That’s who we are at GOD TV – a great, big, beautiful family with a huge heart for mission! However, we are also very aware of those God has called to physically leave their homeland to travel to remote areas to reach people on the ground. One such family is the Ratcliffe family, (above) who are missionaries to South America from the UK. Meet Peter and Evie and their six children. They are a shining example of a beautiful family with a huge heart for mission.
I first met Peter in 2002 when we worked together on the seventh floor of GOD TV’s building in Sunderland in the North East of England. His passion for Jesus impressed me immediately. He played the guitar and would often lead worship in our morning prayer sessions. He always had a smile on his face and nothing was too much trouble for him. I loved his ‘can do’ attitude. It’s not surprising then, that when GOD TV started broadcasting in Israel, Peter and Evie quickly took up the challenge to move to Jerusalem to oversee our new broadcast hub.
Already, this was the first glimpse of their missionary calling. Despite warnings of turmoil in the Middle East and concerns for their safety, they were prepared to go to a completely new land and help break new ground for the Gospel. And, God would use their humble obedience to help facilitate a modern-day fulfilment of an ancient prophecy, that God’s Law would go forth from Zion and His Word from Jerusalem. What an opportunity it was for the Ratcliffes to be involved in this exciting project, at the start of their missionary journey and also to experience the wonder of the Land of the Bible and share it with their now growing family.
Some years later, once GOD TV’s Israel office was well established, the Lord would lead the Ratcliffes further along the path of their missionary call. With the experience of working in a global ministry, it was now time for them to embark on some global ventures. In fact, this was the exact name of the ministry they joined – Global Ventures, led by John and Martine Smithwick. John is well-known for leading missionary expeditions into the remotest of places and it was the ideal next step and missionary training ground for Peter and his family. You can watch some of John’s far-reaching ministry expeditions, on GOD TV online. Visit our Global Ventures Series Archive.
Belize, Cambodia, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Haiti, Kenya, Nepal, Nicaragua, Peru, the Philippines and Thailand are just some of the places the Global Ventures Team visited. But, it was to Paraguay that the Peter and Evie felt called and for the past three and a half years, they have been reaching out to indigenous tribes in the jungles of South America. The video below, put together by their son Daniel provides a snapshot of what their frequent ministry trips look like. In it Peter and Evie share their story firsthand, giving an up date of their first three years in South America and you will be touched by hearing their missionary heart.
https://youtu.be/dhjenpK4FUE
“What an amazing privilege we have of reaching the thousands that have been forgotten and abandoned by most, but each one is VERY much on God’s heart!” says Peter.
Just like with the Ratcliffes, Mission is at the heart of everything GOD TV does. For over two decades we as the GOD TV family have rallied together to take the Gospel to ends of the earth via the airwaves. That has been our divine mandate and tens of thousands of people have responded to the call to become ‘Modern-day Media Missionaries’. These are people who represent a new breed of missionaries who have taken up the mantle of Hudson Taylor, Amy Carmichael, David Livingstone, Mary Slessor and other missionaries of yesteryear to reach the globe by any means possible.
Together with Peter and Evie, we share God’s heartbeat for souls. I am so inspired by what they are doing in Paraguay and I am sure you are too! To me, this extraordinary family is a brilliant example of how the wider GOD TV family can achieve so much more for God if we stretch further. Can you imagine what more we could do together if we pulled together like the Ratcliffes?
God bless you, Peter and Evie. Thanks for inspiring us to go further for God, to reach deeper into our pockets to support mission and pray more fervently for precious lives that are unreached. You are right there on the Mission Field fulfilling the Great Commission and encouraging us to do the same.
Pray for Peter and Evie and family that God would continue to use them mightily. Visit The Ratcliffe Family in Paraguay Website to encourage them and support their missionary outreach.
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