Solid Ground in an Uncertain World

MEET OUR MISSIONARIES IN AFRICA

The ENGELHARTS:

Ø Bob, Margie, Andrew

Ø Baptist World Missions

Ø Ivory Coast, West Africa

Ø Church planting & training national Pastors

Ministry Profile

The Engelharts are veteran missionaries who served in France for 10 years before relocating to Ivory Coast, Africa in 2002.  They are involved in a “team ministry” with Matt & Sarah Litson and are working through a parent church started by another missionary in 1994.

The Engelharts are serving in the city of Anyama which is 15 miles away from the capital city of Abidjam.  The church in Anyama has been turned over to a national Pastor (Max) but Bob still maintains close contact with the church.  There is also a Bible Institute in Anyama; Bob and Pastor Max share the responsibility of overseeing and teaching in the Institute.  Students from the Bible Institute (currently 6) go out to surrounding villages to conduct Bible Studies and plant new churches.  Several churches have already been started in neighboring villages.  Bob is currently working in Donkoi, a village in the forest about 20 miles north of Anyama. He preaches there each Sunday and Thursday morning.

Bob & Margie Engelhart with their son, Andrew	Ivory Coast, West Africa

The LATHAMS:

Ø Jonathan, Wendy, Gloria

Ø Gospel Fellowship Association Mission
Ø Equatorial Guinea, Africa

Ø Opening up the country to Fundamental, Baptist

      missions with the goal of planting churches.

Ministry Profile

The Lathams arrived in Equatorial Guinea early in 2001 after spending 1 year in Mexico learning the official language of this tiny, West African country – Spanish.  Now, while living in Equatorial Guinea, they are learning Fang, the local language of the people.

Normally, a missionary gets into Equatorial Guinea by applying for and receiving an “official invitation” from an organized religious institution already established in the country.  There are no Fundamental Baptist organizations operating in Equatorial Guinea, and so Jonathan & Wendy had to cut through bureaucratic “red tape” in order to open the country to Fundamental Baptist Missions. Their efforts were rewarded in 2004 when they succeeded in getting the government to recognize their mission board (GFA) as an official religious organization free to operate within the borders of Equatorial Guinea.  This now paves the way for other fundamental missionaries to enter the country.

While home on furlough in 2005, their daughter, Gloria was born.  Wendy had some complications following the birth and, after going back to E.G. in Nov. the Lathams were forced to return to the U.S. for medical treatment. Wendy is doing much better now. In Jan. 2007, Jonathan wrote, “Wendy’s doing much better, but she’s not quite ready for Africa. We decided to come to Spain to help in the ministry here and allow time for Wendy to continue to regain her strength before returning to Africa.”  The Lathams hope to return to E.G. sometime in 2007, meanwhile they will continue working in a ministry in northern Spain.

Jonathan, Wendy & Gloria Latham in Spain	Jonathan & Wendy with their daughter, Gloria in her first snow - January 06
Visitation, Jungle style. A 4-wheel drive truck is a necessity in Africa.	Villagers gather to watch a Christian film; afterwards Jonathan preaches to the crowd.
Mixing cement to pour the slab for a new English School in the village. The villagers willingly pitched in to help with the project.