Paul and Barbara Wert love mission work… and may love mission workers even more! Paul retired in his fifties after working more than three decades for the U.S. Government. Paul didn’t follow the typical trend of folks who retire with a government pension. Instead, he and Barbara (an accountant by profession) moved to the Dominican Republic with a plan to be self-supporting mission partners with local Christians for two years. But their plans changed! The Werts remained self-supporting but remained in the mission field for five years.
Although they have moved stateside, Paul and Barbara still have deep ties to God’s work in the Dominican Republic. We are so grateful that they also help The Flow Foundation by visiting and encouraging other mission workers that The Flow supports. Prior to the pandemic, the Werts traveled to the Mediterranean Rim and to Croatia to encourage and care for mission workers and churches. This week Paul is meeting with stateside mission worker, Jared Looney, who dedicates his life to sharing Jesus with internationals in Tampa, Florida.
Paul and Barbara are modern day disciples, much like the early mission worker Barnabas. Like Barnabas, God has gifted Paul and Barbara with the ability to encourage other Christian workers. They have first-hand knowledge of the daily life of mission workers and they combine that experience with their great abilities to listen, connect, comfort and encourage. The Werts are people blessed by God’s grace and love who in turn dedicate their lives to sharing that grace and love with other Christians, particularly Christians in mission.
Paul (on the left) with Jared