I am raising money to attend the YWAM Discipleship Training School (DTS) in Iquitos (known as the Gateway to the Amazon) for 6 months. I always thought that God would have me live in the Amazon as a missionary my whole life, but more and more I am realizing that His plan is so much more than I can imagine. Specific goals include: improving my Spanish, learning to cook in the Amazon, overall growth in my relationship with Jesus, and getting a feel for what the Amazon is like. I also plan to stay in Peru three weeks after graduating from YWAM. During this time I will travel throughout the Peruvian Amazon and meet with different ministry contacts to find where God might have me join in His work. I would like to spend time learning from other missionaries working in this area, especially those engaging with the Asheninka.

I believe the Amazon is where God wants me for the next phase of my life, but I don't know if He will bring me back there. Wherever I end up, whether it's the Amazon, Southeast Asia, some place else, or multiple places, I am still excited to be better prepared to be a missionary, especially as it pertains to living in the tropical rainforest and engaging with Indigenous Peoples.