Hi there!

My name is Lexie and I’m one of the leaders on this trip! Sometimes I feel like adult life is just middle school but a little more complex which is why I believe God called me to serve with this awesome group of kids! I’m so excited to be going to Alaska!! Ask anyone that’s going and they will tell you that the reason why is because I really want to see a moose, they just have really funny knees.

My favourite things in this world in no particular order are: Jesus, dogs, wide open skies, coffee, and sunshine. So if I have any one of those things, I’m usually a pretty happy camper!

This is my first year being involved in Middle School Ministry and I’m so happy that my ministry year is ending in a trip to Alaska! In the short time we have spent together getting ready for the trip, I have seen God moving in so many ways in these students! Watching this team come together has been such a blessing. I feel so privileged to have watched students come out of their shells and take a leadership role when everyone else feels lost, to watch so many students cheer on one of their team mates who had been doubting the ability to do something, and to see the look of joy when they finally were able to balance on a graham cracker to get across the chocolate river! I can’t wait to see how much more work God will do in these students when they are away from the distractions of phones, instagram, and tiktok!

The flame that is my love of the Lord has been fanned from watching these middle schoolers come together for something so much bigger than themselves and I am so thrilled that God gave me the opportunity to be a part of it all!

Howdy! I’m Laura! It’s super exciting to have the opportunity to serve on this amazing team from Blackhawk Middle School Ministries and Eaglecrest Alaska Ministries! I feel humbled to walk alongside the kids in Sutton and look forward to learning and growing and being open to what God has planned for us. A little bit about myself: I was born and reared near Milwaukee, turned down an art scholarship to study biology, earned my Ph.D. and worked at an awesome engineering school out East, then moved back to Wisconsin about nine years ago. I lead a technical team at a local manufacturer of scientific equipment, and for fun edit a monthly newsletter for a local non-profit. When I’m not working, or hanging out with my family, you might find me knitting, reading, or staring off in to the distance thinking.

Hi.  I’m Kyle and I’m going to be a freshman next year at Middleton High School. I’m 15 and I love sports.  Especially golf, volleyball and lacrosse.  I fish every free chance I get.   I am looking forward to going to AK help kids there grow in God.  I am also excited to see the scenery of AK.

Hello blog readers!  My name is Kristin (the other one!) and I am excited to be embarking on my second mission trip to Alaska!  Last year, my middle son was on the trip as a student leader– he had gone the year before as well– and he showed me the ropes.  This year, my youngest son is on the team.  I love that I can experience this with my sons.  I was also on the 2013 team to Kenya, which made me “catch the bug” for mission trips.  I love them! I love the feeling of walking a path God has laid for us. I love the feeling of being servants for others in an immersive way.  And I just love the transformative opportunity middle schoolers are given to experience them!

I’ve taught middle school social studies for 21 years, in the same school the whole time.  So, I guess I don’t get enough of middle schoolers during the school year?

I also have a small side business refurbishing furniture and making signs.  Between that, and being a mom of a middle schooler and a high schooler (and a 21 year old too!), I definitely stay busy!  In quiet moments, I like to read, knit, take walks in nature with my husband, do yoga, and cook.

Hi!
I’m Kristin (KB vs KD – there are two of us all-stars on this team). 🙂  I am the momma of Hagen (heading into his freshman year!), wife of Jay (the stud in this pic with me) and a lover of all things middle school. Seriously, I think middle schoolers (& those that love middle schoolers) are my tribe, mostly because I can be goofy, awkward, moody and am still trying to figure out who I am, much like they are! I love to craft, excercise, travel, read and laugh! (Laughing is my favorite)

This is my 3rd year leading this team and I am beyond excited! God suprises us in SO many ways, and no year is the same. This year He and and I have been working on me being more open-handed, patient, and trusting in His plan!  I cannot wait to see how He moves on this trip, how the students grow by serving and loving others, and how the relationships formed in Alaska deepen!

Thanks for your prayers and support!

I’m a father of 7 and married to a rock star wife (Bridget) for 28 years. We are grandparents of a 1 1/2 year old. Or kids range from 26 to 11. I’m a chiropractor in Middleton. I’m so excited to go on this trip as a leader, but super excited because my son Kyle is going also.  I will take great care of your kids and help nurture their relationship with Jesus and each other. I was a leader 8 years ago on a trip to the island of St. Thomas for a very similar mission with my two oldest kids through High Point church. This is a big deal to leave my family and practice for a week so I ask for prayers of protection both physically and financially for my family. Thanks for trusting me to be a leader of such a great group of kids!

If you like pina coladas and getting caught in the rain, then you probably aren’t actually like me at all. Hi, I’m Josh, one of the adult servants on the Alaska trip, and I’m greatly looking forward to being able to serve alongside so many young Christ followers, along of course with all the awesome students up in Alaska. When I’m not working at Epic to improve healthcare software, I typically can be found talking in a baby voice to my cat. (Unlike with humans, I’m not afraid that using a baby voice will hamper her future language skills. She already knows how to beg for both food and scratches, and that’s all she really cares about).  I also enjoy crafting and painting figurines.

Really though, insofar as faith is involved, I really love asking questions.  I love watching others come to their own conclusions, questioning what they believe, and getting past preconceived notions to reach a deeper rooted faith.  As an engineer, I’ve found that trying to break things down is a great way for others to reach true understanding; if they build their faith themselves, they’ll understand how it works.  I find this also applies to how we can more fully integrate scientific knowledge and our understanding of God.  After all, since God created the universe, learning about the laws of the universe teaches us about God too.  Because of that, I’m really looking forward to how our students and I will be getting to do some science experiments and learning about electricity and circuitry with the Alaskan students.

Hi! My name is Joshua Chen and I’m going to be a ninth grader at Middleton High School this fall! I’m super excited for this opportunity to get out of our borders here in Madison and make a difference in the lives of people elsewhere. I want to share with the kids in Alaska God’s love and teach them that we’re all broken people, but through Jesus Christ we are forgiven and saved!

This will be my first time going to Alaska and I can’t wait to see what God has planned for our team!

I am one of the two children of Jessica and David. I am in 7th grade at Glacier Creek Middle School (in Middleton, Wisconsin) and will be turning 13 on August 4th. I love to play card and board games (mostly Magic the Gathering or chess) and to read! I volunteer at the nursery at Blackhawk and have been on a much smaller scale trip called Madison Missions where my group and I volunteered to do many things: from delivering meals to those in need, to helping out at the community center, to pulling invasive garlic mustard from natural areas in the city. I have enjoyed all of these experiences and want to do more to help others, that is why I applied for this trip.

Hello, my name is John, and I think I’m overdue for an adventure.  So I think I’ll fly 3000 miles away from home with dozens of middle-schoolers!

I am one of the leaders going on the Alaska trip this year, it will be my very first missions trip and my first time in Alaska.  This is a great group of young people and I am looking forward to serving alongside them (and the other leaders too).  I pray that God will work through this team and that during this time each one of us will experience God in a fresh new way as we serve.