Don, Amy, Joshua, & Nathaniel
Thank you for your interest in our lives and ministry! We thank God for the opportunity He has provided for our family to serve among the needy in Africa. God is helping us lead people in need to a relationship with Christ and empower them with skills and training that will help break the cycle of poverty that surrounds their lives.
We have the privilege and responsibility of overseeing and directing the work of ELI, which began in Kenya and has now expanded to the neighboring countries of Tanzania, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Southern Sudan.
Don’s short-term trip to Tanzania in 1989 was the first of many that eventually led to the founding of ELI in 1994. We pioneered the work by developing relationships with key national Christian leaders, working with them to establish Skills for Life Training Centers, Christian schools, orphanages, and health ministries. The strategy we use integrates Biblical teaching with dynamic ideas and skills that help the poor address the challenges oppressing their lives spiritually, physically, and economically.
We serve as a family, both in East Africa and the U.S., dividing our time according to the current needs of the ministry. When in Africa, we live in a simple home on the property of the training center in Ilula, Kenya, helping to strengthen the development of ELI projects and training centers throughout East Africa. We love being in Africa and having Kenya as a “home base.” Don travels to Tanzania, D.R. Congo, and Southern Sudan as needed and also enjoys researching with our African leaders and applying new appropriate technologies. Amy loves ministering to the women in the village and our boys relish the adventure of living in the “great outdoors.”
We also invest strategic blocks of time in the U.S., sharing the vision of ELI with individuals and groups in order to expand the growing network of supporting partners and churches. Working with the staff in our Upland, California, office and helping to equip short-term teams traveling to Africa is also part of our ministry.
Your prayers and partnership are appreciated and vital to our work. It is a privilege to know that together we are… empowering lives!