Around the World
The Heart of True Missionaries
By Mark Brandt
Here for the third time I am ready to come to you. And I will not be a burden, for I seek not what is yours but you. For children are not obligated to save up for their parents, but parents for their children. I will most gladly spend and be spent for your souls. If I love you more, am I to be loved less? (2 Corinthians 12:14-15, ESV).
In his second letter to the Corinthian church Paul expressed the feelings of his heart. The man we consider the apostle called to the Gentiles was instrumental in starting the Corinthian church. He had a burning passion for the Gentiles that was put there by the Holy Spirit. You cannot help but feel his love for those he led to Christ. In similar fashion, every genuinely called missionary I have known has also had a God-given burden and passion for the peoples to whom God sent them.
While serving in Papua New Guinea, I had the blessing and privilege of leading many men, women, and children to the Lord. One of my dearest children I led to Christ was a man named Aro. Aro accepted Christ in the living room of our house in Papua New Guinea. We had hired him as a driver for our ambulance. Although he had a reputation as being a bit of a scoundrel, he was also known as a seasoned driver with a lot of experience on the dangerous, steep, and often rain-soaked, muddy roads.
During the course of working together and sharing many harrowing experiences on those roads, we became close friends. Often we would take two vehicles to the coastal port to sell coffee and potatoes and pick up medical supplies, propane, corrugated roofing, and other items for a cheaper price than what it cost in the smaller towns in the mountainous rainforest where we lived. This was often a risky affair with steep hairpin turns and the possibility of encountering bandits who would take advantage of treacherous sections of road where they could block the path and rob people of their money, clothes, watches, and other valuables. Sometimes they even hijacked the vehicles. Aro and I navigated many occasions when we got stuck on roads turned to deep mud pits or were forced to maneuver around roadblocks. Traveling to a port city meant we had to spend several nights at missionary hostels. Consequently, we had a lot of time to talk and joke and laugh, but more importantly, I was able to share my faith with Aro and his family. Eventually Aro surrendered his life to Christ and became an awesome man of God and godly husband and father.
While my wife, Debbie, and I were on furlough in the early ’90s to raise support for our work, something terrible happened. A clan war broke out between two long-time enemy clans who had battled several times right on our mission station. Usually another Open Bible missionary named Wally Lee, several of our indigenous pastors, and I were able to break up those wars. (That’s a whole other testimony of God’s power and grace.)
The war that broke out while Debbie and I were on furlough was over the death of Aro’s sister, who likely suffered heart failure due to a long-term illness. But the local shaman determined that sorcery had been used by opposing clan members to murder Aro’s sister for some previous altercation between her and an opposing clan member which had given the opposing clan the grounds for having Aro’s sister killed. Hence all hell broke loose, and the two opposing clans went to war right on the station. For six weeks the battle intensified with many people on both sides being wounded. Sadly, Aro was pressured into participating in the battles and was mortally wounded in the head by an arrow. When Debbie and I received the news while itinerating, we were devastated and wept off and on for days.
When we returned from our furlough, there at the entrance gate to the mission station stood Aro’s wife and one of his sisters dressed in black and with faces painted in traditional red clay, indicating the time of mourning was not complete. We got out of the vehicle and wrapped our arms around one another and wept. Even now as I write these words 33 years later my tears are flowing – tears of sorrow, but also tears of joy as I have blessed assurance that even though Aro succumbed to the pressures of clan and culture, he had entrusted his soul to the One who had prepared a place for him. Those words of Paul still resonate in my heart, “I will most gladly spend and be spent for your souls.”
About the Author
Mark and Debbie Brandt served the Lord as Open Bible missionaries for three, four-year terms in Papua New Guinea and five and one-half years in Australia among the Aboriginal people. They have also served as pastors, church planters, and INSTE facilitators. Mark has five years of experience as a general contractor and helped build an addition at Calvary Open Bible in Springfield, Oregon. Now semi-retired, the Brandts serve part-time as the seniors’ pastor at Calvary Open Bible in Springfield and relish their role as Nana and Pops with family in Texas and Louisiana. The Brandts would be honored to share about missions anywhere they are invited.
“We will not hide them from their children, telling to the generation
to come the praises of the Lord, and His strength and His wonderful works that He has done”
(Psalms 78:4 NKJV).
On March 1, 1967, Melvyn and Barbara Kelderman moved to Trinidad and Tobago. That step of obedience began a family legacy that decades later led us—their son and daughter-in-law—to return as full-time missionaries serving with the School of Global Leadership (SGL). Looking back, we see God’s faithfulness from one generation to the next.
Before being appointed as missionaries in 2024, we both taught secondary school while serving at Open Bible Church in Omaha, Nebraska. During those years, God gave us countless opportunities to grow in ministry and deepen our calling. Having served in cross-cultural ministry in several countries, we were grateful when He opened the door to join Global Missions full time. Today we serve with the School of Global Leadership, helping believers discover their role in God’s global mission and equipping those who are moving from called to sent.
School of Global Leadership
Since its beginning in 2010, SGL has helped revitalize the vision for missions within the Open Bible Standard Churches of Trinidad and Tobago. Their work in Trinidad and beyond has helped SGL to become a partner with the Global Missions department in helping connect, expand, and reach into other countries around the world with the Gospel.
One of SGL’s greatest joys is hosting teams from Open Bible Churches in the United States. These short-term ministry experiences allow participants to encounter Trinidad’s diverse religious landscape, including Muslim, Hindu, and African-derived faith communities, while discovering how God may be calling them to serve. SGL also equips future missionaries through online courses and hands-on training. Whether you’re exploring God’s call, preparing for long-term service, or simply wanting to learn more about His work among the nations, we’d love to help you take your next step.
Looking to the Future
While Trinidad remains our training base, we believe God is expanding this vision. Our hope is to establish SGL training hubs in Europe, Asia, Latin America, and Africa so that future leaders can be equipped within their own languages and cultures. As we continue partnering with Global Missions, we believe God will open doors to train and equip missionaries from everywhere to everywhere.
We are deeply grateful for the churches and individuals who pray for us and faithfully support this ministry (Philippians 1: 3). Together we are helping prepare the next generation of workers who will carry the gospel to the nations. Just as others invested in us, we now have the privilege of investing in those God is calling today – and we believe He will continue telling His story from generation to generation.
About the Authors
Brent and Sara Kelderman are pastors and missionaries with Open Bible Churches USA. After serving as teachers at a public high school in Nebraska and as associate pastors in their local church, God expanded their calling into full-time missions. Throughout their marriage, God has woven a passion for the nations into their hearts. They currently serve within the School of Global Leadership (SGL) in Trinidad and Tobago. Their ministry includes hosting missions teams, leading missions training, and partnering with local churches. They are grateful for all God has done and look forward to all He will continue to do in and through their lives.
In parts of Nigeria today, land is no longer just a livelihood – it’s a battleground. In search of increasingly scarce water and grazing land, semi-nomadic Muslim herdsmen are moving their flocks south into areas already inhabited by Christian farmers. This encroachment has intensified conflict, resulting in thousands of deaths, the displacement of millions, increased kidnappings, and deepening ethnic tensions. This is the environment in which Open Bible’s ministry continues day after day.
Despite these challenges, the Gospel is advancing.
Okon Obot, Open Bible’s Superintendent in Nigeria, shared the following story with me:
Recently we held an evangelistic crusade in one of the affected regions. Despite security concerns, people came looking for hope and peace. Evangelistic crusades remain a powerful and effective way to share the Gospel in village communities where fear and uncertainty are a part of daily life.
The theme of the crusade was “Arise and Shine,” and over 300 people gathered. By the end, sixteen people had given their lives to Jesus and fifteen were immediately baptized and welcomed into the church, each a testimony to God’s faithfulness.
A high point of the crusade was the reconciliation of a family of brothers divided for five years. Under the conviction of the Holy Spirit as the Word of God was shared, they chose forgiveness and were restored to one another. They returned to their homes with joy and peace.
In response to God’s work in their lives, the brothers donated a large piece of property in their village, Mbabuu, for the construction of a church building.
This is where the 2026 Global Harvest Offering, “Build Hope for Africa,” comes in. When we reach our goal of $200,000, Nigeria will be one of the recipients. Open Bible will partner directly with Pastor Okon to build a new church building in a place like the village Mbabuu.
This is more than a construction project – it is the next step of what God is doing. Despite hardship, churches in Nigeria are growing and new buildings are needed to serve expanding congregations and reach their communities.
Your gift to “Build Hope for Africa” can help provide a visible witness of Jesus in a region marked by instability and equip local leaders like pastor Okon to continue evangelizing where the need is great.
In a place where land is fought over, God continues to build His Church!
Snapshots of the vibrant ministry happening in Nigeria:
About the Author
Tammy Swailes is passionate about cross-cultural Christian education, so working with INSTE Bible College to disciple and equip leaders throughout Europe and beyond is a great fit! Tammy has lived in Europe since 1999 – first in Hungary and now Ukraine. Before that, she was in Japan, as well as Spokane, Washington. She now serves as INSTE regional director in Europe, assisting INSTE programs in five languages. Tammy has her undergraduate degrees in both Missions and Christian Education and a MA in Intercultural Studies. Photography, good coffee, multi-cultural experiences, and the family’s Yorkie are some of Tammy’s favorite things.
Have you ever wondered, What in the world are our Open Bible missionaries doing now? We wish we could visit every church or sit down over coffee and share what God is doing where we serve—but that isn’t always possible.
So this month, we’ve gathered brief notes from missionaries around the world. As you’ve read these updates from around the world, we invite you to pray for our missionaries—their families, their ministries, and the communities they serve. Please also share these stories with your church so others can join in prayer.
Use the interactive map below to see the updates:
Trouble seeing the map? Click HERE
About the Author
Tammy Swailes is passionate about cross-cultural Christian education, so working with INSTE Bible College to disciple and equip leaders throughout Europe and beyond is a great fit! Tammy has lived in Europe since 1999 – first in Hungary and now Ukraine. Before that, she was in Japan, as well as Spokane, Washington. She now serves as INSTE regional director in Europe, assisting INSTE programs in five languages. Tammy has her undergraduate degrees in both Missions and Christian Education and a MA in Intercultural Studies. Photography, good coffee, multi-cultural experiences, and the family’s Yorkie are some of Tammy’s favorite things.