Have you ever seen God put your past to good use for His future?
Zoe P* (name changed for security), has absolutely experienced such divine activity. The member of a Converge MidAtlantic church studied art in Florence, Italy. Before that, her family hosted exchange students from Germany, Italy and Spain.
“We got to experience that cultural exchange from a young age,” she said. “I was just always drawn to people of other cultures.”
God’s similar plan for her husband, Jeremy P*, developed in a different way. In 2018, the Marine intelligence officer deployed as an advisor to the Afghan army. For nine months, he ate their food, learned their language and navigated their culture.
The two began to attend Grace Church in Erie, Pa, where Jeremy has served as a campus pastor for the last four years and Zoe has volunteered on the Missions lead team. There, God wove together their intercultural experiences as preparation for gospel service. That’s been a living example of the truth pastors and leaders often share: God wastes nothing.
Over the last four years, the Lord’s call for them became clear and strong with the guidance of Converge MidAtlantic churches, pastors and partners; and by attending the United and S2 conferences.
That solid foundation of relationships made their next step possible: getting approved as international ministry staff. They completed Converge’s assessment process in March 2025 and the missionary launch training in October.
Now, they are taking a step of faith to integrate their careers, ministry calling, and love for diverse cultures by relocating their family of five to Spain. There, they will serve among the hundreds of thousands of Muslims living in the diaspora and travel frequently to North Africa to support the underground church.
Their sending church has wholeheartedly supported their calling overseas and continues to generously support them financially and prayerfully as they transition into this next season of ministry.
But God’s inviting many churches to recreate the book of Acts where all God’s people find a place in his global missions. The couple is cultivating partnerships with MidAtlantic churches, not only in receiving financial support and prayer but in return providing encouragement, and discipleship opportunities to those supporting congregations. Phil 4:15 inspires the couple to unite with Converge MidAtlantic churches like the Apostle Paul did with the Philippians who gave to his ministry.
Here’s how the past lessons became a ministry opportunity
Like Paul, the couple will have a ministry of traveling, The couple first visited southern Spain and North Africa in the fall of 2024. During that trip, the family discovered many North Africans are moving to Europe for a better life. Particularly, in Spain there are over a million Muslims living in diaspora. Nearly all of them have never heard a clear presentation of the gospel.
“It’s not common at all to be Christian there,” he said. “There’s very little Christian witness.”
Zoe has noticed the absence of Christ’s people and the Holy Spirit creates a heavy sense of spiritual oppression. She said gospel ministry is fighting spiritual deception that generates false religions and occult practices. Plus, there are significant cultural and familial pressures to be Muslim.
“This is one of the least-reached areas of the entire planet,” Jeremy added. He said Saudi Arabia and Syria have more Christians than North Africa.
That’s why the couple asks Converge MidAtlantic churches to be praying for both the Arabic-speaking church in Spain and the underground church in North Africa. They also want prayers for themselves and other global workers, underground leaders and believers.
The God who has a purpose for every pastor has given Zoe a unique opening for ministry. Her training for fine arts, specifically painting, will give her credibility and connection to artists in several towns in both countries.
A part of their ministry will also develop as an expression of Christ’s compassion. Many of these North African Muslims are seeking a better life. They have a difficult time getting social services and often languish, scraping together what it takes to survive.
Both Jeremy and Zoe lived and learned and loved people of other cultures in their countries. What they did for art and armies is now perfectly placed in God’s hands.
“There’s an opportunity to minister to them,” Jeremy said. “You can meet them in their need and you can meet them with the good news and hope of Jesus.”
God taught them those skills, especially through His churches in the MidAtlantic region, and their careers and education. Clearly, the Lord delights to use the past of His people to change the future of those far from him.
Your church can join in that opportunity: Would you consider helping to send them as they are in the midst of partnership development? If you’d like more information, contact us and we’ll put you in contact.
Converge MidAtlantic is a culturally diverse movement of gospel-centered churches working to help people meet, know, and follow Jesus. We do this by starting and strengthening churches together— here in the MidAtlantic region of the U.S. and worldwide. Our well-trained global workers activate Jesus movements among the world’s least-reached people groups.