Congo

Bill and Sue Vinton

Bill is currently involved in teaching in the Bukavu Bible Institute and Pastors’ School and helps coordinate 12 other small Bible Schools in the interior of the country. He is also involved in leadership training programs, writing books in Swahili for pastoral use, and working with local pastors in church evangelism. Read more about them here.

Fred and Karen Vinton

Fred and Karen Vinton have been missionaries in Congo since 1989 and are currently in their last year of service with GMI. Fred founded Grace Medical Center, a hospital in the rural village of Kipaka serving a population of 200,000.  After many years overseeing hospital construction and serving as administrator, Fred is currently focused on making an effective transition as he leaves the work in the hands of national staff.   Karen is homeschooling their son Matt (11) and finishing up the writing of Old Testament Bible lessons in Swahili to be used in 150+ elementary schools run by the Grace Churches of Congo. Fred and Karen have two older daughters, Katie (20) and Valerie (18).  Katie is a sophmore at Harvard studying history and literature.  Valerie attends Rift Valley Academy, a missionary boarding school in Kenya, and will graduate in July. After Valerie’s graduation, Fred and Karen will be transitioning to the US for several years to prepare for a new phase of missionary service.  In the fall, Karen plans to begin work on an MA in Linguistics and Biblical Languages at Biola University in CA. Fred and Karen appreciate your prayers as they bring this chapter of their lives to a close.  They especially ask for prayer for their Congolese co-workers who face many new challenges as they seek to carry on the ministry in Kipaka. Read more here.