B.J. & Rachel Whitaker
Miriam & Laura
What has touched us is talking with people who are longing for someone to listen to them. The more we listen, the more we discover who they are, the problems they have, and the ache in their lives for something more than they have, something or Someone that will heal their wounds and meet their needs. Most of the time they don't realize that what they're longing for is Jesus. Most are looking for hope, fulfillment, and happiness, and almost always they're looking for it in the wrong place, in the wrong way, trying to fill the hole with temporary fixes. We see this clearly in the self-centered, materialistic way people around us live. Our deepest desire for Spaniards is that they come to know the God who made them, who gave His Son for the forgiveness of their sins and for their healing, and who is wooing them to Himself.
From 2010 to 2020, we served as pioneer church planters in the town of Alcora, Spain. In 2020, God led us to move to the town of Meco near Madrid, where we are helping in the outreach efforts there, as well as engaging in other ministries. Rachel is also involved in TCK (Third Culture Kid) ministry with ECMI and beyond, while B.J. is working to develop men’s ministry that would help men become truly alive in Christ and reflect the image of God more fully.
Rachel, the daughter of missionaries, was born and raised in southern Spain, while B.J. was raised in a working class family in rural central Illinois. They have two daughters, Miriam and Laura. Their deepest desire is for Spaniards to know the God who made them, who gave His Son for the forgiveness of their sins and for their healing, and who is wooing them to Himself. The focus of their lives and their ministry is pretty simple: Love God and love others (Matt. 22:37- 39).