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Our names are Jes & Kristen Gray and we currently live near Orlando, Florida. We are originally from Omaha, Nebraska. Before moving to Florida in 2021, we lived in Puerto Escondido, Mexico for 4.5 years and in Baton Rouge, Louisiana for 2 years!
In Puerto Escondido, we served as the principles at Instituto Alfa, a wonderful Christian elementary school. So many of our students (pre-school through 6th grade) received Jesus as their Savior and fully surrendered their lives to Him! Through the years the Lord has graciously opened doors for us to preach the Gospel, build churches and support pastors in the mountains of Oaxaca, Mexico; in Sao Paulo, Brazil; on the island of Cuba; and in West Africa in Burkina Faso and Nigeria. |
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For many years God had given Jes and I a love for missions and for missionaries. While visiting Costa Rica in 2003, the Lord spoke to us and said, “I am calling you to the nations.” In 2009 during a trip to Brazil God specifically placed “Latin America” in our hearts. It was 2010 when God led us that it was time for me to stop working full-time at the church and after almost 20 years as associate and children’s pastor at Eagle’s Nest Worship Center, we obeyed God and I stepped out of that role.
Shortly thereafter, Jes came home from work one day and said, completely out of the blue, that he was interested in Cuba. As soon as he said the word Cuba, it instantly became big on the inside of me too. After a few conversations and time in prayer, we both knew that God was calling us to serve in Cuba and we started pouring ourselves into ministry in Old Havana, taking groups for mission trips, providing meals and the Good News of Jesus to the elderly, and assisting a local church called Los Pinos Nuevos. In 2020, during the pandemic, God opened the way for Great Door Ministries to help plant three brand new congregations in Cuba in collaboration with The Surge Project. What a joy it is to follow Jesus… all over planet earth… wherever He leads us! |
The Lord gave us Psalm 90: 16-17
"Let Your work appear to Your servants, and Your glory to their children. And let the favor of the Lord be upon us and establish the work of our hands for us; Yes, establish the work of our hands."
In 2011, God graciously allowed us to become collaborating partners with Los Pinos Nuevos Church in Old Havana supporting their “Un Grano de Arena” (A Grain of Sand) program which includes feeding, caring for, and evangelizing the elderly. By God’s grace, GDM joyfully walked out that assignment for nine years! One of our greatest joys has been to help provide almost 100,000 meals to hungry senior citizens in Old Havana during that time. In addition, GDM missions teams carried over 4 tons of food, over-the-counter medicines, toiletries, clothing, and church supplies to the church in Cuba. So many elderly people in Old Havana have received Jesus as Savior as a result of this beautiful witness of God’s love and the sharing of the Gospel. Hallelujah!
