Missionaries to Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast), Africa
Sent by the Cleveland Baptist Church of Cleveland, Ohio
Through Baptist International Missions, Inc., of Harrison, Tennessee
www.ivorycoastministries.com
Salvation
Bob accepted the Lord Jesus Christ in repentance and faith on August 26, 1977, in a high school chapel service at the Heritage Christian School of the Cleveland Baptist Church in Cleveland, Ohio.
Becky accepted the Lord Jesus Christ in repentance and faith in June of 1969 at a Sunday evening service of the Wheeling Baptist Temple which was pastored by her father at the time.
Call
Within a year of accepting Christ, Bob began to feel burdened for those of the world who did not hear the Gospel as he had. After counseling with his parents and pastor, he went forward during a Sunday morning service to announce that the Lord was calling him to be a missionary.
After his junior year in college, Bob took a trip to Togo, W. Africa, which the Lord used to direct Bob the the Sub-saharan section of West Africa.
While on staff at his home church, God used prayer and conversations to direct Bob to the country of Côte d'Ivoire, W. Africa
Becky surrendered her life to any service the Lord would have for her at a young age. Her surrender was evident in the service she provided to her family's ministry.
Preparation
Upon completing high school, Bob attended Pensacola Christian College where he received a B.A. degree in Missions. Afterward, Bob attended Missionary Aviation Institute where he received the Commercial/Instrument Flight certificate and the Airframe/Powerplant Mechanics certificate.
After completing his schooling, Bob returned where he served on the faculty of Heritage Christian School teaching Bible, English, Speech, and P.E., and coaching soccer, basketball, and baseball for four years. In the final year, Bob also served on the pastoral staff of Cleveland Baptist Church where he worked with the Discipleship Program, the college and career class, and the children's ministry.
Upon completing high school, Becky elected to remain working full time in her family's evangelism ministry. She became proficient in vocal and instrumental (violin, mandolin, piano) music as well as musical arrangement for her family's music ministry. As well, she filmed, directed, and produced video and audio productions for her family's ministry.
Marriage and Family
Bob and Becky were married on May 18, 1991, at the West Chester Baptist Church in West Chester, Ohio, by Pastor Tom Trammell. The Lord has blessed them with the following children:
Robert Marshall Mach (Bobby) December 12, 1992
Rebekah Marylyn Mach (Marylyn) July 25, 1995
Morganne Lea Mach (Morgan) May 30, 1997
Charlton Lucien Mach (Luc) September 20, 2002
Deputation
Bob, Becky, and Bobby traveled together on deputation from October 1992 until February 1994. In that time, the Lord provided fully the support they needed to go to the field.
Language school
Bob, Becky, and Bobby moved to Boucherville, Quebec, where they attended French language school fulltime directed by Gerald and Margarite Pauley. They started in July of 1994 and spent 6 hours a day, five days a week at school. This training was concluded in June of 1995, and Marylyn was born the following month before moving to Côte d'Ivoire.
First missionary term
Bob, Becky, Bobby, and Marylyn arrived in Côte d'Ivoire for their first term on September 16, 1995. They moved to the city of Anyama where they assisted Tom and Melissa Vineyard with the establishment of the Fundamental Baptist Church of Anyama and the Fundamental Baptist Institute of Anyama. Tom and Melissa had arrived in Côte d'Ivoire in 1994 and had already started the church at the time of the Mach's arrival. The Mach Family was physically present working in Anyama from Sept. of 1995 until November of 1997 and from April of 1999 until January of 2000.
From mid-November 1997 until the end of March 1999, the Machs were stateside. The first few months were to complete the open heart surgery necessary for their daughter Morganne Lea Mach who was born during their first term on the field. Once she had recovered, the Machs took their first furlough to report back to their churches.
Second missionary term
The Mach family returned to Anyama in April of 1999 and then moved to the city of Bingerville in January of 2000. This move took place shortly after the first coup d'état in Ivorian history. There the Machs opened the Fundamental Baptist Church of Bingerville on June 18, 2000, in the downstairs section of their home. As a ministry of this church, they opened the Alpha Baptist Literacy Center in 2001 to teach people to be able to read their Bibles and to reach out to the muslim community. In November of 2004, they opened the Urban Clinic of Bingerville as a ministry of their church in order to reach out to the villages around Bingerville. As well, Bob started another Bible College in a sister church in Grand Bassam.
With time, the Lord provided land for the church. Before leaving for their second furlough, Bob helped build a temporary wood building so that the church could meet on its own property.
On September 19, 2002, war broke out in Côte d'Ivoire resulting in a rebel army occupying the north and later the western regions of the country. Luc was born the day after the conflict started. Given the situation, Becky and Bob had to handle the birth themselves at home. The family evacuated the country the following October only to return to Takoradi, Ghana, in March of 2003. As such, the family lived in relative safety in Ghana while Bob traveled back and forth between Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire on the weekends to keep the Bingerville church going. The family returned full time to Côte d'Ivoire at the beginning of 2004 where they stayed before furloughing at the beginning of 2005.
Third Missionary Term
After their second furlough, the Machs returned to West Africa in April of 2006. They started in Ghana moving back and forth between the two countries until they returned permanently to Côte d'Ivoire in November of 2006.
In this third term, the Machs continued the development of the Bingerville church. A school building was built to meet the needs of the church Sunday school program, the Alpha Baptist Literacy Center, and the future Christian elementary school. As well, they completed the foundation and basement for the permanent school building. Work was continued at a Bible College which had started in Grand Bassam. As well, Bob helped with the development of a Pastors Fellowship, soccer tournaments involving our sister churches, and a newspaper called The Missionary which circulates in all of our sister churches.
In January of 2009, the Machs helped to open another church in the village of Zanaplédougou in the far north of the country. The church is pastored by an older man trained at the Bingerville church and Grand Bassam Bible College. An Alpha Baptist Literacy Center has also been opened in this church to teach the villagers to read the Scriptures and to evangelize those who are not yet saved there.
In the summer of 2010, the Machs have taken their third furlough to again report back to their supporting churches in the states and Canada.
Fourth Missionary Term
In our fourth term, we hope to accomplish the following:
1.) Finish the permanent church buildings for the Bingerville and Zanaplédougou churches.
2.) Build, develop, and open the Fundamental Baptist Bible College of Bingerville.
3.) Expand the Urban Clinic of Bingerville to become the Hope Baptist Hospital of Bingerville.
4.) Open the Fundamental Baptist Elementary School of Bingerville.
5.) Continue bringing the Bingerville church to autonomy with a national pastor.
6.) Open a clinic as a ministry of the Fundamental Baptist Church of Zanaplédougou.
Fifth missionary term
With our return to the field, we continued to work to bring the Bingerville and Zanapledougou churches to autonomy. In addition, we opened a third church in the far west of Ivory Coast in the city of Man. As well, we opened our new Bible College and Institute through the Bingerville church. In preparation for this, Bob has returned to Pensacola Theological Seminary where he has received a Master in Biblical Exposition, and Master of Divinity equivalency, and is currently enrolled in a Doctor of Ministry program.
Sixth missionary term
In our sixth term, we hope to continue and expand the Bible Institute and Seminary. We intend to soon break group on a new health center for our medical ministry. We hope to bring all three of our churches to autonomy. As well, we intend to expand our local church literacy, and medical, and sports ministries to more of our local churches in the country. Our future will be greatly invested in the training of men for the ministry in our Bible Institute and Seminary and then aiding them in the planting of new churches.
