Fred and Arlene Jonkman

The Jonkman’s work in Ecuador centers on educational training and discipleship. Feed My Lambs—a ministry providing Christian Bible curriculum for children. Fred and Arlene offer a Reformed Bible curriculum and workshops for teachers who work with children in churches and Christian schools. Their goal is to assist others in developing and implementing good Christian educational programs that can be applied to children in different developmental stages of life. This work has grown significantly throughout Ecuador and they have provided workshops in other Spanish speaking countries such as Mexico, Peru, Colombia, Chile, Guatemala, and Costa Rica.

Four years ago the Jonkmans started the Reformed Center of Theological Studies in Ecuador. The main office and study center is in Quito where they have rented a facility with office space and classrooms. They are presently building up a library/resource center for the students. Three other centers have also been opened—one in Ibarra two hours north of Quito, another in Guayaquil the largest city of Ecuador, and the third in the town of Quininde where they also have their children’s projects. The study center offers theological courses at the bachelor and masters level, and in 2011 they hope to introduce a Bible certificate level and open another center in another town. The purpose of this center is to provide sound biblical training to prepare Ecuadorians to do the work of the ministry. Fred teaches courses and assists in the academic side of the ministry as well as the administration of the center.

Fred and Arlene continue to attend and minister among the members of La Iglesia Reformada de la Gracia. Fred is an elder and Arlene works with the women. Together they work among the families with home groups and discipleship training.

This past year the Mision Palabras y Hechos Ecuador (the legal identity of the Foundation the Jonkmans started in Ecuador) assisted one of the members from the Quito church with a humanitarian aid project in a very marginal area of a city four hours west of Quito. Presently, this program is providing nutritious meals, health care, and educational tutoring to 100 poor children from broken backgrounds. Weekly Bible instruction is given to the children, workers, and parents. In June of this year they were able to buy another piece of property in one of the poorest parts of the city and an area where crime is rampant. They are now in the process of renovating an existing building on the property so that they can begin another child project for 100 more children from this community. They also hope to begin the initial stages of a construction program that will eventually include an educational resource center, a home for abused girls, and a medical clinic on another property by the end of this year.

Fred and Arlene have six children: Michelle, Jason, Anita, Jodie, and Carolyn are married and live with their spouses and children in Canada. Erin (15) is still with them on the mission field. They currently have ten grandchildren.

< GO BACK