Meet Our Team

I know we have talked a lot about some of our team members, but we thought we would use this post to formally introduce you to the team. These are our family away from home. Starting from left to right:

Megan Bloemker (black shirt, 2nd from left): 

Megan is a single missionary who has been here 2 years. She is from Illinois. Currently she is working with community schools. She is our AskJeeves of Zambia. If there is something you need to know, no matter how trivial, she probably has the answer.

Luke & Elise Whitfield (far left and standing behind Megan): 

Many of you may or may not know, but Luke and I served a summer in Kenya with Teen Missions International back in 1995. Luke and Elise have four children (Macie, Emma, Payton & Marley).  Marley, their 6 week old, also has a Zambian name - Taziona, which means "We have seen it!"  They have been here a little over one year and are also from Illinois. Luke is a gifted evangelist.

Tim and Andrea Hilty (next couple from the left): 

Tim is our field director and oversees the C.R.O.S.S. project for Action Zambia. The C.R.O.S.S. Project is the HIV/AIDS ministry which stands for Churches Ready to Overcome Silence and Stigma. They are parents to two children, one adopted (Ireene) and one born just weeks ago (Ian). They have been here for two years.

Us: You know us already.

Steve and Stephanie Allen (to the right of us): 

Kerri and I met the Allens at orientation a little over a year ago. Steve is a gifted teacher and works on the Pastor Leadership and Development team. He is also a gifted writer. If you get a chance, check out his blog: www.AliveInAfrica.com. The Allens are about to be parents to 4 (Kamryn, Bradyn, Julia & ?). They will be traveling back to the States in June for the birth of their baby.

Tracey and Karen Singleton: 

Tracey and Karen arrived on the field a month before we did. Tracey was a senior pastor back in Illinois. He has also come to serve on the PLD team. He will be spearheading the development of a Bible Institute aimed at educating pastors here in Zambia. Tracey and Karen have 4 grown children back in the States. Their youngest is in college.  They are the only grandparents on our team!  

Glenn and Liese Ripley: 

The Ripley’s are our veteran couple. They opened the field for ACTION close to 7 years ago. Glenn heads up the Pastor Leadership and Development Team. Liese has a thriving women’s bible study. They are parents to 3 sons back in the States and 2 adopted children (Gift & Grace) here in Zambia.  We are constantly benefitting from the Ripley's knowledge and experience as Glenn is conducting our orientation classes and Liese our language classes.

Manyando – The Ripley’s dog:

The name is a Tonga word meaning “Trouble.” She wasn’t supposed to be in the picture, but snuck out of the gate at the last minute.

Graham and Sarah Melville: 

Graham and Sarah are our only non-US couple. They are originally from the U.K. but had been living in California before they came to Zambia. They are parents to two children (Phillip and Rachel). Graham & Sarah are the office gurus (not necessarily by choice). Graham also serves on the Pastor Leadership and Development Team helping to train Zambian pastors. The Melville’s have been here for 6 months.  We love it when Graham says, "I say..."

So, that's all of us!  Please pray for our team!