Robert and Jenny Wheelis
We began our missionary journey in 2006, moving our family to Albania. Our ministry began with serving and raising up youth leaders, then planting a church in a coffee shop, leading people to become disciples who make disciples, and facilitating training for under-resourced Albanian public-school teachers. In our 18 years we have seen God move in so many ways but none more powerful than seeing Albanians thrive in ministry and reach their own culture for Jesus. Ministries we started in Albania are now continuing under the leadership of Albanian believers! Our desire has always been to work ourselves out of a job and go where God leads to his next work. And God has decided to expand our territory.
Beginning in 2024, we have moved into a coaching and training role for missionaries and indigenous leaders on this mission field in greater Eastern Europe.
We have three main areas of ministry:
INTERNATIONAL MINISTRY: Last Fall we started an outreach ministry to international students at the OU Campus in Norman. The nations are right here in our backyard and we have already seen amazing fruit. We have had three Iranian students give their lives to Jesus in the last 6 months and are now connecting them with local believers and churches to be discipled. What JOY to watch them grow in their faith and begin to have a heart to share Jesus with their own nation and culture.
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PROJECT: Leading trainings for Albanian school teachers through ISP. This project has had a tremendous impact in Albania, with over 200 teachers coming to faith in the last 10 years. We work with local believers to facilitate trainings of teachers and empower local Albanian believers with tools that help them share the gospel and lead their coworkers to Jesus. The last training led by Jenny in September had over 450 attendees!
COACHING CHURCH PLANTERS: We come alongside church planters in 5 countries in Eastern Europe, where Jesus is hardly known. We actively train and coach church-planters to thrive and be sustainable over the long haul. We facilitate training workshops that help leaders self-diagnose challenges unique to their cultures and that result in implementing new strategies and creating safe spaces for leaders and teams to grow, multiply, collaborate, and be inspired to "finish the race". This initiative is called Forest Planting Global, using a modern-day parable of planting and expanding the forest just like the Church plants and expands the Kingdom of God.
HOW CAN YOU SUPPORT THIS WORK ACROSS THE GLOBE?
Missionaries are supported by the gifts of people like YOU who come alongside and send us to the field. Your monthly gift of $200/$500/$1000 (or any amount!) helps us to continue to bring the harvest into the Lord’s kingdom.
Email us at robertwheelis@gmail.com or jenwheelis@gmail.com if you would like to be added to our quarterly updates.