If you were to see Anthony and Myca Verwys in a local coffee shop, you might think they are a typical Michigan couple: They have a dog. They enjoy talking together. He travels and works on vehicles. She likes to do scrapbooking.
Have a conversation with this couple and you’d find out that they are far more than what they appear. Not only is the vehicle that Anthony works on an airplane; they live, not in Michigan, but in the Central American nation of Guatemala. Myca and Anthony are missionaries.
Anthony and Myca choose to live in Guatemala because of the people–people who live in small villages that require a 10-15 hour drive over rugged dirt roads unless you have an airplane. With the help of a plane, many of those villages become accessible to Bible teachers within a matter of 45 minutes instead of hours or days of traveling.
“There’s really no way we could get out there to bring the guys these Bible classes if we weren’t flying out there,” Anthony said.
As a pilot with the local ministry called AGAPE (Guatemalan Association for Edification of the rural church), Anthony uses a turbo-charged Cessna 206 airplane to fly Bible teachers into remote villages where they land on dirt airstrips. The teachers spend the weekend teaching local pastors and training church leaders how they can share Biblical truths with others. AGAPE also provides practical church training for women and youth leaders.
Besides providing transportation, the Verwyses are personally active in helping to disciple the local Guatemalans so they can reach out to others.
“That’s what we get excited about…national pastors and national evangelists doing the work and we can just help them,” Anthony said. “We want the Guatemalans to reach the Guatemalans.”
While Anthony is flying, Myca stays active working with youth from a school and their church, as well as building relationships with her Guatemalan neighbors. This couple is also preparing for a growing family of their own. They are due to have twins in January 2006.
In Guatemala, Myca and Anthony are actively involved in a local church where they help with the youth group, church leadership and music.
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