The Gruetzmachers work directly with Hispanics here in the United States and within several countries in Latin America. Their main focus is to develop leaders, and their schedule is filled with ministry to Hispanic churches; coaching pastors and leaders; leading mission trips with Hispanic students; holding retreats for men, women, and youth; leadership training; and working with 2 Institutes for Church Planters.
Melodee grew up on the mission field, so her first missions experience was as a small child when her family left the United States for Latin America. Larry’s first experience took place as a youth pastor, when he led his youth group to Latin America. These missions experiences changed both of their lives, and to this day they are loving everything God has for them to do.
Until Larry started leading his youth group on mission trips, his desire was to remain a youth pastor. However, while he was on a trip with his students to Mexico City, the Lord spoke to him clearly about the needs of the city and the people who were in need of an opportunity to accept Christ. The Gruetzmachers had been a part of 3 church plants and felt led to multiply those efforts by training and coaching church planters and walking beside them to help them become successful.
Melodee Gruetzmacher - Wife
Chris and Brook are the Directors for the Chi Alpha ministry on the campus of St. Cloud State University in St. Cloud, Minnesota.
Slovenia is a country of 2 million people with a proud heritage and rich traditions, however it is a country that struggles deeply with alcoholism and depression. It has deep roots in Roman Catholicism, however the majority of the population has no personal relationship with Jesus. Currently there are 13 pentecostal churches and with about 1,000 evangelicals in the entire country.
Matthew and Elora work in Summit County, Colorado, which is located near Denver. It is a community ignorant to Christianity, with a focus on 'new age' and eastern religions.
Roger and Debbi Audorff want to help Mexico become a sending nation for missions, and they believe that with proper training, this will be able to happen. While the immediate spiritual battle is with the Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses—Roger and Debbi believe that the Catholics in Monterrey could realize that God’s Word is for them to live out in their daily lives. However, idol worship of Guadalupe is prevalent in the city among the Catholic population, and the Audorffs are praying for the spirit of idolatry to be broken by the name of Jesus. Monterrey is also home to much poverty and has had many recent problems with drug trafficking.
Jon and Jennifer Dahlager serve as missionaries in Costa Rica, Central America. They have served in the country since March 2000.
River Valley 500. Evangelism, college evangelism (CRU), friendship evangelism, and discipleship in Ljubljana.
Patrick and Kalyna live in Moldova where they currently minister to victims of human trafficking at a Freedom Home (safe house).
Tod and Andrea Chapin are pioneering a ministry in the capital city of Edinburgh in Scotland. They minsiter to university students and young families seeing lives transformed by the power of Jesus and giving the spiritually hungry an encounter with the living God.
River Valley 500. My mission field in Thailand is less than 1% Christian, mostly Buddhist and animistic, and highly unreached. The country is overrun with human trafficking and prostitution.
Planted 5 international churches in The NL. Coaching European church planters as well as assisting new missionaries to complete their callings.