Staff Opportunities
Are you interested in exploring missionary opportunities and/or volunteer opportunities at YWAM Oak Haven? As a pioneering location, we know God has things God has given you that we can bring to life, together! We would love to explore ways we can link arms in spreading the good news of Jesus to Northwest Arkansas and to the ends of the earth. Just send us an email to get the conversation started and we can set up a zoom call, or just come and see what God is doing at Oak Haven!
Bryan & Tara Riley
Bryan and Tara Riley joined YWAM in 2006, leaving their professions as an attorney and an occupational therapist (respectively) to work full-time in ministry and missions.
They pioneered the Family Discipleship Training School in Kona, Hawaii in 2013 and have seen that ministry expand to four YWAM bases, mobilizing 100's of families to the Nations. They returned to Northwest Arkansas to care for elderly parents in 2019, where God then led them to pioneer YWAM Oak Haven in 2021. They long to see authentic Christian community built where the body of Christ can be an answer to Jesus' prayer in John 17.
Susan Griem
In 2015 at age 56, God took Susan by surprise. He invited her to walk away from the American “normal” and join Youth with A Mission. She did her DTS in Colorado Springs and Outreach in Nepal. YWAM Oak Haven is her second assignment, and she has staffed Discipleship Training Schools, including one in Germany during the Covid-19 lockdown. She helps in all aspects of Administration, and she is an assistant to the Base Director, Bryan Riley. God has shown her the importance of being a mother figure while mentoring young people. With a “Base Mom” helping them navigate, her prayer is to help them find the freedom in forgiveness and healing, giving them a strong foundation for God to build Kingdom character. Her purpose is to help mentor and train younger generations to place God, and His Great Commission, as the top priority and motivation in their lives.
The Sanders
The Bruce and Kara Sanders have been with YWAM since April 2015. They did their DTS in Kona, HI with Esperanza and Gryphin. They were staff in Perth, Australia and had Amara Joy. Bruce helped create films for unreached people groups and Kara worked with at-risk women and youth.
They moved back to Kona in December 2018. They had their fourth child, Zoe Blossom. They also staffed Family DTS, Word Alive DTS, and assisted an African man with YWAM to launch a non-profit.
Bob & Teresa Lindsay
Bob and Teresa were in our first DTS class last Spring and went on our first Outreach- which was to Ensenada Mexico. They joined our team In September 2022 with 40 years of ministry experience in Youth for Christ and Christian Camping. They are both on our Core Leadership Team- Bob is the Operational Team Leader and Teresa is heading up Administration and Communications. They want to start Mission Adventures here on our base and help send young people to the Nations!
Cordy Hatfield
Cordy was also a student of our first DTS and went on the outreach. She was born and raised in Kentucky. She has a tough exterior but is very sweet and caring once you get to know her. She was surprised when God asked her to stay, but she has been a great help for the base. Her heart is in wanting to see God's Kingdom come, everyone know Jesus, and everyone have basic needs met, like clean water, great food, and strong families.
Carol Green
Carol was called to be a missionary at 16 and after years of preparation God released her into ministry in 1983 with Elm Springs YWAM. She did her SOE and language studies in Guatamala. During her first 14 years in YWAM Carol helped pioneer pre-schools, led many short term outreaches and worked in recruiting and training schools. At 49 she got her first ESL teaching job in NWA. She remained at Jones Elementary for 14 years while she raised her 2 wonderful children, Whitney and Cassidy. God sent her to Africa one summer and spoke once again that she was to return to fulltime missions.In this season God has asked her to focus on unreached people groups and intercession. God has specifically brought Carol to Oak Haven to be apart of fulfilling the word from God to redeem what He started at Elm Springs.
PS 52:8
Joshua Girty
Josh got his call to be a missionary when he was 15 at a summer camp in his home state of Oklahoma. First he had to finish school and then he was planning to get a engineering degree and go build wells and bridges for God in countries that needed it. However, in 2010 a sudden cardiac arrest changed his plans. With God giving him a second chance at life he did not want to waste it, so he got a computer degree and tried the working world for a time until he was in between jobs and God told him it was time to get started on that missions thing. So he talked to his pastor who put him in touch with Bryan and then he was one of the students for our second DTS with outreach in the Philippines. Now he is on staff and handles our IT needs.
Rocky J. Favia III
Rocky graduated highschool the spring of '22, and knew he needed to dedicate an extended period of time to intentionally pursue only God. Enter Oak Haven!
After six months of God being Himself (which is absolutely INCREDIBLE & AWE-INSPIRING & LIFE-CHANGING), Rocky graduated from Oak Haven's second DTS in August of '23.
He is called to be a light for Jesus in the professional areas of the Sphere of Entertainment in the future, but right now he is called to serve on staff at Oak Haven! He's absolutely chuffed to be in a college town, as his heart especially burns for his generation.
Christian Faust
Christian grew up in Siloam Springs Arkansas. He did his DTS in 2014 in New Zealand and went on outreach in the Philippines. Because of his time in YWAM he felt the call to become a nurse. After fours years as a nurse he left that position to become full-time staff with YWAM Oak Haven. It has been a culmination of years of following Jesus as a disciple that has brought him to this point and he is excited for what Jesus intends for northwest Arkansas and the nations through YWAM Oak Haven.
Victor & Kim Turpaud
In 2018, after 34 years in the business world, Victor quit a successful career with a large corporation, and together with his wife, Kim, they sold their home and decided to pursue missions. He has a passion for connecting and motivating young people to pursue missions. He and his wife, Kim, pursued training with YWAM Ships in Kona HI, and attended the School of Biblical Studies with YWAM Montana. Victor and Kim lived in a camper van full time for 14 months while they did numerous missions trips. Victor grew up as a third culture kid in South America, US and Europe, and has traveled extensively for business and missions.
Kim was a full time mom and involved in discipleship with local women. Her passion is for the whole individual and a holistic restoration to God and others. They desire to see God use them to teach young people, laborers and missionaries, how to inductively study the Scriptures and set up training centers in countries around the world.
They have three grown children and their spouses, and four awesome grandchildren.
Bruce Norris
Bruce Norris heard the call to missions in his college dorm room, and Jesus led him to YWAM for training to fulfill the Great Commission of Matthew 28:19. He served first in Elm Springs, Arkansas, as a traveling teacher for the children of the students in the training programs, then led many high school and college outreaches abroad. He and his wife Laurie ministered to American and international students at the University of Illinois while they raised their children, and now he feels like he’s come home by making Oak Haven his new home base with his wife and dog Revie. Bruce is so happy for the opportunity to serve the Lord in YWAM here, while his wife is serving alongside in another local ministry.