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A
Lifelong Dream Becomes a Reality
Our
Background
Suzanne and I believe that everything that has happened to
both of us in life from an early age, whether it was Suzanne's
overseas experiences growing up in London, England or Geoffrey's
upbringing on a family farm in Texas, has prepared us for
a lifetime of missions. Our lives were very different growing
up; mine was certainly rural, and hers was urban. We both
grew up in strong Christian homes where there was a deep appreciation
for the Word and the Church. Slowly God began to work on our
hearts, drawing us to Him and to the lost of the world. We
had many early Godly influences, exposures to ministry and
mission experiences to compel and inspire us.
I received a Bachelor of Science degree in Range Science from
ACU and later a Master of Science degree in Missions. Suzanne
obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Education from Abilene
Christian University. We both went through the training program
at the Sunset School of Preaching in Lubbock, Texas. Since
1994, Geoffrey has been privileged to present Christ as a
missionary in Utah, as a campus minister in Oklahoma, and
now as the pulpit minister in a rural community north of Abilene.
Suzanne and I are celebrating 16 years together in marriage.
We are blessed with four children: two boys - Caleb (13) and
Seth (12), and two girls - London (8) and Micah (2). Growing
up in the country, they know how to work hard with their hands
and how to raise animals. We spend a lot of time together
as a family doing ministry together. They understand the importance
and value of serving others.
How
God Is Calling Us
We firmly believe God is calling us now to work among the
poor nations of the world where Christ is not known and where
human suffering is great. Our commitment is to world missions
utilizing development ministry. It is interesting to see how
God is now bringing together my background in agriculture
and my love for missions. Years ago when I began preaching
I thought I needed to leave behind my agricultural training.
Now I see how God is going to use that agricultural background
as a means for compassion and witness as the gospel is preached
to the poor.
Where God Is Calling Us
Although Suzanne and I clearly see now God's Hand leading
us to work in Burkina Faso we were completely unfamiliar with
that nation until a special missions event at ACU in October
of 2006. It was at that event, called Mission Quest, that
we first saw the video documentary on the Dagara people and
the team calling for more workers to join them in the areas
of agriculture, medicine, and education. We believe God was
calling us to meet that specific need.
God had
been working on our hearts and clarifying our calling in missions
long before that event earlier in the year, around April of
2006. We had been considering mission works in Honduras and
Swaziland. It wasn't until later that we learned that it was
those exact times, April and October of 2006, that Christians
in West Africa and the Dagara Team was praying specifically
for more workers to come to that forgotten part of the world.
We saw this as confirmation of the Spirit's leading.
As we
began corresponding with the team in Dano, Burkina Faso, we
continued to be impressed with this Spirit led people movement
among the Dagara that was truly indigenous. In January of
2007, Suzanne and I began mission training and preparation
with the Halbert Institute of Missions at ACU not knowing
exactly if God would open a door for us in West Africa or
some other part of the world.
Through another series of events God had led us into contact
with David Goolsby of Healing Hands International out of Nashville,
Tennessee. David Goolsby, Director of International Development
and Agriculture Relief, invited me to attend a drip irrigation
seminar in Dakar, Senegal with him in February 2007. Because
I was already so close to Burkina Faso, I decided to visit
the team in Dano working among the Dagara people.
Although
my initial visit to Burkina Faso was brief, it made a powerful
impact on me. God was truly doing an amazing thing among the
Dagara people. A people in darkness were seeing the light
and coming to Christ in large numbers. People with little
hope were finding in Jesus a reason to live and to rejoice
despite their dire physical circumstances. And the team of
missionaries was doing everything in a way to facilitate local
leadership and indigenous church growth.
The
Invitation by the Dagara Team
God continued to lead us throughout the year to consider Burkina
Faso as the place He had prepared for us. By the summer, the
Dagara team invited our family to come on a survey trip as
a family to see how we might fit in with the team and the
needs of the work there. So, in October of 2007, we traveled
as a family to spend three weeks getting to know the team,
understanding the needs of the Dagara, and seeing what it
would take to live in a harsh and remote part of the world.
After
much prayer and consideration the team invited us to join
the work among the Dagara with these words: "We, the
Christians serving in Dano, invite you to join us as we work
among the Dagara people for God's glory. As the Lord has called
each of us to Burkina Faso, West Africa, we believe He has
also called you to service in this place. Please do us the
honor of joining our team as we work together to silence the
stones among the Dagara."
Two weeks
later, on November 29, 2007 we responded: "The Richter
family humbly and enthusiastically accepts your invitation
to join in God's redemptive work among the Dagara people living
in Burkina Faso. We look forward to being a part of the team
of Christians serving in that part of the world. We strongly
believe that it is God who has called us to this specific
place at this specific time in our lives. While we have great
aspirations about facilitating change in the lives of the
Dagara through the Gospel, we realize that we also will be
changed greatly in this process. May God bless us all with
humility, service and effectiveness to work together as a
team for His Glory!"
We are
all humbled and excited to be part of this team to work among
the Dagara. Presently we are at work to complete all of our
training, preparation, and funding requirements. Our prayer
is to be able to be in Burkina Faso by the fall of 2008. Thank
God, along with us, that He has put this dream in our hearts
and that it has now become a reality in our lives. We are
so privileged to serve our Lord in this way.
For His
Glory and Service,
The Richter Family
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