News Articles by Marie Curtis

LESOTHO (BP) -- "We really need an ophthalmologist, one who specializes in disease of the eyes in children." The request by missionary Teresa Flora was hard for pediatric ophthalmologist Dave Klink to ignore, since he had been praying about how the Lord might want him to serve.

LESOTHO (BP) -- When Jim and Teresa Flora think about their ministry in the mountains of southern Africa, they quickly think of how their children are involved. While the Floras rely on the prayers and encouragement of their three grown sons and families in the U.S., daughters Gracie, 17, Anna, 16, and Rebekah, 11, are part of each day's work. "We view our ministry as a complete family job," says Teresa, who was called to missions as a child in Girls in Action.

FREDERICKSBURG, Va. (BP) -- The jet lag was wearing off for Jerry and Mary Logan and they were ready to explore the unknown territory of Ho Chi Minh City with their friends, Chum and Coi Truong. Since fleeing Vietnam as refugees in 1979, the Truongs have made numerous trips back. But the trip from Fredericksburg, Va., ...

RICHMOND, Va.(BP) -- International Mission Board President David Platt has announced a transition team that will focus on the practical needs of missionaries who accept the voluntary retirement incentive recently offered to personnel who are at least 50 years of age with five years of service. The retirement incentive is the first phase to reduce IMB staff and field personnel by 600 to 800 people in response to revenue shortfalls.

PLANO, Texas (BP) -- As the world watches the escalating devastation in Nepal, more than 40 International Mission Board workers from South Asia gathered April 26-28 at Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, Texas, for a conference encouraging 140 churches to make commitments to reach the nations.

HOUSTON (BP) -- The only interest David Kizziah had in church as a youth was the gym at Circlewood Baptist Church. He and his friends broke into the gym to play basketball several times before being caught. But the youth minister showed grace that Kizziah wasn't expecting. He offered Kizziah and his friends an open invitation to play basketball if they would come to church.

SALINAS, Calif. (BP) -- Francis Murphy understood something important: Most people like tomatoes, in some form. They like them on hamburgers, in salads and with tacos. Whole, sliced or chunked, people want tomatoes, and Francis learned how to provide them year-round.

RICHMOND, Va. (BP) -- Gena Wilson can personally attest to the power of prayer. Last year, Wilson was featured for her ministry in Glasgow, Scotland, in the 2013 Week of Prayer for International Missions stories released by the International Mission Board. The story shared she was recovering in South Carolina from her second journey with cancer, a recurrence of the non-Hodgkin lymphoma she faced in 2011. See related story.

NATAL, Brazil (BP) – A college women's soccer team kicked off Baptist outreach efforts for the FIFA World Cup –- starting today (June 12) through July 13 in Brazil -- with a weeklong mission project combining soccer and evangelism.

GLASGOW, Scotland (BP) -- If you listen to Gena Wilson imitate the Scottish brogue, you'll think she was born in Glasgow. After 17 years, the woman from Beaufort, S.C., can speak in a Scottish accent that even the locals mistake as their own. She used to stick out as "the American" who for some inexplicable reason chose to live in one of the city's poorest areas. Now, she's just known to them as Gena -- a friend, a mentor, a follower of Jesus.