IO: Where were you born and raised?

Bruce Howell: Herrin, Illinois

IO: Did you go to Bible College?

Bruce Howell: Gateway College of Evangelism

IO: Tell us about your family?

Bruce Howell: My wife, Diane, is from Jackson, Mississippi; and we met at Bible college. My son, Jared, and his wife, Loida, serve as the Youth President of the Louisiana District and work in Christian Life Center in Monroe, Louisiana. They have two daughters, Zoe (8) and Bella (2). My daughter, Leah Arrowood, and her husband, Andrew, pastor the Pentecostal Lighthouse in Van Nuys, California. They have a son, Zion (3), and Lucia (1). My daughter, Amy, is my executive assistant here in St. Louis and is working on her Master’s degree.

IO: What is your favorite food?

Bruce Howell: Pupusas (that is a Salvadorian food).

IO: If you could have dinner with one person that is alive today and that you have never met, who would it be?

Bruce Howell: The most recent convert in China.

IO: Who is your historical hero?

Bruce Howell: Abraham Lincoln.

IO: Do you have a hobby?

Bruce Howell: Gardening.

Inside Out: What is your favorite book?

Bruce Howell: The Bible.

IO: If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live?

Bruce Howell: El Salvador

IO: If someone wrote a biography of your life, what would be the title?

Bruce Howell: The Joy of Being Missionary.

IO: Has there ever been a time when you felt like you didn’t know God’s will?

Bruce Howell: How many times do you want me to tell you about? I just took one step at a time.

IO: Today’s youth are dealing with issues that no other generation has had to face; what do they need to survive?

Bruce Howell: They need the power of the Holy Ghost and a made-up mind.

IO: When did you first know you were called to become a missionary?

Bruce Howell: After my first trip to the mission field in 1977.

IO: Is it what you imagined?

Bruce Howell: My life as a missionary is the greatest experience on the face of the earth. While I am honored to be the general director of Foreign Missions and able to travel around the world, it can never compare to being in an adobe church in the middle of the country in El Salvador and seeing a brand new person repent and receive the Holy Ghost. It’s more than I ever imagined.