Roberta Cynthia Vieira Rios Lage is an Global Missionary of The United Methodist Church, assigned as speech therapy and training program coordinator at Chicuque Hospital in Mozambique. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in speech therapy health at the Methodist University of São Paulo, Brazil. Her most recent employment was at the Belo Horizonte, Brazil, City Hall. Roberta is a lay member of Igreja Sete Lagoas (Seven Lakes Church), related to the Methodist Church of Brazil. “I have attended the Methodist Church since I was a teenager,” she said, “and I have always participated with grace and joy. We all carry out our mission with our professional gifts and talents because our work is an expression of service to others. By exercising my profession with serenity and commitment to others, I faithfully follow my mission of serving God with my best. Throughout my journey as a Christian, I have always been taught about the value of sharing and communion.” For years, Roberta and her husband, Jovanir Lage, felt called to missionary service. They promoted mission in their local church, volunteering their talents and professional gifts. Then they decided to take a leap of faith with their two children, now teenagers. “We placed ourselves in God’s hands and were willing to undertake this service of learning and exchanging experiences with our brothers and sisters from Africa in Mozambique,” Roberta said. “As a health care professional, I have worked in both the private sector and public service in my country, but now I am willing to contribute with great joy and serenity to the hospital in Chicuque.” Chicuque is a reference hospital for four districts. Because of its privileged location in the continental side, it has been highly preferred by the population. The hospital lacked a speech therapist due to a shortage of human resources trained in this area. Therefore, placing missionary Roberta in this area is an important step for the health of the communities served by Chicuque Rural Hospital. Family is Roberta’s foundation. “It is where I find the strength to face the challenges that life presents to me,” she said. “I got married at age 19. I worked at the hospital in my hometown as a secretary and then as a nursing technician. We both always worked diligently in the local church. When my husband went to São Paulo to study theology, I started my degree in speech therapy. I already had my daughter and then my son came. We have always maintained our involvement in the local church and our work, and our children have always accompanied us to the local church’s programs. “Our entire family is here in Africa because we understand that mission is family and we support each other, support and collaborate, so we joined forces to face this great challenge. Thank God, we have been here in Africa since January 2024 and have begun our adaptation. We continue with faith and hope in our mission and, above all, the exchange of experiences and the appreciation of knowledge.” Roberta asserts that mission is the essential element that gives life to Christianity. “It must happen,” she said, “because there are still people who need support, health, help and charity. As long as there are hunger, wars and people in conflict situations, mission will always be necessary.”

Gonzalo R. Alers Rivera is a Global Missionary of The United Methodist Church, assigned as a Professor of the New Testament and Biblical Greek in the Evangelical Seminary of Puerto Rico. A layperson, he is pursuing a doctoral degree in Bible and cultures (New Testament) at Drew University and earned a Master of Sacred Theology at Drew University, a Master of Divinity at the Evangelical Seminary of Puerto Rico and a Bachelor of Arts in business administration and management at Ana G. Mendez University. His most recent employment was as adjunct professor at the Evangelical Seminary of Puerto Rico and the University of Theology of the Caribbean. A member of the Methodist Church in Puerto Rico, Gonzalo attends Iglesia Metodista de Los Angeles in Puerto Rico. “I started attending church when I was 16 years old,” he recalled, “and from the moment I arrived, I was awakened to learn more deeply about biblical texts. God has always provided opportunities for me to grow spiritually. “As the years passed, that desire turned into a formal education that led me to two master’s degrees and a doctorate in the areas of biblical interpretation, theology and non-canonical literature. The desire to learn transitioned into a desire to educate others to ground faith in reason. In that process, I realized that this was my calling.” Gonzalo believes God equips people to serve others. “As a young man,” he said, “I actively participated in musical groups. Then I began to teach myself to interpret the Bible beyond the obvious. Now I feel that God has opened the doors for me with my academic preparation to bless the pastoral and lay leadership of Puerto Rico and ‘given by grace what I have received by grace.’” Gonzalo wants to be intentional about creating new paradigms that answer faith-related questions. “My hope,” he said, “is to continue cultivating my intellect, understanding the Bible, and bringing knowledge and experience into the classroom. Start theological conversations and provide safe spaces for students to express themselves, argue and consider other perspectives. In the process, provide space for collaborative learning that results in active participation, not only in congregations, but also in the pressing issues of our society.” With Gonzalo serving as professor of the New Testament and Biblical Greek, the seminary will comply with the Institutional Catalog, curriculum and other areas related to academic programs. The position will assist the seminary in meeting various requirements of accrediting agencies such as the Postsecondary Institution Board of Puerto Rico, the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, Advanced Teacher Status, and the University Senate of The United Methodist Church by requiring specialized faculty in their teaching areas. Without this position, institutional accreditations and recognitions would be at risk. “I have always liked to collaborate in whatever is within my possibilities,” Gonzalo said. “These experiences have been decisive in my journey to discern God’s will in my life. Without them, I would never have been able to get to where I am. Each one shaped an outline of my heart, and my next experiences will add more strength to what I am passionate about.” “Everything I do,” he continued, “is intended to be my humble contribution to the establishment of God’s kingdom and to cultivate justice and peace for all people without requirements or restrictions. The real message of the Christian proclamation is that there is good news to share. This news involves hope, love and peace from our redeemer Jesus Christ. So, to share this good news is to share that deep love we receive every day, to help without expecting anything in return, to accompany those who need companionship, and to heal those who need healing. “For me, mission is to reach out to others in the same way that God in Jesus reached out to humanity. Mission is not to believe that we have all the answers, but that we are committed to reflecting together in harmony with those who believe as we do, as well as with those who do not.” Gonzalo is married to Migdalia Lopez Figueroa. “My wife and two daughters,” he said, “cheer me on, encourage me and motivate me to keep going.”