The Bixby/Cole ministry team formed as an outgrowth of Cleveland Park Bible Church of Spartanburg, South Carolina, where Tim Bixby has served as pastor since 2003. Through four years of laboring together in ministry, we discovered a likeminded passion in the work of the Gospel. Since both families had a long-term interest in missions, it was a natural step to pursue whether God would form us into a missionary team. Over the course of our years at Cleveland Park Bible Church, we met often for prayer and discussion about future ministry together. In June of 2007, both families were accepted as missionary candidates to France with EMU International.