There are many people who have gone out from St Michael's to serve in countries all around the world. Here are just a few with whom we have links:
South America
Ed and Sarah Moulding
Ed and Sarah were both students in St Michael's. They are now in La Faz in Bolivia with Food for the Hungry. They are presently learning Spanish before embarking on the work that awaits them. (http://www.fh.org/)
Sarah Clay
Sarah was a student at St Michael's. She is now serving in Peru with Latin Link (partnered with Prettygate Baptist Church and Grace Baptist Mission). She is involved in discipling members of small churches as well as assisting in the Rainbow Project. Rainbow provides a home for 20 children awaiting adoption as well as other community work such as a workshop and a feeding programme. (www.latinlink.org/)
Africa
Cath and Tony Swanson
Cath and Tony were students in St Michael's in the late 80s. After further studying and work, they were called to and accepted by Africa Inland Mission to work in Tanzania, in 1999. They were involved in church planting and children's ministry. Between 2002 and 2004 they returned to the UK to train at All Nations Christian College before returning to Tanzania in September 2004. Cath is involved in teaching Sunday school teachers as well being involved in children's ministry and in teaching English. Tony coordinates a post ordination training programme for the Coastal Diocese of the Africa Inland Church. (http://http://www.aimint.org/eu)
Maureen Hamiyanze
Maureen was a student in St Michael's between 1998 and 2002. She is from Zambia and upon graduation she went home and has been working in many poverty alleviation programs with the Government of Zambia and other Development Organization. Now she works as Program Manager for World Hope International Zambia where they mitigate the impact of HIV/AIDS with a specific ministry to widows, orphans and vulnerable children. (http://www.worldhope.org)
Andy Sweet
Andy was a student in St Michael's and is now preparing to serve with SIL (partner with Wycliffe Bible Translators) in Nairobi. This is the location of the Africa Area Office where he will be working. He will be working in project funding, helping to prioritise project proposals from across Africa for funds and he hopes to be involved in an HIV/AIDS education project to
produce materials in 35 languages of Kenya and Ethiopia,
spoken by about 3 million people. (http://www.sil.org/)
Liz Hodgkins
Liz was a student in St Michael's. She is now working at a project near Molo, three and a half hours north west of Nairobi. The project consists of Matumaini Rehabilitation Centre (the hostel) and the Matumaini Training School (Matunmaini means hope in Swahili). The hostel, which began in the 1970’s, provides residential care for approximately 100 physically and mentally disabled children and young people. It is a ministry of the local Pentecostal Evangelical Fellowship of Africa (PEFA) church. At the training school the older disabled pupils learn skills such as tailoring, knitting, metal work, carpentry and computing. Also on the site there is a nursery school, a primary school and a secondary school. Although these are not directly part of the project, the disabled children are integrated into schools as appropriate. She is part of a pioneering IT team
Europe
Rachel Feliciano (nee Peglar)
Rachel was a student in St Michael's in the mid 1990s. She returned after some time away to work until May 2005. She now works with European Christian Mission in Galicia in Spain. She is presently church planting, which she does alongside her husband Lemuel. (http://www.ecmi.org/)
Stacey Redpath
Stacey was a student in St Michael's until 2002 when she went to Redcliffe Bible College to do a certificate in applied theology in cross-cultural contexts. She is currently serving with European Christian Mission in Tours, France. (http://www.ecmi.org/)
Asia
Ruth
Ruth was a student at St Michael's until 2005. She joined OMF (Overseas Missionary Fellowship) and is now studying in a Creative Access Nation learning the language with the view to staying long term.
North America
Anne Barker
Anne Barker lived in Aberystwyth between 1995 and 2005 when she moved to Dallas, Texas to work with Mercy Ships as a Medical Education Facilitator. Mercy Ships, a global charity, operates hospital ships in developing nations. Following the example of Jesus, Mercy Ships brings hope and healing to the poor, mobilizing people and resources worldwide. (www.mercyships.org )
Anne is now back in Aberystwyth but is continuing to work with Mercy Ships
Preparing to go
Heather Simmons
Heather graduated from Aberystwyth in 2003 having completed a geography degree. After graduating she moved to London to work for a Christian organisation called Lee Abbey International Students Club which provides accommodation for international students and through this aims to reach out to them with the gospel for a year. Through her time both in Aberystwyth and London an interest in mission and particularly in East Asia developed. In order to pursue this she started at Belfast Bible College in September 2004 doing a two year Diploma in the Bible and the Church’s Mission. She went to Thailand with OMF in January 2005 in a Sports College teaching English. She also had the opportunity to shadow a couple who were Church planting and to see what it is really like. She has now finished at Belfast Bible College, and has returned to Thailand with OMF.
Rugg and Eluned Phipps
Rug (occasionally known as Mathew!) and Eluned (née Price) studied in Aberystwyth between 1995 and 1999. They were married in St Michael’s in 2000. They spent a year working in Japan, after which they moved to Southampton where Rug was a solicitor and Eluned an English teacher. For several years, they have felt God calling them to serve Him overseas. In 2006 they began studying for a two year degree in biblical and intercultural studies at All Nations Christian College in Hertfordshire. They believe God is preparing them for long term mission work in Europe or Asia, spreading the gospel, discipling new Christians, and encouraging growing churches. They are now living in Madrid, are learning spanish and expect to work in Galacia. they are supported by WEC.
If you would like to find out more, or receive their regular prayer letters, visit: http://themeaningofgo.org or contact: mat@themeaningofgo.org or elyned@themeaningofgo.org
Christine Smith
Christine was in Aberystwyth studying Environmental Biology between 1998 and 2001. She followed this as Student Pastor in St Michael’s between 2001 and 2003.
Christine studied at All Nations Bible College and currently is a church worker in Yeovil.