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Heidi Koppen, Ireland

Great Adventure Church has been my church home since 2007 when I was a freshman at Emmaus Bible College for Youth Ministry. Coming from the middle of nowhere outside of Webster City, Iowa, and a tiny, quiet assembly, I loved GAC’s focus on spotting people’s spiritual gifting and inviting opportunity and creativity to use those gifts. 

In the summer 2008 I went on a mission trip; it was the first time I had been on a mission trip or out of the country…or on an airplane for that matter! It was led by TnT Teams (teach and testify), which later changed to E-teams (equipping for evangelism and encouragement in English speaking countries). It was a month long trip, split up for time training and then doing evangelism in two different areas of Ireland alongside local churches and missionaries. The Lord really led and provided for me to go because at that point I had no desire for anything outside of youth ministry in the states, which was the culture I knew and was learning to reach. This trip to Ireland was in my mind a once in a lifetime experience, and I ended up loving the different ways of speaking to Irish people about the gospel (evangelism isn’t as hard as we think it is!). While working shoulder to shoulder with missionaries and being in their homes, I discovered that missionaries aren’t the super human, beyond-all-other-Christians stereotype I had in mind; they are just normal Christians whom God has directed to go live the same missional Christian life in a different culture.  During my time there I also loved learning about the Irish and how their culture is different from mine - I just loved them! There are so few Christians that it is technically an unreached people group, and all on the team were a huge blessing to the churches there just by being young people who still loved Jesus. For the general people, the dominant religion that is so tied into the cultural identity does speak of Jesus but leaves pressure of guilt and no real hope. I’ve never experienced a place with such lack of believers and in such spiritual need.

From that year on, GAC started to see that part of my spiritual gifting is evangelism and pastoral care, and I eventually helped to lead the Jr high girls and loved investing in them and strategizing how to help them know their place in serving as part of our church family. Everyone could also see that I had a heart for the Irish people and had a real burden to go back at least once. Well, with everyone’s encouragement and support I went back for one more team trip and came back with the hint that God might be calling me there. I’m pretty sure Lev (a GAC elder) called it early on during many classes where he would have us think through class material with "hypothetical scenarios" of "if Heidi was doing youth ministry in Ireland, how would she apply…" Sometimes I would find myself weeping while I prayed for the struggles youth in Ireland have to face and the serious spiritual needs in the country. I went back another two summers for team trips and finally said yes to God that I would be willing to move to Ireland…as a missionary! 

I moved to Ireland in September 2015 and worked with a small assembly to start several youth and children/young mom ministries, as well as networking with other youth ministry organizations and churches around Dublin and across Ireland. There were some really very tough years but the Lord has been good. I’ve been in Ireland for five years now, and don’t see God sending me back to the states (I’ve adapted so much to this culture I can hardly imagine moving back to Iowa) so I’m applying for permission to stay another five years or maybe even to get Irish citizenship. God has led and directed in the years leading up to me coming here, and then all these years in all the random ministry He’s put my hands to, that I am decided to trust Him in however He leads and ways He opens up.

Aaron and Tiffany, SE Asia

Aaron and Tiffany both grew up in the Grand Rapids area of Michigan. Tiffany was a part of the GAC during her time working in Dubuque from 2011-2016. In 2016 she went to India to serve with a small agency until God clearly closed the door to India. While preparing for work with MAF, Tiffany returned to her hometown area and met Aaron, who was also preparing to go overseas. 3 years of overseas service later, Aaron and Tiffany are now married and preparing to go back overseas together with TEAM (The Evangelical Alliance Mission), the organization Aaron was with previously.

They will be working with a program in southeast Asia that utilizes a cattle farm for discipleship, skills training, and financial support for a myriad of outreach and discipleship ministries including kid's clubs and Bible studies. Aaron will be bringing his experience and love of agriculture to help the farm continue on and improve in profitability, as well as bringing his heart for discipleship into daily life and college Bible studies. Tiffany is excited to join in with the kid's clubs and to do life with the college age girls who are involved in the ministries.