WIENS, Jim and Sandra

Jim and Sandra are passionate about helping to get God’s Word into the heart languages of people worldwide.  For this purpose, they are currently part-time member volunteers with Wycliffe Bible Translators here in Canada. 

Jim’s current role as Staff Care Advisor with Wycliffe, as part of the Staff Care Team, includes providing care and administrative support to many of our staff serving primarily in Canada. He also assists the Mobilization, Applications and Internships (MAPI) team by checking applicants’ Personal Statements of Beliefs, speaking on behalf of Wycliffe, and as a mobilizer at booths for mission conferences. Sandra processes applications for new members as part of the MAPI team and is available as a health consultant. 

Jim was a public high school computer and history teacher, and Sandra was a registered nurse and nurse instructor for many years, until taking an early retirement. They have three grown children, and two grandchildren who they happily babysit regularly. 

Mid-career, Jim and Sandra served with Wycliffe in Ukarumpa, Papua New Guinea (PNG) for two years with their family. Jim taught in the high school for missionary kids (MKs), and Sandra was a nurse in the clinic. From 2017 to 2023, Jim and Sandra volunteered with Wycliffe in Ethiopia at Bingham Academy International School in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, as a computer teacher and a health co-ordinator. It was a highlight, both in Ethiopia and PNG, for Jim and Sandra to work alongside colleagues from these countries and from around the world. Their primary goal has always been to support Bible translators from SIL (Wycliffe’s key field partner) and other organizations to translate God’s Word into the heart language of minority language groups. Their support roles contribute to people in more communities worldwide being able to meaningfully engage with God’s Word, and become followers of Jesus.