Our Missionaries

Derwin, Wendy and their three children are active members of Hope Presbyterian Church at Lake Nona, serving at Wycliffe's national headquarters in Lake Nona. Hope has partnered with the Pensons each month since they shifted from salaried staff to missionaries who resource their own work (crafting a network through friends, churches and family to give on a regular basis).

Wendy serves as a senior philanthropy advisor for the Advancement department, cultivating relationships and ministering to those God has called to provide financial resources for key Wycliffe projects around the world.  

Derwin is using his unique gifts through speaking engagements, to share the vision of Bible translation and to inspire those God is calling to participate.

All the Pensons consider prayer to be one of the key facets of their work. Wendy notes, "Prayer itself is very important. This work of Bible translation is changing lives and freeing people from addictions and spiritual bondage, so you can believe there is a lot of resistance and turmoil. Prayer makes a difference, without question."

To visit their Personal Missionary Page on the Wycliffe website -- where you can sign up to pray, give, or send messages of encouragement -- copy and paste this url: https://www.wycliffe.org/partner/Pensons

Hope contributes to the Turk Family's ministry from our annual Distribution Fund. In the past, we designated the Turk Family as a Partner in Service three times per year. Elizabeth worshiped at Hope in Fall 2015, sharing about their ministry during worship and more in depth during Sunday School.

Dan and Elizabeth Turk were invited to serve in Madagascar through the development branch of our partner denomination, Fiangonan’i Jesoa Kristy edo Madagasasikara (FJKM). The FJKM believes that Christian witness should include ministry both to the physical and spiritual needs of God’s people and care for all of God’s creation. Dan and Elizabeth work as advisors to FJKM’s environment and health departments. In 2014, during the 40th-year celebration of the FJKM Development Department, they received "Knight of the National Order" awards in recognition of their service to the church and country.

Elizabeth (seen at left with her Dad and retired mission co-worker Bill Warlick) helps the staff of the FJKM health department design and implement a community health program. The program works with rural communities to prevent and treat the major illnesses that threaten health. As part of this program, many of the FJKM doctors have received training in community health, and over 150 community health volunteers from rural areas are receiving training in health education techniques and basic health messages. These volunteers teach others in their communities how they can prevent and treat illnesses before they become life-threatening. Elizabeth also advises the family planning program and serves on the national AIDS Committee. AIDS awareness and education is a major focus of FJKM.

Dan is involved in a project working with several branches of FJKM. The project helps the church explore how it can help protect creation and how it can implement innovations in growing fruits and vegetables so that they can benefit pastors, congregations, and branches of the church. The new work builds on the course in practical gardening and growing fruits that Dan and colleagues have taught at the Ivato seminary for the past seven years. As part of that course, new pastors received fruit trees to plant at their new churches. An additional component is the installation of intensive vegetable gardens at the Ivato seminary to both help the students get good, healthy food and to help them improve their gardening skills. Another component of the project is follow-up with pastors after they graduate from seminary.

To visit their Personal Ministry page, where you can give directly to their work, copy and paste this url:   https://www.presbyterianmission.org/ministries/missionconnections/dr-daniell-and-elizabeth-turk/