Missionaries Japan Rusty and Brenda Carney Biography

PRESENT MINISTRY
Rusty and Brenda departed for their first term of service on January 13, 2008. They are living in Sapporo and will begin language school as soon as possible.

Rusty and Brenda have been traveling and raising support since approval from the board in April 2007. The Carneys have purchased their plane tickets and will depart on January 13, 2009. They will spend their first two years attending language school in Sapporo.

Rusty and Brenda will attend the Taihei Chapel, a fairly new church plant started by Pastor and Mrs. Matsuda in 2005. The church is involved in regular church meetings as well as English classes for the community. The church also operates the Kan-Fu House which ministers to members of the community with special emotional or social needs.

CONVERSION
Rusty, son of Randy and Rhonda Carney, was saved at the age of four in Thompsonville, Illinois. His father led him to the Lord at home one Sunday afternoon. From an early age he sensed God's call on his life to be a missionary. He graduated from Ezra Christian School in West Frankfort, Illinois, in 1998. He answered the call to missions at age 19 after attending a service at Pittsburg FWB Church, in Pittsburg, Illinois, in 1999. He then went to Free Will Baptist Bible College where he met his future wife, Brenda Wendlandt, who also felt led to missions. He graduated from FWBBC in 2003. He and Brenda were married on April 17, 2004.

Brenda, daughter of Dale and Joyce Wendlandt, was saved at an early age in Stigler, Oklahoma. It was at Eureka FWB Church Camp that she gave her life to the Lord and where later she answered the call to missions. March of 1996 she rededicated her life to the Lord at her home church, Lafayette FWB Church in Stigler, Oklahoma, and in June of that same year answered the call to misisons. After that, she enrolled at FWBBC and started attending in the fall of 1996.

EARLY MINISTRY
Rusty and Brenda ministered at Unity Free Will Baptist Church in West Frankfort, Illinois, where Rusty's father, Randy Carney, is pastor. They were youth leaders and were involved in teaching children's church, teaching teen class, music, and missions projects. They received final approval for missionary service to Japan from the Free Will Baptist International Missions Board on April 24, 2007.
CHILDREN
Their daughter, Grace Anne, was born Feb. 3.

HOME CHURCH
Rusty—Unity FWB Church in West Frankfort, IL
Brenda—Lafayette FWB Church in Stigler, OK