Winston-Salem Fellows

The Winston-Salem Fellows class of 2025–2026 has officially graduated! We had a wonderful end to the year celebrating all that this class and our year together.  As we close out another incredible year, be sure to check out an update on the Fellows class of 2023–2024 below. We’re excited to share what they’ve been doing since graduation and how they continue to make an impact in Winston-Salem and beyond. Happy Birthday, William! William’s birthday is actually in August, but summer birthdays are always a surprise celebration around here. Although, since we celebrated at the last Round Table, I’m not sure it was much of a surprise after all.  For the guy who can’t have peanuts and doesn’t like most chocolate, birthday cake ice cream saved the day!   Leader Lunch Our last Leader Lunch of the year was with Charlie Barham at Cassia Capital. While Charlie has an  impressive résumé, much of our conversation centered on his passion for Jesus and his leadership with Bible Stu...

  We kicked off the month with an Easter lunch celebration with alumni who were in town, but apparently had such a great time that we forgot to take any pictures. It’s been a great month, and it’s hard to believe we’re about to graduate our tenth class of Fellows. Last month, I forgot to include an update on the seventh class, so be sure to check that out at the bottom. A visit from Ecuador  We were so grateful to have our friend John visit us on his most recent trip back to the States. John is originally from Winston-Salem and is childhood friends with a former board member, one of the connections that first brought us together four years ago. He and his wife, Caroline, have been serving as missionaries in Ecuador for the past five years or so. It was a beautiful spring evening, and we invited all alumni in town who have traveled to Ecuador with us. Such a sweet night!  Happy Birthday, Ellen!  Ellen’s birthday is actually in July, but during the Fellows year, we mak...

Ecuador Update: Part 3 We left Ecuador over a month ago, and as I have been distracted by the return of my normal routines, I am looking forward to reflecting on my experience in Ecuador. For 1 week, I was gifted with a clear vision of who God is and who he calls me to be. Our last day was a final sprint and final deep breath. Some of us began the morning at 4:45 am embarking on the perimeter hike. It was dark, wet, itchy, and for me at least, painful. Watching the sunrise while standing above the clouds and getting to spend time talking to John and Hef while simultaneously trying not to slip and fall off the mountain was exhilarating and delightful. After a breakfast of champions, we were introduced to the grounds crew and split up into groups to help with trail maintenance and construction. I don’t know why anyone trusted me with a machete, but I spent the morning with Steve hacking away at the brush and trying to not kill anybody. Sweaty and tired, we were rejuvenated by lunch and b...

Ecuador Update: Part 2 Our next two days were filled with exposure to many different ministries connected with Education Equals Hope. On Monday morning, we headed to Reypin Habilitareh, a therapy center for kids and young adults with developmental disabilities. Visits to Reypin have been a highlight for many fellows in the past few years, and we were excited to meet the kids and Martha, the driving force of the organization. We received a tour of the classrooms and learned more about Martha’s mission to create a safe and loving environment where students can learn and grow. After talking with Martha, we paired up with the kids and walked to a play area up the street to enjoy some games and dancing in the sunshine. The Reypin staff members prepared activities for the kids and provided endless energy and patience. We enjoyed hearing the laughter of the kids and reflecting the smiles on their faces as we danced to Daddy Yankee songs that are still stuck in our heads. Back at the Youth Wor...

  Ecuador Update- Part 1 Watch Ellen’s video here! Our trip began on February 26. After a long, long day of travel, we arrived in Quito very late on and were greeted with smiles and fresh empanadas by our hosts! On Friday, Jorjito, Jose, and Dianny led us in orientation where we got thinking about our purpose and intentions as missionaries and learned more about Ecuador. Afterwards, we ventured around Quito Old Town where we took turns carrying a massive jug of water, learned about history, and got a glimpse of everyday life in the city. From the subway to the streets, we traveled as locals do and reflected on the cultural differences we noticed. Throughout the day, we were stunned by ornate churches, including the Basilica del Voto Nacional and the Quito Metropolitan Cathedral, and delicious food, like Bolon and fresh juice at lunch! Later, we returned to our hostel where we had an empanada cooking class from a staff member’s mother!   We spent Saturday morning on the bus an...

  We kicked off the month in Ecuador, a trip we’re still processing and can’t wait to share more about. It deserves a post or maybe two all on its own, so stay tuned for that. Above is a photo of our full team finally reunited! And yes, we know the cookie cake raises some questions, we promise we will explain that in a future post too. Once we returned from Ecuador, we settled back into our usual Fellows schedule, finding our rhythm again while making room for a bit of fun along the way. Leader Lunch Our first Leader Lunch after returning from Ecuador was with Phillip Summers at Purple Crow. Phillip has actually spent time living in Ecuador himself, so it was especially fun to swap stories and reflect on shared experiences. We were also joined by Amy Carlan, one of the pastors at First Pres, who shared with us about her doctoral work along with other insights from her ministry. We also had the chance to reconnect with David Speakman, who rescheduled his final class with us on the N...