Bio
Norma has served in Mexico under GFA since 1968. As a child, migrant laborers from southern Texas harvested tomatoes on her father's farm in northern Ohio. Working then as a teacher, she became burdened for the children of migrant workers who were below their grade level due to their parents' constant moves. Later Norma met Jose Lara and his family, who shared their burden to train Mexican nationals to reach their own people with the Gospel. God called Norma to teach at Mt. Horeb Bible Institute in Mexico after traveling with other BJU students one summer to Mexico.
After deputation and Spanish language school were completed, Norma taught at the Bible institute for the next 14 years. On the weekends she took teachers and students to preach Christ to their home villages. During these years the Gospel burned its way into the hearts of those in the surrounding rural communities. Churches were planted and others caught the evangelistic zeal.
When God moved the missionaries from Mt. Horeb to help in the local churches, Norma went to Tanquian. She already knew this area well through the weekend evangelistic outreaches. It had four churches pastored by Mr. Horeb graduates.
Over the years members of the Tanquian church have gone to preach in the surrounding ranchland communities. Now seven have been reached, two of which have built their own simple meeting houses.
In Tanquian Norma works through the local church with the children's ministry, youth ministry, church families, and making Christian books, Bibles, and hymnals available.Several young ladies who have lived with Norma continue to serve the Lord as pastors' wives and in local church ministries. Through the local Independent Fundamental Baptist Bible Fellowship (COBBIF) made up of Mt. Horeb graduates and pastors of like conviction, she participates in the bi-monthly youth conferences, the summer camp, a fundamentalist congress, and other outreaches.
Recently the Alpha and Omega Baptist Theological Seminary moved onto the Mt. Horeb property. The director, Benito Hernandez Franco, and several of the local pastors who teach are men trained during the early years of Mt. Horeb. Francisca, Benito's wife, also attended the Bible institute. Before marrying Benito, Francisca lived with Norma for eight years in Tanquian. Norma desires that the Lord be glorified as the seminary continues training national Mexicans to reach their own people for Christ.
To view Norma Helle's photo gallery, click the picture below.