Mountainview International Church

We each grew up in Christian homes, attending church and knowing the Lord at relatively young ages. Daphne felt the Lord’s presence in her life as a first grader! In high school, she became involved in her church youth group and also in Young Life. Watching friends come to know the Lord through Young Life challenged her to dig into her own faith and rediscover the excitement that she saw in her friends.

David dates his commitment to Christ to his junior high days. Through his church youth group and friends, he grew more committed to the Lord so that by the time he went off to college, he chose Simpson College, a Christian and Missionary Alliance affiliated college then in San Francisco, CA. This is where we met.
David majored in Communication with a Bible Literature minor and Daphne majored in Bible Literature with a minor in Psychology. Daphne continued her education and has a Masters in Counseling from the Christian Ministries Department at Wheaton Graduate School in Wheaton, Illinois.

For both of us, God’s call to missions was planted while we were attending Simpson College. Simpson had, and continues to have, a clear evangelical, Bible-centered focus on discipleship and mission in all areas. In the 29 years of our marriage, we have inquired into overseas missions opportunities several times, but felt God closing the doors. (At one point in our early thirties, we were told we were too old!) We raised our three children and prayed for God’s timing. Meanwhile, God had His own training ground for us in our home church!

We have been attending First Presbyterian of Santa Rosa, California for the past 20 years. Between us, we have served on staff and as mission team leaders, elder, deacons, teachers, worship leaders and on more committees than we can list! All of this rich experience has shaped us and deepened our love of seeing the Church grow through discipleship and Bible teaching! Looking back now, we see how these years have equipped us to move into full time ministry! Some of the highlights have been:

• Stephen Ministry Leader (Daphne)

• Director of College Ministries for five years (Daphne)

• Teaching Adult Education classes (Daphne and David)

• Alpha Course leaders (Daphne and David)

• Worship leaders (Daphne and David)

• Team leaders for five Ecuador mission trips (Daphne and David)

• Pioneering work in India with Rural Presbyterian Ministries (David)

• High School Youth volunteer for twelve years (David)

• Designing and leading seven annual family mission trips to Mexico (David)

With our children now on their own, we sensed that God was saying, “Yes, now!” In July 2006 we joined Christian Associates International, a church planting mission agency working primarily in Europe. Late October 2006 found us in Madrid, Spain investigating a young Christian Associates church plant, Mountainview International Church. We felt a strong fit with the congregation and with Richard and Riekje Wallace, ten year veterans of CA staff who pastor Mountainview. Their greatest needs are in the area of discipleship – the area that we feel called to! Mountainview has called us to join them. We are preparing to move to Madrid the first week of July 2007.