Our call to missions
In a world where many drift away from their faith after school, we found our way back to God, leaving behind the darkness and loneliness. Katie and I recommitted our lives to Christ in Central Oregon, unaware that God was weaving our paths together. Our journey began at a Bible study in Bend, Oregon, in February 1998, leading to a beautiful engagement on Easter and our marriage that summer. Two years later, we welcomed our son Nickolas, and just 14 months after that, our family was complete with the blessing of our daughter Sydney.
Life before becoming missionaries
We led a normal life where both Katie and I had full-time jobs that were fulfilling, yet something was missing. We knew God had something different for us. We both went on short-term missions through our church and had a passion for more. Through simple acts of obedience to what God was leading us in, He guided us to full-time ministry as volunteer missionaries with Youth With A Mission. God’s timing is always better!
The call
In 2011, we began to sense God's call on our lives, even though we were unsure of His purpose at the time. He led us through a period of patient waiting, preparing our hearts to respond with a resounding, “YES LORD.” When the time came, we sold our beloved dream home that we personally designed and built in Terrebonne, Oregon —a home crafted with His guidance. Remarkably, despite the challenging economy, it sold for an incredible price in less than 24 hours!
Our Journey to Micronesia
Where
When asked the question, "Where are you called to", we felt that God was saying Micronesia. We had to look it up – do you know where it is and how many countries are included in “Micronesia”? There are a total of 5 countries in Micronesia as well as three U.S. territories in the northern part. It was while serving on the Hawaii Aloha with YWAM Ships Kona in the Marshall Islands, that God layed on our hearts that this is where He wanted us to go.
How
Seeing how all of the countries in Micronesia are islands, we felt compelled that a boat would come into play. During our search for a family DTS and YWAM, we found out about YWAM Ships, and soon after learned about their call to Micronesia as well. YWAM Ships provided additional skills in navigation through their School of Navigation and Seamanship or SONS School. If you are interested in learning more about boats and missions I would highly recommend this school.
When
Staffing with YWAM Ships after nearly two years of service, we felt a profound calling to the Republic of the Marshall Islands, affirming the beauty of God’s perfect timing in our lives. In 2014, we embarked on the adventure of finding the right boat, and Cloud Nine emerged as our first choice, a clear sign from God that we were on the right path. By 2015, we joyfully made Ebeye our new home, ready to embrace the mission ahead.