Gary and Debbie Chesney founded Homes of Love in 2000. However, the story begins many years before then. As a teenager, God began to build the call of adoption and the country of Vietnam in Debbie’s heart. Several years later, Debbie and Gary were married but still didn’t have a clear sense of God’s desire for how they would impact Vietnamese orphans. Twenty years later, Homes of Love was born from a heart for children to have forever homes. Homes of Love families are places of restoration where parents care for hurting children, offering them protection, guidance, spiritual hope, and love. These children receive nutritious food, clean water, clothing, education, healthcare, and lots of love – freeing them to dream and pursue vibrant futures.

Mark is a former elder of Fellowship Church who has recently resigned from this role to go into full-time ministry. Mark has stepped into a position with Wycliffe Bible Translators as an Organizational Strengthening Consultant assisting Bible translation organizations and their partner churches.

Wycliffe serves the global body of Christ to advance Bible translation so people can encounter God through His word in a language they understand.  

Sue Dee was born and raised in Zimbabwe. Sue and her late husband John formed Ebenezer Ministry. In 2007, they started taking teams to Zimbabwe to minister to several groups of people. Sue has been a member of Fellowship church for several decades. She has a huge heart for orphans and now works with aged-out orphans to help equip them with life skills - especially through agriculture training in partnership with Foundations of Farming. Sue also a heart for widows and has started teaching and helping widows receive agricultural training to help provide for themselves.

Richard and Andrea Albury began their journey began over 20 years ago with a call from the Lord to serve the teens of The Bahamas. Their ministry, Camp Bahamas, offers a variety of sports activities to students on these islands. Each year they serve over 600 campers using gospel infused sports and games that reach those who are far from Jesus. Along with the activities of the camp, each participant has a chance to learn more about Jesus through the teaching and discipling time.  

Camp Bahamas recruits and trains staff to participate in the discipleship of these young students.  Most of the current staff are former students who have decided to take their next step in faith by investing in the next generation. The camp currently has several building projects going on, which will eventually help enhance the ministry to the guests.

Richard shared, “God is good and our prayer for our Staff and Campers this summer is that they would be able to 'Taste and See the Goodness of God' in their lives this year. We are excited about the future of CB and the direction that God is taking us.”

Delaney grew up at Fellowship Church, participating in the middle and high school ministries, where she was introduced to the short-term mission trips to Tijuana, Mexico.  After going on several of these trips and eventually serving as an intern over several summers during her high school years, Delaney moved to Tijuana in 2019 after graduating college to work full-time at Tijuana Christian Mission and also helped lead a discipleship training program in her local church.  Four years later, Delaney sensed God calling her to a new ministry in Monterrey, Mexico.

In her new role, she will be working with Back2Back ministries in their Transition Program. She will help young adults transition from institutionalized living situations, such as orphanages and government shelters, to living independently as healthy young adults within their community. In Mexico, many orphaned children age out of these homes and end up returning to abusive families or living on the streets. Delaney’s role will be to help these young adults establish goals to live independently, help them acquire necessary skills and resources, and offer ongoing support as they transition into adult life.  The ultimate goal is that these children who grew up dependent on institutional living environments will flourish to be “adults living dependently on Christ and interdependently in their community.”

Tijuana Christian Mission
Founded almost sixty years ago by Martha Gomez, the orphanages of Tijuana Christian Mission have been caring for children and teens who have no homes. Three generations of the Gomez family are now carrying on the work. Martha has been heard from the beginning as saying, “I will never turn a child away from my house," and Fellowship Church has served alongside them for over 20 years.

There are two campuses of TCM: one in Tijuana for older kids and the other near Rosarito for younger ones.

Even though the courts place kids at TCM, it is not government supported. The ministry relies on private and church donations. Fellowship is very grateful for how TCM has shepherded our people over the years and how they have led us into many of the relationships we have today in Tijuana.

Women of Purpose (Women's Shelter)
Sara Gomez of TCM, herself a battered woman, discovered that there was no residential facility in Tijuana where women who had been beaten or raped could recover and be safe. So, she started one—Women of Purpose. The police bring them, many with kids. They arrive traumatized, isolated, and afraid from unspeakable treatment from husbands, boyfriends, or others. At the shelter, they walk into love, peace, and an understanding community. Counseling is provided as well as job skills training. The shelter is a beautiful, pastoral home with a view of the Pacific near Rosarito, Mexico. To meet, talk and pray with these women and play with their kids is an encounter not soon forgotten.

Melanie grew up at Fellowship Church, participating in elementary, middle school, high school, and adult ministries. While getting her B.A. in English literature and Film Studies at the University of Tennessee, she was actively involved in CollegeLife and went on their inaugural week-long Tijuana mission trip in 2006. God used this time to continue to grow her heart for missions she had experienced from a young age.

Soon after this trip, through a discipleship class at Fellowship Church, Melanie learned about the great spiritual darkness in Japan (where less than 2% of the 127 million Japanese people are Christian). In 2013, the Lord led Melanie to pursue full-time overseas ministry in Japan with EFCA ReachGlobal. She served in Northern Japan (Sapporo) from 2014-2019 at an English cafe ministry, and she currently serves in Tokyo, Japan as a member of the ReachGlobal Tokyo City Team. She and her team focus on house church planting and college outreach, with the heart and prayer to see the Japanese people come to treasure Jesus above all else.

Shelley and Alistair Croudace have been co-directors of Lasting Impressions Christian Camp for almost 30 years. Lasting Impressions conducts educational, environmental, life skills, and leadership development camps for students across the country. The primary lasting impression they want each person to experience is that they are uniquely loved and valued by God and by their staff.

Zimbabwe has been experiencing a series of tough times, and often the youth have bleak views of the future. The Croudaces’ goal is to give them hope by introducing them to Jesus Christ and by equipping them with leadership skills, basic life skills, and a healthy respect for their environment. There is tremendous potential in Zimbabwe’s youth. Shelley and Alistair are uplifting them to make a difference.