Past Trips
Napakiak, Alaska – December 2025
In December of 2025, a close friend of Zach’s, Adam, told him about a need in Napakiak, Alaska. A huge storm had come through weeks before and washed many of the homes in this small village off of their foundations. Missionary Job Hale and his wife Bethany live and serve in Napakiak, and have coordinated several trips for people to come help. Zach and Adam decided to go, without knowing many of the details. Upon arrival they were greeted with COLD (-20 kind of cold). It was just another day for the Eskimo Yupik people in the village, but it was a new kind of cold for Zach. The 10 days they spent there were filled with hard work as they used axes to chop through the frozen ground and move the heavy wooden cribbing around the buildings. The cold, dark evenings were spent with the Hales, Jorge Villafranca, a missionary to Hoonah, Alaska, an extremely capable young man named Kellan from Palmer, Alaska, and a great young man named Chris from the village getting to know each other and learn from other’s experiences. The group that came together to help for those 10 days was wonderful, and it was not a trip that any of them will ever forget. They s쳮ded in raising 2 houses back onto their foundations and got them ready for the next phase of rebuilding.
Ruaka, Kenya, Africa – August 2025
In August of 2025, Zach and Bronwyn were a part of a Mission’s Trip to Ruaka, Kenya to assist with another Youth Rally hosted by Corey and Elizabeth McDonald. We saw many souls saved and had a wonderful time meeting the McDonalds and their wonderful family. When Mrs. Elizabeth asked for a very small picket fence to keep people from walking through their newly planted grass, it seemed like a simple job for Zach. The next morning, he found out that he has a pretty serious allergy to the proteins in the eucalyptus wood he used to build the fence. His eyes were swollen the remainder of the trip. Our last day in Kenya, we were able to go on a safari. It was so interesting to see all of these animals not in cages like we’re accustomed to seeing them in the states.
Devil’s Lake, North Dakota – May 2025
In May of 2025, Zach returned to Devil’s Lake on his own to complete the interior framing of the church. He was able to complete all but one wall that needed to reach the vaulted ceiling. He needed some extra hands and some scaffold for that wall. Once the walls went up, the building started looking more like a church. Seeing the separation between classrooms, fellowship hall, auditorium, kitchen, bathrooms, storage and nursery got us very excited.
Guatemala – Dare For More – February 2025
In February of 2025, Bronwyn had the privilege to go to Guatemala on a mission’s trip. She went with a ministry called Dare For More, a group dedicated to reaching and rescuing women and children specifically. Dare For More works to find and minister to those in domestic violence and abusive situations by relocating at risk families to a safe house. This ministry also trains and equips women who are poverty stricken by enrolling them in training centers. These training centers teach them a skill such as baking, sewing, purse making, etc. in which they can sell products to support themselves and their children. They are given the Gospel and shown what real love looks like, as many of these women and children only know abuse.
While in Guatemala, Bronwyn and her group were able to shop for and deliver groceries to families in need and also pray with them. The group spent a day at a partnering health/prenatal clinic where they sorted through baby clothes and prepared gift wraps of baby items to give to expectant mothers. The group was privileged to visit the safe house and meet the families – faces that will never be forgotten.
Devil’s Lake, North Dakota – October 2024
In October of 2024, 6 men, including Zach, from Victory Baptist Church in Fairmont, West Virginia travelled to Devil’s Lake, North Dakota to help Pastor Jimmy Harris with construction on his new church building. We were able to re-wrap the 50×100 building and then install windows and doors, and install siding, soffit, and fascia. When we left the building was ready for the fast-approaching winter.
