Donald and Chryssie McBrayer

We felt the call to missions in the 1980s and thought Bible translation was where we wanted to be since we both were saved by reading the Word. We applied to Wycliffe Bible Translators and were sent to University of Texas, Arlington to a graduate course in Linguistics, Cultural Anthropology and Missiology. We passed and were appointed in 1984.

In year 1986 while serving in Kenya, East Africa we helped start the Nairobi International Church of God. The World Missions Board appointed us as full time, field assigned missionaries in 1987, and assigned us to return to Kenya with the Wycliffe Bible Translators.  We subsequently were needed by SIL in West Africa, learned the French Language in Belgium and were assigned to Abidjan in Ivory Coast where we planted a church in Obobo.  Unfortunately, Chryssie contracted malaria, and doctors told us we must leave any and all mosquito infested areas.

In the year 2000, we learned there was a need for translation work for the Quichua Indians in Ecuador where there were no mosquitoes high up in the Andes.  We were thrilled to accept that assignment and at that time we had to resign from Wycliffe, as they had been banned from Ecuador. We have served in Ambato, Ecuador with World Missions up until now.

From the year 2000 to 2012 our emphasis was translating Ministerial Internship, Discipleship, and other materials into the Quichua Language. Since any scriptures available in Quichua did not include any reference to speaking in tongues, divine healing, and other distinctive beliefs of the Church of God, the work required scripture translation of every Bible reference.

From the year 2012 to 2018 we worked disseminating the translated material into an education system for our Quichua Indian work while serving as Director of the Church of God Seminary for Quichua Indians. We also began facilitating outreach to the Shuar Indians, an unreached people group.

Since the year 2018, our work has focused on helping develop the Church of God as a “denomination” in our area of Ecuador. At present we are working to expand the Church of God work in “Iglesia de Dios Region 2 sur” (Church of God-Region 2 in south Ecuador). This Region presently has 17 Church of God churches, mainly in suburban areas.

This leads to our most memorable moment. A church here in Ambato tore down their rotting building in 2012 and started building from what was essentially a hole in the ground. The people funded their building until the pandemic started and had to stop half finished. This year we were able to help see this building finished with the generous donations that came through Church of God World Missions.