gypsy fellowships in the southern, central and recently the northern part of the country.
KEVIN & KRISTI KNEESHAW | UNITED STATES
Kevin and Kristy provide leadership and support to CRU staff serving on college campuses throughout six Western states. They have served on CRU college staff for many years and bring a wealth of experience and expertise to their roles. They also have opportunities to lead team on mission including Summer 2019 to Slovakia where they and their children (Caden, Izzy and Victoria) are helping lead English Camps and sharing the gospel with high school students.
RON & MICHELLE | EURASIA
(For security reasons, names have been changed)
Ron and Michelle provide support, technology and coaching to teams translating scripture into useful formats throughout Eurasia and around the world. Ron has special expertise in computer-assisted translation and creation of Scripture apps used on phones to allow people to hear and read scripture in their own language. Michelle has developed expertise as a Human Resource team member who coaches staff members who are needing support in difficult seasons, considering life direction or wanting to grow in a specific area. She is now training others in their organization through a workshop called “Leading with Coaching Skills”. They have three adult children (Christopher, Cameron and Andrea).
HANS & FAITH | MIDDLE EAST
(For security reasons, names have been changed)
Both Hans and Faith are from the Middle East and they bring unique skills and perspective to their ministries both to prisoners and to participants in the church plant that they lead. Hans regularly visits prisoners following government restrictions but bringing a clear gospel message and discipling many new followers of Christ in person and through the mail. They are seeing revival break out in several prisons and some prisoners are even requesting transfers to new locations to be able to bring the gospel to those who have not heard the Good News of forgiveness and opportunity of transformation in Christ. Faith reaches out to many neighbors and family connections sharing the gospel and inviting them to church. They have both suffered persecution and they are under their government’s scrutiny but they continue to boldly share Christ and stand for their faith. Pray for them and their three children.
GARY STRUDLER | INTERNATIONAL
Gary serves with Kids Around the World leading their KidStory initiative around the world. Gary helps teachers in churches, mission organizations and in school setting learn to communicate the stories of the Bible in compelling and captivating ways that create opportunities for children to listen to and follow the lead of the Holy Spirit. Those Gary and other staff have trained are impacting many children all over the world.
JOEL & DEANN VERMILLION | GLOBAL
With a focus on Central Asia and Eastern Europe, Joel and DeAnn Vermillion invest in training indigenous youth leaders around the world with the Wilderness Ministry Institute (WMI). The vision of WMI is for young people in every culture to personally encounter Jesus Christ and have an opportunity to grow in their faith through transforming wilderness experiences. WMI’s mission is to develop outdoor leaders who are committed to local relational youth work, who are humble in heart, and who will excel in the skills of safely and effectively introducing young people to Jesus Christ through outdoor adventure. Their children (Josiah, Grace, Daniel and Mattea) get to join in some of these adventures and see the remarkable work God is doing around the world.
ORGANIZATIONS & REGIONS
SERBIA
In the early 1960s, Leskovac Evangelical Church was planted in what was then Communist Yugoslavia. Under Communist rule, members of the Church were often persecuted, harassed, and sent to prison because of their faith. As Communism fell in the 1990s, many changes occurred but the Gospel advanced in wonderful ways as church persevered. These churches are now reaching out into villages around their home and are at various stages of planting churches in 13 villages in Central and Southern Serbia and we get to come alongside their efforts. Learn more>>
CLIDE CONSULTANCY | UGANDA
CLIDE (Community Livestock & Integrated Development Consultancy) works “To empower Community groups, Churches and Organizations for sustainable socio-economic transformation and holistic healing through an Integrated Livestock Development approach.” CLIDE has been working in eastern Uganda since 1996 and are committed to empower the Karamojong and other pastoral peoples towards dignified and self-reliant development and spiritual growth.
KIDS AROUND THE WORLD
This wonderful organization was founded in 1994 and has three major emphases in their ministry to children in need all over the world. They began by building playgrounds in the Ukraine and have placed over 800 playgrounds and now several of our members help install playgrounds with teams in some amazing places. They train teachers in KidStory (see more in Gary Strudler’s profile) and help churches like ours package and ship food to children in crisis around the world. Our basement provides space for their Northwest Warehouse and over 2 million meals have been packaged and sent out through our space.
SOUTHERN ASIA
Our partner focuses on reaching the unreached rural portions of Southern Asia – which is approximately 75% of the population. Their pillars of ministry are evangelism, discipleship, church planting, education, agricultural assistance, economic empowerment, and medical programs. Led by Dr. Samaru and his wife Patty, this ministry continues to grow in remarkable ways in a time of growing government scrutiny and resistance.
We sponsor 5 “Barefoot Pastors.” A barefoot pastor and their family take up residence in a village where they serve a local congregation in addition to the geographic region to which they have been assigned. We sponsor a pastor for two years until a village church has grown enough to support them financially.
MEET THE COMMUNITY & GLOBAL OUTREACH STAFF
Zach Gillock
Community & Global Outreach Pastor