About Us

We will be working on education-projects with Burkina Faso Outreach (BFO) and Serving in Missions (SIM). Throughout the three weeks in January, we will be offering resources and  professional development for elementary school teachers in the village of Yako. Some of our goals include sharing strategies for improving spelling/writing proficiency, developing strategies for students with learning disabilities, and observing in classrooms to help determine other needs.

Here is a link for the other team we will be traveling with:  Messiah College Biodiesel


Our Team:

Sarah Gilmartin

Hello! I am Sarah and a junior Education major in Elementary Ed. and Special Ed. I am from Schwenksville, PA. Through this trip, I am fulfilling a life goal of going to Africa. I am excited for the experience because I know that God has a plan behind my deep desire to go to Africa with a purpose. Thanks for all the support.

Emily Deines

Hey! I'm Emily, a junior education major (prek-4 and special education) at Messiah College. My hometown is nearby in Ephrata, PA, but I love to travel and can't wait to see what life looks like a few thousand miles away! I've traveled North (to the distant land of Canada), South (Costa Rica!), and around the US, but this will be my first time crossing the ocean. I love kids and new cultures, so I'm excited to see what God has in store for our trip. Thank you so much to everyone for your support!
Bon Voyage!

 Bekah Curtis

Hey world! I'm Bekah Curtis, also known as the crazy girl who decided to major in Mathematics! I am a Sophomore at Messiah College and a hope to be high school mathematics teacher. I have jumped out of a plane and survived Calculus III, so life has been an adventure! I have a wonderfully family at home and at school and am so thankful for all their support! I am so grateful to serve God and others in Burkina Faso! Travel on!

Matt Phillippy

Howdy, my name is Matthew Clair Phillippy.  Please call me Matt, however.  I bet you are just dying to know more about me, so here's a quick glance at my life.  My dad is a professor of Math at Messiah College, and I can count as high as 4.  My whole family is athletic and I once scored a goal in peewee soccer.  All jokes aside, I'm an Athletic Training major and I can't wait to see how God will use my team and myself! If you made it this far, thanks for showing interest in my life!  God Bless.

Angela Hare



Doug Phillippy