Our faithful partners in prayer and financial support play a major part in all we do, but we’ve had a team of key helpers alongside of us in each season of our ministry as well. In November, we began our introduction of our current team members—Sarah Van Dreese, Hannah Hinton, Ronda Swords, RG Conlee, and Wayne Li. This month we are giving a special highlight to Ronda.
Although Ronda initially stepped up to help us with some mailing preparations in our office while still a student at RHEMA Bible Training College, she officially joined the GCIM Team in the Spring of 2016. Her first introduction to the Crowls happened while she was still in school, however.
A 2012 pastoral group graduate, it was when Ronda was in the RHEMA School of World Missions (RSWM) that she first met the Crowls in person when they spoke in her class. She then had the joy of connecting with them when she did her RSWM internship with the Fischer Family in Hong Kong that same year.
After graduating from RSWM in 2013, Ronda went on to complete the School of Itinerate Ministry at RBTC in 2014. She graduated from Southwestern Christian University in 2017 with a Bachelors in Business Administration, as well. Her varied training has equipped Ronda for things God has for her in her future, but these same skills have been a huge blessing to us at GCIM in this season as well.
Ronda also works for Kenneth Hagin Ministries at the RHEMA Bible Church Book Store. Her direct connection with the ministry and experience with Faith Library Publications and book sales has also been a wonderful asset to us, especially as we prepare to move toward our goal of wholesale distribution for our Chinese Publications in the future.
From week to week, though, Ronda takes care of most of the day-to-day needs in our Stateside office. She receives our mail, takes care of deposits, upkeeps our database, and chances are, when you receive a thank you in the mail, her hands and prayers have been part of getting that in the mail to you. She recently shared:
I love ALL of what I do for GCIM. Oddly enough, though, I especially enjoy folding and stuffing the thank you letters that are mailed each month. Different people or churches will stand out every time and when they do, I always take a moment to pray for them. These are opportunities to thank God that our supporters are doing their part to impact nations, just as I am able to touch the nations from where God has planted me as I do my part. Being able to touch the world from Broken Arrow in this season of my life is a huge thing to me. It really is a joy for me to be a part of the GCIM team.
Ronda is quick to step up and help whatever the need, and we are incredibly grateful for her servant’s heart. Her son, Phoenix is a senior in high school this year and we are proud of him and his accomplishments, too.