Mission Updates

An Update from Montana

Hi friends!

It has been a little while since I’ve sent an update, so I wanted to share where I am and what this season has looked like.

For those who may not know, I’m currently serving at YWAM Lakeside in Montana. This spring marked the completion of my two-year commitment with YWAM Ships. I had already planned to come to YWAM Lakeside in Montana for a debrief afterward and then take some time to pray, reflect, and consider where God might be leading me next.

YWAM Lakeside in Montana, where I’ve been living and serving this summer.

At that point, there were several good possibilities ahead of me, including returning to the YWAM Liberty and continuing to serve in PNG, staying at YWAM Lakeside for a season, or spending some time at home.

A few weeks after I left the ship, YWAM Ships announced that the Liberty would be sold at the end of 2026. Since returning to the ship was something I was still praying about, the timing of that news felt significant and gave me some peace about staying in Montana. It was bittersweet news. The ship has been home to me for much of the last two years, and I’m incredibly grateful for everything God allowed me to be part of there.

The YWAM Liberty, where I lived and served during much of my two years with YWAM Ships in Papua New Guinea.

YWAM Lakeside has felt like a natural place for this season because the base has strong connections with the Liberty itself. The ship directors are from Lakeside, and teams of volunteers from here regularly go to PNG to serve on board. So even though life here has given me a chance to step into a different rhythm, I’m still surrounded by people with connections to the ship and the ministry I’ve come to love.

Thursday morning prayer for PNG with Lori and Ethan, two friends I served with on the Liberty last year. We’re holding the names of three Bibleless language groups our medical teams served in 2025: Wab, reached by ship; Medebur, by bus; and Yoidik, by banana boat from our home dock in Madang.

After my debrief in June, I decided to stay for the summer as a Mission Builder. I’ve been serving with the hospitality team, helping clean and prepare rooms and guest houses, doing laundry, baking, and taking care of some of the everyday behind-the-scenes work that keeps the base running. Along the way, I’ve been learning more about biblical hospitality and have discovered that I really enjoy doing the small things that help people feel welcomed and cared for.

One of my regular Hospitality jobs: folding and organizing linens for guest rooms and houses across the base.

This Brother Lawrence quote hangs in our Hospitality office. It’s become one of my favorite reminders in the everyday work of this season.

It’s a very different kind of ministry from what I was doing on the ship, and I’ve really appreciated the change of pace. The work is simple and practical, and it has given me more space to be in Scripture, rest, and seek God about this next season.

One possibility that has emerged during this time is the School of Biblical Studies (SBS), a nine-month school here at YWAM Lakeside focused on studying through the entire Bible using the inductive method. SBS wasn’t something I came to Montana planning to do, but it has continued to come up in different ways, and I’ve begun seriously considering whether it might be a good next step.

I think part of why SBS has stayed on my mind comes directly out of my time in PNG. There were times in ministry when I found myself wishing I knew the Bible better and feeling ill-equipped because I didn’t know Scripture as well as I wanted to. Being around people who were genuinely eager to learn about God and His Word also deepened a desire in me to be more grounded in Scripture myself. I want to know God through His Word, understand Scripture in its context, and become more confident studying it carefully for myself. That desire has become increasingly important to me over the last couple of years.

SBS would be a significant commitment, so I’m still asking questions, praying, and considering the practical pieces before making a decision. For now, I would simply really appreciate your prayers for wisdom and clarity as I seek God about it.

I’m grateful for the many ways He has led and provided up to this point, and I trust Him to continue doing the same, wherever this next season leads.

Thank you so much for continuing to pray for me, encourage me, and support me along the way.

With love,

Laurel

Year Overview | 2025

Dear friends and family,

Thank you for your patience and grace. This is my first written update after a long and demanding season. Life and ministry in Papua New Guinea has been full, intense, and often chaotic, in both good and stretching ways. For much of the year, my energy was focused on the work in front of me rather than on communication.

Being home over the holidays gave me space to rest, reflect, and process the year. I’m grateful to finally share what it has looked like.

A brief overview of the year

January–February

I began the year in Kona, Hawai‘i, at the YWAM Ships base, preparing to return to the ship after a challenging previous season. During this time, I worked with the communications team to clarify media workflows and define roles within the broader YWAM Ships organization. It was also a season of recalibration—time with Stephen, Garrett, and Olivia, and time to realign my heart with the Lord before returning to ship life.

March–June

By March, the YWAM Liberty had begun regular medical outreaches along the coast of Madang Province. These included sailing outreaches and land-based clinics, bringing medical care, prayer, and relationship building to isolated communities. Preparation gave way to daily movement: travel by sea, clinic setup, and constant adjustment.

My role this past year

My primary role was to document what was happening on the ground. Much of my time was spent filming, photographing, and gathering stories so the work could be accurately and faithfully captured.

As a result, YWAM Ships now has a complete, current library of photos and video. We moved from relying on footage several years old to maintaining a living archive that reflects present-day work on the ship and in communities. That groundwork matters. It allows future communication to be built on what is real and current, even when the immediate task was simply to capture moments and trust they would matter later.

July–September

From July through September, the ship hosted an Oral Bible Translation cluster with eight language groups from across Madang Province. Nearly every space on board was in use. Groups translated, recorded, listened, and revised as they worked through the Gospel of Luke in their heart language. Because many of these languages do not have a written alphabet, the work was done entirely through audio. For these eight groups, this was the first time they heard a gospel in their own languages.

During this period, my time on board was intermittent due to medical travel and a return to the village of Wampan.

July: I stepped away briefly for required medical appointments, then returned to the ship.
August: Stephen and I joined a Discipleship Training School team traveling to Lae and then into Wampan, a village I had visited the year before. The trip unfolded differently than expected. Instead of carrying out planned ministry, we were invited into humility, reconciliation, and presence. The experience was a reminder that faithfulness is not always loud or visible. I’ll share more in a future update.

September: After several intense months, I stepped away briefly after noticing early warning signs of burnout. Drawing on years in ministry, I chose time in a quieter, slower setting in Kona to rest, pray, and regain steadiness before returning.

October–November

Outreach continued through October and November, combining sailing and land-based medical work. During one of our last outreaches of the year, the ship’s dental container became fully operational. For our final outreach, we welcomed an eye surgeon on board to perform cataract surgeries in our eye container.

This outreach was local. Remaining docked in Madang allowed patients to come directly onto the ship for care. Providing eye exams, cataract surgeries, and dental treatment on board marked an important milestone for the ship and for future outreaches.

Watching patients regain sight and receive care that had not previously been accessible was a quiet reminder of why this work matters.

We also partnered with Samaritan’s Purse to distribute Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes across communities, schools, churches, and a hospital serving children with disabilities. Watching the kids receive these gifts and hear that they are seen and loved by God was deeply moving.

Gratitude

None of this happens in isolation. Every outreach, translation session, and moment of connection exists because of your prayers, encouragement, and generosity. I may be the one physically present, but this work is shared.

Thank you for believing in me, for supporting this calling, and for walking with me through quieter seasons.

As I enter the next season, I do so steadier, having learned much, and continuing to listen for the Lord’s direction. Your prayers continue to matter, and I’m grateful to walk this journey with you.

This is the first of several updates reflecting on the past year. In the next, I’ll share specific stories that show why this work matters. After that, I’ll share what lies ahead and how you can continue to pray and partner with me.

With love and gratitude,

Laurel

Quick Update...

So many things to report. One of the big ones is that we handed out about 400 Bibles this week to people who have never had Bibles before.

Still in the interior of the country 7 hours up the river and beyond...