On September 24, 2025, after 88 years of life and 68 years of marriage, Jesus welcomed my dear wife, Gayle Sommerfeld, into heaven as I held her hand. Although this is undoubtedly a time of sadness, it also provides an opportunity to celebrate, reflect upon, and marvel at how God’s plans unfolded throughout our lives.

Gayle had a big heart and was frequently motivated by her faith to help meet the needs of those around her through church activities and local nonprofits. However, at age 50, a pivotal and life-changing moment occurred while she was watching a video by evangelist Tony Campolo. It was then that she felt called by God to become actively involved in international missions.

As an initial step toward responding to this calling, in 1989, we both participated in a short-term mission trip to Haiti. From that experience, we recognized the importance of creating opportunities for people from all walks of life to answer the call, “Here I am, Lord. Send me!” through short-term mission teams.  After much prayer, Gayle and I helped organize another team to return to Haiti and laid the foundation of what ultimately became known as MOST Ministries. 

Gayle’s passion and faithfulness led to 10 teams to Haiti in three years, with all the details planned from a tiny desk, a phone, and a fax machine in the spare bedroom of our home. From these small beginnings, requests for short-term mission teams started to come in from churches around the world.

Gayle possessed a boldness of character and the ability to think “out of the box,” operating confidently and flexibly amid challenging circumstances.  These personality traits certainly served her well in the mission field. But Gayle did not rely solely on her instincts; she was always on her knees, seeking the Lord’s will and guidance. Even the MOST Ministries staff knew that Gayle’s first response was to “go to her knees” and seek the Lord in all circumstances.

As she led teams around the globe, Gayle found strength from Isaiah 58:6-9. In these verses, the faithful are challenged to consider that the sacrifice, or fast, that the Lord seeks is not putting on sackcloth and ashes, but to care for those in need. We are challenged to share food with the hungry and provide shelter for the poor. Then the prophet declares: Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.”

Gayle knew that if God was leading her to serve the poor, then he was going before her and watching behind her as her “rear guard”. She took comfort in the thought that God had her back. 

A fact that few know about Gayle is that she personally led or co-led 80 teams! Guiding and developing teams was a passion for Gayle, who approached her leadership responsibilities with utmost seriousness. The strategies she developed to train team leaders and team members, to work effectively with global partners, and to help all involved be open to God’s work in their lives will be listed among her many legacies. 

After years of witnessing God’s grace and serving him around the world, Gayle felt called to share her stories.  In 2016, with assistance from our daughter, Sandi, Gayle published the book, Beyond Sight: God’s Vision for Using Ordinary People to Impact the World. Together, they brought to life the amazing beginnings of MOST Ministries while also delving into how God had prepared Gayle for these acts of service, just as he prepares each of us to serve in our own unique ways. 
 

Who, but God, could have imagined that Gayle’s faithfulness to answer that call in her own life would have resulted in MOST Ministries sending (to date) over 600 short-term mission teams comprised of physicians, dentists, construction workers, teachers, optometrists, counselors, and thousands of willing individuals to over 50 different countries. 
 

So, in memory of Gayle and all that is possible within Christ, I encourage you to answer the call to serve others, whether that is through MOST Ministries, your local church, your family, or community. You, too, may be surprised at how even small acts of faithfulness may grow to have a profound impact on those around you.