American Samoa

In September of 1998 Jeff was ordained to preach the Gospel by the Price’s sending Church, Victory Baptist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. From there Jeff and Sandra went to the U.S. territory of American Samoa, a Polynesian island in the South Pacific where their Ministry focus included:

• Evangelizing Samoan Nationals
• Discipleship and Ministry training in the local church.
• Pastoral education and leadership development.
• Teaching and Preaching the Word of God.

Tarija, Bolivia

In May of 2001 they transferred to Bolivia, South America. By design, they worked in two cities in Bolivia; Cochabamba and Tarija. Their work in Tarija was a temporary assignment that allowed them to acclimate to the work in Bolivia and learn the culture. When they arrived in Tarija Bolivia they worked in the following areas:

Church Planting – They established and pastored the Iglesia Bautista la Celebración (Celebration Baptist Church) in partnership with a Peruvian Christian. They started with 12 people and saw the church grow to 150 people. Currently this church is averaging over 200 in attendance and is flourishing in the hands of indigenous leadership. As pastor (and pastor’s wife) of this church, Jeff & Sandra’s duties included but were not limited to:

• Preaching and Teaching the Word of God
• Evangelism, Discipleship and Leadership Training in the Local Church
• Administration of every aspect of the Church finances and budgeting.
• Planning, Goal setting, and Implementation of the ministry plan of the church.
• Developing a ministry team for the work of the Gospel.
• Curriculum development for Adults and Children.
• Assisting in the starting of other new churches.

Pastoral Training – Jeff and Sandra worked with existing local churches to help and encourage them to reach their communities for Christ. In this ministry, they were involved with each church at various levels to help them evangelize and disciple new believers.

The Baptist Bible Institute of Tarija – They taught seminary level courses to men and women who were training for full-time service in the Gospel ministry. Jeff specialized in the areas of World Religions and Doctrine to help students develop an understanding of their beliefs and be prepared to interact from a Biblical perspective with adherents of false religions of many types. Sandra taught several courses related to women’s ministries and ladies discipleship.

Evangelism – A key part of Jeff and Sandra’s ministry in Tarija centered on the work of evangelism of Bolivian nationals. Their work was varied in this area and they developed ministries to reach people of various backgrounds and understanding. Jeff and Sandra were privileged to see over 500 people make a profession of faith in Christ as their personal Lord and Savior through the presentation of the Gospel. In this ministry they utilized children’s clubs, video presentations, street evangelism, door-to-door outreach, and a variety of other methods to reach people with the Gospel message.

Cochabamba, Bolivia

After Jeff and Sandra’s work in Tarija, they relocated to the city of Cochabamba in the center of the country. Their ministry in this area of over a million people included:

Church Restoration – Jeff and Sandra’s initial work in Cochabamba began with the rescue of Iglesia Bautista Bíblico de Los Filipinos (Bible Baptist Church of the Philippians). This church had been started with the help of their church in Tarija and was experiencing a time of crisis. They were without leadership and had decided to close their doors and look for another church to attend. Jeff began working with them as their pastor and Jeff and Sandra saw a dramatic turn around. In less than a year the church membership tripled; people were saved, the church relocated to new facilities, and a national pastor was called to continue the ministry. The Price’s work in this church focused on the following:

• Preaching and Teaching the Word of God.
• Evangelism and Discipleship
• Counseling and relationship restoration.
• Financial planning
• Motivation, Vision casting, and Leadership development
• Providing guidance and direction for the new Pastor and his leadership team.
• Teacher training and development.

Baptist Bible Institute of Cochabamba – Along with two other Missionaries Jeff and Sandra established a short term Bible Institute to train the members of two local churches for the work of the ministry.

Feeding Center – In 2006 they began a feeding center for under privileged children in an impoverished area of Bolivia. They chose to go into an unsettled area of the country called “El Chapare”, which is hostile to foreigners. They began this work with a group of believers who had a desire to reach their community for Christ. This work focused on children but gave the church an opportunity to add value to their community in an effort to show the love of Christ. They were responsible for planning, financial planning, development, construction, and a host of other responsibilities in this work.

Church Plant – In June of 2007, Jeff and Sandra began ministering in an area where there was no power, water, or common conveniences that many people have come to rely upon. In this new area, they saw many people saved and commit their lives to Christ. Within two months, attendance grew to over one hundred people on a weekly basis.

Missions & Connections Pastor – From 2008 until 2014, Jeff and Sandra served in the United States. Jeff Pastored in Ohio for 2 years before returning to their sending church as their Missions and Connections Pastor. Jeff also served as an Adjunct Professor at Bryan College in Dayton Tennessee, where he taught Introduction to the Bible, Business Ethics, Jesus and The Gospels, and served as an Area Chaplin. Sandra worked professionally as an Inpatient Mental Health Counselor emphasizing in Marriage and Family Counseling. They have also continued their education while being in the States.

Return to Tarija, Bolivia – In 2014, God began moving in Jeff and Sandra’s hearts to return to Bolivia.They began deputation in March of 2015 and arrived in Tarija in January of 2017. Since they have returned, they have revitalized and encouraged the church they started in 2003. Part of this work has been building a new building and helping the Church refine it’s ministries. They have also started two children’s ministry clubs and are helping establish a third. Additionally, they are laying the ground work with a National Pastor to help establish a Church in an unreached section of Tarija. Many other opportunities to reach people are available and they are actively developing ministries to reach out to new communities that need the Gospel.

NOTE Return – As Missionaries Jeff and Sandra are responsible for raising their ministry and personal support. They place a high priority on building and maintaining relationships with their ministry partners and those who have an interest in their lives and work. To help with this, they strive to develop a consistent system of reporting and accountability so that people are kept informed about what is being done in their ministry. If you are interested in keeping up with them, please let them know.