About Us
People growing in Christlikeness
About Pete
The greatest gift apart from salvation that God has given me is my wife and my children. Deb has encouraged me to do more and reach out for all that God has to offer. She is my left hand and best friend. We have walked through tough times and by God’s grace become stronger because of it. She has been by my side, and I by hers in some very difficult times. We have learned to cry together and to rejoice together, as we both strive to please God is all we do. Her father was a real encouragement to both us, making sure we attended college and received our four year degrees. His wisdom in money management and love for farming were passed on to us. We both thank the Lord for his time on this earth and are again grateful he too is with his Lord and Savior for eternity.
About Deb
Why I received Jesus Christ as my personal Savior… I wanted to spend eternity with Christ in Heaven. The thought of Hell was so distressing to me and I did not want to spend eternity there and be separated from Christ.
How I received Christ… I attended Sunday School and Church regularly. It wasn’t until I went to summer camp between second and third grade that I remember the Gospel being preached. After the movie, “A Thief in the Night” I made a profession of faith. I confessed my sin and asked Jesus to come into my life and be my Savior.
Since receiving Christ, my life has changed in the following ways: In the following years, I continued regular SS, youth group, and church attendance to Community Presbyterian Church in my hometown. I married Pete Steele in 1976. In 1978 we began attending Euclid Ave. Baptist Church in Spokane, WA. During my time in Spokane, I gained a closer walk with the Lord. As a step of obedience, I was baptized in the summer of 1980 at the age of 24. We moved to Clarkston, WA in September, 1987. Pete and I were asked to assist in starting a Word of Life Club at First Baptist Church in 1989. It was exciting and challenging to work with teenagers. On March 15, 1990, I dedicated my life completely to the Lord and surrendered to His leading and will for my life. I told Him I would go and do whatever He asked of me and my family. I had known for quite some time Pete felt called into full-time Christian service. God worked in my life to get me to a place where I would trust Him with everything I had. I recognized He gave me my life; I had to give it back to Him willingly. May, 1993 Pete and I were accepted as West Coast Missionaries with Word of Life Fellowship, Inc. We served with WOL for 16 years (May-1993 to May 2009) and our ministry focus was working with local Bible-believing churches in areas of evangelism and discipleship for adults, teenagers, and children, assisting them to grow and have a vibrant Christian walk.
April, 2009, Pete and I were accepted as missionaries by Northwest Baptist Home Mission/Baptist Network Northwest. I look forward to encouraging women in their various roles within the church.
One of the verses upon which I base my salvation: John 1:12: But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the children of God, even to them that believe on His name.
My life verses are Proverbs 3:5&6: Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not unto your own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy paths.
I grew up on a wheat farm in E. WA, had wonderful parents and grandparents who lived close by, and I lived in the same house for 18 years, until I left for college. I have wonderful memories of raking leaves in the fall, snowmobile rides, skiing, neighborhood fellowship in the winter and going to Sunday school and church every Sunday. I accepted Christ as my Savior while attending camp the summer before 3rd Grade. I recognized my sin and truly understood that my sin separated me from God and that I would not spend eternity in heaven with Him apart from accepting Christ’s free gift of salvation. My family was very close and I learned a great work ethic from my parents. They worked very hard and my mom took care of my grandmothers in their later years and I learned compassion and what sacrifice meant from my mom. My dad was a great farmer and worked hard all his life. In the midst of challenging heart problems, he always had a positive attitude and was there for me when I needed him.
I met Pete when he was working as a ranch hand for my cousin. We began dating and were married 2 ½ years later. I was studying to be a dental hygienist and Pete was studying Business Management and Economics at Eastern Washington University.
God also blessed for a number of years when I was a dental hygienist. I was privileged to work for a maxillofacial prosthodontist in Spokane for 10 years who was the first US prosthodontist to travel to Sweden to learn how to make dental implant bridges for his patients. I developed and marketed a flossing system for dental implant patients and wrote and published the guidelines and standards for professional care and patient home care. I had the privilege of lecturing and teaching dentists and dental hygienists in the United States and Canada how to provide a standard of care for their patients. After moving to OR, I worked for another incredible prosthodontist focusing mainly on implant patients. I practiced dental hygiene for 25 years, 20 of which was primarily dental implant patients. God deserves all the glory for allowing me the privileges I had as a hygienist and I am grateful for the many opportunities He provided for me to share my faith numerous times in and out of the office. Two of my co-workers from the implant company came to know Christ and I still have contact with them to this day, 20 years later!
God has used Pete to be the greatest influence in my life, apart from Christ, not only as my best friend on earth, but also as a spiritual leader. He was a godly father to our children and continues to be looked up to by them. Our children Amanda, Daniel and Daniel’s wife Ally, and our future son-in-law Stephen, are unbelievable blessings from God and we are grateful they love Him, want to know Him more, and please Him with their lives.
Even though I have had incredible training and been taught by godly men in Word of Life, my greatest “growth steps” began in Feb 2001 when we attended Track 1 Biblical Counseling Training at Faith Baptist Church, Lafayette, IN. I continue to be involved in advanced counseling training and completed my certification to be a NANC Certified Counselor in July, 2009. Pete and I had the privilege along with co-workers to bring this training to the Pacific Northwest for our pastors and lay leaders. Looking back, Dr. Oscar Hegg and Pastor Bruce Bottjen were godly pastors and their preaching and influence made a huge impact on my life.
If it were not for the strength of the Word, and Christ being my Rock, my world would have been shattered in July, 2008 when we were told as a West Coast staff that we would all be relocated to the East Coast. I have truly lived this past year in Romans 8:28-29 – “all things---work together for good----to conform me to the image of Christ”; II Peter 1:3, “through His divine power, I have EVERYTHING I need for life and godliness”…….and I need to trust Him, my life verses Proverbs 3:5-6 – “trust Him, don’t lean on my own understanding, ALL ways acknowledge Him, and He WILL direct my paths!”
God has directed Pete’s and my path to serve fulltime with Northwest Baptist Home Mission/Baptist Network Northwest. We look forward to continuing ministry in strengthening, encouraging, and equipping pastors, wives, and lay leaders in Pacific Northwest. I count it an awesome blessing, responsibility, and privilege to minister. My aim, my goal in life is to bring God glory!
