Indy NMI

Indianapolis District Nazarene Missions International

Admin

Meet Deputation Missionary: Cheri Kommel

By

Cheri KommelCheri Kommel is a global missionary with the Church of the Nazarene in Botswana, Africa.  Botswana is a small country in the southern part of Africa.

Before going to the mission field and for eleven years Cheri taught special education and English at the junior and senior high school levels. She was also active in her local church as an Adult Sunday School teacher, Director of the Board of Christian Life, and was involved in youth and children’s ministries.

During her terms of service in Swaziland, she has taught high school, at the Nazarene Teacher Training College, and at Swaziland Nazarene Bible College. In 2002 Cheri was reassigned to Cape Town, South Africa, where she worked with extension education. In 2004 she moved to Botswana where she continues to be involved in extension education.

Cheri was born in Kansas City, Missouri, and received the B.S. degree from Evangel College in Springfield, Missouri. She has done post-graduate work at the University of Missouri at Kansas City. Her M.A. work was done through Cape Theological Seminary in Cape Town, South Africa. Cheri was ordained by the Church of the Nazarene in 2001.

You will want to hear Cheri Kommel tell all about her exciting and rewarding work in Africa.  Cheri was privileged to work with both the Restricks and Linda Braaten who have recently visited our district.

Cheri will be on the Indianapolis District on deputation tour from August 23rd through August 30th.  To book a date for Cheri to come to your church for 2015 Deputation tour, contact Joni Trees at 317-908-3616 or [email protected].

Meet Deputation Missionaries: Josh and Shannon Herndon

By

The HerndonsLet’s welcome back our own district missionaries, Josh and Shannon Herndon.  Josh and Shannon Herndon serve as missionaries with the Church of the Nazarene in Madrid, Spain since mid-2010.

Before they met, Joshua and Shannon served separately in different world areas: Shannon in Cuba, Mexico, and for almost a year in Kazakhstan, and Joshua with the Jesus Film Ministry in India and multiple times in Venezuela.

Shannon is a graduate of Northwest Nazarene University with a degree in Social Work. Shannon is currently studying for a Masters Degree in Organizational Leadership through Regent University. She has done volunteer work through multiple organizations and has a passion for the needy.  Josh graduated from Olivet Nazarene University with a degree in Christian Education and a focus in Youth Ministry. He then attended Nazarene Theological Seminary, where he was granted a Master of Arts in Intercultural Studies. While in Kansas City, Josh attended a Cross-Cultural Orientation, where he met Shannon.  They were married on October 11, 2003.

Josh and Shannon have two children; Ballet and Flamenco dancing10-year-old daughter, Karis, and a rambunctious superhero-loving son, 7-year-old Kaeden.

Prior to becoming missionaries, Josh served as a youth pastor in Shelbyville, IN, as well as the director of a residential treatment facility for troubled youth. Shannon directed a ministry for homeless families. The Herndons served for a year as Mission Corps volunteers in Guatemala in 2006, which solidified their call.  In 2010 they were called as missionaries to Spain. Their focus for ministry in Spain is on church planting with a focus on indigenous (Spanish) outreach. They are active in their community and are developing a sports association that brings Work and Witness teams to teach sports to the children and youth of the community as a form of outreach. They are also interested in developing a Child Development Center.  Josh and Shannon provide support to the local Nazarene Churches in the form of preaching and teaching workshops. Josh also teaches Theological Education classes through European Nazarene College.

Josh and Shannon are members of the Indianapolis District Church of the Nazarene. If you would like to schedule them for your church during the 2015 Deputation tour, contact Joni Trees at 317-908-3616 or [email protected].

Meet Deputation Missionaries: Jon and Shirley Fischer

By

Jon & Shirley FischerJon and Shirley Fischer are coming to our district for deputation tour.  Jon and Shirley will be here from September 13th through September 20th.  You will want to schedule them for your church.  To do that, contact Joni Trees at 317-908-3616 or [email protected].  You will want to share the experiences of Jon and Shirley and their ministry in Ecuador.

After graduating from Mid-America Nazarene College, Jon and Shirley found themselves settling into normal suburban life – Jon working as an accountant at a dry wall company and Shirley teaching school. Then Jon went on a Work and Witness trip and God started talking to him about missions.  Through this trip God showed Jon that he not only wanted his money for missions from him but he also wanted his time and family to be involved. So they “stepped out on faith”.

They volunteered as Missionaries in Volunteer Service for what they thought would be one year, but God had other plans.  God had a much bigger plan.  They volunteered in Venezuela for 8 years.

In 2001 they were appointed Global Missionaries to Venezuela. In December 2007 they moved from Venezuela where they were Work and Witness Coordinators and administrators of the Nazarene Campground, to Ecuador. Now they serve as the Work and Witness Coordinators for the Andean Field (Venezuela, Ecuador and Columbia).

They have two daughters who were an active part of their ministry.  Michelle, who is 23 and is married to Josiah Gould.  They both graduated from MNU and Michelle is working for Nazarene Publishing House.   Josiah is pursuing a job in police work for the JO CO parks. They live in Olathe where the Fischers lived before going to Venezuela.  Krista is 21 and is in her third year at MNU.  She feels that God is calling her into nursing.  Both the girls still have hearts for missions and have taken mission trips every year through the University.

Some of the happiest times of their lives were during those eight years of volunteering. There were tough times, but they were times full of learning and growing in faith. They didn’t know where the money to live on was going to come from or when it was going to come, but it always came. They could truly see the hand of God at work, and they still see His protecting hand over them.