Ross grew up on a small farm in southern Ontario, and gave his life to Christ as a pre-teen. He learned about Wycliffe Bible Translators while attending Bible College. Then in 1972, he attended the SIL summer linguistics program at the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, ND. There he met Ellen and before the summer course ended, they were engaged and were accepted into Wycliffe; they were married at Christmas.

Ellen also grew up on a farm, but in South Dakota. She felt God's nudge toward international missions during high school and that direction was further refined during college, when she learned of the work of Wycliffe.

In 1973 they attended their 2nd summer of linguistic training and the field training program (called Jungle Camp) in southern Mexico. Then in 1975, they moved to the Philippines, along with their 12-week-old son, Peter. Another SIL team invited them to join the ministry among the Cotabato Manobo people in the southern Philippines. During the 1970s and '80s, they faced many challenges, including a major earthquake, hiking to remote locations, house-building, political insecurities, illnesses, not to mention language learning and relationship-building with the people. They were thankful for the blessing of all the work already completed prior to their arrival toward analyzing the language and initial literacy and Bible translation efforts.

When the translated New Testament was completed in 1988, there were about 30 small groups of Manobo believers compared to only one when they joined the project. In partnership with two teams of national literacy and health specialists, thousands learned to read in their own language and were helped with basic medical needs. People were eager to receive the words of life in their own language and a church association was formed.

Following the completion of the New Testament, Ross and Ellen filled other roles in the Philippines, such as translation consultant (doing an accuracy check on the work of colleagues), and Ellen as a literacy consultant. Returning home to Canada in 1999, Ellen taught at the Canada Institute of Linguistics where Ross filled an administrative role for 5 years. Many trips were made to other parts of Asia in the years following as consultants and encouragers.

Since 2010, Ross and Ellen support and advise a team of Manobo translators as they work to complete the entire Bible in their own Cotabato/Dulangan Manobo language.

They have two children: Peter and his wife Esther who have seven children (two married and one gifting us with a great-granddaughter), and their daughter Kathy who is now in heaven after a 13-year journey with cancer.

A favourite scripture is Proverbs 3:5,6:

Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.

Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. (NLT)