Region: Costa Rica

Drew is a 2022 graduate of Concordia University, Nebraska, with majors in Christian Education Leadership, Theology, and Psychology. His family lives in central Nebraska in a small town called Tilden where his father is the pastor of the local Lutheran church and his mother teaches and stays at home with his younger siblings.

Drew has felt the desire to do mission work since he was 12. During summers in college, he looked for opportunities to do different types of ministry. In 2019, Drew worked with a mission team in Pike County, KY serving local people through construction and building relationships. There, he gained a passion for team ministry. In 2020, Drew went on a summer Director of Christian Education internship in Aiea, HI. While there, he got to learn about Hawaiian culture and gained an appreciation for understanding the Gospel in the context of other cultures.

In 2022, Drew finished his year-long Director of Christian Education internship at St. Paul Lutheran Church and School in Lakeland, FL. He learned about parish education and working with a team in an American church setting, gathering experience in teaching classes, leading youth nights, and connecting with the Lakeland community.

Near the end of 2022, he joined an immersion team on a 3-month trip to the Holy Land, spending time in Bethlehem, the West Bank, Nazareth, Jerusalem, and Tel Aviv. There he learned about the historical context of the monotheistic faiths, the meaning of conflict, and the stories of people from all kinds of walks of life.

In December of 2022, Drew joined LightHouse Transformation Ministries in Costa Rica. He joined the team as Outreach Lead and helps plan and execute the Lunch Activities in the Parrita high school. He also helps with teaching English classes at the high school and is involved in helping lead worship at Pura Vida Church. He lives in Parrita, where he is involved in Biblical Counseling training, learning how to surf, and learning Spanish.

Drew enjoys spending time with his friends and family, being outside, and playing games and sports of all kinds. He loves exploring new places and learning people’s stories. He is excited to see and be a part of God working in the local communities!

Any funds raised that exceed Mission Partner’s Total Cost of Missionary Service may be used to further support Mission Partner in missional activities, or Mission Partner may donate, after consultation with the Executive Director, any excess funds to one or more Mission Partners who are in good standing with MCN or to MCN’s General Fund. The purpose for this is that any funds raised are to support missional activities throughout the world.

Zach lives on the central Pacific coast of Costa Rica in the town of Parrita, where God has given him relationships with neighbors, teens, and other local ministries to engage in Gospel proclamation. He works with LightHouse Transformation Ministries, an organization that offers educational opportunities to teens and their communities in the Parrita area with the goal of cultivating meaningful relationships, developing leaders, facilitating social progress, and proclaiming the message of the Gospel. Zach and his ministry partners currently work on a volunteer basis in the local public high school of Parrita, where they offer English classes and other fun educational activities in addition to connecting intentionally with teens outside of school.

Zach moved down to Costa Rica in September of 2018 and spent the next five years living in the beach town of Esterillos Oeste. He served for one year as a teacher at the Seeds of Hope clubhouse in Parrita, working with youth from at-risk communities. Through education and relationships, this program sought to share the hope of the Gospel message and prevent human trafficking in these communities. Zach served in this capacity until June of 2019. Following this, Zach and his partners set to work forming LightHouse as a registered non-profit in order to continue working with youth in the community of Parrita.

Zach grew up in Dubuque, Iowa with his parents, Jon and Ruth, and older sisters, Megan and Emily. The Barz household has always been a tight-knit, Christ-centered family environment that God used to grow and strengthen Zach’s faith while developing in him a desire to share God’s love with others. His oldest sister Emily also served previously as a missionary with MCN in Asia with her husband, Jacob, and after moving back to the States she continues to serve with MCN in recruitment and resource development. Zach’s sister Megan lives with her husband, Seth, in St. Louis where she works as a social worker.

Zach graduated from Concordia Nebraska in May of 2018 with degrees in world and intercultural studies and mathematics (and minors in computer science and Spanish).  During his college years, he was presented with various opportunities to serve, learn, and grow in cross-cultural settings. Starting with the first of several trips to Guatemala, God began to develop in Zach a passion for other cultures and a heart for Latin America. Other formative experiences for him include a summer spent as a camp counselor at Camp Perkins, Idaho and a summer internship facilitating short-term mission trips in Webster Springs, West Virginia.

In his free time, Zach enjoys reading, photography, playing almost any type of sport, drinking coffee, and traveling.

Pray for Zach this year as he continues to learn and grow in service and leadership. Pray for doors to be opened, relationships to be built, the Gospel to be shared, and God to be glorified!

Any funds raised that exceed Mission Partner’s Total Cost of Missionary Service may be used to further support Mission Partner in missional activities, or Mission Partner may donate, after consultation with the Executive Director, any excess funds to one or more Mission Partners who are in good standing with MCN or to MCN’s General Fund. The purpose for this is that any funds raised are to support missional activities throughout the world.