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.