About Us

Hello, We are Jeff and Heather Stutzman. Our lives began very differently but God in His grace brought us together.

Jeff

I was born in Indiana on a farm. O.K. Actually I was born in the hospital, but I came home from the hospital to a farm. I grew up there in Southern Indiana on a small farm and most of my younger years were spent taking care of animals, mostly the 180+ hogs we had. I was saved very young when my sister witnessed to me. Later I began to doubt my salvation. My mind (at the prompting of Satan) kept coming up with questions like did I really fully understand what I was doing? In Jr. High I received the assurance of my salvation. I came to understand that we all accept Christ like children. No, we may not understand all the doctrinal ins and outs of the depravity of man and the vicarious atonement but I believed I was a sinner and that Jesus died for me and I could go to heaven by asking him. God began leading me to surrender to serve him vocationally in Jr. High and I submitted to His will. He then began leading me to missions. I was willing and trusted him to work out the details. Through an encounter with a Filipino missionary God started leading me to the Philippines. All through High School God kept bringing up the Philippines. I was not serving God at the time but He kept working on me. I also developed a love for aviation while in High school and began working on my Private Pilots License. I tested for my license just days before leaving for college and actually passed before registering for classes at Bob Jones University in Greenville S.C.

I arrived on B.J. Campus a young arrogant freshman with a lot of things for God to straighten out. When I enrolled for college I was outwardly doing what I believed God wanted me to do, but inside I was far from God. It took some very hard circumstances and Christian friends but God got a hold of my heart and began directing me his way. By the end of that school year I still had a ways to go but was at least headed in the right direction both physically and mentally. My major at college required me to stay for two months of summer school. When the second month started, I met a young lady named Heather Gennaria. One of the first times I saw her a friend of mine and I were at the sand volleyball court and I pointed to a young lady walking over to the court, and said. “You see that girl over there” I’m going to marry that girl.” “That girl” was Heather Gennaria whom I am married to.

Heather

I was born in Barge Memorial Hospital on Bob Jones University campus. My father was studying as a ministerial student and once he graduated we moved to Danville, KY. I was five when we moved so I was not a whole lot of help in starting the Church there but I smiled and helped where I could. I was saved at a Christian camp when I was 11 and surrendered to serve God full time at the same Christian camp at age 14. I grew up there in Danville working at Wendy’s and saving for college. From Kindergarten through 12th grade I was home schooled. My parents worked very hard to see that I got a good education. The summer between my Jr. year of High School and my Senior year I went down to Bob Jones University and took some college level classes during summer school. While there I decided one night to go out and relax and watch some people play sand volleyball. That is where I met Jeff.

Us

We met that summer and dated from there. For 14 months we dated long distance while Heather was finishing High School in KY and I was still in school in SC. God kept us together and growing together and in Him all through college. Jeff spent one summer in the Philippines and it was that time that solidified in his mind that God wanted him to serve Him full time as a missionary in the Philippines. Heather was willing to serve God anywhere and we believed that it was God’s will for us to serve Him together. Therefore, after college we were married and for several years we lived in Indiana and helped with a local church plant in Trafalgar, IN. While serving in Community Bible Church (now Sycamore Bible Church) we were preparing to go to the Philippines and waiting for God’s timing. After paying off our school bills, we selected a mission board and began deputation. Our deputation was not a quick process but we continued to learn about faith and trusting God. In April of 2008 we left Indiana and move to the Philippines. We spent our first 2 year term in Manila where we studied the language, adjusted to culture, and worked through a lot of government paperwork. Also while in Manila our son, Samuel was born. In March of 2011 after years of preparation and work we moved into the city of Dagupan to begin our ministry.