In 2013, Sarah Hilkemann left the cornfields of Nebraska for the rice fields of Cambodia, where she made her home in big cities and little villages. In 2018, sensing the Father’s push back to the US, Sarah transitioned into her role with Velvet Ashes as the Program Director. She is grateful to be close to family again while missing her home on the other side of the world.
Shaped by her time as a wife, mother, and ministry leader in South Sudan, Denise Beck now allows those experiences to guide her in her role as Executive Director of Velvet Ashes. Bringing hope and courage to women as they serve cross-culturally is a role she feels honored to pursue whether through her leadership at Velvet Ashes or alongside her husband as he cares for global workers as the Executive Director of Barnabas International. She and her husband happily serve together from a small village in Southern Wisconsin.
<a href=”https://velvetashes.com/author/deniseb” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”><strong>Posts by Denise</strong></a>
Danielle Wheeler sat on her porch one day and had a dream breathed into her heart, a dream of global women linking virtual arms to find connection and courage for their cross-cultural lives. As Velvet Ashes’ founder, she loves watching this dream grow beyond what she ever imagined. Mother to four, she and her husband ride the waves of life and culture, leaning into the One who leads. She serves as Velvet Ashes’ director of spiritual formation, creating retreats and spiritual practices that offer space for the tending of God. She also offers one-on-one spiritual direction at https://www.olivedirection.com/.
Ashley comes from a small town in Missouri and now lives in a city of millions in northeastern China. She first fell in love with other cultures while spending time in Nigeria. She never dreamed of coming to the Far East, but has now fallen in love with those around her, finally beginning to see through the Father’s eyes that all people are beautiful and need His love. She has two young boys that keep her laughing and an innovative, encouraging husband that keeps her going. In her dubious amounts of free time, she enjoys reading a good novel (with a cup of chai tea in hand, of course), connecting with others, making lattes, trying new recipes, crafty projects, and perusing for more recipes and crafts.
Posts by Ashley// Website // Pinterest //Instagram //
Elizabeth leads the cross-cultural website A Life Overseas and is the co-author of Serving Well: Help for the Wannabe, Newbie, or Weary Cross-cultural Christian Worker. After a military childhood, a teenaged Elizabeth crash landed onto American civilian life. When she married her high school sweetheart, her life plan was to be a chemical engineer while he practiced law. Instead, they both fell headlong into youth ministry and spent the next ten years serving the local church. When her husband later decided he wanted to move overseas, Elizabeth didn’t want to join him. Now, after eight years of life in Cambodia with him and their four children, it’s hard to imagine living any other way.
Bayta has spent most of her adult life overseas – 15 years in the UK with shorter stints in France and Russia. After several years back in her “passport country” of Germany (albeit in the very international city of Berlin), this past year she embarked on a new adventure and moved to Copenhagen, Denmark. A fresh start, in a new culture, learning a new language and a new ministry – life is certainly never dull! Being involved in equipping and coaching people as they serve cross-culturally is what she is most passionate about, along with building relationships with locals and expats from around the world who also call Copenhagen home.
&amp;lt;a href=”https://velvetashes.com/author/baytas”&amp;gt;Posts by Bayta &amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;
Rachel can often be found reading, drinking coffee, or lying on a beach – or all three! She’s an American married to a Kenyan. They and their two sons live, worship, work, learn, and play in Kenya. Rachel shares bits of their lives on her blog and Instagram.
Spring is a closet writer who enjoys blogging and reading to the light of her kindle. She is a mom of 4 children whom she homeschools. They serve Deaf and live in Belize. Spring is struggling through the process of learning her third language: ASL.
<span class=”il”>Cosette</span>’s life changed when she was called to teach English in Central China, shortly after graduating from college in 2013. What was supposed to have been a one-year stint turned into a 6+ year journey. She’s gone from teaching college to second grade to now teaching high schoolers in Eastern China. When she isn’t busy teaching and keeping up with lesson planning, she enjoys cooking, reading, and trying out new and delicious places to eat at. You can follow along with some of her adventures on her <a href=”https://www.instagram.com/cosettie_91/” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”><strong>Instagram</strong></a> account.
I am a currently serving in Africa. I teach primary school (K, 1 and 2 this year). I am originally from California and am always craving the beach and Mexican food.
I, along with my husband and two sweet kiddos, have the privilege of serving in the tiny island country of St Kitts & Nevis. We lead Celebrate Recovery ministries at our local church, in the prison, and with the juvenile detention center. In addition to CR, we get the opportunity to pour into the lives of veterinary and medical students who have come to the island for school.
Maria has a blue passport (USA) but is currently living under a different red, white, and blue flag in Thailand’s deep South. She works as an English teacher at a local university and is helping to launch a small English Center. Maria is single but has nine nieces and nephews who she likes to brag on. She loves deep conversations, trying new things, being active, cooking, and is a bit of a fanatic when it comes to baseball. Follow her on IG @howdymaria or read where she once blogged (and really wants to do so again) at marmaladejar.wordpress.com
In 2015, Monica was introduced to the Velvet Ashes community, where she experienced nourishment and meaningful soul care during a sabbatical. After serving in Africa and Asia for 17 years, Monica and her family are now settled down in the Pacific Northwest. She is a community health nursing instructor at Seattle Pacific University, and works with under-served communities in the greater Seattle area. She also continues to serve as a health consultant and adviser for several overseas agencies. Monica is passionate about promoting transparency and acceptance within the community of women serving overseas. Monica loves to hike, swim, teach nursing students, and write about her life in far off places. She considers doing life with her husband of 23 years and three awesome children the greatest adventure of all!
Kate grew up immersed in the British church, drinking copious amounts of tea and avoiding the quiche. After a stint in kids ministry she went to Serbia as a career pause but fell in love with a local. Her placement city doubles as her husbands childhood home, so it’s unsurprising she has a real heart for those who straddle the called to a place and the immigrant wife. Her main ministry is in writing kidmin material that is suitable for translation and building imaginary worlds with her young son.
<a href=”http://www.Jesus-Without-Language.net” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”><strong>Website</strong></a>
I am an author dwelling in Iceland with my Viking husband and four feisty children. After years of working with youth and women in a church setting, I am learning how to embrace what God unfolds in the land of fire and ice. You can follow along on Instagram and Milk and Honey Women.
Jenilee is a certified professional life coach, a certified autism coach and an ordained minister, with over 20 years in career ministry. Serving in stateside churches and overseas missions, Jenilee brings lived experience, problem solving skills, compassionate support and creativity into each coaching session. Jenilee asks the hard questions while listening, guiding and coaching clients in their unique life situation. With many in her immediate family on the autism spectrum, Jenilee has a special place in her heart for moms of kids on the spectrum and for wives going through the difficulties of spectrum marriage. Even more specifically, a passion for these women who are also in full time ministry or missions. There are very few places to share the full story. In coaching with Jenilee, you can share every single page of the story. For fun, Jenilee loves reading, writing, coffee, going for walks, and watching history documentaries. You can connect with Jenilee daily on Instagram @jenileerachel or through her website, jenileerachel.com.
Shaped by her time as a wife, mother, and ministry leader in South Sudan, Denise Beck now allows those experiences to guide her in her role as Executive Director of Velvet Ashes. Bringing hope and courage to women as they serve cross-culturally is a role she feels honored to pursue whether through her leadership at Velvet Ashes or alongside her husband as he cares for global workers as the Executive Director of Barnabas International. She and her husband happily serve together from a small village in Southern Wisconsin.
<a href=”https://velvetashes.com/author/deniseb” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”><strong>Posts by Denise</strong></a>
I am an author dwelling in Iceland with my Viking husband and four feisty children. After years of working with youth and women in a church setting, I am learning how to embrace what God unfolds in the land of fire and ice. You can follow along on Instagram or Milk and Honey Women.
Living and working in Asia for 23 years profoundly shaped Carol as a wife, mother, friend, teacher and professional counselor. Knowing God and being known by him sustained her through joyous, beautiful moments and valleys of deep loss and grief in cross-cultural ministry. Carol was privileged to raise four amazing daughters overseas and watch them grow as they embraced their identity as TCKs. Carol and her husband welcomed four wonderful sons-in-law to the family as well as eight grandchildren. Life has come full circle for her, as they now have a daughter and her family working in Asia. As empty-nesters, Carol and her husband have a goal of playing disc golf in all 50 states of the US along with investing in grandchildren. Carol currently works full-time as a licensed therapist and is involved in the mobilization team and teaching ministry in her local church. Carol’s passion is to help others flourish in this broken world.
<p style=”font-weight: 400″>Dr. D’Arcy Dretke Maher currently serves with an educational ministry in Surabaya, Indonesia. After 15 years as a director with an international educational association in the US, the Father surprisingly opened a door for D’Arcy and her husband to serve in Indonesia. Approaching middle-age seemed an odd time for such a significant life change, and yet it was entirely purposed. Living within a culture opens one’s heart to new opportunities to love and appreciate the beauty of diverse cultures…and more. Every past experience of pastoral ministry, classroom practice, travel, and acculturation research has not been wasted; rather, it has been put to good use. Both D’Arcy and her husband continue to expand their thesis research and share on research themes. Most of all, they enjoy sharing life with their multi-national small group.</p>
Amy Young wants to help people find the sweet spot between burn out and rust out with ongoing personal and professional development. Founder of Global Trellis, co-founder of Velvet Ashes, she personally blogs at Messy Middle, and is the author of four books (Looming Transitions, Love, Amy, Enjoying Newsletters, and Getting Started. You too can live in your sweet spot.
Posts by Amy // Website // Pinterest //Twitter // Instagram // Facebook
Karen Huber is a Kansas girl living with her husband and three children in Dublin, Ireland where they serve through the local church and creative communities. When she’s not at home with her kiddos, she’s out drinking coffee with friends, writing in libraries, and laughing louder than is culturally appropriate. You can find Karen’s thoughts on motherhood, marriage, culture and faith at karenohuber.com.
Posts by Karen // Website // Twitter // Instagram
