Hink and Kaylene Smidderks are serving across Africa, with a primary focus on West Africa, and are based in Lomé, Togo. Hink serves as director of leadership development, overseeing the training and equipping of new leaders for ordination and church leadership. Kaylene leads communication efforts for the Africa Area through social media and print publications. Both are learning French and engaging deeply with West African culture.
Pray For
- progress in French-language learning
- safety while traveling throughout Africa
- curriculum-development teams as they create new courses
- growth and strengthening of social and video media teams
- establishment of redemptive relationships with church leaders and unchurched friends
Recent Newsletters
“It Rained” in Guinea
In parts of Guinea, the dry season doesn’t just bring thirst – it brings danger, disease and daily struggle for survival. The period from January to April is particularly challenging when it comes to accessing safe drinking water. The scarcity of rainfall has profound...
Gentil’s Yes: Faith on the Move
Something remarkable is unfolding in Togo — quietly, steadily and full of hope. Through faithful obedience and teamwork, new churches are beginning to take root where there was once little gospel witness. At the center of this work is Gentil (pronounced Jan-tee)...
Meet Claude
We thought Claude was just our taxi driver. We had no idea he would become one of the most important people in our ministry. At first, we had no connection with him beyond his being our taxi driver. But we noticed Claude spoke excellent English and was always kind and...
From Selling Apples to Planting Churches
When Brother Elvis set out to sell apples on a street in Edea, he never imagined that day would change his life forever. It was November 2023 when Pastor Walters and his evangelism team met Elvis during an outreach. Someone handed Elvis a gospel tract, and Pastor...