An insider’s view of the Haiti 2021 mission trip – through the lens of our ten team members
Have you wondered what kind of people go on mission trips? Do they have special skills? Did they face any challenges? What have they taken away from the experience?
Maybe you want to try joining a trip yourself, but you feel apprehensive.
Take a look through the lens of each of our ten team members. You will see they are ordinary people with very different backgrounds and stages in life, but all have one thing in common: the call from the Lord. Perhaps these perspectives will inspire you to see yourself on a mission team in the future.
Alyssa Romp
What can you tell us about yourself?
My name is Alyssa Romp. I graduated from Iowa State University with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and criminal justice 4 days before the team left for Haiti! Starting this summer, I will be working as a youth ministry resident at Keystone Church in Ankeny. During the residency, I will help run the youth group, plan youth events and retreats, and walk through life with a bunch of middle and high schoolers! I will also be earning my master’s degree in theology while working at Keystone.
What was your previous mission trip experience?
I have had very little mission trip experience. The one mission trip I had been on prior to Haiti was to Mexico with the Christ Community Student Ministry when I was a junior in high school. While the two experiences were vastly different, both have played a wonderful role in shaping my walk with Christ and learning to love all of His people.
Why did you choose to take this Haiti trip?
I chose to come on the Haiti trip because I felt like it was the next right step in obedience. Prior to knowing about the Haiti trip, I was debating with the Lord if I should go overseas for two months this summer with the Salt Network. The Lord closed that door, but opened the Haiti opportunity no less than a day later!
What were your roles in the team?
My role on this trip was being the kid! 😂 But, actually, I helped plan the Vacation Bible Schools at Lo Boc and Leger. We took the kids through the story of Jonah, which is a wonderful picture that God is always chasing after you! I also helped with the women’s ministry group and the youth ministry, as I planned a couple of games and had the opportunity to share my testimony. I also taught the kids Sunday School while Pastor Kip preached to the big church. We discussed what it looks like to honor your father and mother.
What has been your biggest challenge?
My biggest challenge going into the trip was that I hardly knew anyone on the team. Of course, I had heard of about half the people on the team, but that doesn’t mean that I knew them. So, praying that the Lord would open up opportunities to build friendships with my team members was one of my biggest concerns going into the trip.
What has been your biggest surprise?
My biggest surprise during the trip was when we went and did hospital ministry on our last day in Haiti. There was so much need, it was almost overwhelming to think of where to start. But, of course, the only place to start is in prayer.
What is the most valuable thing that you have learned from this trip?
The most valuable thing that I learned on the trip was that I can have joy even when my circumstances are hard. Seeing the poverty that most Haitians live in was heartbreaking, but seeing how much joy they had regardless of their circumstances was amazing. It makes me thankful for all the Lord has blessed me with, but also reminds me that I can have deep-rooted joy in Christ regardless of what comes my way in this life.
What is one message you want to send to others?
The thing I want to share with others about this trip is that if you get the chance, you should go on a mission trip. Yes, it is hard work. Yes, it is hot. Yes, there is a possibility you may get sick. BUT, the Lord moves in amazing ways when you step out of your comfort zone and follow Him in obedience. You can be comfortable or courageous, but you can’t be both. I pray that each one of you who reads my story will ask God if a mission trip is what He has next for you.
Casey Luke
What can you tell us about yourself?
Ag student
What was your previous mission trip experience?
It’s my first mission trip, but I’ve been to South Korea, Germany, Iraq, Kuwait, Netherlands, and Canada.
Why did you choose to take this Haiti trip?
It felt like what I needed to do.
What were your roles in the team?
Team member; soil education.
What has been your biggest challenge?
Language barrier / translation / communication
What has been your biggest surprise?
Cacti fences
What is the most valuable thing that you have learned from this trip?
Opportunities exist anywhere if you are open to them.
What is one message you want to send to others?
Being present is the most impactful thing you can do. So if you have an opportunity, do a mission trip.
Deb Swanson
What can you tell us about yourself?
I am married to Keith. We have three children: Kendra, Joelle, and TJ. We have all been to Haiti and UCI. I am a home health nurse at Mary Greeley Medical Center.
What was your previous mission trip experience?
I have taken short-term mission trips to Kiev, Ukraine twice, and have been to Haiti six times.
Why did you choose to take this Haiti trip?
Because I love Haiti, the ministry of UCI, and the relationships I have started there. I go whenever God allows.
What were your roles in the team?
I helped with Vacation Bible School and taught a class to nursing students at UCCC (Universite Chretienne de la Communaute de Caiman) on giving injections.
What has been your biggest challenge?
Going to the hospital in Hinche and seeing the conditions there and feeling helpless. I need to process it and lean into God and his sovereignty and power.
What is the most valuable thing that you have learned from this trip?
Wait on God and trust him and his plan, not my plan.
What is one message you want to send to others?
God is a big God who loves people. If we know Christ as our personal Savior, we are part of God’s family with all other believers around the world.
Dianna Henning
What can you tell us about yourself?
I am a retired hairstylist. I’m a wife and mom and grandmother to one grandchild. I volunteer regularly at Overflow Thrift Store on Duff Avenue in Ames.
What was your previous mission trip experience?
I have been to Haiti three times. My husband and I also had a suitcase full of miscellaneous items delivered to a very remote poor area in the Dominican Republic.
Why did you choose to take this Haiti trip?
After my first trip to Haiti, I felt a deep connection to the mission by working alongside the Haitians, learning and growing together, and especially delivering the “goat project.”
What were your roles in the team?
I’ve found my role is to continue collecting money for the goat project at UCI (the goat lady). A simple goat can help a family in so many ways. They can use it for milk and food; they can sell it for money to pay for schooling for their children or to pay for medical bills if necessary; and the goat can produce more litter for the family. A simple goat could be a lifeline to a family. It’s incomprehensible to us what a goat means to them. I also truly enjoy serving the VBS classes and teaching English to the children. Giving suckers to the children is such a joy.
What has been your biggest challenge?
Being limited on what we can bring was a huge challenge because of the weight the plane allowed us. It was hard to stop packing your suitcase with all of the extras for blessings.
What has been your biggest surprise?
I never expected the hospital that we visited to do our prayer walk would feel so poorly organized. It’s a scenario that here in the states you can’t even imagine. It also never ceases to amaze me that when we showed up to help our Haitian brothers and sisters pour a cement floor, the entire community showed up to help. It’s a beautiful thing to see them all come together and help each other out.
What is the most valuable thing that you have learned from this trip?
For me personally I feel the most valuable thing is seeing what they don’t have and yet they are so appreciative. They love to worship and sing praises to our Heavenly Father. I love their passion for life, love, and family.
Jianhua Yang
What can you tell us about yourself?
I am married and have two children in Gilbert Middle School. I was born in China and came to the U.S. to study in 1999. I am a scientist (more specifically biochemist) working at Corteva Agriscience. I have a passion for writing; though God did not open the door for me to pursue journalism in college, he led me to join the Stories Team and use my passion for him.
What was your previous mission trip experience?
This is my first time going on a mission trip.
Why did you choose to take this Haiti trip?
During my six-year walk with Christ, I have grown in understanding the truth and developing a relationship with Christ. I want the Lord to use me and strengthen my faith as I grow. Many missionary stories have inspired me, and I have been thinking about going on a short-term mission trip for a while. God presented this opportunity and led me to Haiti.
What were your roles in the team?
As a first-timer, I followed along and tried to be useful wherever is needed. Sometimes I played the “photographer” role for team activities and other times the “journalist” role hoping to share our journey from different perspectives. I interviewed several Haitian followers of Christ and will write their stories in the coming days to share with all of you.
What has been your biggest challenge?
For me the challenge was to getting ready for the trip: preparing to be absent from work, arranging activities for my kids, and completing projects at home. In the midst of this my freezer broke and eventually needed replacing to store food for the kids. Then there was the preparing and packing for the trip. I was overwhelmed in the last few days before departure, but finally got packed at 11:30pm the night before.
What has been your biggest surprise?
I am surprised that most people we came across in Haiti have heard about Jesus and are open to receive Jesus, which is a manifestation of how widely the gospel has been preached in the area and how richly Christ’s people have passed on his deep love.
What is the most valuable thing that you have learned from this trip?
The most valuable thing for me is having witnessed the great work Christ is doing in Haiti and among Haitian people, which reminds me of his power, his mercy, and his love. Our eternal hope is in Christ.
What is one message you want to send to others?
Be brave and take a step with a mission trip. Trust the Lord; what he provides is so much more than what we can imagine.
Marcy Ryken
What can you tell us about yourself?
I am a follower of Christ, wife to Jim, and mother of 5 children (ages 25 to 13), and I volunteer for UCI missions and work some temporary jobs.
What was your previous mission trip experience?
My first mission trip was at age 17 to Kentucky with my church youth group. I went on another mission trip at 36, to Kentucky with my family and church. In 2012, we took our first mission trip to Haiti with UCI; now I have led 11 trips to UCI.
Why did you choose to take this Haiti trip?
I always want to go to Haiti to journey alongside JeanJean and Kristie. We have committed to leading a trip every year and this trip was postponed several times due to the pandemic, social unrest in Haiti and travel restrictions. I am blessed that we were finally able to go in God’s timing!
What were your roles in the team?
My role is co-leader, but more specifically, I plan and organize the team activities and supplies and try to mentor each team member during the trip to see God’s heart for all people to know Him. I also try to encourage and inspire the team to see how God is inviting each of them to join Him in this mission.
What has been your biggest challenge?
My challenge has been scheduling and dealing with all the postponements of this trip.
What has been your biggest surprise?
How encouraged I was by all my Haitian friends and how God is blessing their hearts in this difficult time.
What is the most valuable thing that you have learned from this trip?
How amazing God is to bring people together across cultures to serve him. This team did this so well!
What is one message you want to send to others?
Please pray about coming to serve in Haiti with us for our next trip!!
Jim Ryken
What can you tell us about yourself?
I’m Jim Ryken, engineer and business leader in the field of animal agriculture. I am the father of five ranging in age from 25 to 13.
What was your previous mission trip experience?
I have taken several mission trips to UCI in the last 9 years. Leading multi-generational and family trips to serve together has been my family’s passion for the last 12 years. Prior to Haiti, we took a couple of trips to the Appalachian Mountains in Kentucky.
Why did you choose to take this Haiti trip?
I chose to take this trip for several reasons. One was to see our Haitian brothers and sisters and encourage them. Another was to bless JeanJean and Kristie. Another was to pass along God’s passion for the world to other Christians.
What were your roles in the team?
My wife and I were trip leaders. In addition, my roles were to teach cabinet making, provide IT support, and write a blog.
What has been your biggest challenge?
The biggest challenge on this trip was finding enough time to be with God in meditation and reflection and accomplish the ministry tasks.
What has been your biggest surprise?
The biggest surprise on this trip was the transformation I saw in the kids at the Leger school. They used to be malnourished and unable to complete simple crafts. In contrast to 5 years ago they seemed to be better than average. This change is by God’s grace and via the lunches being provided to the school kids through UCI.
What is the most valuable thing that you have learned from this trip?
I learned that faithful, patient, total dependency on God can transform not only a life, not only a church, but a whole region. We should all approach ministry with a balanced twofold approach: Meet your neighbor’s spiritual needs by sharing the gospel (evangelism) AND meet people’s basic physical and mental needs by loving them where they are (compassion).
What is one message you want to send to others?
I would encourage anyone who wants to grow in their faith and see God at work firsthand to pray about GOING on a short-term mission trip, but be prepared to come back a changed person because God is powerful and He wants to transform your life.
Kip Hamby
What can you tell us about yourself?
I am the Pastor of Outreach at Christ Community Church.
What was your previous mission trip experience?
I have been on several mission trips to Latin America and Europe.
Why did you choose to take this Haiti trip?
I chose to come on this trip because Haiti is our primary focus field as a church, and I wanted to see JeanJean and Kristie’s work firsthand. I also wanted to see God grow me and our team in terms of becoming world Christians.
What were your roles in the team?
My role was to preach the Sunday morning sermon, teach the pastors (with Mike), and to serve where needed.
What has been your biggest challenge?
The biggest challenge was being flexible and wise with my normal quiet time with God. I should have set aside my routine for the trip.
What has been your biggest surprise?
My biggest surprise was seeing prisoners chained to their hospital beds. One prisoner said he was never charged or went to court, and his parents did not know where he was.
What is the most valuable thing that you have learned from this trip?
The most valuable thing I observed was the deep relational focus of JeanJean and Kristie’s ministry.
What is one message you want to send to others?
I want to see more people from Christ Community Church go on trips for the first time, and to become world Christians.
Mike Shupp
What can you tell us about yourself?
I am currently retired but work three mornings each week for RES Property Management in Ames, checking for any problems and doing light maintenance. Prior to that, for 31 years I was assistant manager at the Iowa State University Book Store. Then I worked 10 1/2 years at Grand View University in Des Moines as the Director of Bookstore and Campus Services.
What was your previous mission trip experience?
I have been on one previous mission trip to the country of Jordan in May 2019.
Why did you choose to take this Haiti trip?
I went to Haiti for several reasons. First, I serve on our church mission leadership team and wanted to see firsthand what God is doing in Haiti through UCI. Second, my wife Sharie came to Haiti with a team two years ago and encouraged me to go. Third, I want to use my retirement years to serve God while I have greater freedom and health to do so.
What were your roles in the team?
My primary role was to bring some training and encouragement to the area pastors. My second role was to serve in any way that was needed and share the love of Christ and the gospel with the Haiti people.
What has been your biggest challenge?
My biggest challenge was deciding what training God wanted me to share with the pastors. It was a spiritual battle to get this done, but now I can see why God wanted me to share with them the meaning and importance of suffering like Jesus, expressed in 1 Peter. God knew what they needed to hear.
What is the most rewarding thing that you have learned from this trip?
The most rewarding thing for me was my time with the pastors. The second thing that impacted me the most was the hospital visit. But there was something special to take away from every experience.
Tyler Holck
What can you tell us about yourself?
Married, my wife Gayle Brown and I are both veterinarians. I have a service company, Feed His People, LLC, from which I provide technical and business consulting. We have three children, two married daughters and one son.
What was your previous mission trip experience?
This is my sixth short-term mission trip, my first to Haiti. Previous missions were to Mexico, Bolivia, Ethiopia, and twice to the Czech Republic.
Why did you choose to take this Haiti trip?
God challenged me, and I had no good reason to say No! We have supported previous Haiti teams and I have wanted to go myself. The timing was perfect at the end of COVID – a break from the routine and a wonderful opportunity to reflect and reprioritize!
What were your roles in the team?
My role was to serve where needed: sometimes as a pack mule, other times cleaning up, sometimes just listening and encouraging. I was also here to show love and compassion to the Haitian people. Strategically, I observed the agriculture capabilities and teaching program and provided insight and recommendations for future growth opportunities.
What has been your biggest challenge?
My biggest challenge has been the language barrier, especially with technical issues. While we had great interpreters, there were times when things were lost in translation or not fully communicated.
What has been your biggest surprise?
My biggest surprise was the breadth of the UCI ministry. I was amazed to hear and see the various ministries provided and the campus built in 16 years!
What is the most valuable thing that you have learned from this trip?
My most valuable take-home was the constant and consistent modelling of prayer and dependence on God to provide that all people associated with UCI have. This was evident in worship, in projects, and in their everyday lives! As an outcome, it is truly amazing what God can do for a community when His people abide in Him!
What is one message you want to send to others?
While there are many needs /opportunities for us to help financially (and we should), our church should know that the power and transformation can only come from being truly dependent on God.