• Home – Winnipeg, MB
• Life now – I am currently attending CMU and living in Winnipeg,
attending the Grain of Wheat Church in Winnipeg. This past
year God has been reminding me over and over that “A man’s
heart plans his way, but the LORD determines his steps”
(Proverbs 16:9). I am learning to hold all things loosely. This
includes my long-term plans. At this point in my life the only
plans I know for sure are that I want to love and follow God and
share His love with other people. I’m not sure what shape these
plans will take but I’m open and excited to see where God will
take me as I continue to remain open to His guiding.
Luke Brodland
• Age – 18
• Home – Winkler, MB
• Life now – Last year I graduated from high school. I am
currently trying to figure out where God wants me, in the future.
I feel he wants me to go into some sort of ministry and have
been thinking of going to Bible school. I have been working at a
bakery, have started working construction and will most likely be
framing homes in spring. I enjoy playing sports with friends. I
also love reading books that make me think a lot. I was baptized
recently, after much searching for who God is. And so, I’m really
excited to learn more about God.
Carianne Neufeld
• Age – 21
• Home – Jordan Station, ON
• Life now – I am currently finishing my 3rd year at Brock
University in Ontario. I look forward to teaching French, English
and the arts to children. I have a heart for kids and youth, and I
love the idea of having my own class one day. My favourite
past-times are volleyball, gymnastics and swimming. I also love
to play the guitar and sing. I lead worship at my church and at
the camp I work at in the summer. I am passionate about
sharing Christ’s love to people, making people feel valued and
cared for. I think that is why I want to be a teacher, and why I
am interested in ACTION for this summer.
Paul Peters
• Age – 22
• Home – Gnadenthal, MB
• Life now – I am a student at CMU in the Biblical and
Theological Studies program with hopes to work in Youth
Ministry in some capacity one day. During the summer I usually
farm with my dad however for the last two years I have been
spending the months of July and early August in the DRC. I
have really grown to appreciate and love the Congolese people
and I am excited to join the team again this summer.
Phillip Unruh
• Age – 18
• Home – Valley Center, Kansas
• Life now – Our family consists of my parents and 5 boys. My
two younger brothers are 11 and 12 and my two older brothers
are 23 and 26. My home church is the 1st Mennonite Brethren
church in Wichita. I go to a small private school called Berean
Academy and I’m a senior. I am graduating this year and for the
first part of the summer I hope to work with my friend’s Dad
taking down old telephone poles. Over the past summers I’ve
worked construction and odd jobs for neighbors. I love hanging
out with my friends and making new ones. I like to hunt when I
can.
Cathy Wall
• Age – 21
• Home – Portage la Prairie, MB
• Life now – I grew up on a farm, in a Christian home with my
parents and an older sister and brother. After high school I
spent a year at Providence College in order to make my faith my
own. Currently I am at U of M and I just finished my Bachelor of
Environment, Earth and Resources in Geography. I have been
working at Winnipeg Mennonite Elementary School this past
year as an EA. I currently attend Fort Garry MB Church, teach
Sunday school and attend the College and Career. I am hoping
to get into Education in Sept. and prayerfully wait on God to
direct me for the next couple of years
Marina Doane
• Age – 24
• Home – Halifax, NS
• Life now – I graduated from Dalhousie University with a BScN
in 2007. I am currently working as a Registered Nurse at the
Children’s Hospital in Halifax on the medical/surgerical unit. I
went to the DR Congo with the ACTION team in 2007 and have
been patiently waiting for God to call me back. Galatians 2:20
“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but
Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the
Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”
Mariam Entz
• Age – 25
• Home – Winnipeg, MB
• Life now – I am a third culture kid who spent most of my
growing up years as part of a missionary family in Burkina Faso,
West Africa. I moved to Canada for post secondary education
and have just finished my Bachelor of Nursing from the U of M.
I really enjoy holistic community centered care with specific
interest in HIV and AIDS. I am excited to see what is going on
in Congo and learn more about the church and health care in
such a setting. After a few years of clinical experience, long
term I would like to work in community health development in
Rural, Northern Canada, inner city Winnipeg or in Africa.
Linda Pimentel
• Age – 26
• Home – Winnipeg, MB
• Life now – I graduated from university with my nursing degree
in October 2008. I work at a hospital in Winnipeg caring for
patients who have had surgery. I found out about MBMSI from
some friends and they told me they knew a group that was
looking for nurses to go to DR Congo this summer. I have been
thinking about long term missions for a while. I have been on
many short term mission programs, mainly to Mexico, but I have
never done any medical mission trips so I am excited to be able
to use my nursing knowledge on this trip.
Michelle van Nes
• Age – 31
• Home – Winnipeg, MB
• Life now – Winnipeg has been my home for the past 6 years.
Prior to that I've lived mostly in Saskatoon & Prince Albert, SK.
I've been a public heath nurse for the past 7 years, working in
the inner city & the suburban areas of Winnipeg & Saskatoon.
This summer I'll be completing a 2 year masters of nursing -
nurse practitioner program from the University of Manitoba. I've
chosen ACTION because I've had a longstanding interested in
volunteer nursing and the timing works out perfectly to finally
give it a try.
