Paul grew up in a Christian home in a small town in Minnesota and came to know Christ at a young age. Over the years, God cultivated a heart for youth as he led small groups with his church’s youth ministry. He also worked as a residential counselor for teen boys in a treatment facility. Paul loves to mentor youth and teach practical life skills that he’s learned from his past job experiences such as bicycle mechanics, welding, CNC machining, and many more hands on skills. Paul’s grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins were all in the mission field and this heavily influenced Paul. He served on several impactful short-term trips and considered moving to Austria in 2020 to work with youth before God redirected his plans when he met Megan.
Megan grew up in Rwanda, Africa to WorldVenture missionaries (Gary & Barb Bennett). She saw firsthand what hearts surrendered to God’s calling looked like, and what obedience to the Lord entailed, as well as the incredible power of prayer. When her mom (Melanie) passed away from cancer in 2001, she felt the love and support of the missionary community as they rallied to help her dad take care of his two little girls. As an MK/TCK, that made all the difference in her experience, feeling valued and prioritized – something not every MK can say unfortunately. Many of her friends felt as though they had been set aside and forgotten by their organizations and/or their parents. Those relationships led her to become passionate about advocating for the children of missionaries and their need to be seen and cared for in a way that hadn’t always been prioritized. She is currently a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) nurse, advocating for those who don’t have a voice, and watching miracles take place in tiny lives and their families. She’s excited to use those experiences and continue to grow and apply them cross-culturally.
Our hearts have become tender toward the people in Thailand. It’s staggering to us that not only are less than 1% of the people there believers, 86% of the 72 million people are unreached with no access to the Gospel.
We visited Thailand in September/October 2024 on a vision trip and the Lord answered in amazing ways, giving us clarity and confirmation that Thailand is where we need to be. Our hearts are particularly burdened for victims of human trafficking who are in desperate need of hope and purpose. Thailand is both a destination, transit, and a source country for trafficked individuals. Victims can be Thai nationals, members of tribal and ethnic minorities/refugees, and undocumented migrants living within the country, or people from other countries.
The organization we hope to partner with once we are there is NightLight International that meets people where they are, focuses on relationship building and trust in order to support people as they choose freedom. Additionally, there is an organization that is working with women experiencing unplanned pregnancies, offering support, education, and resources to help them choose life, and be equipped to do so. Both of these organizations are ministries we are hoping to invest in once we are on the ground in Thailand.
Through hands-on skills and the trades, Paul is hoping to build relationships with the men experiencing human trafficking who are often overlooked, as well as eventually help set up a bicycle mechanic shop where individuals can practice skills like mechanics, welding, and other hands-on skills. Megan will use her nursing experience with moms and babies to especially help trafficked women who are pregnant to get prenatal care and educate them on pregnancy, birth, and raising their baby. Megan also dreams of supporting other missionaries and expats who plan to give birth in Thailand, as a bridge between them and the medical system in a foreign place, possibly through doula certification.
The other half of our role will be mentoring the Third Culture Kids (TCKs) that WorldVenture has throughout Asia. We have seen a need to bridge the gap in care for the kids of our missionaries. Many of these TCKs do not have a support system outside of their parents and often do not have the space and opportunity to be discipled and mentored spiritually. We will be coordinating retreats for the teens to be able to connect and support one another, as well as intentionally reaching out consistently to each kid to emphasize that they matter and that they are not alone.
As a missionary kid, Megan has always had a heart for giving back in this way, mentoring others who are experiencing a similar upbringing. It can be life changing to know you are not alone, and that an adult aside from your parents cares and is there to walk with you through life. Far too many of the missionary kids that both Paul and Megan know personally have walked away from their faith due to feeling like they were set aside in order for the ministry to thrive, and that is not okay. Missionary kids are integral parts of the family’s ministry overseas, and with encouragement and mentoring, we believe they can feel more equipped to participate in ministry and own their purpose in being called overseas. They have a significant part to play!
We wouldn’t be where we are today without persistent prayers on our behalf. It’s amazing to see God’s faithfulness through the incredible support that has brought both of us to this place. This process of discerning where God wants us has stretched us and been discouraging at times, yet what we have gained is priceless: a community of people walking alongside us each step of the way. It is so life-giving to us to know we are not alone as we pursue what God is calling us to go and do. We love your heart for people you don’t know across the world, who do not know Jesus, those in need of the hope and restoration that only God can bring. Thank you for allowing God to use you in AMAZING ways!
