All Posts By

Kayla Balangue

Update #10 South America A

By | 2025 Teams, South America A

Hi everyone! 

This morning we left to go to the church at 8:20. We started with Gabie giving a devotional and then dancing to Joyce’s favorite song. Then we split up, the group working on the church finished painting and building the fence and Me, Jess, and Vivian went on a house visit. Emily walked us to her house up a very steep hill. When we got to her house her grandma Carmen and cousin David greeted us. Vivian helped Carmen cook. Jess danced with David, and me, Gabie, and Jonathan helped Emily paint her room. We didn’t have enough brushes so me and Emily had to walk all the way down and back up the very steep hill to get brushes from the church. Once we were painting At one point Me, Gabie, and Jonathan were doing one wall with cardboard laid out and trying to be very careful not to spill yellow paint anywhere and we turned around and Emily had almost the whole wall done by herself with paint everywhere and all over herself. I thought it was funny and also thought it’s a good reminder to let go a little and that everything doesn’t have to be perfect. While we painted we talked and sang music and I even got to connect with Emily on similar experiences we had gone through. After we painted me and Emily went to 3 stores to find cookies to have with lunch. On our walk we were still able to have good conversation despite the language barrier. We ate a great meal with Emily, David and their grandma and had great conversation as we ate. After the meal we helped clean up a bit and then left. Everyone working on the church was finishing up and it looked great. We all than played games with the kids and then later had to say bye to them as that was the last time we would get to see them. We came back to where we were staying had our debrief and then went to a mall for dinner. We all chose where we ate for dinner but most of us ended up at a Mexican restaurant. We then walked back and then some of us played a chaotic card game. Where Jess lost 3 out of 4 rounds!

-Lille

Update #4 Eastern Europe

By | 2025 Teams, Eastern Europe

Hey hey! From Katya 🙂

Today was a really full but meaningful day! We kicked off the morning with some breakfast and a team devotional led by Chris. He shared about humility, and it was such a great reminder as we started the day—to serve with humble hearts, not just with our hands.

Afterwards, we all got split into different jobs. Nate and Levi kept working on the basketball court, filling and repairing cracks—it’s coming along slowly but surely. Meanwhile, Danyelle, Vincent, and I were on road duty. First, we helped repair part of the path, then later removed a bunch of paver bricks in another area that need to be fixed soon. We also got a chance to clean some windows—inside and out—which was oddly satisfying and definitely brightened things up!

Also—side note—it’s Claire’s birthday today!! Sadly, both she and Vincent weren’t feeling too great. We’re hoping some good sleep will help them bounce back tomorrow.

A big shoutout to Karina and Chris who were in charge of meals today! They absolutely crushed it. For dinner, they made chicken Alfredo from scratch, with garlic bread and Caesar salad on the side. SO good. And the best part? They played the Ratatouille soundtrack during dinner—it felt like we were in our own little five-star restaurant.

After dinner, we wrapped up the night with team reflection. Everyone was pretty tired, so most of us went straight to bed, but a few stayed up and played some games to wind down.

It was a long but super sweet day—lots of work, lots of laughs, and lots of good food. We’re excited to keep going and see how God continues to use this time!

Talk soon,

Katya 🙂

Update #9 Southeast Asia B

By | 2025 Teams, Southeast Asia B

Halo from Southeast Asia!

Day Two of camp was flled with adventure: kids flying down zip lines, fishing at the beach, and most awesome, over 100 campers responding to the Gospel.

Our mornings typically begin with a few laps in the hotel pool, followed by breakfast and devotions with the team before heading to the camp’s opening ceremonies. From there, we split up and dove into a full day of activities: arts and crafts, zip lining. hula hoops, archery tag with padded arrows, and, of course, more fishing at the beach. With 250-300 campers and leaders involved, it feeis like a celebration wherever we go.

The food has been a hit: rice at every meal (which works just fine for me), accompanied by fish, veggies, chicken, tofu, and some incredible hot sauce. Coffee is always brewing at the Masse home, where our gracious field workers are based.

The team has truly jumped right in, learning enough Bahasa Indonesian to make connections and becoming best friends with the kids in just a matter of days. The night ended with a deeply moving Gospel message. While we couldn’t understand every word, the response was unmistakable, a great reminder that some things transcend language.

As faculy advisor, couldn’t be prouder of how this team has come together, serving the kids and supporting one another with heart and humility. One team member was overheard saying, “I wasn’t so sure about this random team, but I actually really like you guys. We should hang out when we get back!” Others chimed in with “We have the best team ever. I love you guys!” It’s also safe to say that everyone wants to come back to the House of Hope.

Each Jessup student has stepped up with leadership, compassion, and full engagement in daily outreach. Everyone is healthy, in great spirits, and giving their all.

Thank you for your continued prayers and support as we enter our final days here and begin preparing for the journey home.

Puji Tuhan (Praise the Lord)!

~Dave

Update #9 South America B

By | 2025 Teams, South America B

Oí from South America! This morning we got to sleep in because of our late night the night before. We arrived at The City of Youth in the later morning and went straight to work finishing our painting project. Everyone worked together and got two rooms and a fence painted! It brightened up the space and made the atmosphere more welcoming. There was a delicious lunch served to us; beans, rice, chicken, and salad. We stoped in the middle of our meal to say goodbye to the little kids going to school.

The girls on the team got to experience a spa day! Some of the students who are in the beauty course painted our nails and braided our hair. It was exciting to be a part of their career journey. We got to see some of them practice a dance and saw their joy on their faces when their creativity came to life with nail polish and glitter.

The boys had some time to go exploring around City of Youth’s country side. They got to enjoy the company of some horses and explore through the fields. They got to encounter a brave dog chasing a horse and had a great time telling jokes.

By the time the team got all back together, it was time to go see the kids. Some played soccer on the near by field with the older boys and others went to go play with the toddlers. We were all thankful for more bonding time with the kids. Running around kicking the soccer ball and making the little kids laugh.

We ended the night with a dinner at one of the children’s homes in the city. The team enjoyed a home cooked meal with delicious chicken, beans and rice (of course) and a famous local apple flavored juice called Guaraná. There were a lot of enjoyable conversations and hilarious moments being shared around the table. The house held three boys and two girls. The boys were all into soccer, one wanting to be be a professional soccer player and another wanting to work at an airport. For the girls, one of them wanted to be an astronaut and was really into dance. The other wanted to be a psychology teacher and is hoping to travel to America one day. A funny moment at dinner was when Cole and Declan decided to get their hair braided by the girls living in the home! For dessert, we had an amazing açai bowl, which Erica was most excited about. We ended the night with looking up at the stars and being thankful for all that God has blessed us with.

Thank you all for keeping us in your thoughts and prayers.

-Grace Sales

Update #3 Eastern Europe

By | 2025 Teams, Eastern Europe


hey guys! it’s karina coming in with your our daily blog from the team! Today we got to work more outside on the campus preparing its season for different camps and retreats. Me, Levi, and Nate got to start stitching up some concrete from a basketball court, and I got to use a concrete saw for the first time 🙂 The rest of the group got to do some landscaping work and housekeeping around the house. Claire learned how to do laundry for the time too 🙂 For lunch we got to eat some traditional local food, which was delicious! My favorite part of the day was watching Chris struggle peeling an orange. We were all dying from laughter, it was so funny we made Chris cry! 

-Karina

Update #8 South America B

By | 2025 Teams, South America B

What’s up friends and family!

My morning started in the most refreshing way possible as Declan, Tim, and I jumped in the rooftop pool for a nice cold plunge and worship music it was a great way to prepare our hearts for another full day of ministry.

Soon after, we arrived at the City of Youth where the kids welcomed us with open arms and loving energy. We spent some time with the little little kids playing around and making them laugh and then flew kites with some boys named Lalo, Enzo, Arthur, and Lucas. Later we played soccer, spikeball, and even rode around on a makeshift green machine.

Later, we met Reggie, one of the house parents who is originally from Oregon. He took time to share with us some powerful stories about the boys in the home their journeys, their resilience, their troubles and the impact this ministry is making in their lives. It was a beautiful reminder of the “why” behind the work we are doing here.

In the afternoon, we got to work on a few projects around the campus. Our team scraped and painted the white picket fence surrounding main office and seeing it finished was deeply rewarding. We also began painting the inside of the office, and we’re excited to finish that job tomorrow. What might a week for the staff here, we’re able to knock out in a day or two and it’s an incredible privilege to lighten that load for them.

Midway through the day, there was a buzz of uncertainty aswe weren’t sure if we’d be able to attend the Brazil vs. Paraguay soccer match. With such a large group, securing tickets last minute seemed unlikely. But in true miracle fashion, our fieldworker Phil and his amazing team pulled it off!

Before heading to the game, a few of the boys, including Matos and Enzo, were pulled from school under the impression they were in trouble. Moments later, surprise! They learned they were coming with us to the match.

Getting into the game was wild, 46,000 people flooded the stadium, home to Corinthians during the regular season. At one point, Declan’s ticket wasn’t scanning, and we thought he might not get in, but thankfully, everything worked out. The atmosphere inside was absolutely electric. Brazil took the win 1-0 thanks to a goal by Vinicius Jr., and the chants, the energy, and even a fan who stormed the field made it a night to remember.

Leaving the stadium was like a real life version of Crossy Road. With helicopters overhead and crowds pouring into the streets, it was definitely intense. But thanks to the street smarts of our team, our wonderful local hosts and some quick feet, we all made it back to the bus safe and sound.

Each day, our team is growing tighter, not just as a group, but as a family. The shared work, the joy, and the spontaneous moments of fun have created a bond that’s hard to put into words. As one fellow missionary, Dr. Dan from Indiana, told us while passing through the city of youth with his team, “You guys just have a great gift of making people feel comfortable around you.” That stuck with me, because that’s exactly what we’re here to do, love well and serve wholeheartedly.

God is clearly moving here in South America, in the children, in the staff, and in each of us. We’re so grateful for the opportunity to be part of what He’s doing, and we can’t wait to see what tomorrow holds!

Te amo mutio!
(I love you very much!)

Cole Spake

Update #9 South America A

By | 2025 Teams, South America A

Hi everyone! 

The last week and a half has been amazing! I’m sure as you all have been reading and keeping up to date. I’ve been trying to find the right words to describe this experience—this mission experience in this country—but the truth is, no words seem big enough. One of the most powerful parts of this journey was getting the chance to do a home visit and meet a truly wonderful family. Sitting in their home, hearing their stories, cooking, cleaning, and sharing life with them, even if just for a short time, was something I’ll carry with me forever. It wasn’t just a visit—it was an invitation into their lives, their struggles, their joys, their faith. It was deeply humbling.

What made the connection even more meaningful was being able to speak the language. It opened up a different kind of intimacy and trust, no need for translation, just human to human, heart to heart. And having some understanding of the culture made everything resonate that much deeper. I’m so grateful for that gift. It reminded me that language is more than words—it’s a bridge, and in this case, it helped bridge continents and hearts.

A fun little moment today was when I saw guinea pigs—cuy, as they’re called here! What amazed me is that they’re not pets like back home; they’re considered a delicacy, a luxury meal. It’s moments like that where you realize just how vast and beautiful the world’s diversity is.

But what’s impacted me most is seeing how God is moving here. Not just in the big moments, but in the everyday lives of people who trust Him with such sincerity and depth. It’s been humbling and inspiring to witness faith that’s not just spoken, but truly lived. And just as I feel like I’ve started to genuinely bond with everyone—locals and teammates alike—we’re now only a few days away from leaving. It sucks. There’s no other way to put it. Saying goodbye to people who feel like family after just a short time never gets easier. But I also know that the connections we’ve made are real, and they’ll live on in memories, prayers, and hopefully, future returns. South America has changed me. This trip has opened my heart in ways I didn’t expect. I came to serve, but I leave having received more than I ever imagined.

-Bre

Team Southern Africa is back home!

By | 2025 Teams, Southern Africa

After another long travel day, the Southern Africa team is back home safe and sound! They had an incredible time meeting new people, ministering to children, and growing in relationship to so many local leaders. Join us in praying for them as they come back and navigate reverse culture shock. It can be jarring to experience a culture so different from our own and to come back to a place that feels like it hasn’t changed when so much of who they are has changed as a result of the trip. Pray that the Lord would guide them towards their next step in ministry and draw them close even back in the US.
Don’t forget to ask a team member all about their trip!

Update #8 Southeast Asia B

By | 2025 Teams, Southeast Asia B

Halo,
Today, we got to see our work pay off in amazing ways. In the morning, we did more construction for the royal ranger camp, and some of us helped with cooking lunch, too. Later, most of the team went to the beach with almost everyone at camp. It was so much fun to build sand castles, and some brought bikes to ride by the water. After we had all the tents set up for camp, we had dinner and sang some praise songs. It was magical to see how passionate everyone was during praise, even parents and staff members were singing. Corban got on stage and got to share a sermon on Joshua 1:9, giving an example of God inspiring him to be strong and courageous in his own life, and the kids really related to his words. We all prayed together and had some more time of worship, and again, it was such a spiritual experience to all be together lifting praise to God. People who couldn’t even speak the same language were united by their love for God, and that’s beauty beyond words. Tonight, especially, our connections with the kids seemed stronger. We’re so thankful to have this opportunity to lead people toward God and grow in our own faith, and we can’t wait for what the coming days have to bring!
– Kellen

Update #7 South America B

By | 2025 Teams, South America B

Hi friend and family! Tudo bem?… tudo bem! Today we woke up for our first day in the new city. We had breakfast and journaled in our hotel. Jonathan (our new translator/city of youth coordinator) met us at our hotel to take us to Hope Unlimited’s coffee shop/thrift store. The coffee was so amazing. The thrift store/coffee shop also had their financial department attached to the same building and we were able to get to meet all the great people who work behind the scenes at Hope Unlimited.

We then took about a 30 minute drive to the City of Youth (hope unlimited’s campinas campus). Once we got there Jonathan gave us a tour of the large campus which included showing us the cooking classes, baking classes, cosmetic classes, auto body classes, basketball courts, pool, and soccer fields.

After the show around we got to meet some of the children during lunch and they were such a joy to sit down with and make smile. Unfortunately they had to leave for class decently quick.

Our team then just took a little look around of ourselves and went exploring on the campus and found some little children in line getting ready to go to class and they were so excited to see us. They asked me why we were there and I told them “we came all the way from United States to hangout with you guys” and their eyes went wide and they smiled from cheek to cheek in shock. Once again unfortunately we didn’t get to spend too much time with them because they went to class.

We then went into the meeting room where there was a bit of a mix up on exactly what room we were going to get started on fixing up, moving things, and painting so we sat there for about an hour just braiding bracelets to handout to the children. Once we got our instructions we went to work quick and efficiently, clearing out rooms getting them ready to be painted. While we were working Philip (our field worker) comes to us and tells us we are going to the Brazil vs Paraguay World Cup qualifier match in the city tomorrow night which then of course caused our team to loose their minds and start throwing our ideas like painting our faces and bellies Brazilian colors for the game.

After we finished our work we were told that we were going to have dinner with some of the girls from the City of Youth at their community house, and since 2/3 of their busses broke down they needed to drop us off at our hotel to be picked up later. So we had to say goodbye to Luciano, our new friend/Hope graduate/ Hope Mountain maintenance man, because he was going back to Vitória and we weren’t going to see him again. We all shared hugs with Luciano and he learned how to say “I love you” to say goodbye to us.

We got dropped off at our hotel and immediately took off looking for some Brazil National Team jerseys for the game tomorrow without much success. So Chim(Tim), Cole, Derek, and I went on a time crunch mission to the nearest shopping center to buy some jerseys at the store. Once we arrived at the shopping center we were shocked at how nice and large it was, it had all the nicest branded stores and it was 4 stories tall. We went at quickly as we could we failed the time crunch mission because we were just a tiny bit late to getting back to the hotel, although some might call it a success because we got sweet Brazilian and Corinthians(local team) jerseys.

When Chim, Cole, Derek, and I arrived a tiny bit late to the hotel we were sadly greeted with a change in plans due to the bus being used we were unable to go and have dinner with the girls in their community house. We changed the dinner to Wednesday night. Although we were very bummed at not being able to eat with the girls tonight, Philip did offer to take us to all you can eat sushi which you can only imagine the excitement of the offer. We then walked to Sushi with Jonathan and Phillip and unanimously had the best sushi ever. After dinner we walked back, debriefed the day and went to bed.

We look forward to our time with the children tomorrow. Thank you for all the prayers we all appreciated it!

~Albert