Since her first trip to Ecuador over 20 years ago, Amy has had a heart for cross-cultural communication. She followed God’s prompting in 2008 to begin a scholarship program for Ecuadorian university students. The University Project paired young people in Ecuador who had a dream of pursuing higher education with sponsors who had the kindness and generosity to send them to college. It was also the vehicle that brought Amy to move to Guayaquil in 2016.

In time, it was clear that those students, though all very different with different dreams and goals, had the same desires: to be loved and valued, to find acceptance, and to have a place to belong. And what began for Amy as a student sponsorship program slowly changed course and eventually became a new expression of the church—a community of people meeting together regularly, caring for one another, and eager to learn about and live for Christ.

Amy’s desire now is to help other people become aware of God’s prompting, and to coach and help them feel equipped and empowered to initiate more fresh expressions of the church in their own neighborhoods and contexts.