Celebrating Years of Faithful Service
On June 23, 2016, SEND celebrated the retirement of five individuals who have faithfully served both overseas and in the home office of SEND Canada. We are so thankful for the commitment of Jim and Ruth Andrews, Laverne Fehr and Jake and Lillian Leyenaar in taking the Good News to the nations, and for the fruit of their ministries.
Stuart Lightbody, Director of Operations, welcomes the guests of honour, their families and churches and SEND staff to the retirement festivities.
Ed Vencio, Director of Mobilization, reads words of greetings and thanks from the SEND International Director, Warren Janzen. Fun fact: Ed and his wife, Marlu, were mentored as a young couple in the Philippines by Jake and Lillian, some of the evening’s honoured guests!
Canadian Director, Rob “Mags” Magwood, shares a reflection from Scripture:
"Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labour in the Lord is not in vain."
1 Corinthians 15:58
Flowers and plaques were presented to the guests of honour, acknowledging their service both overseas and in the home office.
Laverne Fehr served in the Philippines from 1977 to 2001, first studying the language and then being involved in church planting. She also served in the SEND field office and as a registrar at Faith Academy, an international school.
When Laverne returned to Canada in 2001, she joined the Personnel department in the SEND Canada office. In 2013, Laverne transitioned to a new role as Project Assistant to the Director of Operations. Laverne retired on January 31, 2016 and SEND is incredibly thankful for the impact she has had on the organization and her teammates, at home and abroad!
Jim and Ruth Andrews have faithfully served together in Alaska since 1978. Jim was involved in a radio ministry and Ruth served as a nurse. They served together in Alaska, in many different capacities, until 1988, when they joined the home office team in Toronto, Ontario.
They have faithfully served in the SEND office, moving with it to London, Ontario. Ruth retired last year, and Jim's official retirement date was January 31, 2016, although he continues to work part-time, helping the office transition. Thank you Jim and Ruth for your many years of dedication!
Lillian moved to the Philippines in 1966 and two and a half years later, Jake arrived for a short-term position with SEND. Jake and Lillian were married in 1972 and returned to the Philippines together where Jake served as the Business Manager for the field office.
Jake and Lillian have also served in the SEND Canada home office. In 2007 they had the opportunity to return to the Philippines to launch a new program and now this program is booming in classrooms all around the Philippines.
In 2011, Jake and Lillian returned to Canada. Despite being ‘retired’ they continue to volunteer their time working with immigrant students. Thank you Jake and Lillian for the incredible example you’ve been!
A prayer of blessing by Pastor Phil Butler, from Westview Baptist Church for Laverne, Jim, Ruth, Jake and Lillian.
Thank you Andrews, Leyenaars and Laverne! Your many years of dedicated service are appreciated more than words can express!
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Choosing a Missions Organization: Why SEND International Stands Out “Why should I be a missionary through SEND International?” Jenna, a new missionary in Eastern Europe, shared with us what she appreciates about working with SEND. The highlights for her are: - Devotion to prayer - Diligence in communication - Commitment to development - Intentionality in accountability Prayer “Back in September of 2022, the Lord reconnected me with SEND after I had met them a year prior at the Moody Bible Institute. However, before he would sign me up for anything, my Missions Coach encouraged me to pray. He said something to the effect of, "I know that you've been praying on your own for a long time. But as the Church, we are not called to walk alone. So, you and I won't talk for about a month unless you have questions. I want you to go pray with 5 or 6 others from your church about where God is calling you." That October, more than 10 friends prayed with me and we saw God answer as He directed me to Romania. From February 2024 to November 2025, I had the pleasure of being a part of team meetings in Romania with my SEND colleagues. Our meetings were four hours long, two for prayer and two for business. This has been the minimum for our team. There are also prayer meetings with the local churches we partner with, among smaller groups within our team, of course prayer with many of you across the pond, including those at our US office. The organization was built, has been sustained, and continues to run on prayer. This is my favorite thing about SEND. Communication As I mentioned above, we have a two hour block for business / ministry details in each of our meetings. This provides consistency across our team which works alongside three different churches and in a variety of ministries. It also helps us to communicate about the need for change or growth, alongside what is working well. In addition, my team director also meets with each of us, allowing us to communicate needs, considerations, and prayer requests. I've also enjoyed getting to work with SEND workers outside of my immediate region . We receive emails with the minutes from the Europe leadership team, Friday communications from our international director, and information regarding projects that affect our work among the unreached. In December of 2024, our international director at the time wrote a note to my parents for the first Christmas that I was gone. If nothing else had convinced my mom yet, this did. He took the time to care for me, but also to care well for the parents that were sending me (What it meant to my dad and mom for him to do this well has been one of the greatest ways I've been supported.). I also have some pretty wonderful regional directors. These people have prayed alongside us (while also serving in their own countries of service), they have taken time to come visit and encourage our team, and they have also taken the time to encourage the people in our churches. Development SEND has provided much in the area of development and care (spiritually, physically, mentally, and emotionally). At our regional conference (every three years), there have been medical check ups available, counseling options, and time for connecting with others on the field with similar experience. At our conference last October, I connected with a missionary who served overseas for many years, and is now serving on the administrative side of SEND. She has met with me since then for mentorship and has also invested much of her time recently in preparing a retreat for the singles across Europe. Accountability Over the years I have read and heard amazing stories of how God has worked through missionaries. God has done great things and great things He is still doing! However, people who have committed their lives to the Lord in this way are not “super Christians”. We are still humans with the same struggle against flesh that others have . A major challenge is in being isolated -- living in areas with little to no presence of other believers to sharpen them can cause many difficulties. SEND has been a great resource in this area too. Through my team, I have an accountability partner that I meet with monthly. When my regional director came to visit, he and his wife spent a day with me and asked intentional questions about how I lead, handle conflict, and how I am growing in general as a Christian. In addition, my teammates share their wisdom with me on a regular basis. These things and more have assured me that SEND International is a highly valuable organization and I'm excited to partner with them in service to, for, and with our great God! Interested in being sent by SEND?
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