Edward and Mila Vailliencourt

Ed and Mila met and married in 1968 while he was serving in the U.S. Air Force in the Philippines. At this time Ed was a Buddhist, having been converted in Japan the previous year and Mila was a Roman Catholic. It was in 1974, when they moved to Jacksonville, Florida, with the Florida Air National Guard, that Ed received the Lord Jesus Christ as his Savior at Trinity Baptist Church. The following month Mila received Christ as her Savior. They became very involved in all the services of the church, especially soul winning visitation. The following year Ed surrendered to preach. After his first year of studies at Luther Rice Seminary, Ed transferred his studies to Trinity Baptist College of Jacksonville, Florida.

During his college training, Ed was involved in the bus ministry as a driver and a teacher in the primary class of the Sunday church ministries. He had a desire to go back into active duty Air Force as a chaplain, but the Lord had different plans for him. In 1978 they were accepted by Baptist International Missions, Inc. Upon graduation in 1979 with a BA degree in church ministries with a major in missions, Ed and Mila embarked upon full-time deputation, raising their support to go to the Philippines.

The Vailliencourts arrived in the Philippines in February 1981 to begin their missionary service. The Lord led them to the city of Legazpi, where they spent the next 30 years involved in pioneering independent Baptist churches. Their first church was planted in the city of Legazpi. In 1986 they established Trinity Bible Institute for the training of national pastors and missionaries. Their second church plant took place in the seaside village in Tiwi. It was there also that Mila began a K-5 school for the indigent children in their village. Their third church plant was in the town of Guinobatan. Both 2nd and 3rd church plants were within 30 miles of Legazpi City. These first two churches have their own property and buildings while the church in Guinobatan is still looking for property to purchase.

In 1987 Mrs. Vailliencourt underwent a hysterectomy in Legazpi City, receiving two blood transfusions. It was only upon trying to donate blood in 1999 that she learned that she had the Hepatitis B virus. Since that time she has undergone extensive treatment and monitoring of health. In 2009 her doctor advised her to take a new medicine to control the disease, which was not available at that time in the Philippines. It was then that they decided to return to the States to be sure she would get the proper care and treatment.

Dr. Vailliencourt is assisting short-term relief ministries and also serves as a volunteer chaplain for the Baptist Hospital in Gulf Breeze and is a volunteer at the VA Outpatient clinic in Pensacola, being a Viet Nam veteran himself.

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