missionary 54 [people] Senior uses interest to spread the Gospel Ross Kellis, a senior Bible and religion major from South Carolina, came to Harding mainly because of his grandfather’s influence, who was a missionary in China. “I wanted a Bible education,” Kellis said. “I just want to know the Bible.” Though born in the south, Kellis was a genuine world traveler. Sailing ranked among Kellis’ favorite hobbies. During the Spring of his freshman year, he took the semester to “sail the Pacific.” Kellis then spent seven weeks in China with his grandfather doing mission work. Kellis also attended the overseas program in Greece in spring of 2006 and found some family roots in Scotland while traveling through Europe. Almost a year after his travels, Kellis embarked on a different kind of adventure and married Heather Lehman in December of 2006. Less than six months later the couple found themselves “hacking through the bushes” of Africa on a six-week-long mission trip in the summer of 2007. The Kellises joined a group of missionaries from Abilene, Texas, and traveled to Burkina Faso which was part of French-speaking West Africa. There they learned the traditional language of that area, Dagara. “It was amazing there,” Kellis said. “People were baptized in groups of 20 to 40 at a time.” While there, the team traveled into the villages and stayed for hours to interact with the national people. “It was moving to be with all the poverty and see so many needs,” Kellis said. “Those six weeks were just the beginning, it was only half done.” They later met up with Matt Miller who was the missionary in residence in Togo/Mali where they did a two-week survey of the local people, the Gourman and Dogon. The group traveled to East Africa to survey the Dinka tribes of southern Sudan. “That area is war-torn and untamed,” Kellis said. “They need missionaries!” Six of the group members talked about forming a permanent missionary team together. They hoped to move to Tanzania, Sudan or Mali in the fall of 2009 for about 10 years. “We are sort-of dating, but it’s getting pretty serious now,” Kellis said in reference to the group formation and decision making. Ross Kellis’ world travels showed him the wonder of God as well as the need for the Lord in far off places. His heart for missions and desire to know the Bible led him all over. [Leigh Hutchinson] travels
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