Phil Lindau

I have been married for almost 29 years to Sharon.  We have two sons in their early 20's - David and Ben.  We have lived in Plymouth for over 20 years and have been members of Calvary for most of those years.  We love Calvary and have been involved in many ministries over the years, including youth mission trips.  I am a partner/manager in an agricultural commodity trading business in downtown Minneapolis where I work with great people in a very challenging work environment.  My favorite past time is coaching young men in soccer, which I do now with my young friend Bret.  We have a great bunch of young athletes this summer who are just now hitting their stride.  Go PSA Stars!!

My wife and I went to Haiti in January 2012 with Healing Haiti.  We were thoroughly impacted by the experience.  I have been looking forward to a return trip and feel blessed to be able to serve on this trip. A recent quote from David Platt's book Radical sums up my desire to serve:

"When we have the courage to look in the faces of brothers and sisters whose bodies are malnourished and whose brains are deformed because they have no food, Christ will change our desires, and we will long to sacrifice our resources for the glory of his name among them."

Holly Dasinger

Hi, my name is Holly Dasinger.  I live in Brooklyn Park with my two cats, Fuzzy and Bailey.  In my free time I like to read, do various craft projects, spend time with friends and family and be outside doing anything when the weather is nice.

In the fall, I will be completing my final semester of nursing school at Anoka Ramsey Community College.  I chose to become a nurse because I have a real passion for helping others and enjoy bringing a smile to people's faces.  For as long as I can remember, I have wanted to save the world and reduce the suffering I see.  Being a nurse will allow me to be the hands and feet of Jesus through healing touch and care.

I felt led to go to Haiti because I had recently been feeling distant from God, and I wanted to strengthen my relationship and become closer with Him.  I also had been hoping to participate in a mission trip through Calvary for a while, but wasn't able to because the trips conflicted with my school schedule.  When I saw that a mission trip was scheduled during the summer, I jumped at the chance to go.  I am excited to see how God will work through me on this trip and continue to change my heart.

"Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier.  Be the living expression of God's kindness: Kindness in your face, kindness in your eyes, and kindness in your smile." - Mother Teresa

Mike and Nikki McCain

We are very excited to lead this team to Haiti.  God has placed this ministry on our hearts, and we desire to serve Him with everything that we have.  Our God is truly amazing.  He deserves all of our love, all of our hearts, all of our attention, all of our minds and all of our souls.  He is calling us to serve the poor and powerless in Haiti.  Our prayer is that this team serves with hearts overflowing like deep wells with God's love.  Our mission is to be the hands and feet of Jesus.  We don't want people to see us - we want them to see Jesus.

We have been married for almost eight years.  We live in Richfield with our two wonderful children and our crazy dog.  We are both attorneys by profession.  Mike practices employment law, and recently joined a law firm in Stillwater.  Nikki practices e-discovery and works as a contract attorney in Eden Prairie.  We joined Calvary in 2003 after graduating law school and moving from Boston to Minneapolis.  We have been blessed to be involved in several different ministries at Calvary. 

"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose."  Romans 8:28

    

Joy Shipe

My name is Joy Shipe and this is my first mission trip.  I live in White Bear Lake, Minnesota with my husband Brian and together we have four boys.  I learn about Healing Haiti from Cathy a dear friend of mine who has been to Haiti several times over the past few years.  The stories she has shared with me about how God has changed her heart and given her a deeper purpose has inspired me to want to take this journey.  I am excited to devote this time to serve the Haitians.  I have no idea what to expect on this trip but I am excited to see what God has planned and the beautiful people in Haiti that I will meet along the way.  God will be right by our side giving our team strength and a willing heart to serve him. God sometimes needs to break us before we can see beyond our own purpose.  I pray that God will help me to make meaning of what I see and give me his eyes and hands to carry out his plan.  How conforming knowing God is in control of this entire trip and knows all the details.  Thank you, family and friends, for your prayers and donations which will all be used for his good works!

Cathy LeVahn

I live in Lino Lakes and have two grown children, John (30) and Amy (29).  I've worked in Human Resource Management for over 20 years, a majority of that time in the medical device industry.  My 'holy discontent' drives my passion to serve the poorest of the poor.  In January of 2012 I was put in the path of Healing Haiti and was blessed with the opportunity to become their Aquaponics Lead Advocate.  In April I made my first trip to Haiti to view the future aquaponics site at Grace Village.  It was during this trip that I discovered God's purpose for my life.  I joyfully return to Haiti on a regular basis, each time anticipating how God will reveal his power, grace, love and transformation.

"Isn't it tragic when we become so self-centered we enter God's presence and say, "O God, bless me, bless my family, bless my church?"  Then God says, "I've been trying to do that all along but in a completely different way than you anticipated.  I want you to deny self.  Pick up your cross and follow me.  I will lead you to places where I am working and I'll include you in my activity.  You will be an instrument in My hand as I use your life to touch the world.  When I do that through you, you will truly experience My blessings." - Henry Blackaby

Carla Thompson

My prayer to God over the last year has been for God to soften my heart, align me to His will, and guide me along this life He has graciously given me.  God has called me to go to Haiti and I can't wait to see what unfolds from this experience and what influence this mission will have on my future.  My heart aches for the Haitians and the devastation that has come upon them and I have grown a deeper passion to serve God's people.

Thank you to my wonderful husband, five children (two of them being stepchildren), neighbors and friends for making this trip possible.  I have been truly blessed in my life.

Megan Ward

Hi, my name is Megan Ward.  I'm going into my Senior year at the University of Minnesota Duluth where I am receiving a business degree in Health Care Management.  I feel so blessed and thrilled to be heading to Haiti this July.  God simply called on me one day and really put it on my heart to volunteer my love and service in Haiti.  I could not have more excitement for this opportunity in my faith.  I'm ready to be captivated and moved by Christ in Haiti.  As well as offer up all of my love and joy to the Haitian people.

Heidi Michel

Hey, I'm Heidi and I'm an elementary school teacher who loves kids.  I recently finished my first year of teaching and I really enjoyed it.  In my free time, I like to read, cook, walk, talk, eat, scrapbook, dance and hang out.

I really like traveling and learning about different cultures, which is the lame but true reason for my initial acceptance of going to Haiti.  Beyond the excitement of traveling somewhere new, I'm really excited because I know that God has a plan.  I hope his plan blesses the people of Haiti and my team as well.  Personally, I hope he opens my heart and makes it more like his by taking me out of my comfort zones and rocking the boat on what I think is "normal".

"The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes."

Kalie Michel

My name is Kalie Michel.  This next year I will be a senior at Bethel University where I am studying Elementary Education with a Preprimary emphasis.  I felt led to go to Haiti so strongly because my desire is to be the hands and feet of God and there is such a great need in Haiti to love and care for the people.  I feel like God has designed me for this work because one of my biggest passions is working with children and loving on them.  I just want to show the children how much I love and care for them and be a reflection of Christ to the Haitian people.  God tells us that whatever we have done for the least of these, we have done for the Lord.  I want to serve and obey God.  I am so blessed for the opportunity to share my talents and abilities in Haiti.  I know God is going to show up in big ways and He is going to teach me so much while we are there.  I just cannot wait for Him to show up and use us, as well as teach us and show us more of Himself.

Cheryl Michel

Hi, I'm Cheryl Michel.  I live in Plymouth with my husband, Steve.  We have four children, the older two are married and your younger two, Heidi and Kalie, are joining Steve and I on this mission trip.  I look forward to this opportunity to be "Jesus' hands and feet" serving young and old in Haiti.  Heidi, Kalie and I are all educators and one way we will serve is by teaching a Bible lesson to the children.  I pray that God will be glorified as we serve!

Steve Michel

Wife:  Cheryl (married 1979)
Kids:  Amy 28, Ben 25, Heidi 23, Kalie 21
Live:  Plymouth, MN
Church:  Calvary Lutheran of Golden Valley, MN
Job. Salesman

I'm excited to go with Cheryl, Heidi, Kalie, and our group of 16 to Haiti!  I'm sure our time in Haiti will impact me more than any positive impact I would hope to make.  And I'm sure our group, as I do, hopes and prays that all the people we see and meet in Haiti will see a little glimpse of the saving grace of Jesus in all of us.

Born 1703, what John Wesley said hundreds of years ago is applicable today for me (but hard to live up to) for this trip and beyond:  "Do all the good you can.  By all the means you can.  In all the ways you can.  In all the places you can.  At all the times you can.  To all the people you can.  As long as ever you can."

And one of many reasons I and other people need to go to Haiti today to try and make a difference for the better, versus brush Haiti off as a lost nation and a lost peoples, happens to be captured in another John Wesley quote:  "What one generation tolerates, the next generation will embrace."  

Becci Powers-Johnson and Kelsi Johnson

I (Becci) am a very proud mom of two teenagers.  Kelsi will be a Senior at Hopkins High School.  My son, Derrick, will be a Sophomore.  I attended a Haiti meeting earlier this year with Mike and Nikki and immediately knew it was something I wanted to do with Kelsi.  Kelsi has a huge heart for kids and is at a turning point in her life with her last year in High School upon us.  We both are very excited to serve God through this mission and spend a week together without being connected to our phones, our computers, and our other obligations.

Jeff and Deb Skoglund

We are Jeff and Deb Skoglund.  The first week of July 2013 marks our 7th year together.  When we married nearly five years ago, we wrote our own vows and committed to continue our odyssey -- our journey - through life together.  Now, seven years to the week into our journey, we'll be going farther than we ever imagined - geographically, spiritually, emotionally and more.

This is Deb's first mission trip and Jeff's second - the first was to Katrina-ravaged New Orleans.  We're both looking forward to this next step not only in our journey together as a couple, but mostly in our combined faith journey -- together serving some of God's neediest children, bringing the hope and glory of God to others.  We've wanted to serve on a mission trip together and knew that when the usually chaotic schedules of our blended family (between parenting time, school, sports and work) for this week in July actually left us both available, we knew God was calling us to go.

We've made our home in New Hope with our three boys ages 10-13, two dogs and lots of fish.  Deb has worked for U.S. Bank for 14 years, currently developing benefit communications.  Jeff has been a stay-at-home dad, and "chief domestic engineer" for the last three years since a degenerative eye condition left him legally blind and unable to continue in his then wastewater management career.  We love to "get our hands dirty" with gardening, DIY home projects, camping and the out-of-doors.