Ridge Missions

God is moving in the Travis Heights Refugee Community. 🙏 Volunteers are building real friendships — helping with birthday parties, job applications, and bus routes. Prayer walkers visit weekly, and one Muslim neighbor now looks forward to seeing them every time. At monthly resource distributions, women arrive early, stay late, and leave holding Scripture stories — laughing together on the patio. Trust is growing. The love of Jesus is being displayed.

The growing warmth between these women reflects the love of Christ they are experiencing through His people. Please pray that they would sense God's pursuit of them and grow increasingly curious about Jesus and His Word. Reach out to Katy Williams at [email protected] to join an upcoming Wednesday prayer walk.

“How far is too far to share the gospel?” It’s a question Ridge supported missionaries: Matt and Liz Gentry with Wycliffe often ask themselves in Papua New Guinea (PNG).

Scattered across this breathtaking country are remote communities separated by rugged mountains, washed-out roads, and miles of open ocean. Families travel incredible distances to reach schools, healthcare, or groceries. Many of these communities are still waiting to experience God’s Word in their own language.

This month, Wycliffe celebrated 70 years of Bible translation in PNG—a powerful reminder that the gospel is worth every mile traveled. We praise God for 233 completed New Testaments, 12 completed Old Testaments, and 145 active translation programs currently underway!

As Scripture continues to be translated and made accessible, we are grateful for the ways the Lord is also using Matt and Liz to strengthen the local church through Wycliffe’s SALT program—Scripture, Application, Leadership, and Training. By training local PNG pastors, the Gentrys are helping equip leaders to faithfully make disciples and shepherd their communities long after the work of translation is complete.

Check out the table of contents from our latest edition of missions monthly! Link to signup for next month’s email here ➡️ https://austinridge.org/missions/missions-monthly

In January 2026, we shared a story about a coffee business in Jentuberi, a remote village in Southeast Asia, where agriculture is fostering trust and relationships. The story below is connected to our partnership with BLESS and one of our supported workers within their UPG portfolio. Names have been omitted for security reasons. Over the next 10 years, they will continue to focus on language learning so they can translate the Bible into their 💚 heart language.

“The months since our planting day have been difficult. A fungal disease destroyed one-third of our coffee nursery, leaving us uncertain how to provide seedlings to families who placed their hope in our coffee co-op. Language study has slowed without a consistent translator. Our team is stretched thin. And as our children grow, we navigate how to help them trust a good Heavenly Father while they witness the daily weight of poverty around them.

These questions are real. At times, anxiety and fear feel close.

But when we turn toward the light of the Son, those struggles begin to settle into perspective. Still present, but no longer overwhelming.

The loss of seedlings has deeply affected farmers who courageously left behind low-yield crops for sustainable coffee. Their desperation sometimes shows as frustration, yet beneath it is a deeper longing—for stability, for assurance, for something certain to trust.

It’s painful not to deliver what we planned. Yet this moment is revealing something greater: material scarcity often exposes a deeper spiritual need.

Even here, hope is growing.”

🙏 PLEASE PRAY for restored provision—for healthy seedlings procured in-country and wisdom to meet practical needs. Pray for open hearts in the village, for perseverance for our Jentuberi team, and for their children to grow in deep, steady trust.

https://austinridge.org/groups/upg

Through business consulting and coaching, Sam and Kathy Davis* support teams across Muslim North Africa, equipping workers to serve in hard-to-reach places. They also provide security, guidance, and compassionate care, creating spaces of hospitality and rest for those serving in challenging environments.

Sam recently shared, “This year we’re participating in a leadership course called LFIO (Leading from the Inside Out). It includes monthly reading, two trips to North Africa, written reflections, mentorship, and walking alongside a small group of fellow workers.

The course is rooted in "Lead Like Jesus," challenging us to lead as Christ did—especially by examining matters of the heart. It’s been both stretching and deeply good. As we serve in leadership in a new country, please pray that we would lead like Jesus and allow this process to conform us to His image (Romans 8:29).”

🤝 Support Austin Ridge missionaries like Sam and Kathy during their summer furlough in Austin by assisting with:
🔘 housing
🔘 a vehicle
🔘 hospitality
🔘 other financial needs

If you can help, please complete the form linked below.
https://my.austinridge.org/Registration?RegistrationInstanceId=454

*Names changed for security purposes. To learn more about Sam and Kathy’s ministry, see our July 2025 issue of Missions Monthly.

Vulnerable children and families in Austin deserve more than a system—they deserve a village of support.

🍋 This June, we invite you to participate in Growing the Village Is Sweet, a city-wide, lemonade-themed campaign benefiting our partner, Foster Village. The goal is to raise $40,000 to come alongside families and remind them they’re not alone.

Families, businesses, churches, and neighbors across Austin will host lemonade stands, share stories, and build awareness. Everyone is invited to get involved—sign up, start planning, and be part of something meaningful this summer that can serve as a bridge to spiritual conversations with your neighbors.

After last year's event, Natalie Richardson had this to say:
“This was our first time hosting a lemonade stand as a family, and it was incredible to see how many people were moved by the mission of Foster Village. As a mom, I was grateful for the opportunity to serve alongside my children. It was priceless to see their joy when they realized how much they had raised to help kids they may never meet. I know these moments are shaping them to look beyond themselves to the needs of others.”
📸: The Richardson family at last year's event.

Be part of this summer’s sweetest campaign, and enjoy the experience of inviting others into the village of caring for the vulnerable in our city. https://www.fostervillageaustin.org/lp/2026-growing-the-village-is-sweet

In partnership with Feed My Starving Children, Austin Ridge is committed to reaching the unreached and serving the most vulnerable globally through Project Mobilepack.

On April 10–11, our community packed an incredible 470,000 meals, enough to feed 1,235 children for an entire year. So far, $46,028 has been raised toward our $139,500 goal, leaving a gap of $93,472.

❗️Our work is only partly finished.

In Northern Uganda, where the scars of war and poverty still linger, survival can depend on something as simple as a meal or access to medical care. Through The Women of Pader Uganda (TWOPU) Mercy Program, families are met in their most desperate moments with dignity and hope. ( https://www.thewomenofpaderuganda.org/ )

Christian’s story brings the impact of TWOPU to life. Once frail and unable to eat due to severe pain, she received medical care while her family was supported with bi-weekly groceries. When a tumor was discovered on her thyroid, TWOPU connected her to life-saving surgery. Today, Christian is regaining strength—her smile restored.

🔸 600 kg of rice and 40 boxes of other ingredients are delivered to TWOPU 3-4 times per year. Your gift delivers meals, healing, and hope to the vulnerable, like Christian.

This is where you come in- HELP US close the gap and change lives! https://give.fmsc.org/campaign/2604-035ri-austin-tx-austin-ridge-bible-church/c765480

In Dhangadhi, a city in far-western Nepal, a growing congregation called Mahima Church—“Mahima” meaning “glory”—faithfully serves its community. Led by Pastor Kailash, the church gathers about 100 believers and hosts a Mission Training School that trains pastors and church leaders. Pastor Kailash trusts God to use Mahima as a hub for church planting in the Far West.

Across the region, there are roughly 200 churches and nearly 100 pastors. Hinduism is the dominant religion (about 81%), followed by Buddhism (8%), while Christians make up less than 2%. Still, God is clearly at work.

In February, John Henderson (Ridge missionary) and Don Ellsworth (Ridge Missions Pastor) traveled to Dhangadhi to teach The Life of Peter at a Bible conference attended by 40 pastors and to encourage local churches. Over two days, they visited 23 churches scattered across the region. Several pastors had tears in their eyes when they arrived—it was the first time a Westerner had visited their church.

Though these pastors are largely unknown to the world, they are not unknown to God! Jesus is building His church—even in the remote areas of Nepal.

Check out the table of contents from our latest edition of missions monthly! Link to signup for next month's email: https://austinridge.org/missions/missions-monthly

Cornerstone Restoration serves neighbors in need by repairing homes, restoring not only physical structures, but also dignity and the hope found in Jesus.

Since January, volunteers have been working at Ms. Paula’s home in Burnet. A devoted mother and grandmother, Paula raised her children largely as a single parent and continues working hard, even in retirement. Though her home is filled with decades of memories and family photos, it has fallen into serious disrepair. Failing electrical and plumbing systems, foundation issues, and holes in the walls and siding have made the home unsafe for her family.

Through the hands and hearts of volunteers, God is bringing renewal—one repair at a time.

However, restoration doesn’t stop with the house. Cornerstone has partnered with Ridge Latinos to begin prayer walks in Paula’s neighborhood—meeting neighbors, praying for families, and reminding those who feel unseen that God knows and loves them.

Often, simply inviting someone to church can unintentionally create barriers—cultural, economic, language, or even foster fear. Instead, Corner Restoration moves toward people where they feel most comfortable: in their homes, neighborhoods, and communities.

Join this work! Whether swinging a hammer or walking the streets in prayer, you can bring hope and the love of Jesus to families across our community. https://www.austinridge.org/localoutreach