Meet Jim & Ivonne . . .

Jim grew up on a farm in Angier, North Carolina. In 1979 Ivonne and her family moved to Miami, Florida from Managua, Nicaragua because of the impending revolution. Both were reared in Christian families and accepted Christ at an early age. 

During their years at Bob Jones University, they met as members of the 1989 Mexico Mission Team. The Lord used that experience to open their eyes to the need for the Gospel in Mexico, and, more specifically, the need to reach the youth.

In 1992, the Gardners founded the mobile Christian camping ministry in Mexico as an annual summer ministry. Jim and Ivonne made the move to Culiacán, Sinaloa in June of 1998 as full-time missionaries working to establish local churches.

For ten years, they labored in Iglesia Bautista "EBEN-EZER", Iglesia Bautista "Horeb", and its mission churches which were founded under the leadership of Dr. Bacilio Alfaro. During 10 months they ministered primarily in the youth ministries of these churches, and during the summer they continued the camp ministry. The camp season provided strategic opportunities for leadership development in the Bible college students in Culiacán and Navolato as they substituted for Jim and Ivonne in the churches of Sinaloa. 

The next step in ministry leads them to Morelia, Michoacán (beginning in October 2009) where, by the grace of God, they desire to plant a new church while looking for a permanent property to establish a year-round camping ministry in the same region as the Lord provides the funds.

Our family is a missions team united in our desire to serve the Lord, winning souls and discipling new believers to live for Christ and serve Him faithfully.