Dave and Lisa Olson

Dave Olson is a missionary to the needy country of Zambia, Africa. He and his wife, Lisa, along with their three young children (Sarah, Deborah, and John) are content to be serving the Lord with their lives. They arrived in Zambia in 2002 and have been actively overseeing several churches since that time.

Battling serious physical problems, as well as experiencing a near-fatal car crash, has proven trying for Dave and his family, but God has been faithful. Several times over these past five years a serious debilitating disease has wreaked havoc on his physical strength, but each time, the Lord blesses with grace for another day. Dave's weekly schedule is filled with making new contacts, traveling between the various churches, and developing nationalist men to be leaders in their respective congregations.

Dave came to Fairhaven Baptist College in 1989. Though he had been saved earlier in life, his real happiness came when he surrendered his life to the Lord. For Dave, this meant leaving Connecticut and coming to Chesterton, Indiana to begin Bible college.

While a student, Dave busied himself with learning the drywall trade to pay his way through school. In addition to the rigors of the classroom, Dave worked diligently in the ministries. His Saturday visitation partner was a fellow student named Dave Schrock. Little did these two men know that after their graduation they would both be serving God on the mission field on different continents (Brother Schrock is now a missionary to Belarus, in the former Soviet Union).

Dave has seen the benefit of following the will of God one step at a time. After graduation, he spent time as a Christian school principal, and eventually as a pastor in Nebraska. Soon, the calling to the mission field, particularly the need in Zambia, Africa, was too strong to be ignored. He sought counsel and made preparations for deputation.

Because of his determination to get to the field as soon as possible, Dave completed deputation in a very short time, and five years ago left for Zambia. His first months on the field were spent in intensive language study and working with another Fairhaven graduate, missionary Pat Gordon.

The Lord has blessed his ministry with tremendous growth in the lives of his church members. He is now searching for land on which to construct a church complex. As he and his wife, Lisa, seek to be faithful, they are reminded that God's will is not distant, but daily. Doing right each day is a principle Dave recalls being stressed from the pulpit at Fairhaven, and indeed it is a truth he seeks to practice in his ministry.