One Headless Goat
Buzkashi (Booz-kaw-she) is the national sport of our country. There are several versions of the game, but generally, it involves a team of riders on horseback or an individual rider (an every-man-for-himself version) trying to get a headless goat carcass into a goal on one end of a large field. The game mostly consists of a mob of riders trying to pick up the goat from the ground while staying mounted on their horses without falling off or getting trampled. Once one rider grabs the goat, he must try to keep the other riders from ripping it from his grasp, while breaking away from the mob to… Read moreApril Showers
April Showers In the bible, oftentimes rain is associated with blessing, and April truly felt like a season of God’s blessed rain in Quito, Ecuador Introducing Amy* I met Amy* this month during one of our weekly outreach visits. From the moment we approached her, I could sense her apprehension. She kept her eyes low and her body language guarded—clearly unsure of who we were or what we wanted. But slowly, as her coworkers told her who we were, she began to engage with us. As part of our protocol, we asked for her first and last name and a phone number we could reach her at. She… Read more
Semana Santa en España
Welcome back to another update from Spain! I am loving my time here and learning new things every single day. The past month has been filled with so many amazing, exciting things, and although I can't touch on all of them, I'll just share a few quick ones. One of the amazing things that I've really enjoyed during my time here has been getting to know the team a little bit better and learning to work alongside them to create videos for the Lord. And as I've learned from people from different walks of life and even speaking different languages, it's been really amazing. Also, as you know,… Read moreA Week in the Life
January Update + Week in the Life I’ve had a lot of people ask me “What does your life look like in Ecuador?” as well as questions about what modern mission/missionaries look like, so I wanted to try to answer some questions! A Short Update on January In January, I returned to Ecuador after spending Christmas in the States. It was fun to jump back into ministry and see everyone again. Over the first week we resumed all our programs and were able to meet with our women again after two very long weeks! Also in January, we had our Annual Team Conference. This is a weekend where all the… Read moreWorshiping Amid the Mundane
What comes to mind when you first think of worship? For me, it’s music consisting of a modern contemporary style band on Thursday nights on my college campus. Or the Brandon Lake songs that seem to overtake the congregation on Sunday morning corporate worship services. Or even the times I find myself driving down the rainy Washington highways belting out the lyrics to Josiah Queen or Chris Renzema as I drive home from work. For me, my immediate association with worship is music. But worship doesn’t have to be purely music-driven. It’s much simpler than we think. During the spring… Read moreRains in Africa
I enjoy the rain. I fondly recall as a youth playing under a tin carport while deafening rain pounded down. I think of the puddle that formed at the end of our driveway, which was perfectly suited to be sat in. I feel the excitement of racing my siblings on our bikes through the moving water. I remember the comfort of a hug after claps of thunder conjured up images of cannons blasting on the high seas frightened me. This joy remains with me as the African rain soaks and floods the ground all around. My African friends don't have these same feelings or memories. In fact, if asked, most would… Read moreMy First Month
Hi all I am excited to inform you how this first full month of prework has been! Things right after GO Week which was so much fun! There was a lot of information thrown my way, and while at first it was overwhelming after coming home and dwelling on it I was met with a great sense of peace! Getting to spend time with fellow workers and learn from the GO Corps staff was loads of fun and I am so thankful to all the staff for putting on such a great week of training. Going into these past few weeks, I was worried about how things would go. I wasn’t sure how people would respond to my story and… Read more
A Day on a Medical Missions Ship
My day on board the YWAM medical ship starts with morning devotions with the crew. I enjoy leading songs on my guitar or ukulele and sometimes get the opportunity to teach from scripture. This time of worship sets a positive tone as we prepare for the day ahead. Afterward, I jump into the logistical side of ship life, scheduling specialized technicians for essential maintenance and sourcing marine parts through emails and phone calls. Having worked a few years in the engineering industry has been a huge help to me in tracking down the right kinds of parts. Lunchtime offers a welcome… Read moreSongbirds
As a general rule, everyone sings here. Singing is a part of every day, every function, and most certainly, a part of every Bible study. So, as my pre-teen girls from the village gathered for Bible Club, we all prepared to sing. Having formed a semi-circle, I heard the question pass around the group. “What language should we sing in today?” My face said it all as I held back amazed laughter. Listening to the girls begin, I thought to myself, do I know any songs in another language besides Feliz Navidad or Mele Kalikimaka? Eight months ago, the answer would have been no. Today, I am grateful… Read more