Missionaries
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Elly has served in a number of roles with Africa Inland Mission, including outreach among an unreached people group in the mountains of South Sudan, and most recently, serving as part of the team at AIM's Retirement Center in Florida.
Currently, Elly is preparing to return to South Sudan where she'll serve as part of an ongoing outreach among the Didinga people.
Working alongside farmers, especially women or those with disabilities is my passion. I love planting seeds and seeing them grow, both physically and with the Word of God.
Andy and Margaret have served for more that 25 years as disciple makers and church planters in Tanzania, East Africa. Andy is the Unit Leader for AIM's missionaries in western Tanzania.
Their current assignment began in 2015 to the region of Tabora, to work among the Nyamwezi people, who largely have remained in the stronghold of Islam. The Nyamwezi are the second largest tribe in Tanzania. They embrace Islam, African traditional beliefs, and Christianity. They have much respect for their ancestors, "the living dead", to whom they offer sacrifices and rely on for benevolences. Most claim to be Muslims and follow the five pillars of Islam.
Working under the Africa Inland Church, the Andersen's vision is to teach Biblical principles, start churches, and train and equip church leaders and new believers. Much of their ministry is in the context of building relationships with their neighbors and addressing the needs of the community, sharing Jesus through word and deed.
Activities include conservation agriculture, clean water procurement, religious education in public school, equipping local churches through theological education, discipleship, and a Bible and Literature project.
Evangelism methods include showing the Jesus Film, orally communicating Bible stories chronologically, preaching, initiating discovery Bible studies, and Community Bible Study. Additional ministries among the Nyamwezi include health ministries and Bible translation.
Andy was born and raised in Kenya. From 1997-2015, the Andersens planted multiple churches on the islands of Lake Victoria and started an elementary school, Lake Victoria Christian. They have three children who were raised on the mission field. Abigail and Ben are both enrolled in the Torrey Honors program at Biola University in California. Abigial is studying nursing and Ben is studying psychology. Caleb attends high school at AIM's Rift Valley Academy in Kenya.
Eddie and Rachel Andersen live in Dukana, Kenya, a small town just a few miles south of Ethiopia, with their six children. Since 2008 they have lived and worked in East Africa. They currently serve the Gabbra, an unreached people group.
The Gabbra live in a land that is marked by desert, lava fields, and scrub bush. They are nomadic pastoralists and raise camels, sheep, goats, and cattle. 89,000 Gabbra live in Northern Kenya and approximately 200 follow evangelical Christianity.
Eddie and Rachel serve the Gabbra through various means. Famine relief, well drilling, mechanical skills, and medical care are some of the ways they help the Gabbra with their every day needs. They also distribute audio Scriptures, have Bible studies, and hold church services. Eddie & Rachel oversee a radio tower and studio which broadcasts among the Gabbra as well as to several neighboring tribes.
Related AIM Projects:
Ryan and Charli got married May 2018. They both became Christians in college through a campus ministry called Campus Outreach. After becoming Christians they both believed God was calling them to overseas missions among people who have never heard of Jesus. God has called them to Chad, Africa. Which is where they will be moving to in 2020 after they attend French Language School.
Brian and Patty Arensen have served with AIM for over 35 years in Africa. For the past ten years they served in Nairobi where Brian worked in the AIM Eastern Region office as the regional administrative officer.
In the summer of 2017 they returned to Minneapolis Minnesota to accompany their daughter, Kerith, who is enrolled in a two-year college program for special-needs young adults at Bethany Global University in Minneapolis.
AIM has loaned Brian to Bethany Gateways which is an interdenominational mission with similar goals and vision to AIM. Brian will be working with their personnel department in the home office in Minneapolis. Patty will continue to use her passion for quilting and inductive Bible study as God opens up doors for ministry and outreach. Although temporarily based in Minnesota, they continue to rely on support through AIM for their financial needs.
Shel and Kym Arensen serve in Naivasha, Kenya. Kym's passion for children leads to her involvement in three different ministries. She is the curriculum director for Eden Adventures, which teaches creation care in local government schools, as well as providing outdoor camping experiences for children from homes for street kids. Kym also volunteers at Little Hands, a mainstream school for children with disabilities. Lastly, she serves as a special needs consultant for AIM International. Shel works with the Dorobo, a hunter-gatherer group in Kenya's highlands, planting churches and discipling church leaders. He is also involved in friendship evangelism among several other unreached people groups.
Related AIM Projects:
AIC Dorobo Outreach
Nicki Armand is preparing to serve in Chad, Africa. She will attend language school to learn French in the Fall of 2019 and then to Chad in 2020. Nicki served at Wellspring Academy in the capital city from 2014-2015 and is now very excited to return long term to work among the 70 unreached people groups and to be a part of God’s work in Chad.
God has transformed Dani's life and she is eager to partner with the Lord in the redeeming work He is doing in Africa. Dani is excited to be serving the unreached people groups of Kondoa, Tanzania as part of a TIMO (Training In Ministry Outreach) team leaving in 2020.
Wendy serves with AIM through the ministry of Ethnomusicology, helping African believers to craft worship music in their own distinct style, and traveling to different parts of Africa to conduct seminars to teach worship music composition. During her many years in Central African Republic, Wendy worked closely with a national missionary and the Zande church to build relational bridges with the unreached Mbororo people.
She has also played an active role in helping displaced peoples in central Africa through participation in Trauma Healing Seminars.
Pat was born in Kenya and grew up in a missionary family which helped prepare her for service on the mission field. At the age of 9 Pat trusted Jesus as her Savior and committed to obeying His leading in her life. After graduating from college with a BS in Health Science/Radiology and a Masters in Health Care Administration, she worked in a hospital for 10 years before beginning her missionary career in 1980. During that time she prepared herself by taking additional Bible courses and serving in various capacities, including the mission's board, at her home church in California. For 30 years Pat traveled the world assisting mission hospitals in the field of radiology. From South and Central America to India and Africa, she knew the Lord was with her each step of the way guiding and giving wisdom to train nationals and repair equipment. She can remember the exclamations of "wonderful" when old broken down equipment would jump to life again. Best of all, she says, it was an honor to serve medical missionaries who ministered to the sick in very remote parts of the world and lend them a bit of encouragement. During that time she served with REAP International, World Medical Mission and World Concern. In 2009, she entered a completely new season of ministry with AIM, following in the footsteps of her grandparents and later her parents who faithfully served under AIM for 55 years. Now the Lord has blessed Pat with the opportunity to create audio/visual Bible stories and hard copy Sunday school materials appropriate for the African culture. Currently, she serves on the Church Council of her local town church and helps direct the Sunday school program which enjoys over 900 registered kids. Forty five teachers and helpers, under the supervision of Pat and her Kenyan co-worker, Pastor Naomi, teach and disciple the teachers and children. Pat is thankful for the Lord's faithfulness and is trusting Him for grace and strength to continue serving in Kenya.
