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Tell us a little bit about your backgrounds and how you each came to know the Lord.
I (Rachel) grew up in a Christian home and personally accepted Christ at a Five Day Club
when I was three years old. My hometown is Wadena, MN and I was active in the AFLC congregation there with Sunday School, music and Children's Ministry. I met Sam at
Bible School (of course!) and graduated in 2006. I love drama, music, running, kids, reading and writing and photography. I teach piano lessons and tutor – phonics, NOT math!
I (Sam) grew up on a farm in Enderlin, ND. Church was a tradition to my family until my
mom went to Grace Free Lutheran in Valley City. That was where she and I found Christ
when I was 13. During the next four years I was active in school and sports, church and youth group and leading youth
group. In 2004 I went to Bible School to continue to learn about God and to pursue becoming a missionary.
When and how did you sense the call to missions and share your heart for teens' involvement in missions?
I (Rachel) brought home a book on Cuba from the library at the age of three and seriously informed my grandmother that I
was going to go there and teach the people about Jesus. Well, God may not be calling me to Cuba anymore, but He has
only strengthened my desire to share the Word of God with those in other countries. The call came off and on, in many
forms, but I made a serious commitment during my first year at AFLBS. I had no opportunities in high school to go on a
mission trip and it would be a huge answer to prayer if no AFLC youth ever had to say that again.
I (Sam) sensed the call to be a missionary in 2003 when I went to South Africa on a mission trip. We spent two and a half
weeks there working and learning with the natives. The last Sunday that I was there God gave me my call to missions. God
sent two Africans to me who both told me that I was going to be a missionary. I have been pursuing that path ever since. I
hope that teens can have some of these same experiences with God and use their lives for missions too.
 Share with us a little bit about your recent trip to Uganda.
Our trip to Uganda was an amazing experience for everyone who worked
together on the Jesus Film Campaign. During three weeks we showed the Jesus Film 18 days in different villages. It was grueling, but God was so
faithful. We saw Him do miracles with our equipment and weather conditions and He opened many doors for the Pastors there. It was a
challenge and a time of growing closer to God.
What are some of your goals for student missions?
We have high hopes for Youth Missions in the AFLC. We hope to instill
passion for missions in the youth, to bring close to home who our missionaries really are. We want to see the numbers of mission trips grow
and interest and excitement increase. The fields are ripe for the harvest and we want to train young people to be the ones who are the current and future harvesters.
What's a fun fact about each of you that most people don't know?
A lot of people close to us know this already, but we were born eleven hours apart. Sam was born on September 2nd and
Rachel was born 15 minutes into September 3rd. Our mothers were in labor at the same time (so, of course, Sam is eleven hours older and wiser…!)..
What has God been teaching you lately?
Lately God has been teaching us faith, trust, and sacrifice. We do not know
where we will end up by serving Him or why He is using us. What we do know is that He can use us despite our faults and that He will take care of us. Praise be to God
How can we pray for you?
We need prayer for wisdom to be able to serve God in this student missions
position in a way that is glorifying to Him. We also would love prayer for our job situation, for excitement for student missions to spread, for the youth
we'll be working with and also for strength in our marriage so we can work together to serve God.
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