Missions

First, we believe that we are ALL called to be missionaries as God's apostles (literally, 'sent ones') in the world.  However, we are blessed to have the privilege of supporting several domestic and overseas missionaries through finances and prayers.  In addition to these missionaries, we support 'Land of a Thousand Hills' coffee.

Domestic and Foreign Missionaries

Elizabeth Bonnell - Cameroon, Africa

Elizabeth Bonnell came to Blacksburg as a student at Virginia Tech in 2000. After leaving school for financial reasons she got a job working for Jim Sallie in the office of his business. He was helping to plant an AMiA church in Blacksburg so he invited her to visit. She agreed to go under the condition that nobody would talk to her. David Maranz was the first to greet her and she promptly informed him that she was not a Christian.

After visiting The River as a self proclaimed non-Christian every Sunday that first summer we met at Kipps Elementary she decided to trust in the Lord in Fall 2005 and her life has been changed ever since. Even before she graduated from VT in May 2008 with a B.S. in Physics and a B.S. in Mathematics God put a strong desire in her heart to be a witness for Christ.

She is now on the path to becoming a full time cross cultural missionary. Her current area of missions investigation is Bible Translation; there are over 2,500 languages in the world without a single verse of the Bible. Now four years after she told David Maranz "I am not a Christian," she is sent by The River to Cameroon to work with Bob and Yezmin Ulfers on a project that was started by a team assigned by David Maranz.

Bob and Yezmin Ulfers - Cameroon, Africa

Bob and Yezmin Ulfers met as students and young Christians at Virginia Tech in the early 1980's. Both knew they were called to Bible translation as individuals before they married. In 1990 they left for Cameroon Africa with their three young children Josiah, Hannah and Bina. One year later they were assigned by Wycliffe Bible translators (SIL) to the Karang language project near the border of Chad and Central African Republic. In August 2008 while Bob was visiting Blacksburg the Holy Spirit prompted him to ask for a special dedication over the Four Gospels publication in Karang. David Maranz, who assigned the first Wycilffe translation team to the Karang language in 1978 joined Bob and us in that special moment. Today, as Bob and Yezmin continue to translate, that publication is beginning to have a powerful impact on the Karang people. Our own Elizabeth Bonnell is presently with them until October 2009 asking the Lord if Bible translation is her calling. We at the River commit ourselves to pray for the them and the Karang as they work towards completing the New Testament and parts of the Old Testament in the Karang language. They anticipate its completion within the next decade.

Robert and Karen Howe - Blacksburg, VA

Robert & Karen Howe serve with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship at Virginia Tech, ministering among international and graduate students. Robert grew up in Atlanta, GA and Karen was raised in Raleigh, NC. After graduating from colleges in North Carolina, Robert and Karen met during their first year on InterVarsity staff. They were married in 2007 and their son, Alexander, was born in October, 2008. The Howes have helped to launch Across, a collaborative international student ministry in the Blacksburg area. They enjoy overseas travel, cooking different ethnic foods, and walking together around town. Members of St. Paul AME Church in Blacksburg, the Howes are grateful to be part of the extended River family.

Dave and Melissa Sloop - Blacksburg, VA

Dave and Melissa Sloop are on staff with Young Life here in the New River Valley.  Dave spent most of his childhood in Harrisonburg Virginia while Melissa grew up in Saratoga Springs New York.  Though they grew up hundreds of miles apart, they would later find out that they had the same unusual high school mascot, the "Blue Streaks."  It was meant to be.  After college, they both joined the Young Life staff in Botetourt County Virginia and Dillsburg Pennsylvania.  Their paths finally crossed one summer while working at a Young Life camp in Saranac Lake, New York.  It was love at first sight.for Dave.  Eventually, Melissa's feelings caught up and they were married in the winter of 2007.  Shortly after, they were called to lead the Young Life ministry here the New River Valley and have been here since the fall of 2008.  Young Life is a non-denominational outreach organization to high school and middle school kids.  They currently have ministries in Auburn, Blacksburg, Christiansburg, East Mont, and Giles high schools; and Blacksburg and Christiansburg middle schools.  They are also in the beginning stages of ministry at Auburn and Shawsville middle schools.  In addition, they are starting a ministry to kids with special needs called "Capernaum."  Dave and Melissa were very involved in out sister church in Botetourt County called Orchard Hills, and are excited to now be a part of the River family.

Land of a Thousand Hills

One of the missions organizations we support is 'Land of a Thousand Hills' coffee.  L.O.T.H. was envisioned by an entrepreneurial church pastor well before the coffee beans were even roasted. His goal? To provide Christians with the opportunity to combine their faith with their daily routine. The result would be a tangible example of that choice and a chance to share that decision with others.

In 2004, Rev. Jonathan Golden first saw an opportunity to cast his vision and launch a ministry that would invest in the lives of one of the poorest nations in the world--a people desperate to heal after a 100 day genocide that left over one million dead. Investing in a used coffee roaster and a few bags of green beans, it didn't take long to get the hang of roasting. A new coffee experience based on four SACRED GROUNDS was born.

More than an early morning jolt or the centerpiece of a good conversation, Land of a Thousand Hills Coffee is now changing lives for tens of thousands of rural coffee growers one amazing cup of Rwandan coffee at a time. If you want to contribute to this ministry, we take orders each after-church potluck (approximately 1/mo).