2017 Team member bios -- part 5 of 5

Every year the XCHS/LCA Costa Rica ministry team brings another collection of servant hearts ready to share with others what they have learned in their walk with God.  In the upcoming blogposts, we will introduce to you the mosaic of hearts and souls enthusiastic to work together on this March mission.

  

We have all been in prayer for team leader Denise Griffith as recently she was diagnosed with a brain tumor and will not be able to travel with us after all. 

As an answer to our prayer for another adult leader, Barbara (Barby) Whalen stepped up to God's call. Retired Xenia Christian high school math teacher, Barby has five adult children and fourteen--soon to be sixteen--grandchildren. She lives with her husbnd on a mini-farm in Beavercreek Township surrounded by fruit trees, vegetable gardens, and livestock.

Miss Clements calls Barby her "mission mama" because when Miss Cements started helping with short-term mission trips, Barby was leading them.  "I have been on many short-term mission trips," Barby shares, "and I desire to be available for this service as long as I am able.  I am interested in this trip because it is with Legacy Academy students and staff.  I am comfortable with the Latin American culture and hope to make some new friends."

Barby's previous trips have included some in the United States, several different locals in Mexico, and even in Japan. Barby loves seeing the Kingdom of God being built up around the world. She and her husband currently minister through an ESL (English-as-a-Second-Language) outreach through their church. "I feel we were prepared for this service due to having visited churches and ministries around the world," she stated. 

On this trip, Barby looks forward to working with Camille Clements again. "We have done a number of trips to Mexico together," she shared. Also she looks forward to being a support to the students and other leaders, as well as making personal friends with the ticos.

Besides the farming activities, Barby's activities and hobbies include cooking, participating in church ministries--especially Bible studies--and hanging out with the grandchildren.  If she were to have a superhero power, her power would be "cheerfully organizing"! (Now that's one this writer has not heard before--but I like it.)



Veteran team-member Tyler Castle was all in for returning to Costa Rica on another ministry trip. He loves to serve people and wants to do as much of that as possible in Costa Rica.  He enjoys the stretch of working in a “whole new culture.” From last year’s trip, Tyler has realized the immense blessings that we have here in the United States—many of which we take for granted.

 

On this year’s trip, he looks forward again to growing closer to his fellow team members as well as to God.

After graduation from Legacy this year, Tyler looks to perhaps attend Sinclair Community College and study fire science in order to become a firefighter or emergency medical technician.  His hobbies include baseball, spending time with family and friends, and classic muscle cars.  He loves the outdoors:  fishing, camping, hiking, and he is an Explorer with the Xenia Township Fire Department.  He also loves playing ping-pong and eating pineapple pizza with Luke. J  As a superhero, Tyler would love to have super speed so that he could help more people faster than before.

“Remember,” he shares, “Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything” (James 1:4).

New to the ministry team this year, junior Ethan Croucher applied for the team in order to share the gospel with people who speak another language. He is eager to apply the skills he has learned with Miss Clements in Spanish class.  This is his first mission trip, and he particularly looks forward to building relationships with people in another country.

Ethan’s hobbies include playing worship music; in particular, he participates with guitar, bass guitar, or drums. In sports, he enjoys playing tennis and is part of the school team.  If he were a superhero, Ethan would like to turn into any animal in order to cheer up people. 

In real life encouragement, Ethan reminds the readers that “in the big picture, all things work for our good and God’s glory.”

Our second guy chaperone, Justus U Dennhardt, currently works as a barista and a server. Engaged, Justus and his fiancée plan on getting married in January 2018.

Justus has always loved Central America, and having been on a previous mission trip to El Salvador, he is eager to return to the region. God has called him to return—to help support the team and to share the encouragement and the gospel of Christ.  His previous trip provided him “a peace in who [he] was”—not only in spiritual gifts but even in his personality.

On this trip, Justus looks forward to being a leader for the young men on the trip.  “I hope to bring a sense of the body of Christ,” he shares, “and display how each of us need each other, to display a full spectrum of the gospel to those we reach.”

His interests—well, as he puts it, “I LOVE random knowledge, so I usually am headlong into Ted Talks or Podcasts.” As hobbies, Justus blacksmiths, longboards, hikes, and swims.  He also occasionally dabbles in the arts.

When asked what superhero power he would like, Justus replied, “It would have to be the ability to summon turtles to give away to people, spreading happiness to the world. Ha ha, but in all seriousness, I would want the ability to never grow tired or hungry, so that I could continue to always help others.”

Justus reminds the readers that as “ambassadors of a higher kingdom than any earthly realm, we have the honor, the trust, and the strength, to carry a message so powerful it literally brings Life to those who walk dead in spirit. I would say that in-and-of-itself, bellows a fire in me which I can’t contain.”

Another new member of the team, senior John McCaskey, joined the team wanting to enjoy a short-term mission trip on which he could experience both spreading the good news of Christ and growing personally. Furthermore, the Costa Rica trip offers the chance to help with children’s Bible clubs and help the community.

A previous trip to Trinidad with his church influenced John and grew his heart for the lives of children.  So on this trip, too, John looks forward to influencing the lives of local kids, serving the community, and enjoying fellowship with fellow teammates.

After graduation this year, John plans to attend Wright State University and major in physical therapy. His hobbies include sports such as soccer, swimming, and baseball. He also loves hanging out with friends and trying new foods. If he were a superhero, John would like to have the power of self-healing. (Hmm, curious.)

John reminds each of us that God is a constant and reliant Rock of salvation.

Another new member of our team, senior Caleb Stover plans on attending Wright State University after graduation this year. His goal is to pursue a  degree in Pre-Dentistry in order to become a dentist.

Excited to be joining the team, Caleb has wanted for years to go on this mission trip to Costa Rica, but this is the firs

t time he has been able to go.  As Caleb shares, “I feel like this is just one way I can follow Jesus’ command of going and making disciples of the nations! I am most excited about getting to spend time with kids outside of my culture and push myself outside of my comfort zone.”

Previously, during his sophomore year of high school Caleb had the opportunity to go on a mission trip to Detroit with his church’s youth group.  They served several homeless shelters by making food, cleaning, spending time, and conversing with those who came through the shelter during their time there. “We were given opportunity to talk and evangelize to those who came into the homeless shelter,” Caleb shared. The trip not only opened Caleb’s eyes to the problems and poverty that the city of Detroit suffers, but it also showed how the community was coming together to rebuild both the community and its individuals.

This trip to Costa Rica will be the first time Caleb has ever left the country, so he is excited about seeing a new part of the world. “More importantly,” he states, “I am excited to make an impact in the lives of children and others in Costa Rica and show them the immense love of Christ!”

Anyone who knows Caleb knows music is an integral part of his life. “I love playing music with friends or on my own,” he shares.  Caleb leads the school praise band that plays weekly in chapel. He is ready and willing to use this gift in Costa Rica as well. 

When asked what superhero power he would most enjoy, Caleb responded: super speed. “My favorite superhero has always been the Flash,” Caleb says, “so it only makes sense that I would pick super speed. I would use my speed to help mankind by delivering ice cream to everyone at lightning speed.”

Spiritually speaking, Caleb shares, “I always find it comforting to know that someone way bigger than me has a plan, and nothing anyone can do can stop it from happening. What makes that even better though, is that this someone is God and is perfect in all His ways!”

Tia Reilly is a seventh-year teacher at Xenia Christian High School. In 2009, Tia moved back to Ohio with her family after serving overseas with the mission agency ABWE.  They first worked in Paraguay, South America, and then most recently, in Costa Rica for four years.  The opportunity to return to the ministry, culture, and language of “home” is also an opportunity to encourage young people in their current spiritual walk. She also enjoys sharing with her students what life and ministry looks like outside of the United States.

Having lived there, Costa Rica is a special destination for a mission trip. Tia has also participated in missions trips to Chile, South America, and to the Dominican Republic. 

Married to Kevin Reilly, the couple has four children and two grandchildren. Tia’s other interests include reading and writing, piano and choir ministries, photography, and mindfulness. If she were to have a super power, she would like the ability to remember Bible verses that exactly fit whatever situation in which she found herself (I Peter 3:15).

This year—for now—will be the last year she teaches at Legacy Christian Academy (L).  Next year, she and Mr. Reilly will be returning to Costa Rica to the ministry in which they were involved last—a language institute for missionaries to Latin America and the Christian school there on the campus.