CBF Field Personnel

Jeff & Alicia Lee and their son serve with CBF in North Macedonia where they seek to be the presence of Christ by engaging in holistic, relational and healing ministries among the ethnic groups of Skopje.

Macedonia is a small land-locked country in the Balkan region of Europe and is a unique blend of religious and ethnic diversity. Many days, this diversity is lived out beautifully, but at times can be a tense and often exploited balance. Approximately 60 percent of the population is ethnic Macedonians that are generally Orthodox Christians or agnostic; 30 percent are ethnic Albanians and are Muslim; and 10 percent are varied minority groups like Roma, Serbs and Turks. Skopje is the capital city of Macedonia, and home to 800,000 people.

In Skopje, the Lees work alongside local, grassroots organizations to address the needs of families living in extreme poverty, people neglected by society and children rescued from or at-risk for human trafficking. They participate in and organize weekly activities at a group home for adult with developmental disabilities. The Lees are also partnering in the development of a faith-based children’s home.

In the summer of 2015, as the global refugee crisis was unfolding throughout Europe, Jeff began coordinating a collaborative effort among evangelical churches in Macedonia to serve refugees in transit camps. Through this ongoing collaborative effort, hundreds of thousands of refugees have been served tea and fruit and have been offered a warm smile and a place to sit before journeying on.

Alicia’s educational background has allowed her to provide counseling services for English speakers in Skopje while Jeff’s educational background has opened up opportunities to consult for farmers and local governments to address the environmental issues within Macedonia. Agricultural work includes the development of a cow-bank project that provides livestock to local farmers through a small business development program, starting chicken farms, and more. They are also work with the ministry of RETO, a home for men recovering from addictions.

Keep up with the Lees on social media at www.facebook.com/PartnershipMacedonia.

Three groups from Woodland have traveled to North Macedonia and served alongside the Lees. Learn more about the next trip to Macedonia here.

On Sunday, July 30, 2023, Woodland entered into an Encourager Church Covenant between Jeff & Alicia Lee, CBF Global Missions, and Woodland. Watch the video below.

Elket Rodriguez is a CBF Field Personnel serving in the Rio Grande Valley. He is an immigration lawyer from Puerto Rico. Elket encourages churches along and across the U.S. and Mexico border to engage with migrants, asylum seekers, and the vulnerable in their communities. He is also working so that churches in Mexico can be trained in providing pastoral, grief, and trauma care to asylum seekers.

Elket hosts workshops in the U.S and in Mexico to educate migrants, asylum seekers, pastors, and churches on the biblical foundations of welcoming the stranger and loving our neighbor. From that perspective, Elket also addresses the misinformation that shapes unproductive border policies and contributes to increased migration at the border.

Likewise, Elket provides legal aid to asylum seekers and advises pastors and churches on how to assist migrants in their communities. He also shares stories from immigration issues to raise awareness around the plight of immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers.

Elket coordinates CBF’s immigration advocacy efforts and leads CBF’s Advocacy Action Team for Immigrants and Refugees. The group cultivates a network of active advocates by providing resources, being informed about current legislation and trends, and encouraging direct policy advocacy at critical moments alongside and on behalf of immigrants and refugees.

Elket’s ministry goals center on connecting migrant families along the U.S.-Mexico border to resources such as shelters, food pantries, medical and legal assistance services, job opportunities, sponsorship programs, and transportation.

Rodríguez is also focused on advocating in Washington, D.C. and in Mexico for the implementation of sensible and prudent immigration policies that strike the balance between the safety of the borders communities and the humanitarian compassion migrants deserve.

Woodland supports Elket’s ministry through our budget; this money helps transform lives. Your offerings to our general budget help fund monthly gifts that help empower, equip, and encourage communities and individuals through the power of Christ’s love.

Elket will join us on our Texas Border Trip from April 28 to May 2. Consider joining us for this transformational experience. Learn more here.

Greg & Sue Smith serve with CBF in Fredricksburg, Virginia. Greg and Sue serve the first-generation Latino immigrant community through LUCHA Ministries, Inc., located in Fredericksburg, Virginia.

LUCHA Ministries provides a Christian response to the immigration issue and the needs of the immigrant community. LUCHA advocates for the rights of immigrants and their families, offers a legal services clinic, and helps them obtain services in Spanish. Greg and Sue equip others to work with the immigrant population by offering training and serving as consultants to individuals, churches, and other organizations. The goal is holistic ministry that address the physical, emotional, social and spiritual needs of immigrants.

Greg and Sue also serve as members of CBF’s Advocacy Action Team for Immigrants and Refugees.  The group cultivates a network of active advocates by providing resources, being informed about current legislation and trends, and encouraging direct policy advocacy at critical moments alongside and on behalf of immigrants and refugees.

The Smiths’ ministry goals center on helping Latino immigrant families to live better, healthier, more productive lives in the United States, with opportunities to integrate fully into their communities.

Follow Greg and Sue on their blog: https://www.gregandsuesmith.com/.