At CALMS we go out of our way to nurture relationships. We serve as a bridge between partners in North America and partners on the ground. We work as closely as possible with each. We strive for the same among our staff.
In our quest to be the very best stewards of financial resources, CALMS staff work from home offices and collaborate utilizing the best technological tools available today. This has allowed us to attract the highest caliber mission professionals — regardless of their geographic location — and eliminate traditional ‘brick & mortar’ expenses from our administrative overhead.
- Mrs. Nicole Sinders serves as our Logistics Coordinator from her home office in Indiana.
- Mr. Charles “Carlos” Cohen serves in a city nestled in the mountains of southeastern Guatemala.
- Mr. Milton Castillo coordinates CALMS work and serves a congregation in Panama City, Panama.
- Rev. Hector Morales coordinates CALMS work and serves a congregation in Sébaco, Nicaragua.
- Lily Schwendener serves as a missionary and lead teams to Cobán, in Alta Verapáz Guatemala.
- The Myers family are on their way to Tierras Altas Panama to serve as long term missionaries.
We are grateful for many evangelists, pastors, teachers, catechists, deacons, deaconesses, and community leaders who are the true leaders of this work. We believe that short-term teams are at their best when they support and complement these local leaders who are on the ground week in and week out. It is our privilege to serve them!
Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.
First Peter 4:10
Milton Castillo
Missionary Team Leadermiltoncastillo@calms.org
Milton has hosted scores of short term teams over the years. He has a wide range of interests and a special gift for helping teams synthesize new experiences as he introduces them to his beloved Panama. Now he works in the Tierras Altas area in the province of Chiriquí to establish a permanent CALMS mission not only to serve through short-term groups but also in different physical and spiritual needs. Milton is a disciple of Christ. His spiritual gifts include faith, serving, and teaching.
Charles “Carlos” Cohen
Missionarycharlescohen@calms.org
I never imagined myself being a missionary – after all, what training did I have? It turns out that many parts of my background, such as having experience in language, education, and music give me confidence in my weekly work. When I began in 2012 I really wasn’t sure I could manage in the missionary life, but God has showered many blessings. One great joy has been working with and getting to know CALMS teams as they share their faith in the villages ringing our mountain.
Lily Schwendener
Missionary
Ana Lily Schwendener lives in Guatemala and her roots of faith are Lutheran. It has served through CALMS in the Cobán area, in Alta Verapáz, receiving groups who have interacted with the people of the Quekchí communities, in addition to supporting them with infrastructure for schools, community halls and VBS’s. It has been a very pleasant experience since it is the Mayan culture of northern Guatemala. Our mission is to bring the gospel to every creature with a heart willing to serve the work of the Lord.
The Myers Family
Missionaries
Adam, Carissa, Grace and Levi are on their way to Tierras Altas Panama. Adam and Carissa graduated from Concordia University St. Paul. Carissa as a Director of Christian Outreach and Adam with a super cool concoction of Theology, Communications, and Business. Since before being married we have had hearts to serve on the overseas mission field. We have been friends with Milton for over a decade and when he invited us to serve, we were excited to work together. We hope to share Jesus in Tierras Altas specifically with students in the schools and their parents and we hope they share Jesus with us too! Our spiritual gifts are: teaching, mercy, helping, and making people laugh.
Héctor Morales
Missionaryhectormorales@calms.org
The Rev. Héctor Morales is passionate about serving in the mission of Christ. As an ordained pastor in the Iglesia Luterana Sínodo de Nicaragua (ILSN) he has served as a pastor and missionary in Matagalpa, Jinotega, and Sébaco. Héctor is married to his sweetheart, Cristina, a deaconess in the church. Their union has produced three wonderful children: Karolay, Marissa, and Isaac. Pastor Héctor is an excellent host for the teams. He loves serving with them as they get to know the amazing people of Nicaragua.
Nicole Sinders
Logistics Coordinatorlogistics@calms.org
Nicole lives in Indiana with her husband Nathan and their two daughters Natalie and Nora. Studied to be a Director of Christian Education at Concordia University of Chicago. I went on to be a youth director for 6 years before I decided to stay home with my children. I have always loved serving my community if that be locally or internationally. I hope to encourage others to use their passions to serve in our Central American countries.