Missions - Lindy & Carol Drake

Carol and I both grew up in upstate New York. I grew up on a blackberry and grape farm in Naples, NY. Carol grew up in the city of Elmira. We met and fell in love while we were students at Practical Bible Training School (1971-1974), now Davis College, in Johnson City, NY. We were married shortly after graduation in May 1974, and entered training with New Tribes Mission that fall.

As I, Lindy, was growing up on the farm, my four older brothers were entering the ministry as pastors one by one. My oldest brother, Clair and his wife Roberta were on the pastoral staff of Grace Bible Chapel for many years. Clair was the principal of the Christian School. That’s how we later became associated with Grace Bible Chapel ourselves.

My brothers set a great example for me. From my earliest years I remember wanted to follow them in the same well marked path which stretched out before me. But in 1973, I heard about the work on New Tribes Mission. The challenge of taking the Gospel where it was not being clearly proclaimed by anyone awakened a strong desire in me. The plight of tribal people locked behind barriers of language and culture stirred my imagination as no other mission presentation I had heard before. I thought of the different places where my brothers were laboring as pastors in the United States, and was truly impressed with the opportunities for Americans to know the Gospel and the Savior; thru radio, written material, numerous Bible translations, and oral proclamation from seminary trained ministers. The contrast was too much. I became convinced the Lord wanted me to work in some of the darker regions of the world.

At the same time, Carol attended a Missionary Challenge presented by InterVarsity and the Lord worked in her heart pretty much the same way. Later that same summer, when we were counselors at the same summer camp, we learned that we were excited about the change of direction the Lord had engineered in both of our lives. It was at the time the Lord brought us together to serve Him as a couple.

We are now working with New Tribes Mission in Brazil, doing Bible translation and church planting work among the Guanano people. We are grateful for the participation of Grace Bible Chapel in our lives and ministry, through prayer and giving.