Flint and Deb Miller: Philippines

About
As the branch director and professor of the Asian Baptist Graduate Theological Seminary in Baguio City, Philippines, Flint helps prepare future missiologists and missionaries throughout Asia. Through the seminary's graduate programs, he helps train leaders to return to their home countries to serve in positions of leadership in seminaries, Bible schools, conventions and churches. The seminary is a premier mission training center for Asia, providing a continuum of programs that include higher-level graduate education as well as short-term mission immersion experiences and the training of missionaries.

Deb teaches pastoral care and counseling at the Philippine Baptist Theological Seminary, and facilitates counseling groups and workshops. She also leads the Clinical Pastoral Education program at the seminary, training ministers in pastoral skills as they serve at area hospitals. In addition, she assists in the Global Mission Training Center and programs. She and Flint also lead marriage and family life conferences among local churches.

You can read more about the Miller family here.

Sue Hegarty: Cuba

About
Sue's main emphasis in her ministry is training national believers, including curriculum writers and pastors, with the goal of strengthening local Christians for growth and service. She directs the Eastern Cuba Baptist Convention's editorial group that plans and writes Sunday School curriculum and other study materials for 278 churches and their missions. Often leaders and teachers must create their own lessons and programs due to lack of resources. These materials seek to meet the particular needs of Cuban Christians and the Convention's goals.

In addition, she also serves on the Baptist Theological Seminary faculty where pastors are trained.

Sue is married to a Cuban pastor and serves in her local church as a teacher, in Christian education, personal discipleship, and other capacities, all of which help to better her understanding of the challenges to faith and spiritual growth as well as enrich the materials she writes.

Before receiving permission to live in Cuba, she served as Christan Education promoter for the Nicaraguan Baptist Convention, where she and a team of national leaders led workshops and edited curriculum.

You can read more about Sue Hegarty here.

The Baits Family: Costa Rica

About
The Baits' work with the Costa Rican Baptist Convention in pastoral and lay leadership training and theological education. There is a crying need for committed, trained servant leaders for the churches. Recruiting, training, and encouraging leaders is how Mylinda and Gary spend their time and energy. This involves teaching courses at the Centro Teologico Bautista Metropolitano in the San Jose area, and making courses available at a number of local church locations. Courses include worship, preaching, Bible, pastoral counseling, ethics and theology. The Baitses also work with the Costa Rican leadership to recruit leaders, and have developed an annual "Call Retreat" for people in the churches to consider how God might be nudging them toward ministry and church leadership.

> Gary enjoys teaching preaching classes and encourages his students to take seriously the call to study Scripture and creatively communicate its transforming message.

Mylinda has been able to use her artistic gifts and pastoral training to encourage worship that is biblical, rich in meaning, thoroughly Latin-American, and creative.

Mylinda describes the mission and ministry as "walking alongside" people in their journey with Christ. For Gary and Mylinda, and their children Jamie and Micah, it is an honor to work with their Costa Rican brothers and sisters.

You can read more about the Baits family here.

Ketly and Vital Pierre: Nicaragua

About
The Pierres work on the Atlantic coast of Nicaragua to strengthen local churches and encourage existing churches to plant new ones. One way they do this is by leading and coordinating seminars and workshops. Through these sessions, pastors and leaders of local congregations learn how to strengthen the ministries of their churches. The Pierres' ministry is a holistic, "hands on" endeavor in which they walk and work alongside local people, building relationships. They also work with people in local churches to educate against drug abuse and drug trafficking.

The Pierres also serve as a link with American Baptist churches in the U.S. for volunteer groups. The groups are matched with local ministries according to where they would be the most effective.The Pierres invite leaders and short-term missionaries, pastors, businessmen, teachers, and professors to present seminars and workshops.

You can read more about the Pierre's here.