Hi, I'm Hannah – I’m joyfully pursuing the call to discipleship & ministry within the global body of Christ. I am enthusiastic about living life together, united in Christ. My heart is to encourage youth and point them Christ alone – that they may go out and be a light to the world.
A ministry update is long overdue. I would like to share a brief summary of the past few months, as well as what is to come this summer.
Summary of 2025 so far…
Putting my German to good practice instructing kids at Easter Camp!
In February I participated in a 3 week intensive German course in Freiburg, Germany. God truly blessed this month, and it was a needed rest from the busy ministry at Tauernhof. I throughly enjoyed studying again, albeit for a brief few weeks. While I left more confident in my Hochdeutsch (regular German), I’m not sure how much this improves my understanding of the local dialect in Austria.
The remainder of the winter season (January-April) was a combination of various media projects in the office, running our tech for evening programs and occasionally, ski instructing. We ended the winter with family programs, which are always a personal highlight! I got to lead a group of 11 kids ages 3-8. This truly reminded me how much I love working with kids, and was a great opportunity to put my German skills to practice.
April-May has been a sweet yet short season. In summary, I ran a booth at a youth conference and published most of our promotional materials for our 2026 programs. Among other highlights were hosting family group and prepping for outreach in June. May ended with a 2-week break visiting my family in the states — praise God for this restful time to recharge before the busy summer season!
In Other Updates…
My family group from Spring Bible School
My church community has truly been a blessing! Since moving here, I’ve joined a young adult Hauskreis (small group). Through this weekly Bible study I’ve been able to get connected with some amazing local friends. And painstakingly practice the dialect of course 🙂
From August -September, I will be instructing several outdoor programs in German. Please pray for patience and stamina, as leading outside of my native language takes more mental energy.
Serbia Outreach
The SERBIA Missions Team!
From June 21 – July 5, I will be accompanying a group of 8 students on a 2-week outreach trip to Serbia. We will be connecting with the local church in Prokuplje in the south of Serbia, where we will work with Roma youth in the town and surrounding settlements. Primarily, the outreach will consist of leading kids programs, teaching English lessons and visiting locals in their homes. Please keep myself & the team in your prayers (see below for detailed prayer requests).
Prayer
The Tauernhof Full-Time Team
Please be praying for me personally. The Serbia outreach will be out of my comfort zone — specifically encountering a new culture I’m completely unfamiliar with, not to mention driving a van of students through narrow Balkan roads. Pray for confidence and renewed energy for myself throughout the trip.
Please be praying for each of our 8 students, that God would open their hearts to the culture there and we would be open to God working in unexpected ways. Pray also for wisdom and leadership for Heinz & Ute, who are leading the trip.
Pray for those we will be reaching in Serbia, specifically the Roma communities. Ultimately pray that these people would encounter Jesus in a personal way!
If you would like to support my ministry at torchbearers personally, you can donate here.
As always, your prayer and support is wholeheartedly appreciated. Thank you for taking the time to read this update!
It’s time for another life update! As many of you know, I have recently started a full time ministry role with Tauernhof Austria.
This role is multifaceted: I will be contributing toward Tauernhof’s media needs. This includes running their website, social media and marketing efforts. The goal is to spread the word about our Bible School and outdoor programs so that more people can experience God’s work in their lives here at Tauernhof! At the same time, I have the opportunity to be deeply involved in student discipleship — being present in the daily lives of the students, hosting a home group, leading sports activities and meeting 1:1 with students.
What is Tauernhof?
Bird’s eye view of our campus
Many have expressed curiosity as to what exactly I’m doing in Austria and “what” Tauernhof is.
Torchbearers’ mission is to proclaim the transforming presence of Jesus Christ through biblical teaching and practical training, equipping men and women for service in His church worldwide.
While many mission organizations focus solely on training and send missionaries “out” into the field, Torchbearers’ goal is rather discipleship minded: to equip young people with practical and personal training — that they may return and continue God’s work in their home churches.
During my past 3 years of involvement with ministries at Torchbearers, I’ve experienced God work in mighty ways. I’m looking forward to serving through their ministry and seeing how God continues to work through His people here!
As a center, Tauernhof hosts both international bible schools as well as German-speaking camps in the winter and summer. The center is located in Schladming, about 1 hr south of Salzburg.
The view of Tauernhof campus from our staff offices.
Media as an Outreach
It has always been a deep desire of mine to use my vocational skills in a ministry setting.
I am excited to be given the opportunity to use my training in graphic design and marketing to further the work of Christ in the lives of current (and future) students at Tauernhof.
Students during work day. Taking photos and engaging with students is one of my favorite parts of my role here!
My media role looks like:
Running Tauernhof’s social media accounts — I am privileged to capture the first hand the real, raw work God is doing here in the lives of the students! Part of this includes promoting our programs so that Tauernhof can continue to run at full capacity — having full programs gives Tauernhof the opportunity to impact more students and guests each year and use our facilities to the fullest. The main goal is that we can share about our center in a way that brings God the glory and allows others to experience His work here at Tauernhof.
Website: In addition to regular website updates, a big project for 2025 will be creating a new website for our center! The goal is that our guests and students can more easily access info about our center and programs.
In the winter, I will also run the tech and uploading recordings from our weekly evening lectures.
Lastly, I am responsible for coordinating other visual/media projects at tauernhof: program brochures, Bible School phamplets, student photos, newsletters, ect.
Student Discipleship
Sports Day with students – one of the weekly opportunities for student discipleship
Ministry often involves wearing many “hats”. While my main role is media-related, I also have the opportunity to be involved in student life here at Tauernhof.
This looks like:
Hosting a weekly “Family Group” (student bible study) in my home
Coordinating and leading student sport days.
Being available for 1:1s with students for discipleship & mentorship.
Living daily life with the students — engaging during meal times, coffee breaks, ect.
Giving feedback and support for students’ assignments
Spending time with students during free time for hikes, recreation, ect.
Living Accommodations
Hosting some staff in my new Flat!
Since there is not much staff accommodation on campus, I’ve moved into a small flat in Schladming (the town where our Bible School is located). I live about a 15 minute walk (or a breezy 5 minute bike) from Tauernhof.
This has turned out to be quite a blessing — having my own place allows me for the occasional retreat from a busy campus (currently buzzing with 93 students). My flat also allows me to build a healthy rhythm of sabbath rest amid my busy schedule, as well as provides a place to host family group, students, local church friends and staff throughout each month.
Raising Support
Being part of this ministry long-term means that I will have recurring expenses. These include:
Rent
Utilities (electricity, water, rubbish & snow removal in winter)
Daily living expenses (groceries, basic household items, ect)
Hospitality (that I can have the means to bless staff and students by hosting them in my home)
Visa fees (+ all those other fun government fees that come with being an expat in a new country)
Travel expenses (airfare back home for longer breaks to visit my family & supporters)
For visa reasons, I am asking that all donations be made out to Torchbearers International (in my name). These donations will in turn help Tauernhof contribute toward my salary, that my recurring living expenses can be provided for.
If you have any questions about the donation process, do not hesitate to ask. Torchbearers is a non-profit organization and all donations are tax deductible*
Prayer Requests
Monday morning prayer with students
Praise: My resident permit for Austria was approved! This means I am legally allowed to live and work in Austria for the next 24 months. Having my residence card brings tremendous peace of mind as the visa process here is quite demanding.
Prayer: Please pray as I continue my journey of figuring out all the bureaucratic stuff that comes with moving to a new country: getting my insurance card, drivers license, ect.
Prayer: For our student body. As we enter week 5 of Bible school, pray that the students would be drawn closer to the Lord and grow in a deep personal relationship with Him.
Pray for me personally as I settle into living in a new place, a new home, new community and a new language. Pray that I can keep my eyes set on God first each day. I praise God daily for the blessing of being here, but nonetheless it is a big adjustment.
If you wish to send mail, my new address is: Untere Klaus 19/5 8970 Schladming, Austria
“Gipfelkreuz”, translated literally to “Summit Cross”. Crosses are set up as monuments at the top of each summit in Austria. I love this continual reminder to look to Christ!
Personally, my biggest takeaway during Summer 2023 was that to lead well, it often means being willing to ask for help. The same goes for my relationship with Jesus and admitting my need for Him.
I’ll share a personal example of what I mean…
It was halfway though a long tour, one of the most physically exhausting hikes of the program. Before the trip started, I had gone to extreme measures to make sure my team was prepared for the trip:
Was each team member physically healthy?
Does each member have the required gear?
Most importantly, does everyone have rated sleeping bags and layers for cold temperatures?
In my extensive checking to make sure others were prepared, I had forgotten a few of my own essential items.
One of these items was my hiking poles.
Physically, I struggled on the second day. Because I had neglected to pack what I needed, I was unable to give my team members my full attention. I knew that if I had packed my poles I wouldn’t be struggling now. But inwardly, I was too stubborn to ask my team for help.
We had an instructor meeting that night, and one of the leaders shared the importance of taking care of yourself in order to better serve others. His words really struck me. Though I knew it would show weakness, I asked one of the instructors if I could borrow their poles.
Small mountain chapel outside our hut where my team did our daily debrief and prayer.
Because of the kindness of my fellow instructor — I was able to power through the rest of the trip with the poles. The peace of mind knowing I myself was taken care of allowed me to be there for other members of my team when they needed help.
This is like our relationship with Christ.
Rather than relying on our own strength to power through, we should ask for help. We should continually ADMIT our need for him.
During my Bible reading this week as I’m writing this (in February 2024), I happened to land in John 15. Coincidentally, one of my favorite passages.
In verse 5, Jesus says: “I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”
When we don’t express our need for him — we are claiming that we can do it by our own strength, apart from Christ. In reality, apart from him we can do NOTHING. A bountiful harvest is only possible because of the vine that nurtures the fruit. A fruit will not continue to grow after being plucked off the tree.
To be a good leader for my team, I needed to start at the source. If I had never approached anyone with my need for hiking poles, I wouldn’t have gotten very far.
If we never admit our sinfulness, our failures and struggles to Jesus then we are striving to live outside of his nurturing care.
Hiking to the Glacier
But, if I admit my need for Christ, the entire perspective changes. I am no longer living for myself, outside of Christ. I am living in Christ! I am not living for my own will, but Christ’s. This “oneness” is described beautifully by Jesus in John 17:23.
“The glory that you[the Father] have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.”
Admitting our need for Him starts at the moment of salvation — admitting our sin and need for a Savior. However, truly abiding in Him, and Him in us means continually admitting our need. This is not an act, but a mindset.
It is a continual laying my needs before the cross of Christ. It is a constant reliance on His strength. It is finding unconditional joy in the person of Jesus.
He who is God himself.
One of my favorite Gipfelkreuze.
Thanks for taking the time to read this. Please send me your email if you wish to receive future updates 🙂
Students during a Bible Lecture. The classroom looks different in the alps!
Hey friends. It’s been a while since I’ve posted an update on here. That being said, there is a lot to catch up on! This past summer, I had the opportunity to go back to Austria to serve for 3 months. In this post, I would love to share a bit about how God worked during this time.
Instructor Training
Upon my arrival in June, we had a week of training for the instructors. During this week I had 5 days of training in a small group of around ten instructors. This included training for leadership & spiritual mentorship, as well as first aid & leading outdoor activities. I was also blessed to visit my good friend Abby upon my initial arrival in Germany, as well as a couple other friends in Munich (Mo and Vannie). Reuniting with friends who point me to Christ truly fills my heart!
International Conference
During the week between instructor training and Upward Bound, Tauernhof hosted the Torchbearers International delegates conference.
I was blessed with a couple days to rest this week and I also got the opportunity to serve as well! I volunteered setting tables, helping in the kitchen, worship, making slides and driving shuttles. Transitioning back to the right side of the road with a manual was a bit of a learning curve at first 🙂
Reunited with Werner & Heidi!
I was reunited with Werner & Heidi (the directors from New Zealand) — this was a collision of worlds from opposite hemispheres and truly a delight.
Upward Bound
At an Alpine Hut on one of our tours. Spot my brother in the upper right 🙂
The program I helped lead is called Upward Bound.
Basically, it is a 5-week outdoor Bible School and Christian Leadership program. Unlike a traditional classroom setting, students learn though ABL: adventure based learning. The program includes team challenges and leadership activities in addition to daily solid Bible teaching and time outdoors in God’s creation.
The goal of this program is to develop the whole person in Christ — physically, mentally, and spiritually. This motto of “Body, Soul, Spirit” is based off of 1 Thessalonians 5:23, in which Paul prays:
“May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
As believers we pursue the UPWARD call of sanctification. Our growth in Jesus is an upward climb, as we seek to know Him more and grow in truth. We are Upward Bound to Christ.
We are called to steward our bodies (Romans 12:1-2l; 1 Cor 10:31), saturate our mind and soul with truth (Col 3:2, 2 Tim 2:15) and grow spiritually in our personal relationship with Him.
Evening Worship Outdoors
Returning to the program as an instructor this year was a tremendous honor and a new undertaking for me.
God put it on my heart to come back to this program and serve. It brought me so much joy to lead in this role after being led so well when I came as a student. Shout out to my incredible instructor from last year, Yotam — you are an awesome mentor, friend and continual encouragement and source of much wisdom 🙂 If it were not for Yotam’s faithful leadership, I don’t know if I would have taken the courageous step to come back and lead.
Throughout my life, having had leaders that point me to Jesus directs me to point others to Christ! Just all the more evidence that it is God himself working in us.
Looking to Christ above all, and pointing others to Him was my goal in Upward Bound. Looking back I can say that while I encountered challenges and was continually humbled in many ways, God blessed this ministry immensely. It was a much needed encouragement after a good (but very exhausting) season in New Zealand.
Though I may have had a lack of physical rest *specifically sleep — the Lord truly filled my cup each day at Upward Bound.
My team, “The Soul Surfers” [a team name creatively invented by the students]
I was blessed by a phenomenal team of students. Soul Surfers, you were an absolute light and encouragement to me this summer. I am so proud of each one of you – each of you helped lead our team exceptionally well. You brought values of honesty, humor, and maybe a little too much competition to our team 😉 As your instructor I was deeply encouraged in return 100x fold! Faith, Finn, Lukas, Wilissa, Mary, Nathan, and Kate. Thanks for the way you impacted my life this year. You guys rock!
Personally, my biggest takeaway during this season was learning that to lead well often means being willing to ask for help. The same thing goes for my relationship with Jesus and admitting my need for Him. I’ll talk more about this in a later post.
With my brother Kylan who was also part of Upward Bound as a student
Serving in the Bistro
Serving in the Bistro and Kitchen
I spent my last weeks of summer serving in the Bistro. It was nice to have a mental break from the job of instructing. It was the first time I had truly slowed my pace down since Christmas break – and the time to reflect on the last months was much needed.
Working in the house & kitchen also gave me a greater appreciation for the diligent work the house and kitchen staff do! Being it was my first time in this role, I had a lot to learn. My main job was running the bistro for guests. This included lots of cleaning, restocking items, serving drinks and lots of practice speaking German.
The summer ended with a joyful reunion with Bible School friends in Germany and Switzerland, berry picking, a couple long tours, painting sessions and camping outdoors with friends. It was a fresh breath to take in the beauty of creation and spend quality time with the people God has so immensely blessed me with!
Mikayla and I made blueberry cake!Last tour in AustriaMany painting sessionsBerry pickingBible School Reunion!
What’s Next?
On September 9th, 2023 I left Austria. With overwhelming peace, gratitude and a small amount of uncertainty, I returned home to the United States for my first long-term stay in 2 years. Little did I know what God had in store.
“What’s Next” is a question I’ve been asked continually in the months back home. While my heart would love nothing more than to go serve in full time ministry tomorrow, God is teaching me contentment and continual joy in him during this season of “in between”.
In the last months I have been living back home with family, attending my home church and nannying for two sweet little boys here in Washington. This has been a sweet season and I am enjoying the moments and lessons God is teaching me in this slower pace of life.
If you’ve made it to this point in this post, stay tuned for future updates. God has big things in store next – including a big ministry/life update which I will be sharing soon!
The Joyful Enthusiast 