Casas por Cristo : blog: Missionary Spotlight | Wayland Dietrich

Monday, September 5, 2016

Missionary Spotlight | Wayland Dietrich | September 5, 2016

Missionary Spotlight

Wayland Dietrich

Meet Wayland Dietrich, missionary with Casas por Cristo. Wayland came on staff March 1, 2016 as a Guatemala Field Coordinator after serving with us for two summer internships. On top of leading teams through the home building process, Wayland also has several different responsibilities in Guatemala. First, he coordinates with different teams to ensure they have a great mission trip experience. In the spring, he works alongside the other Guatemala missionaries to scout every site that will be built during the summer. Also, from time to time he represents Casas por Cristo at conferences where he can share about the ministry. Lastly, this summer he has had the opportunity to manage the interns in Guatemala.

INTERVIEW WITH WAYLAND

1. Tell a little bit about yourself and where you're from.

I grew up in a very small town in southern Indiana called Lexington. We were a farming family raising mostly beef cows. After high school I went to a small college in New Albany, Indiana. I left in 2013 to pursue my dream of overseas missions.

2. What made you choose to serve at Casas por Cristo?

I discovered Casas por Cristo through Northside Christian Church. I had been to Northside a few times during college and knew that they had a very active missions program. When I decided to follow my call to mission work, Northside was the first place I started to look. Coincidentally, they were preparing for a mission trip to Guatemala at that time. The words "construction" and "Guatemala" stood out to me, and I knew this was something I wanted to pursue, especially since I had grown up doing construction work and wanted to put my knowledge and skills to use.

3. How have you seen God through your ministry at Casas por Cristo?

First, I have seen God through the people that come down to serve. I can see how God changes the perspective of their lives. It's hard to complain about not having the newest iPhone when you just built a house for a family living on a dirt floor.

Second, I have seen God through the families we serve. It is difficult for them just to maintain what they have. Yet, their faith is so strong. They work very hard while they wait patiently for God to provide. Whenever we build a home for a family I can see how their faith grows exponentially.

4. What has been your biggest challenge so far?

This summer, managing the interns has been a challenge. Being responsible for myself and my teams is hard enough. Add four more interns and up to four more teams on top of that, and it gets overwhelming sometimes. Being somewhat fresh out of the intern program myself and knowing what they are experiencing has helped me to be there for them.

5. What are some things people should be praying for on your behalf?

Pray that God would continue to unfold His plan for my life. Ever since I began listening, I can see significant progress. Pray that I keep the ability to recognize where He is leading me.