Carlan & Michelle Wendler

Kibuye, Burundi

Carlan and Michelle were married in the summer of 2015.

Carlan was born and raised in Burbank, California to a couple of midwest transplants who had heard John MacArthur on the radio. He grew up attending Grace Church and got saved at Junior High summer camp when he was challenged at the communion service to examine his heart for any unconfessed sin. He heard the gospel as if for the first time. From high school, Carlan attended UC San Diego where he majored in Molecular Biology and History, including a study abroad session at the Israel-Bible Extension (IBEX) of The Master's College. Then he went on to medical school at the University of Michigan before returning to Los Angeles to work at the LA County + USC Medical Center as a resident in the emergency room. He is currently sent by Grace Church through Serge to serve in Burundi (east-central Africa) as part of a team of physicians and families training African nationals to take the gospel and health care into the remotest jungles of the continent.

Michelle is a pastor's kid who grew up moving around California before studying Piano Performance at CSUN. She has played for several fellowship groups at Grace and was in the band at a missionary conference in 2014 when the two met. She focuses on the family and on teaching Bible and music to the children of the team and community at Kibuye.

Goals:

• Expand the clinical care capacities of Hope Kibuye Hospital in central Burundi
• Train and mentor African medical students and residents at the Frank Ogden School of Medicine at Hope Africa University
• Develop the local economies, infrastructures, and markets to sustainably support native physicians
• Know Christ and make Him known in word and deed in a region racked by ethnic strife, deep hunger & poverty, and encroaching false religion

Ministry:

Carlan is currently training and discipling medical students and directing the emergency and prehospital services of the hospital in addition to pastor/chaplain development and teaching at the local church.