Missionaries

Dan & Debbie Boone

Cru  |  Stillwater, Oklahoma
Dan and Debbie joined staff with Cru in 1996.  They served 6 years at Louisiana State University and then Dan became the Campus Director at Oklahoma State University.  After 15 years Dan then became the Mission's Director for all universities and colleges in Arkansas, Oklahoma, and the top of Texas encompassing 540,000 students and includes partnerships with East Asia, Italy and Russia. Additionally, Debbie serves the Cru Human Resource Team that serves 6 states and helps to onboard new staff.  They feel blessed to invest their hearts and lives with students, faculty, and staff to help them know the Lord personally and grow in their relationship with Him.  They are tremendously grateful for everyone who partners with them! 

Brandon & Jennifer Boyd

Cru  |  Stillwater, Oklahoma
We desire to see students’ lives changed as they meet God through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. We believe that at some point while a student is on campus, they will be spiritually open and that right now, many are ready to hear the gospel and respond to Christ. The vision of Oklahoma State Cru is that every student on campus would know someone follows Christ. For the 20 years we have served with Cru at OSU, our focus has been to reach fraternity and sorority students and equip them to leverage their influence, leadership, and relationships for Christ. We dream of seeing thousands of students at OSU come to faith in Christ and leave our campus equipped—not just with a college degree—but with the heart, character, and tools to live missionally and make a difference for Christ around the world.

Joshua & Brenda Lei Casey

Arroyomolinos, Spain
Joshua and Brenda Lei Casey and their 4 precious daughters are church planters in the suburbs of Madrid, Spain, where less than 2% of the population claim to have a personal relationship with Jesus. Their city, Arroyomolinos, is not only the fastest growing city in all of Spain, but it also boasts the highest percentage of kids per capita. With no evangelical church, Joshua and Brenda Lei are convinced God would have their city reached with the Gospel. Passionate about evangelism, discipleship, and prayer, the Caseys are involved in ministry within their city, along the Camino de Santiago, and throughout other unreached cities across Spain.

Nick & Lisa

 Deaf of Africa  |  Africa
Nick and Lisa, along with their four children Jacob, Jesse, Emma, and Faith have served overseas among the deaf of the world for the past decade. Nick, who was born deaf, served as a pastor in Oklahoma while Lisa has been involved with the deaf community as a friend, interpreter and social services worker. They were called to mission work as church planters among the deaf and worked in India before moving to West Africa where they have been for the last six years. They are now responsible for the continent of Africa and have begun work in north, west, and east Africa. God is moving among the Deaf of Africa and they feel blessed to get a front row seat to watch Him at work!

Brian & Shelly Gilson

P28 Ministry  |  Stillwater, Oklahoma
Being burdened to reach the nations and equip others to do the same, Brian and Shelly launched P28 Ministry. Previously, the Gilsons pursued the Great Commission in the Caucasus through a series of short-term trips over several years. Brian and Shelly now engage the international student population at OSU, working particularly close with people from a Muslim background. The strategic nature of international student ministry provides opportunity for truly global impact. International students are typically away from family and support networks, and the Gilsons try to stand in as family, sharing the Gospel through demonstration as well as proclamation.

Larry & Di Mathews

 Wycliffe Bible Translators  |  Papua, Indonesia
Countryside and the Mathews have been partnering for more than a decade. Larry ministers through the duplication of the JESUS film into local languages and assists with the local Christian radio station. Dr. Di teaches courses at the Bible College and treats the medical needs of missionaries. Wycliffe Bible Translators is an organization that has helped bring God’s Word to millions of people across the globe. They believe fervently that everyone deserves access to God’s Word. Wycliffe has been operating for more than 70 years and helps people translate the Bible into their own languages. They completed their 500th translation in 2000. The Wycliffe vision is to have a Bible translation project started in every language still needing one by the year 2025.

Craig & Barbara Prather

Avant Ministries
Craig and Barbara Prather have humbly but powerfully serving God though Avant Ministries. Their primary outreach is to pastors in Cuba. The Prathers minister to Pastors and their wives in Cuba by facilitating several retreats during the year. The Seek First retreats help these couples identify neglected needs in their own relationships which is a profound help as they minister to the Cuban people in their churches. Within the past year, Craig and Barbara were able to identify two committed men to serve as coordinators for the retreats. Prayer needs for the Prather’s ministry include for increased basis resources in Cuba. On their last trip to the country, they found a scarcity of some of the more basic resources, caused mainly by a petroleum crisis. 

Devaraj & Phoebe

South Asia
Devaraj came to faith in Christ as a teenager through Countryside’s youth group and continued to attend and be involved in various ministries at the church until he left Stillwater to attend Dallas Theological Seminary. It was through short-term mission trips at Countryside that Devaraj developed a heart for missions. In 2011, he married Phebey and they both began to explore the possibility of serving the Lord in South Asia. In 2013, they moved to South Asia to help revitalize a local church, where Devaraj now serves as a pastor. Along with his responsibilities at the church, Devaraj teaches cross-cultural ministries at a seminary in hopes of raising future leaders to take the gospel to the least reached people groups. Phebey serves alongside Devaraj in the church, focusing her attention on discipling young women, children’s church, and leading singing. They are blessed with 2 children whom Phebey homeschools. Their desire is to reach their city and beyond by starting a church planting movement though their local church.

Matt & Ashley Walton

Cru  |  London, England
Matt and Ashley Walton have been serving with Bridges International at Oklahoma State University for the last 5 years.  After a year serving overseas in Italy, they sensed an opportunity to develop a movement among some of the least served International students at Oklahoma State University (Matt's Alma Mater).  They have seen students from all over the world experience the love of Christ.  God has also graciously provided new staff and Student leaders to continue to grow the movement at OSU.  2 years ago they were challenged to come help lead the Cru movement in London where there are roughly 400,000 students, of which 100,000 are International students and they currently have said "Yes" to the Lord to go serve there.

Rex & Gema Winn

Cru  |  Malaga, Spain
Rex and Gema Winn live in Malaga, Spain and have two kids, Evelyn and Oliver.  They are directors for the missionary care team with Cru in Spain. They provide mentoring and soul care for missionaries in their unique stages and experiences of personal and spiritual growth.  Their position includes career and ministry role assessment, and also human resource processes to coordinate the applications for new national and international missionaries along with training and follow-up.  Their ministry equips 70 missionaries (mostly Spaniards) who serve in cities across Spain in ministries of evangelism, discipleship, and social justice.  They lead short-term missions teams periodically in serving pilgrimage walkers on the Camino de Santiago.

Stillwater Young Life

OSU, Stillwater, Perkins
Young Life exists to introduce adolescents to Jesus Christ and help them grow in their faith. Simply put, the method is friendship and the message is Jesus. Young Life staff and leaders are trained in time-tested methods of relating with teens and are equipped by a world-class organization. Young Life imitates Jesus by "showing up" in the world of kids, on their turf. Stillwater Young Life has ministries at OSU, Perkins High, Perkins Middle, Stillwater High, and Stillwater Middle and Jr High. For more information about Stillwater Young Life, check out  stillwateryl.younglife.org.