We have been appointed as church planting missionaries to join an established team in Nara, Japan. Japan is a country of 125M inhabitants, where only .5% of the population is Christian, and the number of believers and missionaries has been only shrinking for the last 30 years. Also, over 70% of Japanese church leaders are over the age of 70, which means that they are desperately hurting for the next generation to rise up and carry the torch of the gospel to their neighbors and fellow citizens. In our first year and a half in Japan, we have engaged most heavily in language learning and partnership with our local church, Nara New Life, who have been mentoring us in our future venture to start a church in the surrounding area. Our main focuses have been ministry through the vivacious young family community in our town: children's ministry, gymnastics class, local play room, parks, and soon Kaia will be joining our neighborhood pre-school. In addition we have been investing in relationships with a number of other individuals long-term, leading worship, and visiting Japanese churches around the country sharing our testimonies and building a network of national believers. Our current short term goals now: Continue language learning for another 2 years, 2024 begin surveying neighborhoods in summer for church plant (move spring 2025 to target area), establish parent relationships at Kaia's preschool.
First Mission
I translated in Guatemala for a short-term missions team in 2010. I continued returning for two subsequent years. These trips were local construction projects, vacation Bible school, and outreach, assisting a Guatemalan church.
Becoming a Missionary
When I was 13 I heard the Lord say to me I was going to be a teacher, a preacher, and a missionary. I was not a believer myself, but grew up in a Christian home. For years after that, I kept getting the inclination that God was calling me to be part of his workforce, but I didn’t understand the Gospel until I was 23. I heard a guest speaker missionary at a church event I was invited to, and from that night on, I surrendered to the Lord and his commission to take the church to where it’s not.
Family
Ana Duckett - Wife
Kaia Duckett - Daughter
Emi Duckett - Daughter
More Missionaries
Aaron Smith
Thailand
Aaron Smith
Thailand
River Valley 500. Our focus is equipping local Christian leaders (for Venture and with our local church) in hard to reach (tough) places in SE Asia with resources to help them share the Gospel, plant churches, and build the Kingdom of God.
Sam Sr Dunya
Ghana
Sam Sr Dunya
Ghana
Currently our goal is to bring the church to all 18 Unreached People Groups in Ghana to see large percentage of over 1.7 million people reached with the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Kyle Danner
Thailand
Kyle Danner
Thailand
Thailand has a population of around 70 million people. The country of Thailand is primarily Buddhist, roughly 5% Muslim, and around 1% believed to be Christian (as of 2021 according to the department of religious affairs). We will be staying in Chiang Mai Thailand which has a population of close to 2 million people and thrives on tourists coming from all around the world. From our experiences in Chiang Mai, there are a lot of young children who are open to hearing more about the Gospel and their parents are Buddhists. We are excited to go to Thailand as a family with young children to hopefully make more connections with families who are in a similar stage of life.
Christopher Cortte
United States
Christopher Cortte
United States
Chris and Brook are the Directors for the Chi Alpha ministry on the campus of St. Cloud State University in St. Cloud, Minnesota.
Kent Linneweh
Netherlands
Kent Linneweh
Netherlands
Planted 5 international churches in The NL. Coaching European church planters as well as assisting new missionaries to complete their callings.
Ben Grams
Argentina
Ben Grams
Argentina
This year the River Plate Bible Institute is turning 75 years. It is considered the largest AG school in Latin America. We have over 300 residential students, 400 in the Saturday program, 150 online, and hundreds in our ministerial schools. As the students come from over 15 different nations, each of them goes back into their communities and has an exponential impact. Additionally, many of them have a call to missions on their lives. Most of the missionaries from Argentina to other countries are graduates of our Bible School. As far as the country, Argentina has 45.81 million people. It is a predominantly Catholic nation, but because of syncretism, their belief system is very superstitious. They would have no problem going to mass in the morning and the witch doctor in the afternoon.
Dan Blair
Slovenia
Dan Blair
Slovenia
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.
Joanne Oftedahl
Philippines
Joanne Oftedahl
Philippines
Joanne Oftedahl teaches and serves as Student Missions Advisor at Immanuel Bible College, Cebu Philippines. She preaches, teaches, and helps provide resources for evangelism and discipleship in local churches of Cebu and neighboring Islands.
John Kerr
Zambia
John Kerr
Zambia
John and Ruth Kerr focus on leadership training for approximately 120 students. These students attend classes on the Kerrs’ 160-acre campus. However, the community surrounding the campus is home to roughly 500,000 people who live in very poor shanty-town neighborhoods. As a result, the students on campus have created many social-impact ministries and turned the property into a development center. They provide HIV-AIDS-awareness ministry, skills training, micro-financing, agriculture training, sewing classes and computer classes—all simply in an effort to bless and benefit the surrounding communities.
Steve Kramer
United States
Steve Kramer
United States
1 in 6 people in the world are considered disabled. This is over a billion people worldwide. One of the biggest unreached people groups
Josiah Kennealy
United States
Josiah Kennealy
United States
4% of Generation Z in America have a biblical worldview. 96% of people who make decisions to follow Christ do so prior to their 30th birthday. In MN: there are 425,000 college students and 1.2 million young adults. In USA: there are 18.6 million college students and 21.56 million young adults.
Don Triplett
El Salvador
Don Triplett
El Salvador
El Salvador is in the aftermath of a 12 year civil war so Gang Violence, Drug Cartel, Immigration and Poverty have pillaged the Salvadoran Family. We are working to Transform El Salvador one family at at time.
Aaron Smith
Thailand
Aaron Smith
Thailand
River Valley 500. Our focus is equipping local Christian leaders (for Venture and with our local church) in hard to reach (tough) places in SE Asia with resources to help them share the Gospel, plant churches, and build the Kingdom of God.
Sam Sr Dunya
Ghana
Sam Sr Dunya
Ghana
Currently our goal is to bring the church to all 18 Unreached People Groups in Ghana to see large percentage of over 1.7 million people reached with the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Kyle Danner
Thailand
Kyle Danner
Thailand
Thailand has a population of around 70 million people. The country of Thailand is primarily Buddhist, roughly 5% Muslim, and around 1% believed to be Christian (as of 2021 according to the department of religious affairs). We will be staying in Chiang Mai Thailand which has a population of close to 2 million people and thrives on tourists coming from all around the world. From our experiences in Chiang Mai, there are a lot of young children who are open to hearing more about the Gospel and their parents are Buddhists. We are excited to go to Thailand as a family with young children to hopefully make more connections with families who are in a similar stage of life.
Christopher Cortte
United States
Christopher Cortte
United States
Chris and Brook are the Directors for the Chi Alpha ministry on the campus of St. Cloud State University in St. Cloud, Minnesota.
Kent Linneweh
Netherlands
Kent Linneweh
Netherlands
Planted 5 international churches in The NL. Coaching European church planters as well as assisting new missionaries to complete their callings.
Ben Grams
Argentina
Ben Grams
Argentina
This year the River Plate Bible Institute is turning 75 years. It is considered the largest AG school in Latin America. We have over 300 residential students, 400 in the Saturday program, 150 online, and hundreds in our ministerial schools. As the students come from over 15 different nations, each of them goes back into their communities and has an exponential impact. Additionally, many of them have a call to missions on their lives. Most of the missionaries from Argentina to other countries are graduates of our Bible School. As far as the country, Argentina has 45.81 million people. It is a predominantly Catholic nation, but because of syncretism, their belief system is very superstitious. They would have no problem going to mass in the morning and the witch doctor in the afternoon.
Dan Blair
Slovenia
Dan Blair
Slovenia
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.
Joanne Oftedahl
Philippines
Joanne Oftedahl
Philippines
Joanne Oftedahl teaches and serves as Student Missions Advisor at Immanuel Bible College, Cebu Philippines. She preaches, teaches, and helps provide resources for evangelism and discipleship in local churches of Cebu and neighboring Islands.
John Kerr
Zambia
John Kerr
Zambia
John and Ruth Kerr focus on leadership training for approximately 120 students. These students attend classes on the Kerrs’ 160-acre campus. However, the community surrounding the campus is home to roughly 500,000 people who live in very poor shanty-town neighborhoods. As a result, the students on campus have created many social-impact ministries and turned the property into a development center. They provide HIV-AIDS-awareness ministry, skills training, micro-financing, agriculture training, sewing classes and computer classes—all simply in an effort to bless and benefit the surrounding communities.
Steve Kramer
United States
Steve Kramer
United States
1 in 6 people in the world are considered disabled. This is over a billion people worldwide. One of the biggest unreached people groups
Josiah Kennealy
United States
Josiah Kennealy
United States
4% of Generation Z in America have a biblical worldview. 96% of people who make decisions to follow Christ do so prior to their 30th birthday. In MN: there are 425,000 college students and 1.2 million young adults. In USA: there are 18.6 million college students and 21.56 million young adults.
Don Triplett
El Salvador
Don Triplett
El Salvador
El Salvador is in the aftermath of a 12 year civil war so Gang Violence, Drug Cartel, Immigration and Poverty have pillaged the Salvadoran Family. We are working to Transform El Salvador one family at at time.
Aaron Smith
Thailand
Aaron Smith
Thailand
River Valley 500. Our focus is equipping local Christian leaders (for Venture and with our local church) in hard to reach (tough) places in SE Asia with resources to help them share the Gospel, plant churches, and build the Kingdom of God.
Sam Sr Dunya
Ghana
Sam Sr Dunya
Ghana
Currently our goal is to bring the church to all 18 Unreached People Groups in Ghana to see large percentage of over 1.7 million people reached with the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Kyle Danner
Thailand
Kyle Danner
Thailand
Thailand has a population of around 70 million people. The country of Thailand is primarily Buddhist, roughly 5% Muslim, and around 1% believed to be Christian (as of 2021 according to the department of religious affairs). We will be staying in Chiang Mai Thailand which has a population of close to 2 million people and thrives on tourists coming from all around the world. From our experiences in Chiang Mai, there are a lot of young children who are open to hearing more about the Gospel and their parents are Buddhists. We are excited to go to Thailand as a family with young children to hopefully make more connections with families who are in a similar stage of life.
Christopher Cortte
United States
Christopher Cortte
United States
Chris and Brook are the Directors for the Chi Alpha ministry on the campus of St. Cloud State University in St. Cloud, Minnesota.
Kent Linneweh
Netherlands
Kent Linneweh
Netherlands
Planted 5 international churches in The NL. Coaching European church planters as well as assisting new missionaries to complete their callings.
Ben Grams
Argentina
Ben Grams
Argentina
This year the River Plate Bible Institute is turning 75 years. It is considered the largest AG school in Latin America. We have over 300 residential students, 400 in the Saturday program, 150 online, and hundreds in our ministerial schools. As the students come from over 15 different nations, each of them goes back into their communities and has an exponential impact. Additionally, many of them have a call to missions on their lives. Most of the missionaries from Argentina to other countries are graduates of our Bible School. As far as the country, Argentina has 45.81 million people. It is a predominantly Catholic nation, but because of syncretism, their belief system is very superstitious. They would have no problem going to mass in the morning and the witch doctor in the afternoon.
Dan Blair
Slovenia
Dan Blair
Slovenia
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.
Joanne Oftedahl
Philippines
Joanne Oftedahl
Philippines
Joanne Oftedahl teaches and serves as Student Missions Advisor at Immanuel Bible College, Cebu Philippines. She preaches, teaches, and helps provide resources for evangelism and discipleship in local churches of Cebu and neighboring Islands.
John Kerr
Zambia
John Kerr
Zambia
John and Ruth Kerr focus on leadership training for approximately 120 students. These students attend classes on the Kerrs’ 160-acre campus. However, the community surrounding the campus is home to roughly 500,000 people who live in very poor shanty-town neighborhoods. As a result, the students on campus have created many social-impact ministries and turned the property into a development center. They provide HIV-AIDS-awareness ministry, skills training, micro-financing, agriculture training, sewing classes and computer classes—all simply in an effort to bless and benefit the surrounding communities.
Steve Kramer
United States
Steve Kramer
United States
1 in 6 people in the world are considered disabled. This is over a billion people worldwide. One of the biggest unreached people groups
Josiah Kennealy
United States
Josiah Kennealy
United States
4% of Generation Z in America have a biblical worldview. 96% of people who make decisions to follow Christ do so prior to their 30th birthday. In MN: there are 425,000 college students and 1.2 million young adults. In USA: there are 18.6 million college students and 21.56 million young adults.
Don Triplett
El Salvador
Don Triplett
El Salvador
El Salvador is in the aftermath of a 12 year civil war so Gang Violence, Drug Cartel, Immigration and Poverty have pillaged the Salvadoran Family. We are working to Transform El Salvador one family at at time.
