Why is he standing at the AFM booth? He knows we’re not interested in missions, Cindi, my future wife, thought to herself in exasperation as she watched me talking intently with the AFM representative.

It was August 2007, and we were in Louisville, Kentucky attending the national ASI convention. Cindi and I had been dating for about six months and had been praying earnestly for guidance. Unbeknown to me, Cindi had asked the Lord to use this convention to give us more clarity about future ministry plans. As I continued chatting with the representative, suddenly the prayer she had prayed only days before echoed forcefully in her mind. It was almost as if she could hear God saying, “Maybe this is your answer.”

When I think of our journey to mission service with AFM, I am struck with how much of a journey it has been. Unlike some, I never had childhood dreams of being a missionary. Rather, it has been only in the past several years that, looking back, I can see God’s hand guiding me in this direction.

It all started in the fall of 2003 when I met my roommate at the Amazing Facts College of Evangelism—Charlie Eklund, then a missionary-in-training with AFM. This was the first time I had ever heard of AFM or even met a real, live missionary for that matter. Three years later, the mission seed began to germinate within me as I heard John Baxter present passionate messages about the needs of the unreached. Finally the seed took root when Cindi and I had the privilege of seeing the Lord plant a church right before our very eyes in the city of Arkadelphia, Arkansas. After this experience, we knew we wanted to help plant other churches in unreached cities and towns. Although we weren’t exactly thinking overseas missions, it became evident that the needs of the unreached parts of the world could not be ignored. We recognize that not everyone is called to serve as an overseas missionary, but we have felt God’s call, so here we are.

Cindi and I have been married for three years. We got to know each other through our involvement in the Arkadelphia church plant. Since 2009, Cindi has worked as the office manager of a dental practice in Amity, Arkansas. I recently completed my B.A. of Religion at Ouachita Hills College and have lots of experience in Bible work, evangelism, church training and teaching. Having worked with a church plant, I have a passion for seeing something develop from nothing. This is what we look forward to as we join the Palacios family in Central Thailand. We recognize that Buddhism has locked 60 million Thai people in darkness, but we feel confident that the God who answered Cindi’s prayer years ago will continue to guide us until our mission is complete. Please join us in our journey.

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