I lived on the Caribbean island of Saint Lucia for a total of one year; six months in 2013 and six months in 2014. In 2013, I attended the Discipleship Training School (DTS) at YWAM St.Lucia, and the following year I was a staff member on the missionary base.

I was the first international student who attended the DTS in 2013, and shortly thereafter became the first international staff member. I was the communications coordinator of this brand-new base, taking on administrative and communications tasks, such as responding to email inquiries, writing and editing newsletters and press releases, and developing our social media accounts.

As this base was understaffed and underfunded, I was also the lunch cook, the nanny for the base leader’s three-year-old son, the errand runner, and the travel coordinator for short-term international teams, to name a few. I made lifelong friendships on this island and developed a range of skills that I have carried with me throughout my career.