Jim and Brenda Strysko

The Strysko’s  arrived in Harare, Zimbabwe for the first time in January 2003. Zimbabwe lies north of South Africa and west of Mozambique. It is about the size of Montana and is home to 11.3 million people. The Shona people represent nearly 75 percent of the population. The Ndbele 20 percent. The Assemblies of God in Zimbabwe includes about 75 worship centers with a total attendance of 5,000. A Bible school is currently training 49 students for  ministry. The Fellowship also promotes a variety of social programs and outreaches.

WHO WE ARE:

The Strysko Family

Christi, (9-16-95)
Christi is enjoying home school and meeting new friends in Zimbabwe. She’s been involved in horseback riding, dance, tennis and currently is taking swimming lessons (from the same lady who taught Kirsty Coventry—the Zimbabwean Olympic Gold medal swimmer (2005).

Jonathan, (11-8-85)
Jonathan graduated from Deerfield Academy in Massachusetts in May 2003. Jonathan is currently a sophomore at the University of Chicago where he is on a pre-med track. He spent a gap year (2003-04) here in Zimbabwe and taught cello at three secondary schools as well as the Zimbabwe College of Music in Harare. Summer of 2005 he spent at Karanda Mission Hospital with Mom ministering and learning in the lab.

David, (11-18-81),
Dave is a 2004 graduate of Evangel University in Springfield, MO., majored in criminal justice while fully involved in ROTC. He joined the family for a very special Christmas-In-Africa in December 2003, including the All-Africa Missionary Retreat in Johannesburg, RSA. He entered the Army in the summer of 2004. Having become an Army Ranger he now is serving in the Mid-east. Jim and Brenda ask for your prayers on behalf of all three of their children.

Jim and Brenda Strysko minister in churches and are working to develop discipleship and leadership training as well as sustainable HealthCare Ministries--the compassion arm of Assemblies of God World Missions. “We have both long had a heart for missions,” Jim says, “I for the development of church-planting pastors and Brenda for medical missions as a vehicle to bring the gospel to people.”

Jim served as a Christian Education director at Christian Life Center in Missoula, Montana before planting Valley Life Assembly in South Deerfield, Massachusetts (John Blunt, pastor). “Church planting in New England may prove to be preparation for working in church development in Zimbabwe,” he says. “We’re excited to see how God will provide ways we can encourage a church-planting movement and encourage pastors in Zimbabwe.”

Brenda is a Nurse Practitioner and a Certified Nurse Midwife and has worked in several specialized environments, including labor and delivery and childbirth education. “We knew we wanted to minister in an area where the population was medically underserved,” she says. “I plan to be involved in childbirth assistance and education and training in childbirth and women’s health issues.”

“We’re committed to serving God in our generation,” Jim says, “by making disciples and loving people through meeting everyday needs. Cultural differences, poverty, language barriers and isolation are challenges on the mission field, but our family wants to be used of God to make a difference in people’s lives for eternity.”

PRAYER POINTS:

• To be catalysts in a Zimbabwe church-planting movement
• Our work with Cry Africa HIV/AIDS ministry
• Safety, security in a volatile social environment
• Safety for our military son Dave serving in the Mid-East  
• Discipleship and leadership development