WONDER VOYAGE - Key Persons
When Antonio was sixteen, he had an unplanned life-altering encounter with Christ while on a mission trip to NOLA. The trajectory of his life was profound. As one of the original staff, Antonio has been a guide with Wonder Voyage for over 20 years. His unique gifts in business, management, exploration, and faith exemplify his role as a Voyage Guide. He is our only staff member who has finished the whole Camino de Santiago.
Brent started his journey with Wonder Voyage while serving as a youth minister on a trip with his church. He now leads summer trips while working full time in the corporate world. As a board member and voyage guide, Brent always encourages us to seek adventure, take risks and become a part of a good story.
Brett has an extensive foundation of twenty years of youth ministry. His love for missions and pilgrimages fuels his ability to bring others on a faith journey. With an acute eye for local detail, Brett loves to serve Wonder Voyage teams with a deep dive into the places he leads. His love for the outdoors and hiking is infectious. Although he is a business owner and family man, Brett makes time to give his talents and love for the Lord in leading others on adventures around the world.
Job Titles:
- Business Administrator
- Operations Manager
Cheryl is a business administrator extraordinaire. Years of office management experience and a love for seeing a staff grow in strength has trained Cheryl for this challenging experience. If you have a question about paperwork, payments or billing give Cheryl a call. She is the wife of Wonder Voyage director, Shawn Small.
Chris first experienced Wonder Voyage on an Exposure weekend. Chris' love for adventure and laughter led him to join the Wonder Voyage community where both were abundant. He has a genuine love for young people and has been in youth leadership roles for over a decade. Chris longs to help others realize God's love for them and for all people.
Eric came to Wonder Voyage with a passion for people. He has worked with the poor, orphaned and displaced in 15+ nations. With years of pastoral, mission, and liturgical experience, Eric has been invaluable in the creation meaningful service based mission trips around the globe. A Wonder Voyage with Eric is a chance to witness unending energy, joy and spiritual passion.
After getting a taste of adventure on a Wonder Voyage trip in 2003, Georgia left her teaching and young adult leadership positions to pursue a life of servanthood on pilgrimage. She has been leading trips domestically and abroad since 2004. Her heart for "the least of these" is where she feels most connected to God's kingdom. She brings her knack for attention to detail and love for Christ to every trip.
Job Titles:
- Communications Director / Board
Jamie has been involved with Wonder Voyage since her years in youth ministry over a decade ago. Though she has led Wonder Voyage trips, her focus is serving as the Legacy Director. Jamie loves uniting Wonder Voyage supporters with opportunities to give to our service partners around the world.
Jason was one of the three brave souls to join us on our first pilgrimages to Ireland in 2000, making him the longest standing staff member of Wonder Voyage. Though Jason spearheads the huge responsibility of our web site, his greatest love is the adventure of traveling around the world and serving those who are in need. Jason's specialty is easing groups into the travel experience.
John is one of our European Voyage Guides who lives in Ireland and runs a retreat center in the south. John has been a part of Wonder Voyage from the beginning. He has years of experience in adventure trips, Irish history, and Celtic Christianity voyages. Four decades of active ministry in the Irish church allows him to both inspire and encourage the groups that travel with him. To travel with John is to know laughter, community, and communion.
Jordan first joined Wonder Voyage as a pilgrim to Ireland while he was in college. He began to intern on voyages and as a team member for our Expozure adventure camps. Jordan is a master of the great outdoors. He loves camping, hiking, and cooking over an open fire. For the last several years, as a Methodist youth minister, Jordan continued to lead Wonder Voyages. We love to put him in the mountains and thick woods. He is our mountain man.
Ken brings his 25+ years of business and pastoral experience to the Wonder Voyage team. His passion is missions, leadership development, and team-based ministry. He serves to steward the dreams of individuals and organizations. Ken is both a Voyage Guide and a long-standing board member.
A passion for exploration of both the world and her faith brought Laurel to Wonder Voyage. She is an Episcopal Priest who serves as Rector at St. Dunstan's Episcopal Church in Carmel, California. Laurel is a Certified Spiritual Director and feeds connects to the Holy in nature and music, through travel and in shared laughter with family and friends.
Mary Ann became acquainted with Wonder Voyage when she served at a church that has worked with us for years. After planning trips with WV for over a decade, we finally convinced her to come to join as a Voyage Guide. With sixteen years of youth ministry experience and her position at a large missions organization, Mary Ann is well suited as a guide. She is known for her keen insight and ability to hear the hearts of those she leads on her voyages. When you go on a voyage with Mary Ann, you return with a friend.
Job Titles:
- Boundless Expeditions Director / Board
For the past 30 years, Michael has practiced dermatology outside of Philadelphia. He has been leading Wonder Voyages for over a decade. His adventures have taken him on medical missions to remote areas of the world and his passion for climbing has taken him to mountains on 5 continents. His mission as a guide is to immerse his teams in local culture and to avoid the beaten path at all costs.
As a youth pastor, Michael embarked on one of our first voyages. Since that trip, he went on to join our staff and eventually became a Board Member. Michael serves as a full time pastor in East Texas. He desires for every location to come alive and for every pilgrim to encounter God.
Mike had just graduated high school when he embarked on his first pilgrimage with Wonder Voyage. Though it took five years to reconnect with Shawn, Mike remembered his encounter with God in Ireland and wanted others to have the same experience. This has given Mike a special perspective on leading trips, which he does with flair. He served on our board for years and remains integral to our organizational development.
Miguel is one of our European Guides who lives in Madrid, Spain. Miguel, originally from Mexico, has given his life to serving European churches. He is a mentor both in business and ministry to hundreds of young leaders. Living in Spain has provided him with the opportunity to walk the Camino many times. He's our go-to expert on the Camino. Though he has a busy life, Miguel makes time to lead trips for Wonder Voyage. You'll love his laugh.
After graduating with a dual degree in History and Sociology, Molly became a youth minister in the Episcopal Church. She joined the staff of WV in 2003. As Voyage Coordinator, she adds the nuts and bolts to our itineraries. She is dedicated to bringing the gospel to life through pilgrimage. As an encounter expert, Molly can find the story of God anywhere and everywhere.
Job Titles:
- Staff Development Director / Voyage Guide
Shane's passion for pilgrimage and travel ignited after a Wonder Voyage to Ireland in 2003. While keeping his corporate schedule, he leads trips during his spare time. Shane's gift is introducing his teams to the local culture through unique experiences.
After a decade working in parish youth and mission ministry, Shawn started Wonder Voyage. Since 2000, Wonder Voyage has led thousands of pilgrims to over forty countries. Shawn is a storyteller, an award-winning filmmaker, and an author who brings the gift of engaging narrative to our journeys. Shawn is dedicated to creating voyages that give people abundant opportunities to encounter God's gifts of wonder.
After a brief career teaching high school math, Susan served in a local parish as Coordinator of Children's & Youth Ministries for over 20 years. Susan became a Wonder Voyage guide because she loves traveling and experiencing the wonder that the youth experience when exploring new locations. Her gift is the ability to explore faith development with young people, especially on pilgrimages and mission trips.