Check out Coffee Time for brief video-notes from Mike
Welcome to the site… So glad you’re here!
Hi. I’m Mike - happy husband of Vicki for 43 years - father of wonderful grownup kids, and fantastic grandkids - honored to be “Uncle Mike” to an extended global family. This is our site for family and friends. Hope you enjoy it. I’m glad you’re here!
And this is Vicki. Girlfriend. Bride. Lifelong gift of God. She said “Yes” in 1976 - over four decades later she still manages to smile (once in a while) when I point the camera her way. Love of my life.
So… Just wondering, “What makes you tick?” What “rolls your socks up and down” and gives you purpose and joy? For me it’s a deep sense of being loved by God… of knowing forgiveness and goodness through Jesus. The old refrain, '“Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so” kind of covers the bases for me. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.
Vicki and I have served in the ministry of Bible Translation for minority people groups for nearly 35 years. This is my passion and it has taken us around the world. With family, colleagues, and friends, we’ve been able to enjoy nature, culture, and the transformational power of the Good News in the most exciting ways you can imagine! It is an incredible privilege to see reflections of our Creator in many nations, in many language communities… in the faces of people… in the beauty of nature.
Partnership
Would you like to make an eternal impact? We’d love to have you join the team!
The psalmist also loved the beauty of nature. In Psalm19, David describes harmony between the revelation of God in nature and the revelation of God in Scripture. I’m convinced we’re each uniquely designed to experience these realities, to enjoy them, and to share them as best we can. This flame has ignited my heart for most of my adult life.
So, our ministry is rooted in Bible translation — it leads to life transformation — and it exists in the context of partnership. Partnership changes the world. We are blessed by those who give, pray, and encourage. Thank you, we are grateful for you!
As for this site, it’s a work in progress, like building a ship while going to sea! I’m putting it together with you in mind, our friends, our tribe — it’s a “go-to” place to connect. As I said above, it’s a work in progress. So enjoy, and please feel free to share your ideas — I value your input.
For those of you who are partners, or interested in partnership: Thank You! Financial and Prayer Partnership is vital to us… please connect through the “Partnership” links if this is your desire. You can check out the “Reflections” blog in the navigation bar, or feel free to send me a personal email with the e-link in the footer. And, if you’re interested in our “ministry history,” there’s also a link to “vintage” Toupin-News letters in the footer.
Finally, I love sharing stories and pictures. Stories can reflect glimpses of “life that is truly life” (From The Message: Matthew 8:22; Romans 12:1-2; Colossians 3:3; 1 Timothy 6:17; 1 Peter 1:22). And pictures, well you know, a good one is worth a thousand words. Photos and stories help us connect - they invite us into each others’ lives. So I hope you enjoy the pictures and stories in this site, the occasional newsletter, and the blog. I deeply value your friendship and partnership. As a dear friend and mentor used to say, “Gobs of Agape to you!”
Photos: Wildlife, Landscape, Sunsets, People, Culture. You’ll see a lot of them in this site!
All photography in this site was either taken by me or for me, so there are no copyright concerns. Feel free to use nature photography as you like, kindly giving credit if you use it publicly. For sensitivity reasons, please do not download or duplicate the photos of people (unless it’s you or your friends and you have their permission.) Thanks!