Bert Stiles, a member of a B-17 bomber squadron during World War II, volunteered for a second combat tour – this time as a fighter pilot. But just four months after completing his flight training, Stiles was killed in action while chasing a German FW190 fighter aircraft. His crash was attributed to “target fixation.” The…
In the wake of the June 2015 U.S. Supreme court ruling declaring the unconstitutionality of the ban on same-sex marriage bans, advocates celebrated vigorously using the slogan, “Love Wins.” One interpretation of the slogan implied that “Hate Loses,” indicating that any view other than that which embraces same-sex marriage (particularly a biblical view) is wrong and…
Thanshok and Tammi Kamkra: Love for Abandoned Orphans In India About Thanshok and Tammi Thanshok and Tammi While teaching Spiritually Healthy Leader workshops for 300+ leaders in India, we met Thanshok and Tammi Kamkra, founders and directors of Tabitha Children’s Home, an orphanage in northeast India dedicated to caring for children and teenagers with HIV/AIDS. Thanshok…
Sotha Heng: Multiplying God’s Church in Cambodia by Equipping Godly Leaders About Sotha Left to die by the Khmer Rouge in the now infamous killing fields of Cambodia in 1975, Sotha Heng credits his miraculous escape and survival to God, believing he was protected for God’s purposes. Nearly twenty years later, Sotha heard the gospel…
From Communism to Christianity: A Miracle in Sergey’s Life About Sergey Kolinkovsky We met Sergey Kolinkovsky (along with his brother Sasha, featured in an earlier issue of Faces of The Back 40) at the Lviv, Ukraine airport when we arrived for two weeks’ teaching in Ukraine, accompanied by long-time ministry partners Ed and Alice Kraft.…
Sasha Kolinkovsky, Ukraine: Once and Still Medical Doctor Turned Pastor About Sasha We met Alexander Kolinkovsky (“Sasha”) at the Lviv, Ukraine airport when we arrived for two weeks’ teaching in Ukraine, accompanied by long-time ministry partners Ed and Alice Kraft. We had already learned that Sasha is a highly esteemed member of the university faculty,…
A Seasoned Saint Mentors Younger Timothys in Guatemala: Mildred Plumley About Mildred We first met Mildred Plumley and her family in 1970 when we arrived as young missionaries in the jungles of southern Colombia. Mildred faced the challenges of jungle life with courage and exemplary faith, in spite of the debilitating effects of polio she…
Joshua Daniel Rungsung: From Addict and Atheist to Pastoral Leader About Joshua During our first ministry trip to India, we led the Spiritually Healthy Leader workshops in two remote cities in the far northeastern sector of India: Imphal (Manipur province) and Jaigaon (West Bengal). The workshops were arranged in partnership with PALSET (Pastors and Leaders Skill Enhancement…
Hilda Carillo, Guatemala: Wife, Mother Equips Other Women to Rise Above Poverty About Hilda Carillo We first met Hilda in March 2013 while teaching the Spiritually Healthy Leader workshops at her local church in Guatemala. We had the privilege of staying in her home and were blessed by her tireless attention to make our stay…
Our articles are created to cultivate your spiritual health. The focus is to help you prepare your field — your heart — a for the best possible yield. How our articles are put together Through our online publication, The Cultivator, we regularly publish devotionals that equip servant-leaders. At publication, we publish each article here on…