Judy Gonnerman's Call to Missions

CBC graduate and full-time missionary, Judy Gonnerman, on the mission field in Kyrgyzstan. Here she stands with young ladies modeling dresses donated by ministry partners. (Click to enlarge)Charis Bible College graduate, Judy Gonnerman, has been serving the Lord as a full-time missionary since she finished her studies at CBC-Colorado in 1999. Judy and her husband, Bob Gonnerman, were born again and baptized in the Holy Spirit in the late 1970s. A short time later, the couple heard Andrew speak in Kansas City, Missouri; both appreciated Andrew's down to earth ministry and were excited to learn more about God's love and grace. "Like many people, we had not heard much about God's grace and Andrew's teaching had a defining effect on our lives," said Judy.

Bob Gonnerman and the team he traveled with to Russia in 1997. In this photo they were in Murmansk.
(Click to enlarge)The Gonnermans both held secular jobs into the 1990s; Bob worked as a stock broker and a postal employee, and Judy worked in the health insurance industry. Judy retired from her job in 1992, choosing instead to be a stay-at-home mom and to homeschool the Gonnerman's twin, seven-year-old sons, Joshua and David. They settled their family on a farm in northwest Missouri where they worked, raised their family, and served a small rural church. All the while they continued to listen to Andrew's teaching.

Judy remembers hearing contemporary Christian music artist, Carman, sing the song, Lazarus, Come Forth in the mid 90s—only she heard the words, "Judy, Come Forth." Map of Russia indicating the location of Murmansk. (Click to enlarge)After listening to that song, the Lord began to speak to Judy that, like Lazarus, God had something more for her life. "Lazarus was in Abraham's bosom, which was a good place to be, but God had a better plan for him. In the same way, what Bob and I were doing was a good, but He had a better plan for our lives," said Judy.

In pursuit of what the future held for them, the Gonnermans turned their attention more fully to the things of God. In 1996, after listening to Andrew for nearly two decades, they worked their way through the CBC Correspondence curriculum for first-year students. In 1997, Bob and Judy, 63, and The Gonnermans (right) in Ufa, Russia. (Click to enlarge)51 respectively, moved their family to Colorado Springs to attend second year classes.

During the Gonnerman's second semester in Colorado, Linus LeFever, the CBC missions director at the time, asked Bob to consider going to Russia to help start at CBC extension school. Bob joined a short-term mission team and went to Russia. While he was away Judy would often say, “Bob is God's sheep and he knows His voice—the voice of a stranger he will not follow.” When Bob returned, and announced that he thought they should go to Russia, Judy had to remind herself that Bob knew His voice. "As a faith person, all I could do was gulp, smile, and say, "Okay," Judy recalled.Flying home. Bob in the airport in Portugal as the family headed back to the US a year and a half after his ALS diagnosis.
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Judy was unable to visit Russia prior to making a final decision about serving there; she simply put her faith in God and trusted her husband's decision. The Gonnermans sold all their belongings and moved their family to Russia to assist in the launch of a new Bible college. Judy fell in love with the Russian people and has always been glad she took those steps pf faith.

Things went well for the family for their first year or so on the mission field; however, in the summer of 2000, Bob was diagnosed with Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS/Lou Gehrig's disease) a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. Bob's doctors advised the Gonnermans not to stay on the field. Considering that the doctors also said there was nothing they could do for Bob, the couple chose to continue to serve God.

Judy and her two sons, Joshua and David. (Click to enlarge)Determined to continue their work, the Gonnermans headed to Murmansk, Russia, but because of Bob's condition, the pastors they were assisting asked them to leave. Due to their love for the Russian people this was a hard time for the family. The Gonnermans turned their attention to Portugal where they helped another couple start a Bible college. They spent another seventeen months there before Bob became too weak to continue. "All Bob wanted to do was teach the Word. He taught his last lesson on April 15, 2002; we flew to the States on April 28 and he flew home to Jesus on May 10," said Judy.

Judy with Charis Bible Training Center students. Many of these are also university students in St. Petersburg. (Click to enlarge)Fifteen months later, at the age of 57, Judy and her boys headed back to the mission field in Russia where they joined Carrie Pickett at the CBC extension school, Charis Bible Training Center. Judy said, "It was like coming home to be reunited with old friends."

A short time later the boys returned to the States; Joshua to go to college and David to serve in the United States Navy. While Judy did travel to see them off, she returned to Russia knowing her work there wasn't finished.

In 2004, Judy was part of a CBTC mission team that went to Kyrgyzstan, and the Lord began to speak to her about a ministry there. Reluctant to move several thousand miles southeast, Judy at the children's home in Kyrgyzstan. (Click to enlarge)Judy made tentative plans to relocate in 2007. Circumstances and God's timing allowed her to stay in Russia an extra year. During her extended stay, the Russian Visa laws changed, making it necessary to leave Russia three out of every six months. This worked out perfectly for Judy as she was able to work and minister in both places. For Judy it proved to be the best of both worlds.

Today Judy still balances ministry in both locations. In Kyrgyzstan she works in a children's home and has also taken the opportunity to minister in many churches and to church leaders. In Judy teaching at CBTC in St. Petersburg. (Click to enlarge)St. Petersburg, Russia Judy steps in for Mike and Carrie Pickett during their three month visa rotation. While at CBTC she teaches and is involved with the foreign student groups.

Judy said one of her greatest joys is to see the Word of God change people. "There is nothing more wonderful to me, than to go back to some place I have ministered previously and hear their testimonies," said Judy. "The purpose of my ministry has always been to be where God wants me and be available to do what He wants, and that is still true. Teaching, hospitality and giving have always been a part of this, and as long as I receive God's provision in finances and health, I hope to be able to keep ministering to the body of Christ for years to come," Judy said thoughtfully.

CBC-Chicago Ministers Globally

Second-year CBC Chicago students traveled the world in March. They ministered in Nicaragua, Uganda and Russia where they had the privilege of sharing the power and goodness of God. (Click to enlarge)Over the course of the past academic year, the second-year students at Charis Bible College in Chicago, Illinois prepared for their mission trips abroad. The students took mission prep classes, in which they received practical training in how to effectively minister the almost-to-good-to-be-true-news, in word and power, to the people in foreign nations. "Mission trips are the highlight of students’ experience at CBC. It is the time when everything they’ve trained for comes to the forefront and they operate as who they really are—citizens of heaven and Jesus in the earth," said CBC-Chicago Director, Cindy Quarles.

In March, the school sent three teams on three separate trips across the globe with stops in Nicaragua, Uganda and Russia. As each team returned, their hearts and mouths were full of praise and reports of God's amazing love displayed through the students on the field. Lives were changed as a result of each trip.

Nicaragua:

The first team sent out from Chicago ministered in Nicaragua, where they experienced the blessings of street and prison ministry. The Chicago team worked closely with students from CBC-Gardner, Massachusetts, CBC-Indiana and CBC-Colorado, all hosted by Darey and Karen Jolley of Ambassadors to the Nations.

Ministry through provision. Here a CBC student put a new pair of shoes on a little boy. (Click to enlarge)After providing packages with necessities, this Chicago student shares a hug. (Click to enlarge)

Russia:

CBC-Chicago's Russia team shared the love of God with the people of St. Petersburg. Hosted by Mike and Carrie Pickett, the directors of Charis Bible Training Center, the students ministered in half-way houses to people who have come out of a lifestyle of drugs and alcoholism. The team was able to bring hope and encouragement to the residents by sharing their personal testimonies, the Word, fellowship and love.

Chicago students ministered in a local church setting in St. Petersburg. (Click to enlarge)The Chicago team gathered with the CBTC staff and students after a church service. (Click to enlarge)

Uganda:

Chicago's Uganda mission team traveled to the country's capitol city of Kampala where they were hosted by CBC-Uganda director, Leland Shores and his wife Carole. During one outreach, the Chicago students teamed up with the Ugandan students and they traveled an hour north of Kampala to pray for the sick in Nakaseke hospital. Forty-eight people, in the predominantly Muslim area, were born again as a result of this outreach, and 117 of the 150 people prayed for were discharged from the hospital after receiving their healings! Cindy commented, "They pretty much emptied out the hospital! "God is Awesome!"

Here a Chicago student lays hands on a sick child in the Nagaseke hospital. (Click to enlarge) The students saw 117 people discharged after receiving their healing. (Click to enlarge)

Cindy expressed her thanks to all who contributed and supported the CBC-Chicago teams in any way. "Your gifts and prayers have eternal significance. People are the treasure," said Cindy.

CBC Colorado Visits Russia

Student-missionaries from CBC-Colorado journeyed to St. Petersburg, Russia to gain experience teaching and ministering on foreign soil. (Click to enlarge)A Charis Bible College (CBC) student mission team recently returned from the mission field in Russia. Team leader and CBC instructor, Dr. Delron Shirley, led the twelve member team to St. Petersburg where they connected with missionaries Mike and Carrie Pickett, co-directors of the CBC extension school in St. Petersburg, Charis Bible Training Center (CBTC). The purpose of the trip was for the students to gain experience teaching the Word of God on foreign soil. The group spent twelve days touring and ministering in a variety of venues in the former USSR.

Dr. Delron Shirley and his interpreter teaching the Charis Bible Training Center students. (Click to enlarge)The Colorado students used CBTC as their base and began their mission experience sharing testimonies and teachings with the CBTC students. This was a great cultural opportunity in itself, as the CBTC student body is made up of more international students than Russians. Many Africans and Indians attend a local university where they study medicine and engineering during the day, and then attend Bible college in the evenings.

The team from Colorado also had the opportunity to minister to recovering addicts in a St. Petersburg drug and alcohol rehabilitation center. The CBC team and those they ministered to in the St. Petersburg Rehab. (Click to enlarge) In addition to sharing the Word, several of the students gave personal testimonies of deliverance from alcohol related problems. The meeting closed with a powerful time of prayer ministry, during which at least one man was baptized in the Holy Spirit.

The Colorado team, and a team from CBTC, traveled together by bus to a village five hours northwest of St. Petersburg, where they visited a local church and spent three days ministering to believers in the community. The teams had to register with the Russian authorities to be allowed access to this particular village because it was home to a Russian military base. Co-Director of Charis Bible Training Center and AWM-Russia, Mike Pickett ministering at a small village church. (Click to enlarge)The students did not have any trouble passing through the military check points because they had filed the appropriate documents prior to their arrival; however, the pastor of the church was interrogated at length, as to the nature of the team's visit to his church. The questioning was due in part to heightened security after the suicide bombing that took place in Moscow's Domodedovo airporton the day the Colorado team arrived in the country.

Security aside, the students were able to minister in the village church Friday evening, all day Saturday and on Sunday morning. Students gathered to pray for those with need in the village church.
(Click to enlarge)The church sanctuary also served as the students lodging while in the village.

"It was almost twenty years ago that I was in Russia last," said Delron. "At that time, the Communist Block was just beginning to break up and the people were just beginning to wake from the seventy-two-year-long nightmare of totalitarian rule to the dream of freedom. Leningrad had not yet returned to its original name of St. Petersburg, and the few believers in the city were still meeting in secret underground churches. While in St. Petersburg, the men from the CBC team had a short walk along the bustling streets to catch the Metro. (Click to enlarge)The economy was devastated to the point that the people had to stand in long bread lines just to get enough food to supply their daily needs. The Russia I found on this trip was a completely new world with bustling streets filled with prosperous citizens moving freely and enjoying life. But most of all, I found a vibrant and growing Christian community freely living and sharing their faith."

Third year CBC intern and co-leader Mark Dykstra echoed Delron's sentiment about the Russian people when he said, "The people were very warm and receptive to the Gospel message."