Richard and Isabel Betts
Globe Europe Missionaries to
New Zealand| Origin: | USA / Germany | | GEM Missionaries since: | April 2002 | | Country of ministry: | from New Zealand into the islands of the Pazific Ozean | | Education: | Policeman / Missionary | | Status: | married, 4 children | | Newsletter: | Download |
After a very difficult childhood, Richard met Jesus when he was 14. God then delivered him radically from alcohol, drugs and depression and filled him with His love. When he was 18, God touched his heart during a Missions Conference and he knew that he was called to be a missionary.
After studying Criminal Justice, he attended a “Discipleship Training School”(DTS) with YWAM in Switzerland. That’s where Rich and Isabel met 2 years later and got married in 1988.
Isabel grew up in a Christian home and has always believed in God. When she was 16, she committed her life to Jesus 100% and soon became active in an evangelistic outreach. After finishing school she attended a DTS with YWAM in California. That’s when she felt the call of God into missions. Her ambitions to go to university were replaced with a deep desire to get trained for full-time ministry.
Richard und Isabel have both gone through several trainings of the “University of the Nations”(YWAM) and have lived and served in several countries. Their 4 children were born in Tahiti, French Polynesia, where the Betts were stationed the major part of the past 15 years. Besides being active in children and youth ministry, they invested their past 3 years to help plant a church that is now being led by locals.
As they felt their time in French Polynesia had come to an end, they have moved to Tauranga, New Zealand, in January 2005 as a base for reaching out into the Pacific Region.
Their hearts burn to see revival and transformation in the islands of the South Pacific! The thousands of islands that are scattered across this immense area urgently need to know the reality of God! The needs are tremendous, families broken and abuse rampant.
Rich and Isabel are convinced that an outpouring of the love and power of God will bring the very religious islanders into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. This will also bring about a change of lifestyle. Jesus suffered so that those beautiful, yet suffering islands can be freed and healed!
Richard and Isabel especially have children and youth on their hearts. They make up 50% of the islands and have an incredible potential!
They work with existing churches in the islands, motivate them, train leaders and work with them towards this revival and transformation. In Tauranga, they are part of a small YWAM-team that wants to plunder those islands for heaven and free missionaries, especially for Africa (also very much on their hearts). |
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