e
ven as a 5-year-old youngster, there was a stirring in Herb Schneider’s heart for ministry. And though it would be another 16 years before Herb would accept Jesus as his Savior, God was already preparing him for a great work. | “God’s given me a wonderful wife who has the same vision I have,” says Herb today as he retraces the early days of Micronesian Life Ministries. Through their ministry, Herb and his wife, Jan, have helped bring hope to the people of Micronesia and other parts of the Pacific Islands for the past 30 years. “We have the love of God for the island people and thank God for His assignment in our lives.”
Island
Hopping B r i n g i n g J e s u s t o t h e I s l a n d Pe o p l e
A major part of their outreach, Schneider says, has been due to the help of Kenneth Copeland Ministries. In the late 1990s, following a series of meetings KCM conducted in the Marshall Islands, a partnership was formed between the two ministries. “ We’re so thankful for Kenneth Copeland Ministries being involved with us,” Herb said. “I can’t tell you how much of a blessing he is to us and to this ministry. Kenneth has taken hold of the vision for the islands. We thank God for what he has done, what his staff is doing, and for the KCM Partners who are making this possible.”
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As founders of Micronesian Life Ministries, Herb and Jan Schneider are happy doing what God has called them to do. The islands are plentiful, and so is the harvest. But as Jesus said, the laborers are few. There are 22 Pacific Island nations, which cover 21 million square miles of ocean—an area seven times larger than the continental U.S. The three major island groups of Micronesia, Polynesia and Melanesia have a combined population of more than 8 million people. “If we looked at the magnitude of this assignment, we’d be overwhelmed, and wouldn’t even take the first step,” Herb said. “We just look into our spirit, where there is no limit, and then follow the leading of the Holy Spirit. Some islands we can reach by air, and others by boat, but we will continue to do whatever is necessary to reach even one person for Jesus.” Micronesian Life Ministries was birthed in 1985, as an outgrowth of the Schneiders’ hospital ministry to Micronesian patients going to Hawaii for medical treatment. “It was great,” Herb recalls. “A lot of people got saved, and everyone got healed.” Because of their faithfulness in the hospital ministry, God opened the