Luke’s Story

A skater guy comes to know Jesus and decides to head to Papua New Guinea to translate the Bible in a remote village.

I was born and raised in the San Luis Obispo area in beautiful California. I was raised Catholic, but I always hated church as a kid because I just wanted to be home watching cartoons. Eventually we stopped going to church, and I thought that was awesome. I continued not following Christ until I was 13 years old.

When I was 13 I started skateboarding. My friend named Justice invited me to a thing called Sk8 Church. I heard that there was pizza, and skateboarding. As a junior high boy, pizza alone will get me to the edge of Mordor. What Justice didn't tell me was that there was a bible talk as well. The classic bait and switch of ministry. I can't really knock it, though, because it kept me coming back. Eventually, over a long period of time, God began to grab a hold of my heart because I would actually listen to what they were saying in the bible talks. I started following Christ in a skate park in Atascadero, California.

And Then?

I grew in my faith and God had brought me to the point where I even knew that I wanted to work in full time ministry with my life. This brought me to New Tribes Bible Institute (NTBI) in Jackson, MI. My mind was constantly blown with how little I knew about God's word over my 2 years of study there. NTBI is also the place where God showed me that there are nearly 2,000 languages that do not have ANY portion of scripture in their heart language. I was taken aback. I couldn't get the thought of such a ridiculous fact out of my head. God used this knowledge to challenge me to become a bible translator for some of these very people. 

I graduated NTBI in 2014 with an associates degree in biblical studies and headed back home to California. I spent a couple years working with the youth at my home church, all the while looking towards doing bible translation in the future. I began missionary training with Ethnos360 in Roach, MO in 2016. This school equipped me with tons of tools for church planting in a tribal location in Papua New Guinea. I graduated in spring of 2018 with a Bachelors Degree in Intercultural Studies and became a member with Ethnos360. I then finished the advanced linguistics course in the fall of 2018. After that, I spent time raising prayer and financial support and I served on the grounds and maintenance team at Ethnos360 Training in Missouri where I met my wife Jessica, who was also headed to Papua New Guinea. We dated for a year and got married in August 2021. We moved to Papua New Guinea in April 2022 to begin our ministry together over here!

Jess’ Story

A sorority girl comes to know Jesus in college and decides to be a part of bringing God’s Word to people who don’t have access to it in Papua New Guinea.

Growing up, I went to church occasionally and was involved in a youth group. I was hearing God’s Word, but I didn’t understand why Jesus had to die on the cross for our sins. And I honestly just wasn’t interested in learning more about God at that point in my life. I was seeking fun and fulfillment through a party lifestyle and in trying to gain love, acceptance, and approval from others. I began college at Missouri State University, joined a sorority, and was ready for the best four years of my life. Looking back, I see God used the very thing I was seeking life in as the avenue with which he pursued me through.

Not long after I started my freshman year of college through my involvement in my sorority I became friends with Claire, a woman on staff with a campus ministry, Student Mobilization. As I saw Claire’s life and love for Jesus, I knew she radiated a joy and a peace that I longed to have. Through my friendship with Claire and my involvement in the campus ministry, I had the opportunity to hear God’s Word and testimonies of other college students - how they came to know Jesus and how He had changed their lives. Through these testimonies, I realized Jesus must be real and I prayed that God would help me understand His word. Soon after, I came to understand and believe that my sin separated me from God and that Christ died for my sin so that I may have life and a restored relationship with Him for all eternity.

And Then?

God began connecting me with missionaries from Ethnos360. I was learning about people groups in Papua New Guinea who have been writing letters asking for missionaries to come live among them and teach them God’s Word for years!

I had the amazing opportunity to visit Papua New Guinea with Ethnos360 for a 6 week summer trip to learn more about tribal missions and we got to visit an established tribal church.  During that trip my question was, “Do I think I can do this?” I was a sorority girl, did I really think I had what it takes to be a tribal missionary? On the plane ride home from Papua New Guinea I was reading a book called Nothing to Prove by Jennie Allen and she was talking about how Moses was hindered by thinking God’s work was dependent upon his own abilities. God wanted to use Moses to lead His people out of Egypt and Moses thought he was not qualified for the task. Through reading that, God was speaking to my heart answering the question I had asked all summer that, “No Jessica, you can’t do this. But I can do it through you.” 

That was a turning point for me. I realized God can use anyone, he is just looking for people who are willing to go and to trust that he will work in and through us.

Right after my trip to Papua New Guinea, I began the 4 year training with Ethnos360. I received a Certificate of Biblical Studies from Ethnos360 Bible Institute in Waukesha, Wisconsin and a Bachelors of Intercultural Ministries from Ethnos360 Training in Roach, Missouri. I graduated in April 2021 and then I spent time raising prayer and financial support and got married to Luke in August 2021. We made it to Papua New Guinea in April 2022 and are excited to start this monumental task we get to partner with the Lord to do - seeing a mature church established among a currently unreached people group.