The SHINE Conference

This missionary serves in Asia with Pioneers but can’t be pictured or named for security reasons.

Brian and Shirlee began taking short term mission trips in 1989. Since then, they have taken many short term trips to Asia, Africa and Central America.

This couple (not pictured or named for security reasons) were each called in their early 20s to take the life-changing message of Jesus to students and show them how they could influence their peers for Him. After serving several years in the US and abroad, they married and then lived 20+ years in Asia sharing Christ with students and faculty and building these leaders to reach their own country. Returning to Iowa, their focus is now national, reaching International Students with the message of Christ as they serve with Bridges International. God has allowed them to help start Bridges International at many campuses in the past decade. They believe that since God has brought Internationals right here to our doorstep the greatest gift we can give is to serve them with the love of Christ and introduce them to Him!. They trust these students will become Christians who impact their own nations.

Judy grew up in Iowa and after graduation from UNI she joined the staff of Cru with her husband Mike. They served in Asia for 44 years: the first 7 years in the Philippines, and then 36 years in Thailand. They had four daughters in Asia and raised them there. Now back living in Iowa, Judy has a heart for reaching out to the international students and refugees living here in the Cedar Valley.

Mike grew up on Iowa farms, went to Kirkwood College, worked at John Deere, and then joined the staff of Cru in 1978. He and his wife Judy worked in the Philippines for 7 years and then Thailand the next 36 years. They have four daughters who they raised in Asia. Their goal in ministry has always been to train nationals to lead the ministry. When they arrived in Thailand there were two national staff with Campus Crusade and now there are more than 140 full time national staff.

Donita is the volunteer coordinator for Iowa Heartland Habitat for Humanity in Waterloo, IA.

Sam and Anna (and their kids, Elaina and Sawyer) have served in South Africa for eight years with Helps Ministries. They co-founded Titus Auto Centre, an auto repair shop business that exists to technically train and spiritually equip aspiring auto mechanics. Titus is strategically located in a community that experiences 50% unemployment.

Dylan is the Development Director of Iowa Heartland Habitat for Humanity and his passion is to connect people and churches for the purpose of engaging our community for the glory of God. In his role at Habitat, Dylan loves to speak, collaborate, and partner with local churches, drawing on his experience serving local churches and leaders for over 15 years in local church ministry, church plant consulting, and ministry coaching.

Dean has lived and worked in Waterloo for the past fifteen years with a focus on equipping people to overcome barriers. He planted and then pastored Realife Church in Waterloo for thirteen years. Dean co-founded the non-profit organization One City United in 2018 and in the past four years One City has impacted hundreds of people through multiple programs to overcome significant life and employment barriers. One City focuses on long term relationships as well as intense and impactful training, teaching, and equipping so that individuals can thrive.

Michelle’s experience as the Cedar Valley Director of Child Evangelism Fellowship, her certification as an Employment Specialist working with individuals with disabilities, and her Master’s degree in nonprofit leadership from Indiana Wesleyan University led her (and her husband Dean) to co-found One City United, a nonprofit organization that, among other things, works to help people overcome barriers to employment, especially those related to incarceration and addiction. She was just invited to join the Waterloo Safe Neighborhood Commission, and is passionate about helping people address Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and move into a future with Hope, Change and Opportunity.

Since being transformed by the Lord over 20 years ago, Joe has developed a passion for local and global missions. Serving as Mission Chair at Cedar Valley Church has given him a “front row seat” to see lives transformed here in the Cedar Valley and throughout the world. Highlights include a trip to Greater Grace Ministries in Liberia and involvement with ministry at Blackhawk County Jail.

Melissa has a passion to share the love of Jesus with whoever will listen to her. She often says, “Give me a microphone – I want to talk about my Savior, Jesus!” Her involvement in ministry at Black Hawk County Jail has not only given her the opportunity to share God’s forgiving love but has given her blessing beyond measure!

Abraham is the pastor and building administrator of Jubilee UMC Freedom Center, executive director at Waterloo Commission on Human Rights, author of a children’s book entitled “Rise!” and the founder of MLK New Jerusalem LLC. Recipient of many awards and recognitions, He is most proud of receiving the W.E.B DuBois Award for Social Activism from Hampton University in Virginia and the Bishop James S. Thomas Leadership Award from former Bishop Julius C. Trimble of the Iowa Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church.

Jill took Perspectives on the World Christian Movement class in 2010 and it changed her life. She discovered God’s heart for the world, His purposes, and how God desired her to be a part of His mission. She has served on the Coordinating Team of the Cedar Valley Perspectives since 2012 and is the mobilizer for Perspectives for the eastern part of Iowa.

After being in nursing for 47 years (6 of those as a missionary in Haiti), DeeDee (Denise) retired a year early to be helping hands to missionaries on the field. She’s now 66, retired (for real this time) and having the time of her life walking with Jesus

After spending 42 years in the automotive industry in Michigan, Mike retired and moved to Iowa and almost immediately began volunteering at Alternatives Pregnancy Center. A year ago, he joined the staff as Fatherhood Champion where he finds great joy in serving young men through parenting classes and sharing the gospel. Mike and his wife Jeannie enjoy camping, their grandchildren, and fishing when they can get away.

Phil and his wife Colleen started attending Cedar Valley Church in 1983 when it was called Sunnyside Temple. They raised three daughters in the church, Danielle, Lucy (now Pastor of Discipleship at CVC), and Katie. They have been involved in many of the church's ministries over the past 39 years including the Easter Productions, Youth Groups, Small Groups, Evangelism Explosion, Ruth Ann's Young Married's group, etc. Their first short term mission trip was a visit to the Hephzibah Children's Home in Macon, GA. Five families (10 adults and 13 kids) from the church road-tripped to Hephzibah to perform various services for the ministry. Phil and Colleen took their daughters to Thailand in 2001 to teach at a conference for Thai students learning English and to share the Jesus film in villages around Chiang Mai. After the tsunami in 2004, Phil partnered with Mike Christian of CRU to raise funds and take work groups to Thailand to build homes for the Moken people and Thai (CRU) staff families. They have made nine trips to Thailand since 2006. Phil also traveled with the youth group to South Africa in 2017 and accompanied Pastor Darryl White on his visit to Patifu in Sierra Leone in 2019.

Terry and Karen spent a year in Russia in 1995-96 taking the JESUS video into schools and teaching an accompanying curriculum to teachers. In 1999 they went to China for 2 years to help build an English training center in cooperation with a Chinese church. In 2002 they moved to a different city in China where Karen taught preschool and kindergarten in a Christian school and Terry taught in an English training center with the same company. They have also participated in several mission trips to Thailand.

Dave and Cindy were born and raised in Iowa and came to Christ while at college. Dave pastored a Bible Church in California for 8 years during which the Lord called them to ministry with Wycliffe Bible Translators. They and their 4 children served the Lord in Cameroon, Africa for 26 years. They worked with the 60,000 Noni people to help them develop the Nooni language into written form and translate the New Testament. God expanded that work into the neighboring 6 unwritten languages (the Misaje Cluster), where Dave and Cindy and a team of 6 Wycliffe and 25 Cameroonian colleagues helped all 6 people groups to also have a translation, though they are waiting and praying for the printing of those New Testaments.

Robert, from Northern Ireland, has served the Lord all of his adult life. After spending over 16 years as a missionary leader in Taiwan with the Oriental Missionary Society he served as a pastor in Alaska for 5 years with the Church of the Nazarene. Then he served in Canada before coming to the United States where he has lived for the past 25 at Cedar Valley Hospice until his retirement a couple of years ago. Robert has traveled the world answering God's call to share the Gospel.

Matt is the Executive Director of Wildwood Hills Ranch which serves youth coming out of vulnerable situations such as foster care, abuse, or neglect. He serves on the Leadership Committee of The Iowa Christian Generosity Council and The Joseph Council whose mission is to re-engage the church on orphan/foster care, fatherlessness, and addiction recovery. Matt’s primary passion is found in caring for orphans and the fatherless and holds a deep belief that programs do not change people, it’s God using people that changes people.

In 1995 at the age of 48, Roger became a follower of Jesus when he hit rock bottom knowing he would spend the next almost 6 years in prison. Those years were spent getting to know Jesus and (little did he understand at the time) preparing for ministry. He founded Heart Surrender Prison Ministry shortly after his release and he’s spent the years since sharing God’s amazing grace with people in the correctional system, fulfilling Matthew 25:36b where Jesus says, “I was in prison, and you came to visit me.”

Brad has served in evangelism and outreach ministries since at least the early 1980s. Serving in Teens for Christ, Evangelism Explosion, and Gideons International lead him to get involved in what he now calls the most rewarding ministry in his life: Jail Ministry.

Sarah Moul grew up in the Cedar Valley and graduated from UNI with a degree in Spanish-Teaching in 2015. She moved to Costa Rica for three years, where she taught in English and Spanish. In 2018, Sarah returned to Iowa where she met her husband, Ben, in a Perspectives class. They are pursuing going into missions together and love camping, hiking, good food, and hanging out with Internationals.

Rachel lives here in the Cedar Valley with her husband and two girls. She is the Outreach Director at Alternatives Pregnancy and Kid’s Ministry Director, along with her husband, at New Life Church in Reinbeck. Families are her passion. She loves to see families grow closer, stronger, and healthier as they encounter Jesus and get connected to the resources they need.

Jenny loves serving the community with the amazing staff and volunteer team at Love INC (In the Name Of Christ) where she has been the Executive Director since 2021. She loves spending quality time with her husband of 26 years (when he’s not coaching the UNI Womens' Basketball team) and their 4 kids and 1 son-in-law.

Marlys is a retired nurse and uses her nursing skills and experience in many ministry activities. She has participated in a number of overseas mission trips, missions committee, and a wide variety of volunteer activities at her church.

From 2012-2020 Danny and Nel lived in Jordan, the West Bank, and Israel, sharing the Gospel with Muslims. They now live in Iowa City with their two daughters where they work for e3 Partners training believers in simple tools so they can share the Gospel with anyone and disciple new believers. They also practice a church planting process so that all people in all places can gather as the church and obey the commands of Jesus.

After fifty years of pastoring, Dean retired from full-time pastoral ministry. As a short-term missionary, he has served in Honduras, Ecuador, Sierra Leone, Swaziland and Thailand. He also served in local missions as a Police chaplain, as a chaplain for the Alternative Pregnancy center, and as a mentor that is still encouraging young men and women in our community.

Laureen is a retired librarian. She has served on short term mission teams to Ecuador, Sierra Leone, Swaziland, and Thailand. During those times she did construction work, taught VBS, provided child care, and did library work.

Darrell has served the church his entire adult life. After pastoring churches in Montana and Wyoming, God brought him to Cedar Valley Church in Waterloo five years ago to be the lead pastor. He is passionate about missions and goes on short-term mission trips as often as he can!