Over the years, as a church, we've had the privilege of being on the local college campus through a ministry we formed from the ground up called CoMission. About 8 years ago we met two students who became rooted here at Gulfcoast. Ryan and Katie H were married soon after college and they have continued to be part of the ministry to the campus.
Ever since marriage they have been taking steps to get ready to leave the country and link up with a missionary team that has been directly connected to CoMission (our college outreach ministry at GCCC). Katie and Ryan have sensed the call to bring the gospel overseas, learn from those who have gone before them, and set up their lives to reach a people group that has little or no access to the gospel. They have sold their house, a rental property, and almost everything they own so they could fully pursue what they have felt called to do.
They wanted to learn about church planting and dove head 1st into helping Local Church get started when we sent them out as a church plant a few years ago. Local Church is their sending church and it has been wonderful to see the in-depth support that Katie and Ryan have had. But they are also vital to us as a church.
Our goal on the campus is to make disciples and equip students to saturate the world with the good news, justice, and beauty of Jesus whether that's back on the campus, our city or beyond. Katie and Ryan exemplify what it means to live sacrificial lives as they are trying to walk out faithful obedience in the specific way God is leading them. We hope to send teams from the campus to them as they are now in an Asian country we can't name with our ministry partners. And we hope that the stories they share, of being faithful amidst the challenges, also spur on others toward taking whatever steps they need to take, to reach their neighbor... wherever that neighbor should live.
Currently, Katie and Ryan are learning the language, learning their surroundings, and adjusting to a vastly different way of life. Becca Carver is part of an "advocacy team" which is a small team of people who keep up with the H's current needs, speak to them often, and hope to inform our churches so that we will keep them in prayer continuously.
Katie recently told Becca that they had flowery ideas of moving to this Asian Country and sharing the gospel with multiple people daily, but sadly this expectation does not align with reality. It takes a lot of time and work to settle into a place like this, learn the culture, meet people, build relationships, deepen those relationships and know enough language to be able to talk about spiritual things in their host people’s heart language.
-Becca and Ryan Carver
Ever since marriage they have been taking steps to get ready to leave the country and link up with a missionary team that has been directly connected to CoMission (our college outreach ministry at GCCC). Katie and Ryan have sensed the call to bring the gospel overseas, learn from those who have gone before them, and set up their lives to reach a people group that has little or no access to the gospel. They have sold their house, a rental property, and almost everything they own so they could fully pursue what they have felt called to do.
They wanted to learn about church planting and dove head 1st into helping Local Church get started when we sent them out as a church plant a few years ago. Local Church is their sending church and it has been wonderful to see the in-depth support that Katie and Ryan have had. But they are also vital to us as a church.
Our goal on the campus is to make disciples and equip students to saturate the world with the good news, justice, and beauty of Jesus whether that's back on the campus, our city or beyond. Katie and Ryan exemplify what it means to live sacrificial lives as they are trying to walk out faithful obedience in the specific way God is leading them. We hope to send teams from the campus to them as they are now in an Asian country we can't name with our ministry partners. And we hope that the stories they share, of being faithful amidst the challenges, also spur on others toward taking whatever steps they need to take, to reach their neighbor... wherever that neighbor should live.
Currently, Katie and Ryan are learning the language, learning their surroundings, and adjusting to a vastly different way of life. Becca Carver is part of an "advocacy team" which is a small team of people who keep up with the H's current needs, speak to them often, and hope to inform our churches so that we will keep them in prayer continuously.
Katie recently told Becca that they had flowery ideas of moving to this Asian Country and sharing the gospel with multiple people daily, but sadly this expectation does not align with reality. It takes a lot of time and work to settle into a place like this, learn the culture, meet people, build relationships, deepen those relationships and know enough language to be able to talk about spiritual things in their host people’s heart language.
-Becca and Ryan Carver
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