Site 2: South Africa

Tessa is extremely excited to be returning to Outtatown for a second year! The Outtatown life captures her passions for travel, learning, connecting deeply with people and exploring hard questions.

Although Winnipeg is Tessa’s home, she has managed to be there for only one winter in the last four years! After graduating from CMU with a degree in Conflict Resolution, Tessa spent a year in Jamaica working with Mennonite Central Committee as an instructor in Conflict Resolution and the Biblical basis for peacemaking. Tessa’s time in Jamaica challenged and strengthened her and helped her gain a deeper understanding of the relationship between suffering and faith. She has also worked with Afghani refugees in the U.S. and has been a lifeguard and youth worker with inner city youth. Prior to working with Outtatown, Tessa was a grade five teacher.

Although this is the first summer in 5 years that Aaron will not have worked at a camp, he still has a lot to be excited about.  Becoming an uncle for the first time and a large family reunion in July, multiple weddings all across the country in August, and the anticipation of starting the Outtatown program is enough to keep Aaron entertained for the summer.

An Oregon native, Aaron has spent the last couple of years in Harrisonburg, Virginia where he graduated from Eastern Mennonite University with a Degree in Camping, Recreation and Outdoor Ministries.  This past year he spent working with Big Brothers Big Sisters, a national program that works to match volunteers from the local community with children in need of a mentor.

Laura is thrilled about the opportunity to be a site leader in the South Africa program. She grew up in Ontario but left to study Social Sciences at Trinity Western University in B.C.  Passionate about people, Laura loves hearing stories and learning what it means to be a disciple of Jesus in both our immediate communities and the world as a whole.

She has worked at camp for eight summers in a variety of roles but her favourite remains being cabin leader. During her time at TWU she was actively involved in student life as a Resident Assistant, Discipleship Leader and in a ministry to the youth and the working women of Vancouver’s downtown eastside.

After many years of dreaming of going to Africa, she spent last summer in Tanzania having her heart captured by the people she was privileged to love and serve.  This past year, Laura has been working with adults who have developmental disabilities and will spend the summer visiting friends and camping.