American Baptist International Ministries (IM) is pleased to announce that Patricia “Trish” Magal and Joel Hoefle have been appointed as development workers for service in Thailand and Myanmar.  The couple are employed by Hope International (HI), a new IM partner, and jointly appointed by International Ministries. As part of the IM team of global servants, Trish and Joel join 15 other IM-related personnel already serving in Thailand and they are the first IM global servants serving in Myanmar since 1965.   Joel and Trish will focus on two of IM’s ministry focus areas: Seeking Peace and Offering Refuge and Opening the Mind and Empowering the Heart. Their home church is Judson Memorial Baptist Church in Minneapolis, MN.  The appointment was effective on September 1, 2010.

Trish’s ministry will be developing and documenting an approach around empowering people to relate and dialogue in a more authentic way in a cultural context, including both national and ethnic considerations. In addition to working with HI, Trish will teach English, exercise, music, dance and drama to women at the New Life Center Foundation in Chiang Rai, Thailand.

Joel will assist with developing tools and methodologies to build greater trust and understanding within civil society, utilizing his previous experience to enhance the effectiveness of HOPE's initiatives to facilitate positive transformation within communities and between groups who are in conflict with each other.

Service to the Lord in global ministry has been part of Trish and Joel’s call for the past two years.   They have been serving as volunteers with the New Life Center Foundation and Family Learning Center both in Chiang Rai, Thailand

The mission and projects of HI complements IM’s ministry focus area, “Seeking Peace and Offering Refuge.”  According to the HI website, “Peacebuilding works to create long-term resolutions to conflict. Empowerment is an important component of any sustainable peace-building activity. People empowered to take charge of their life situation will do everything within their power to maintain and protect peace.“  (http://www.hope-international.com/projects-and-programs/peacebuilding.html)

As the senior partner in this appointment, HI will provide Trish and Joel with an employment contract that includes salary, benefits and children’s schooling. As the junior partner, IM will provide ongoing pastoral support and the benefit of IM’s nearly 200 years experience and longstanding Christian connections in SE Asia. IM will also provide logistic support to Trish and Joel as they build a U.S.-based partnership network, particularly among American Baptist individuals and churches. 

For more information on Trish and Joel’s ministry or about their newly-forming partnership network, please look for them at www.internationalministries.org.

American Baptist International Ministries brings churches and individuals in the United States and Puerto Rico together with partners in more than 70 countries in holistic, cutting-edge ministries that demonstrate the love of Jesus while meeting human need.