Ministry: Missionary Acres

Sending Church: Pleasant Hill Baptist Church—Smithville, Ohio

Children: Russell (11), Riley (9)

Last fall, Jared couldn’t keep a pressing thought to himself anymore. He told Jessica, “I think God is calling us to serve at Missionary Acres.” Jessica wasn’t caught off-guard. God had already prepared her to give her life toward serving at BMM’s retirement village in Missouri. Her reply was immediate: “I’m ready.” 

For years, she and Jared had been serving at church in ways they felt most gifted: construction/repairs, hospitality, and landscaping. They enjoyed serving in these ways, but they wondered how they could make it their life, serving 100 percent of the time? Jessica realized she didn’t want God to say to her one day, “Good job, but I had so much more for you to do if you had handed over your whole life to me.” She surrendered to do just that. 

Jared’s path to full-time ministry was even longer. At 18, he served with his church on his first Missionary Acres work team. A year after marrying Jessica in 2008, they served there as a couple. During time-off from his job at a heating and cooling company, Jared frequently served on construction teams at Missionary Acres and helped build churches all over the world. Missionary Acres always held a special place in his mind. He figured he would serve there full-time eventually, but he thought it would be in retirement. God made it clear that the time was now.

The Raines family feels honored to serve the retired missionaries and Christian servants who call Missionary Acres home. Jared’s construction and leadership skills are in constant demand at “The Acres.” The same is true for their giftedness in hospitality, landscaping, being a listening ear, and the ministry willingness Jessica brings—anything from cooking to taking people for hair appointments or walking their dogs. 

When Jared went on overseas trips, people sometimes said to them, “I don’t have the time or money to serve,” or “I could never let my husband go to another country to serve.” Jared and Jessica have learned through the years that service takes faith, faith that God will provide the time, money, and protection they need. They have already seen God’s blessing on their faith to serve, and they are moving into the future with that same faith.