Ben loves encouraging people. He becomes most alive when he can help facilitate people falling more in love with Jesus, and uncover their dreams, passions, and calling. He is passionate about missions, prophetic ministry, and disaster first response.
Ben’s home growing up consistently had missionaries in it. One of his parents’ ministries was to refill and encourage missionaries when they would come home on furlough. He learned first hand the importance of ministering to the people who are constantly pouring their lives out in pursuit of the Gospel.
When he graduated high school he had the opportunity to begin his own journey into missions, that has taken him to several different nations in the past ten years. He has found a home in Cape Town, South Africa where he gets to use his love for people, heart for missionaries, and passion for hosting and cooking to continue to pour into missionaries.
BEN'S MINISTRY EXPERIENCE:
HERE ARE SOME OF THE NEXT FAITHFUL STEPS THAT I TOOK TO GIVE ME BOTH EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION IN PASTORAL CARE IN MISSIONS:
Youth with a Mission (YWAM)
Ben first got involved with YWAM back in 2001 when he did his first YWAM Discipleship Training School with his family, in a YWAM Family School called "Crossroads"- he then came back after he graduated high school in 2008 to do his own DTS, with his training at the headquarters of YWAM in Kona, Hawaii, and his hands on missions experience in India + Nepal, where he worked at a non-profit within Calcutta partnering with the Houses of the Dying and Destitute (the ministry founded by Mother Teresa).
Iris Ministries
His experience in India ignited in Ben a passion to continue working for non-profits, so he moved to Mozambique for five years to work with an organization that specializes in rural community development and disaster relief to impoverished communities. While there, he worked with the disaster relief division of the organization, and launched from Mozambique to multiple other countries doing crisis response all over the world. Ben was also in a full time capacity as a media specialist, finding that his time in Mozambique to be one of the most life-giving opportunities to consistently work with both the volunteer community but also the incredible communities of Mozambicans.
University of North Carolina
Following his time in Mozambique, and in need of a break from full time field work, Ben wanted to expand his skillset. So he enrolled in UNC Chapel Hill's documentary filmmaking and photojournalism program to increase his ability to effectively tell the stories of both individuals and organizations in both local and international settings. He was also very involved with a local church where he helped to led courses in the prophetic for the college students.