Our history

Marinus van Heuvelen

Marinus van Heuvelen grew up in the north of the Netherlands, in the Groningen village of Spijk.
After completing secondary school he studied electrical engineering. During that period he made evangelical friends who had a great influence on his life. This marked a turning point: he decided to dedicate his life fully to God and went on to study theology in Belgium and Switzerland. In Belgium, at the Evangelical Theological Faculty in Leuven.
During that time he met Mónica Márquez, an Argentine with a fervent heart for God and for mission. In 2007 they served together in Argentina in the church Casa de Dios in Metán, initially in the outskirts and in the church’s dining hall. In 2008 they were married. Marinus combines a solid theological foundation with years of practical experience in intercultural contexts. His teaching is marked by clarity, depth and a passion for the biblical foundations of mission. He teaches on the history of the missionary movement, the calling and preparation of the missionary, the importance of faithful support and provision, and comparative theology.

Mónica Márquez (van Heuvelen)

Mónica Márquez (van Heuvelen) is an Argentine leader with extensive experience in discipleship and pastoral formation. Born and raised in the north of Argentina, she has served the Lord from a young age. She has a warm and passionate heart for spiritual growth and personal guidance. Her ministry focuses on practical and transformative themes, such as sustaining marriage, the dynamics of God in mission, the practical application of the mission plan, and personal discipleship. At the Zera Mission School she teaches important lessons, leads the small groups, and brings a valuable local and cultural perspective. The origin of Zera In 2008 Marinus’s parents came to visit in Metán. They were deeply impressed by the work, after which a foundation was established in the Netherlands to support it. In 2009 the name Zera was chosen, a Hebrew word meaning “seed”, referring to spiritual fruitfulness and offspring (inspired by Psalm 22:38). Because it was not yet the right time for a mission school, Marinus and Mónica began children’s work in 2010 in Río Piedras, a village about 25 km from Metán. The children’s group grew quickly, and the parents also began to attend the meetings. In this way the church Piedras Vivas came into being in 2012. That same year their first daughter, Svetlana, was born. Petra followed in 2016. In 2018 Marinus and Mónica became pastors of the church Casa de Dios in Metán. The desire to start a full mission training programme remained alive throughout. After years of prayer and preparation, concrete planning began in 2022. In July 2024 the first pilot took place: a week of theory and a week of practical travel. In January 2025 the new hall was dedicated.

A brief overview

2007
Mariano arrives in Metán. He sees the work among the local population and stays. This is the time of his engagement to Mónica. Together the calling to remain here grows. 2008
Marriage. A visit from family in the Netherlands plants the seed of a Dutch foundation: the work needs a clear support base. 2010
Stichting Zera Metan is established. The first emphasis is on children: clubs, education and the gospel. Children are precious in God’s eyes; when they discover this, their future changes. 2011–2020
Church planting in Río Piedras (Piedras Vivas). The work is not only a project, but church: discipleship, family, local leadership. 2018
Mariano and Mónica become pastors of Casa de Dios in Metán. The foundation remains a service to the church. 2022–2024
The vision for a mission school becomes concrete. In July 2024 the first pilot: theory in Metán, then practice in the field. The hall is built with their own hands. 2025–2026
The school runs as a fixed programme: biblical formation, character, missiology, and a practical journey to remote places. Students come from Argentina and beyond. The school is now the main project of Zera Metan; the earlier work — children, congregations, villages — remains the soil in which the school is rooted.