Christ-Centered Relationships Transform Lives
When we talk about teams at Spiritual Orphans Network (SON), we’re not talking about competitive sports. We’re speaking about the unique, Christ-centered relationships that form the global family of Christ. At the very heart of the SON mission strategy is relationship—genuine, long-term connections made and committed to one mission: to make Christ known, wherever the context may be.
Theological Conference for New Believers in Morave, Albania
This is not about one-off mission trips or memorable experiences for a résumé. Every time we connect with our global family and serve together in reaching spiritual orphans around the world, lives are profoundly changed by the relationships that are formed through SON Teams serving on short-term mission trips.
You are a part of this global family.
You are a member of the team.
I’d like to take a moment to share how I know this to be true.
Before I became a believer at the age of 25, the system that had been modeled for me taught that it is “every man for himself” and “you alone control your destiny.” I was a spiritual orphan—unaware that something essential was missing, and that there was a whole family in Christ just waiting to embrace and welcome me.
God used several people to shape my faith. My wife, Angela, certainly. But also dear friends, Tom and Vicki Crow, who patiently walked alongside me as the idea that, in Christ Jesus, God is real began to take hold in my life. Even an entire church choir welcomed someone like me into their circle and eventually modeled what authentic Christian community looks like.
I still remember the first time I heard that my identity had changed in Christ. Within my first year of becoming a believer, a faithful sister in Christ, Jennifer Bohnhoff, said to me:
“You are a man of God, David!” She likely had no idea how profoundly those words would shape my understanding of belonging to God’s family. Decades later, they still stay with me.
There are countless others who have walked—and continue to walk—alongside me, speaking into my life as we grow in our shared faith. Some have been pastors, but most are “regular,” everyday believers who recognize that the mission field is wherever God has placed them.
And that describes you. You are already part of this family—sending, supporting, and praying as together we make Christ known.
This is what a healthy family looks like: each serving in the contexts and capacities that God has given them, united in one mission and one purpose—building the Kingdom together. This is also how Christian mission is accomplished throughout the world: one soul at a time, loved and nurtured by an entire family of witnesses to the love, grace, and mercy of Jesus Christ.
Praying over new believers in Pashalli, Albania
Opening Doors Through Education and Faith
This global mission model also happens—right here—in the United States, as part of SON’s building relationships through shared learning and growing in the Gospel with students and their families. While these relationships begin overseas, often they lead to conversations about the future and exploring how God may be calling students to use their unique gifts. Yet not every young person has access to the opportunities needed to answer that calling.
David & Angela Breidenbach with Marta, High School Graduation 2023
This is where SON can open an entirely new path. A path that only God has made possible.
In 2022, SON launched a new area of ministry: creating an affordable pathway to higher education for promising students who desire not only to pursue a career, but also to grow in their faith and identity in Christ.
SON seeks to build pathways to education and Christian faith for underprivileged students from countries such as Albania and Ukraine by providing access to quality education and equipping them to become strong, Christ-centered leaders in their communities. Through scholarships, mentorship, and spiritual encouragement in Christian community, students are empowered to grow academically, personally, and spiritually.
Angela & David Breidenbach with Fjoralba, High School Graduation 2023
Angela & David Breidenbach with Klara, High School Graduation 2025
These pathways provide students with the tools and knowledge needed to bring positive change to their home countries, while grounding them in Christian values and servant leadership. Investing in their education today helps shape future leaders who will impact their communities and families with the love and message of Jesus Christ.
Anna-Mariia with family & the Breidenbachs at her UNM Graduation, 2026
The Global Family of Christ
It may take a village to raise a child, but it takes an entire global family in Christ to nurture that child in faith—no matter their age.
Thank you for being part of the team and a vital member of the global family of Christ. Your prayers, generosity, and partnership in ministry make these relationships—and our shared mission—possible. To God be the glory!
Thank you — for every prayer, every gift, because it truly takes a team!
TO GOD BE THE GLORY!
