Kurt and Cynthia Zimmerman are career missionaries with World Gospel Mission, serving in Santa Cruz, Bolivia.

They have been receiving support from Effort United Methodist Church for years and last week the Zimmermans and two of their five children, Lucas, 14 and Josh, 12, paid another visit to the congregation to thank them for that support and update their friends on their mission work with youth.Both of the Zimmermans are teachers. Kurt Zimmerman has taught grades four to 10. He serves as a youth leader, counselor, and music ministry team leader at Cristo Viene Church.Cynthia Zimmerman is a high school math teacher at Santa Cruz Christian Learning Center. She ministers as a Sunday School teacher at Cristo Viene Church.The Zimmermans spoke about the many changes that have occurred in their 20 years in Bolivia.They remember when they encountered just a few troubled and homeless youths on the streets compared to the now 20,000 children that live on the streets, many suffering from drug addiction. They spoke about how their ministry is to plant seeds of faith and being faithful. They related stories of the youth that have turned their lives around because of accepting Christ."God is in the business of transforming lives and uses people to bring people to Christ," said Kurt Zimmerman."We are encouraged to be a light," added his wife.The couple shared their experiences at Effort UMC's Saturday service and the two Sunday services.They presented a slide show of the children and adults they work with on a daily basis. Immediately after the Saturday service, the church held its annual auction. The proceeds from this event goes to support the Zimmermans' ministry.Their older children, David Tim and Jenny, are in college here in the United States and the Zimmermans plan to visit with them while on furlough.The first World Gospel Mission missionaries arrived in Bolivia in January of 1944. The main ministries in Bolivia are church planting and evangelism.The mission, headquartered in Marion, Ind., is an interdenominational missionary organization. There are more than 300 missionaries and support staff serving on six continents.