We would like to recommend to you Stephen and Christina Rains as missionaries to the country of Kenya, East Africa.

 

Both Stephen and Christina have grown up in godly Christian homes and have been in church all their lives. Ever since they were saved as young children, they have sought to live their lives well-pleasing unto the Lord. Instead of rebelling through their teen years, they were godly and were focused on serving the Lord with their lives.

 

Stephen has demonstrated a faithful spirit as he has grown up in Mukwonago Baptist Church. Throughout his life he always gladly participated in church work days, visitation, and activities. He also faithfully attended the church services, using his God-given talents to edify the body through music, teaching, and ministering to other believers.  He was a careful listener and wanted to know what the Bible said so that he could apply it to his life. He still demonstrates that spirit of wanting to be faithful to God and His Word in every area of life.

 

Stephen is a man of convictions and principle. He has a real sense of the fear of the Lord. He and Christina are raising their children with that same love for the things of the Lord in which they themselves were raised. They have godly convictions in dress, music, propriety, and separation from the world, as well as convictions in other key areas. They show evidences of a real sense of the discernment of the Holy Spirit.

 

Stephen and Christina understand the principles of the local New Testament church. They have always sought to do all they could to serve in the local church—being faithful in attendance, serving in areas of the physical ministry and the music ministry, teaching in Sunday School, and participating in soulwinning and discipleship. Understanding the authority of the local church, Stephen and Christina recognize the biblical importance of being accountable to their local church and of reproducing churches of like kind. As a church, we are glad to be able to send them out to the mission field, and we take our responsibility with gravity. As their Pastor, I will be in continual contact with them and will be visiting and helping them on the field on a regular basis. We will also provide missions housing for them while they are on deputation and furlough so that they and their family can be integrated into their home church as much as possible. As their home church, we will be supplying a minimum of $500 a month toward their support, along with other help we will provide them. We have utmost confidence in them.

 

Both through Bible training and Christian experience, Stephen and Christina are well prepared for ministry on the foreign field. Stephen graduated from Maranatha Baptist Bible College with a degree in Bible and missions and also earned a Master’s degree from Baptist College of Ministry. Christina received Baptist Bible college training and is an alumna of Baptist College of Ministry. Both Stephen and Christina have had extensive experience in all aspects of the local church ministry. For seven years, Stephen faithfully served as full-time staff at Camp Joy in Whitewater, Wisconsin, with Christina joining him after they were married. Stephen has served as program director and has also been Scott Hatchett's right-hand assistant.

 

Stephen and Christina are very loving people and demonstrate the fruit of the Spirit in their personal lives, in their family, and in their ministry. If you have met them or have had them in your church, you will agree that they have all the marks of truly being great missionaries who will be a blessing to your church and will be effective on the foreign field.