Rick and Mary are humbled to be challenged by the Lord to begin a new work. Out of near-tragedy has come a call to triumph in personal insufficiency. From pain and loss has come newness of life. The Lord has prepared the Bartons to serve His Church by ministering to those Believers whose dreams and plans have been short-circuited, to those who are experiencing the Refiner’s fire, to those who have come to the end of themselves and are reaching out to God for deliverance.

AHIGM is a not-for-profit ministry. Services provided by the Bartons to those whom they minister are a gift to the Lord after the manner of Exodus 25:2, “...of every man that giveth it willingly with his heart [I] shall take [an] offering.”

During their years of study and ministry Rick and Mary have seen God provide for their material and spiritual needs in miraculous ways. They know that whom He calls, He enables. In addition to what he earns as an ad hoc audio-video equipment calibrator, Rick and Mary consider it a special privilege to be a source of blessing to those whom the Holy Spirit has inspired to offer them financial as well as prayer support.

In 1993 Rick and Mary Barton and their three children emigrated from Bermuda to Three Hills, Alberta, Canada. For the next few years Rick studied Mission Aviation and Cross-Cultural Missions at Prairie Bible Institute (PBI). After graduation Rick joined PBI’s Aviation Department staff as a ground school and flight instructor. While studying at PBI Rick was introduced to Mission Aviation Fellowship of Canada (MAFC). After working with MAFC in Africa in 2000, Rick accepted a Recruitment Officer position with the mission.

In the Fall of 2002 Rick was involved in a near-fatal motor vehicle accident. Among other wounds, Rick suffered a serious head injury. After he was released from the hospital, Rick’s family were dismayed to recognise symptoms of his altered personality. It was clear to those closest to him that the man Rick had been prior to the accident was no more. Thus began a long, slow process of neurological and psychological rehabilitation and emotional readjustment not only for Rick, but for Mary and their adult children.

Rick’s healing process continues. Three years later the physical scars have all but disappeared, but emotional and psychological scars remain. Rick considers those reminders of his close call with death to be trophies of Divine Grace.

“And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” II Corinthians 12:9