I (Samuel) grew up as number four in a family of six kids. Our home was a busy place to be as my mom homeschooled all of us and our family always welcomed people to stay in our home with us. Most of my life our family lived in the small town of Gorrie, Ontario, except for one year that my family served in an orphanage in Brazil. I was eight years old when that took place and I value the memories from that time. During high school I started to plug more into church, helping with youth and being a part of the worship team. After high school, I begin working full time to get an electrical ticket and became the youth leader for a few years. Missions was always a desire of my parents and it spread to their children. I am grateful for this and excited to carry on that goal.
I (Alyssa) grew up as the youngest of three in an amazing family that I am so blessed to be a part of. For most of my younger childhood, our family served the Lord in different locations in Indonesia. This was such a foundational time of my life, being able to see so many people who were in desperate need to hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. When I was around ten years old our family moved to Durham where my parents began a new ministry on the Ethnos campus. I was able to attend the Ethnos Academy which really was such a gift as I began a hard transition to Canada. After high school I moved to Jackson, Michigan, to attend Ethnos360 Bible Institute (EBI). While at EBI, the Lord grew my faith and understanding about God in such amazing ways, for which I will forever be grateful. I graduated from EBI in 2020 where I was a part of the last class to graduate from the Jackson campus of EBI, the end of an incredible era!
Samuel and I met through our home church, Gorrie Bible Fellowship. We began dating just before I left for EBI and Samuel moved to Listowel to continue working on becoming an electrician. After two years of long distance courting, we had a nice little covid wedding in August 2020. We then moved to Harriston for Samuel to finish his Red Seal electrician program, and to continue serving the youth group at our church. During this time, we were praying about next steps as we both had a strong heart to be involved in bringing the gospel to the Unreached. In January 2022 we packed up our little car and moved to British Columbia for us both to attend Millar College of the Bible. I was able to transfer my Bible credits and enter right into 3rd year and Samuel began in 1st year. Millar truly was an incredible experience to be involved that community which was entirely new for both of us. After I graduated, we found out I was pregnant and due in February 2024! God’s plan for our baby’s life did not look like we could have ever imagined. We welcomed our little son, Asher Gabriel, into the world on October 29, 2023. We got to have two full days holding our little preemie’s hand, singing to him, and telling him how much we love him but even more how much Jesus loves him. As he was in our arms, he was softly picked up into our loving Fathers arms. Asher is in the presence of the Lord now, and we know that is truly the best place for him to be, and one day we will join too. Our hearts are still broken, this wound is still fresh. But God…He continues to be good; He is close to the broken hearted, He comforts those who mourn. We have experienced those promises from God in such a close and profound way. It is because of Him that we are here, walking by faith, desiring to be used by our God for His glory to be magnified though all this earth.