Jim grew up on a farm just outside of Holland, MI. Sharon (from WA) and Jim got married in 1964. They have 4 children (and 2 “sons” in Chiapas). Jim’s degree is in Mechanical Engineering, but after working a year and a half in that field, the Lord, via the Reformed Church in American, sent the couple to Chiapas, Mexico to work with the Tzeltals, a Mayan people. They spent a total of 23 great years there, teaching and developing literature in their language. However, after 10 years, because of health problems, they had to return to the US– a very painful thing to bear. They stayed in the States for 17 years, during which time Jim went to seminary and pastored a congregation in Ellsworth, MI. In ’94 Jim and Sharon returned to Chiapas for 13 more years, during which time Jim and 3 Tzeltal pastors translated the Bible into the Tzeltal language. Both taught classes at the Bible School. Sharon has/had an active prison ministry. Upon retiring in 2007, the Hebron USA board asked Jim to join them.
Hebron USA 
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