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Timothy and Helen Smith, Covenant Missionaries

Timothy and Helen Smith served as career missionaries in Zaire/Congo under the Department of World Mission of the Evangelical Covenant Church from 1987 until evacuation in February of 1997. They are presently serving in the new field of Equatorial Guinea, Africa, in collaboration with missionaries from the Buenas Noticias Church of Spain.

Tim's main ministry has been developing men's discipleship groups, and organizing and presenting Christian education seminars. Helen has maintained a variety of teaching ministries, from training spouses of Bible School students to teaching English in the mission's secondary schools.

Tim and Helen were influenced to become missionaries by previous exposure to missionaries, attending Urbana in 1973, and receiving encouragement from their parents. In 1976-1979, Helen served as a short-term missionary in Zaire. Tim was a Covenant short-termer to Alaska and then to Zaire in 1978-1979. They met in Zaire and were married in 1979. Following further educational work at Moody Bible Institute, they served together as short-term missionaries in Zaire from 1984-1986.

Tim accepted Jesus as his Lord and Savior at camp when in 4th grade. he felt God's call to full-time service the year after his high-school graduation. In his testimony, he states, "Christ is the center of my life. That is to say, I am trying to put all my life's affairs under His control, so that He can, through the Holy Spirit, use me for His good pleasure."

When Helen was 9 years of age she asked the Lord into her heart. Her desire to become a missionary began when she was 15. "Christ has been my Savior and Lord, and His Spirit has been my teacher and comforter for many years. I firmly believe in His death and resurrection and the Bible as His infallible Word to direct my daily life."

Reflecting on their new field, Tim and Helen write, "Although it was very difficult to leave our church in Zaire/Congo, we are grateful to God for the fruit borne there and for the mature faith our Church there has demonstrated during this time of political upheaval. God has given us His peace to begin again as we minister to the needy of Equatorial Guinea. A depressing, fatalistic atmosphere and the bondage of animism were left after 20 years under the control of a brutal dictator. Praise the Lord that in 1989 the new leader invited missions to return. There is much to do! We count it a privilege to be working with 24 small young congregations and pray to be used of God to build a mature church here in the years to come."

Tim graduated from Moody Bible Institute (Diploma 1983 Christian Education). He attended North Park Theological Seminary (1986-1987) for mission orientation. Helen earned her BA in French from King's College (1975, Briarcliff Manor, NY). Helen is a member of the Glenburn Covenant Church, Glenburn, Maine; and Tim is a member of the First Covenant in Oakland, CA.

Tim and Helen have three children: Rebekah, an undergraduate at Houghton in New York; Deborah, who graduated from RFIS in Cameroon in June; and Timothy, Jr., who had been studying at LeTourneau in Texas. Tim, Jr. suffered a work-related accident and went to be with the Lord on July 3, 2003. We continue to pray for the Smiths as they mourn this unexpected loss in their lives.

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