Life as Missionaries in Venezuela<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Growing up, Bill split his time between Mexico and Texas, attending two years of high school in Mexico. Because of his bicultural and bilingual upbringing, he developed a heart for Latin America and a desire to return one day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Moving back to Texas for college, Bill was introduced to The Navigators as a freshman \u2014 kicking off a decades-long journey with Navigators ministries. After he graduated, Bill started to work for the Navigators Collegiate<\/a> ministry in Texas, and during his summers, he would help with summer programs in Mexico.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When Bill and LesLee got married, there was a new Navigators ministry in Venezuela being started. Because of Bill\u2019s Latin American background, they were chosen to be part of the launching team. In 1975, they packed their bags and trusted the Lord as they entered into full-time missions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI had originally planned to go back to Mexico and work in agriculture \u2014 what I got my degree in,\u201d Bill says. \u201cBut God changed my course. We went back to Latin America to plant a different kind of seed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n In Venezuela, Bill and LesLee started working with university students in Caracas. Many of their students came to know Christ, and as they graduated and moved to the other side of the country to work in the oil industry, the Voisins realized that they wanted to follow them to continue doing Life-to-Life\u00ae<\/sup> discipleship<\/a> with the relationships they cultivated. Heading to Maracaibo, they got involved with a local college ministry and continued to help their young disciples grow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMany of them got married, and the only examples they had were their fathers who came home drunk and beat up on their family,\u201d Bill recalls. \u201cSo we helped them walk through different phases of their lives, guiding them through life and discipleship and biblical principles.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Bill and LesLee spent over 20 years in Venezuela before the government announced that foreign missionaries were being expelled from the country. Unable to return to their home, the Voisins had to step into a new chapter of their international ministry: teaching ESL in Houston.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cGod was gracious,\u201d Bill says. \u201cWe have over 55,000 Venezuelans living here in the Houston area, and right now, some of our key connections are Venezuelans. God brought the mission field to us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n In Houston, the Voisins have made it their mission to reach the nations through their diverse neighborhood community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Houston is known for being one of the most multicultural cities in the United States, with the tagline: \u201cVisit Houston and you\u2019ll see the world.\u201d 44 percent of Houston\u2019s population is Hispanic, and almost 30 percent is foreign born \u2014 making the city a prime location for forging intercultural relationships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Upon arriving in Texas, Bill and LesLee kicked off their new ESL outreach ministry. Though their focus is the Hispanic community, they\u2019ve also been able to reach ethnic groups and immigrants from across the globe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cESL opens the door to reaching distinct populations regardless of religious backgrounds,\u201d Bill says. \u201cCurrently, I am involved with members of several other major world religions, and even secular folks from Russia.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.navigators.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/ESL8.jpg\")
Using ESL to Create Cross-Cultural Bridges<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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