The ULC to Quito Team

Pastor Tom Colenso

First, I am grateful for this opportunity to see Quito, Ecuador.  That place, its people and culture, all seem so wonderfully mysterious to me right now.  I am ready to have some of that mystery replaced with our experience there this July. 

Second, I am excited to go there to serve the Lord and people I have never met in a Christian mission context.  I pray that through our presence people will see God?s presence and love.

      

Third, I am happy to travel there with Christian friends and my daughter Erin too.  How amazing it will be for us to be the body of Christ together in this faraway place!

Brittany Benson

Erin Colenso

Amy Fiala

Hello! My name is Amy Fiala, but many of you still know (or remember) me as a "Solberg". Yes, I have been married for 8 years, but I am one of the 'Solberg Clan' at ULC that frequently occupy one of the back pews during Sunday's worship. My husband Nathan and I are both from Grand Forks, although we transplanted our family across the river to East Grand Forks and our now technically Minnesota residents. Our oldest son Aidan is 7 years old, our daughter Claire is 5, and Paige is 2. I was baptized at ULC when I was a baby and it is the only church I have ever belonged to. I am a Registered Nurse and have worked in many different areas of nursing, including the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit but I am currently working part-time teaching nursing classes and working part-time as a public health nurse. The rest of the week I have the best job of staying home to raise my growing family! Life is very busy for us trying to juggle work, child care, school, and other activities but I knew going on a mission trip was something I've always wanted to do. Because of how fast I can see the years are going by I knew if I really wanted to do this I needed to just jump in feet first and try to make it happen. So here I am. I pray that God is leading me in this adventure and I trust Him to guide us all, keep us safe, and most importantly, help us make a difference.

Brad Gunderson  

This is a journey to share my abilities and talents with others.  I hope to learn from people with a much different perspective of living and life that what I grew up with.  I expect to be blessed with an experience that I will treasure the rest of my life.

Ashley Holt




Heather Kallestad

I am originally from a small town in southern Minnesota and am the oldest of 5 children. My husband Les and I moved to Grand Forks so that he could attend school for bio chemistry. I have a criminal justice degree but have found my calling to be a youth minister. My husband and I love Grand Forks and especially love our church University Lutheran. We have been members here since 2009. 
 

I am excited for the mission trip to Ecuador because of how it will change me. I am    looking forward to what God has planned for me and curious how he will use me when I’m there. I hope to spend lots of time with kids and sharing God’s love with them. Singing and playing together. This is going to be an unforgettable journey that I will remember for the rest of my life. I am so excited to share this experience with my husband and the people at University Lutheran. 

Les Kallestad

I want to spread God?s love and his message.  I am taking a leap of faith and that lead lands in Ecuador.

 

John Neal

Hey all! John here, some of you know me as Carson though (John’s my middle name), a little about me:  My wife Gina and I joined the church some (I forget) years ago with our children Kayla (now 14) and Matthew (19).   I’m originally from upstate New York but have lived here since ’84 (Air Force) and Gina’s from Larimore, ND.  I work for Dietrich Bus Service in Grand Forks as manager.

I’m joining my daughter Kayla on this mission trip.  We thought it would be an awesome opportunity to see a whole new culture, make contributions and help make a difference in the lives of those less fortunate.  I feel God has blessed my life in so many ways.   It will be a joy for me to share those blessings with others and see the joy on their faces as well.

                                                               Kayla Neal  

 

Hi! I'm Kayla, and I'm 14 years old. I have lived in Grand Forks all my life. I'm a freshman at Central High School. I have been a member at University Lutheran Church since I was 6 or 7.

 
My dad and I are going to Ecuador in July, and I'm really excited! I've never left North America, and I'm glad to leave it while I'm young. I can't wait to see the orphanages, and to be able to help children who don't always get the help they need. I hope we all get to change a lot of kids' lives, as well as our own. Also, I really want to see what Ecuador looks like, and I hope the weather will be really nice for us. I wonder what the food will be like there, hopefully not too gross. It will definitely make me realize how lucky we are to get a much larger variety of food here. Going to Ecuador to help children in orphanages is a once in a lifetime chance for me, and I'm very proud to be able to say that I'm going there to do that.

Patty Olsen

I have been a member of University Lutheran Church for 16 years.  I am married to Doug and we have two sons - Gregory, 16 and Eric, 13.  We have lived in Grand Forks for 17 years.  Doug is originally from Manvel, ND.  My family is from upstate New York though I considered Virginia (and North Dakota) my home.  I work for Safe Kids Grand Forks as a community resource in injury prevention.                              I have thought of going on a mission for many years with the idea of "making a difference".   I am quickly learning that this trip will be about so much more than any contribution I can make to the orphans at "For His Children".  This trip is about making connections and building relationship with my ULC team as well as those we will meet and work with in Quito. So, why am I going?  Simply put, to grow in my relationship with Jesus Christ, my church, our team and, hopefully, with those I meet in Quito.






                                                                      Renae Schmidt

Hola! Me llamo Renae. Soy de Mound, Minnesota.

...Just some practice for the travelers ;)

I have lived in the midwest for my whole life, growing up in South Dakota and Minnesota, and then going to college in Fargo, North Dakota. I love to run, draw, write, and sing (some I do well, some I do not-so-well). I also love meeting new people, spending time with my family, and studying biology. I graduated in Biological Sciences at NDSU and one day I hope to lead research projects about plant and animal interactions from all over the world.

I am not a member of ULC, but was lucky enough to meet Jenna (and her family) in college, where we became best friends (yes, with the whole family). Along with the bond between Jenna and I, something more developed during our years at school: The dream of traveling to South America. At first our mission was only to explore new places and cultures, but we quickly realized that God had brought our passionate and curious minds together for a reason. He had a mission for us, to not only travel, but to open up our hearts and hands to help, in any way possible. 

Our first stop was in Quito, where we spent a few weeks working with the orphans of For His Children. Reading our blogs and hearing of the experiences at the orphanage, the brave and compassionate congregation of ULC could not just sit and be blog subscribers; they could feel God tugging at their hearts to do more. They put together this amazing group of people to send down to South America to help. I am so humbled by their reaction to God´s call, and cannot wait to return to Ecuador with them to share this once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Anna Shallman

I have lived in Grand Forks and gone to University Lutheran Church for my entire life. I’m 14 years old and I am in ninth grade. I am a dancer, a reader, a singer, and I play the violin.

I am so EXTREMELY excited to go on this mission trip to Ecuador. My sister, Jenna, and her friend, Renae, have been in South America since October and it’s been great reading their blogs. I’ve heard about all of their amazingly wonderful experiences and it made me wonder when I would get to have an opportunity like theirs. I never could have imagined that it would be so soon. It sounds like they’ve had some astonishing experiences. I hope that I will get to experience some of the outstanding things that they have, and have some other experiences of my own. I am super excited to meet and help the kids in the orphanages and hopefully make a difference in the world. I also hope that I won’t only change other people’s lives, but also my own. I’m also excited to see the city of Quito, meet the people, and, of course, eat the food! YUM!! I know that it will be really fun and hopefully I will come back a different and better person than when I left.

Ann Shallman

Hello, I have been a member of University Lutheran for over 20 years, and I feel blessed to be part of the church at such an important and exciting time – when we go as members of our church to be God’s hands and feet in another country! I work as part of the Faith Formation Ministries Team at Sharon Lutheran; Church School and Vacation Bible School are my main focus.  My favorite parts of my job are always the times when I get to work with children, youth and volunteers! 

When I was a little girl my favorite hymn was “This is my Father’s World”!  It’s not a surprise that I love to spend time with my family outdoors camping, hiking, canoeing, and enjoying the wonderful world that God has made! 

This July I will set off for South America with my husband, Jeff, two of my daughters, Anna and Jenna, and 14 other amazing people from ULC!  And I am so excited!  What does God have in store for us?  Who will we meet?  What will we do?  What will we learn?  Why is God sending us to Ecuador?  All of these and so many more questions will be answered as we travel together to meet God’s people in Ecuador.

We will have so many stories to share with our other two daughters, Maren and Megan, with our friends and extended family, and with our congregation when we return!  Thank you for accompanying us on this journey!

Jeff Shallman

Hola!  (That’s about the extent of my Spanish, I guess I’ve got some work to do).  I think Jenna taught me to say ‘vacuum cleaner’ once but that is long forgotten…

I’m originally from Hibbing MN, “Da Range”, and never planned to live most of my life in Grand Forks ND.  No trees, no lakes, lots of wind.  And still mosquitoes and snow…  Looking back at the 23 years that I’ve spent here I can’t say I’d change a thing.  It’s been a great place to raise a family, a wonderful community, strong Arts and Music programs, and a friendly close knit church.

My general nature is to get comfortable, settle in, and hang tight.  I’ve been to two countries – Canada (60 miles north), and Mexico.  Well, I guess this trip will push my boundaries a bit.  I’ve got my passport and the next step is to get vaccinated.  Jenna and Renae’s boundless energy and love of volunteerism has inspired this trip and I am pretty sure that the unexpected gratitude I have found in living in Grand Forks will also be found in the experiences we will have in South America.  Jenna and Renae have often said that they receive more than they give.  Counterintuitive, but true.  The world is shrinking, our interdependence is growing.  I am looking forward to serving, and learning.

Jenna Shallman

I have lived in GF and been a member at ULC for as long as I can remember. I graduated from NDSU in May 2013, where I studied Psychology, along with a bit of Spanish. Among many things, I consider myself to be a runner, a reader, a kid person, a nature lover. 

Recently, and as much to my surprise as anyone else´s, I have become a traveler. And not just a sight-seeing one, but a "do whatever is in my power to help the people I come across" one. I have spent the last 5 months in South America, giving my time and love to many different causes my friend Renae and I have un-earthed, in both Ecuador and Argentina. I have worked in orphanages, schools, a children´s hospital, and a community center in a poor barrio, just to name a few. Every day I am down here I learn something new about the world, something new about myself, and something new about the people around me. I am discovering what is truly important to me, and what kind of a life I want to live. Actually the list of things I´ve learned could go on for days, so I´ll spare you all for now ;)  

Basically, I have 3 months left on this journey of a lifetime, to be spent mainly in Peru, and I can´t even begin to imagine what experiences are still ahead of me or what I have yet to learn. But I´ve also discovered that these 8.5 months aren´t going to be enough for me. I´ve left a piece of my heart in every single place I´ve been so far, and am SO unbelieveably excited to have the chance to return to Ecuador, especially to FHC (cutest kids in the world, I tell ya), and on top of that be able to share it with others. So that´s why I´m going back to Ecuador... I couldn´t imagine it any other way!

Megan Solberg

I was born and raised in Grand Forks and have been a member of University Lutheran Church all my life!  I am a kindergarten teacher, currently in my 5^th year of teaching.  I am “Auntie” to six great kids and I love spending time with them!

Traveling to another country was always something I would do “someday” when a perfect opportunity presented itself.  When I heard that our church would be assembling a group to go to Ecuador, I started to think about changing “someday” to “now”.  Life is full of surprises, both good and bad, and I want to be able to help others and experience a different culture sooner rather than later.

I couldn’t think of a more ideal trip than serving at an orphanage, where I can best use the talents that God has given me.  I may not be able to build a house or do repairs, but I can certainly make a child smile and feel important and loved!  This is my main goal on this trip.  Joshua 1:9 states: “Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”  Despite my apprehension about going to this unfamiliar place, this bible verse reminds me that our group will be in good hands and we have nothing to fear.

Jane Traub

Going to Ecuador is an interesting and unknown adventure that I?m very much looking forward to.  I?m thankful for the opportunity to serve others and to grow in my faith.  Sometimes, a chance to serve in such a way only comes along once in a lifetime, so one needs to grab the chance it they can.