The Bartos Family
After three years of pastoral ministry in Canada and two years of witnessing in a retail setting, Asa, Suz, and their three boys have joined the team in Lima, Peru to assist with church planting and the New Life Prenatal Center. Their desire is to partner with nationals and equip local churches for counseling ministry.
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Asa and Suz are currently in pre-field ministry, which means identifying partners, raising funds, and receiving recommended training before arriving in Peru. Want to know more about what partnership looks like? Click here to find out!
Our Story
With a dad from Ohio and a mom from Singapore, Asa learned from a young age to appreciate different cultures, languages, and peoples. Suz was born and raised on the mission field in Latin America as the daughter of Mark and Diane Henzler, part of the ABWE family from the start. Each in their own time grew to know and love the Lord, and developed a desire to serve him. They met at Bible college and became good friends, often seen together with guitar and mandolin in hand. Toward the end of their time at school, they realized their connection was much deeper than simply playing music together and laughing at silly jokes. In Suz's words, "You're going places. You're on a journey, and I want to go with you."
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Following graduation, Asa and Suz got some real-world experience in youth ministry and an office, respectively. They married two years later, and took another big step of faith when they immediately piled their belongings into their Grand Marquis to drive across the country and join the staff of a church in Alberta, Canada. During that time, they developed a love for hosting and hospitality, ate lots of pizza and shawarma, made lifelong friendships, and welcomed baby Ezra into the family.
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Though they envisioned raising their family in the Great White North, God had other plans. After three years, they felt like God was preparing their hearts for a change. That change (much more drastic than anticipated) came later that year when they were told their work permits could not be renewed, and they'd have to return to the United States to start the immigration process all over again. With some heaviness and confusion, they once again packed up their belongings and returned to the States to spend the holidays and rest with family.
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Twins Asher and Isaac came joyfully into the world the following spring. The Bartos family found themselves with no job, no home, and no car, and felt like they could go just about anywhere. Suz's parents invited them to attend ABWE's 24-hour DEMO. God used this event and later conversations to direct their their hearts toward family counseling and crisis pregnancy ministries. At the same time, the leadership at their home church (Heritage Baptist Church of Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania) expressed a growing desire to raise up and send missionaries from within the church once again.
Asa and Suz were appointed as missionaries with ABWE in July 2022, and are currently in pre-field ministry, a time to share their vision with others and identify potential partners who resonate with God's commission for their lives.
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