Brad and Kristian Westom, with Karisa Joy, Elisa, and Brianna, have recently returned from service with Mission Aviation Fellowship in Yaloke, Central African Republic (CAR) and Nyankunde, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). They have recently accepted a new assignment to Lesotho, Africa. The highlight of this term in Nyankunde was showing the JESUS film and encouraging the local churches in reaching the unreached people groups in the northeast corner of the country. Brad says, "We identified ten groups with no Gospel witness and started developing a strategic plan together to complete the Lord"s work in this area. MAF was the bridge to encourage and help these different denominations work together and use all of our resources strategically and wisely. Very exciting!" In CAR the highlight of our time there was helping a mission plant a church in a 98% Muslim area in the remote north of CAR.
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Brad was born in Las Vegas, Nevada, and with his Air Force family, relocated nine times before settling in Houston, Texas. He accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior when he was 9 years old while attending his grandparents" church in Oklahoma City, OK. He began growing in the Lord in his early college years when he was discipled by Keith Hull, a missionary in Waco, Texas. Keith taught Brad how to walk with the Lord and introduced him to missions. Brad completed flight and aircraft maintenance training at Texas A&M and Texas State Technical College.
Kristian was born in Dayton, Ohio. She lived in Denver, Colorado, during grammar school, and moved to Dallas, Texas, in her teens. Kristian had the privilege of growing up in a Christian home and hearing of God"s love and plan of salvation when she was very young. She accepted Christ at 5 years of age. She holds a B.A. in Business and a secondary teaching certification. Brad and Kristian were married on February 22, 1992.
Brad enjoys flying missionaries, supplies, mail, vegetables, fuel, tools, parts, evangelization literature, Bibles, study materials, and children going to school. His flights vary, from pastors for evangelization, conventions, and surveys, to emergency medical patients to the hospital, and healed people back to the village, or medical supplies and personnel for the hospital and bush clinics to national medical or Bible students to and from school. He even had to evacuate missionaries from CAR during the civil war of 2002. Brad"s favorite verse this term was Romans 8:28: "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." "The thing that ministered to me was knowing that God is in control of every situation in which I find myself," shares Brad.
Kristian enjoys homeschooling Karisa and Elisa. She is involved in flight following, and doing the accounting for the MAF program in CAR. The verse that has meant the most to Kristian is 2 Corinthians 12:9: "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." She says, "In the face of all the need I see in Africa, and in the struggles I have in adapting to another culture, it is so good to know that Christ"s grace and power are present even in my weakness."
To fund the worldwide ministry of MAF, God is faithful in providing loyal, generous ministry support from his most caring people. He has called the men and women of MAF to serve him in a unique way. He is also calling people like you around the world to play as special role in the ministry of MAF.
You are invited to become a ministry partner with Brad and Kristian in this strategic ministry. Please prayerfully consider involvement with them through prayer or financial support.
