May 2026

God’s Goodness One Step at a Time

Like most Alabama natives, Carla Evans is an avid football fan.  She smiles as she remarks, “Most people are surprised that I love to watch football.”  Her father was able to get tickets to Alabama games through his work for the phone company (there was only one back then), so cheering on the Crimson Tide was a favorite pastime among her family.

Another even more central piece to Carla’s story is her love for missions.  Carla was raised in a Christian home.  “Missions,” Carla shares, “was foundational to the church I grew up in.  As a three- to five-year-old, I told my mom I was going to be a missionary, and she told me that she knew in her heart that would be true.”  Carla recalls that every summer she would attend a mission’s camp and at the age of 12, she felt the call to be a missionary.

Carla met her husband Steve in high school.  Steve did not grow up in a Christian home and became a Christian in high school. Almost immediately after becoming a Christian, Steve knew he was called to ministry, but he was not sure what this would look like.  Over the next several years, Carla kept mentioning missions.  Steve knew that being a pastor was not the right thing for him, and he was not sure how he might serve on the mission field.   After they had their second of three children, they were able to learn about different possible roles as missionaries.  Steve realized he could use his love for language, writing, orality, and communications to share and help translate God’s Word into different languages on the mission field.

“As soon as Steve and I together acknowledged God’s call to missions, I felt the Lord tell me,” Carla shares, ‘don’t assume you will be doing this the rest of your life; this is just the next step in your walk with me.’  At that point in life, I thought I would have “arrived” as a believer if I became a missionary. The Lord was reminding me to trust in His goodness one step at a time,” remarks Carla, “and He has continued to do this throughout my life.”

Over the next forty-three years, the Lord led Steve and Carla to mission work in Zimbabwe, Malawi, Mozambique, Cyprus, the US, India, South Africa, England, The Democratic Republic of Congo, and Angola.   As IMB missionaries they worked alongside organizations like YWAM, Wycliffe, Campus Crusade, and the Seed Company to get God’s Word in oral form translated into various languages.

While they were in Zimbabwe, Carla had a miscarriage.  She shares that this was the first big trial that had happened to her.  Carla shares, “I did not understand it.  It challenged and tested my faith, but I trusted the Lord and He later allowed me to use this trial in my life to minister to other women who experienced this.” Some months after this their third child, Peter, was born.

For the past twenty years, Steve and Carla have had a connection to New Hope through their son, Mark Evans and his wife Jodie.  They would attend New Hope when they were on furloughs visiting Mark and his family.  Steve has been able to be a part of the Thursday morning men’s Bible study; in person while visiting, and virtually when overseas.  Members from New Hope, George and Martha Rankin, even came to visit Steve and Carla while they were on the mission field and arranged meals for them in 2016, when Carla’s dad passed away in Orange City while they were back visiting one of their newest grandchildren.  So, in 2024 when it was time to retire from overseas missions, Steve and Carla knew when they moved to Alton to be close to family, they would also have a church family at New Hope.

“Coming here,” states Carla, “was another cross-cultural experience for us. We were warmly received by our life group, and they have helped us adjust.”  Carla has been a part of the monthly mission prayer meetings at New Hope and both she and Steve have been able to be on a care team for missionaries currently in the field, as well as build relationships with other missionaries sent by New Hope.

“When I reflect on my life,” Carla shares, “I think of the song, ‘Goodness of God’ which sings, ‘All my life you have been faithful, all my life you have been so, so good.’”  The Lord has invited Carla to trust Him one step at a time in her faith journey.  Even today, she continues to seek Him for the ways she can use her love of communication, language, and people in ministry.  How have you seen God’s faithfulness and goodness in your life and what next step is He inviting you to trust him with?