WERNER FAMILY UPDATE • MAY 2026

THE TEAM IS GROWING!

During missionary training this month, God surprised us with exciting news—the Werner team is growing! We are expecting another little teammate to join us as we continue preparing for ministry in The Gambia.

As we prayed through what this means for our family and ministry, we sensed the Lord leading us to adjust our timeline. Rather than returning to The Gambia full-time this August, we believe this season is an opportunity for additional preparation, training, and team building as we look toward Spring 2027.

In August we plan to relocate near Missionary Ventures in Florida, connect with a missions-focused church, and continue building a team of missionaries who can one day serve alongside us in The Gambia.

A SEASON OF PREPARATION

God is using this season to deepen our training, strengthen our family, and help us develop the partnerships and team needed for long-term ministry. We may also have opportunities to serve in administrative and support roles through Missionary Ventures while continuing to prepare for the field.

GOD IS STILL MOVING IN THE GAMBIA

We remain connected to Agape School, encourage local believers, support agricultural projects, and work with partners sharing the JESUS Film in villages throughout the country.

REACHING EVERY VILLAGE

We are developing a nationwide ministry mapping system to help churches and missionaries understand which villages are being reached, where ministry already exists, and where opportunities remain. Long-term, we hope this tool will help ministries work together more effectively across The Gambia.

LOOKING AHEAD

We are also excited about the YWAM DTS school being established in The Gambia. Our prayer is that Gambian believers will be trained, equipped, and sent to reach their own nation and beyond.

HOW YOU CAN PRAY

• Housing near Missionary Ventures in Florida

• Additional monthly ministry partners

• Healthy pregnancy and baby

• Wisdom as we visit churches and explore housing opportunities

• YWAM DTS school and future students

• Opportunities for Gambian friends to attend training

• New ministry partnerships in The Gambia

• Strength to finish this season in Juniata County well

They say April showers bring May flowers. And boy, at the beginning of the month, we would’ve thought we were watering an entire field of flowers. Rushing home to tend to Brandon’s dad’s services, postponing our cross cultural training, and having our housing situation potentially in the air, it seemed like the plan was overcome with weeds. But God is gracious, and we are thankful to be walking in the flowering field, now, surrounded by the colors of the Master Painter.

April, though its start was uncertain and gloomy, brought a solid prayer team for us as we found quickly the people God had in our lives for this specific purpose. The hardships while walking through grief truly did illuminate those whom God is using to support us through intercession. The prayers offered are now being seen as tangible fruit.

Brandon’s dad’s services went well, his life was honored, his struggles used as a launching point for freedom to many. Celebration and mourning mingled down, but our God brought beauty in a day that was orchestrated so beautifully. The Christian Retreat Center has been so gracious in accommodating our family, so we have housing squared away and have officially moved there until we depart for ministry. May 2nd we arrived at CIT training. Though we are still often reminded of the storms, we are seeing clearly the Light and look forward to tending the blooms that have come from the rain.

Praises

- We are praising God for truthful, honest delivery of the Gospel in light of struggle at Matt’s funeral services.

- We have a comfortable place to call home until we leave for the field, thanks to CRC

- We found upon starting training that the last cohort was canceled due to low numbers after we and another family couldn’t make it, but this session has about 15-20 children with the oldest being 9! - Ezra had been praying for friends, and he got a playground full of them! :)

- We are thankful for the support raised to be at CIT and to be equipped for the work in the Gambia!

Prayer Requests

- Pray we would see God clearly and that He would reveal the ways in which we can best serve Him

- Pray for fruitful relationships that will last and sustain us in hard times while here at training

- Pray for our children as the constant change has been difficult to navigate

This month has been a whirlwind.

As we seek to follow Christ and trust Him day by day, we make plans—but sometimes those plans change. This month, we were supposed to be in training. Just two days before leaving, we received the call that my dad had passed away.

In that moment, we wrestled deeply. How literally do we take Jesus’ words to “let the dead bury the dead”? Do we press forward with training, or do we go home?

We chose to come home—and we truly believe that was the right decision.

With loss comes many responsibilities, especially when much of it falls on you and your sibling. The past couple of weeks have taken us through deep valleys. Yet even in that, we have seen the hand of God. He brought us home not just to mourn, but for a different kind of training.

There has been real spiritual warfare as certain things came to light after my dad’s passing. But in the middle of it, God has been faithful. He has surrounded us with 5–6 committed prayer partners—people who will stand with us, not only now, but also as we step onto the field in the future.

We are deeply thankful for His grace, His love, and His mercy. No matter how broken things may seem, He meets us right there.

“The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.” — Psalm 34:18

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Over the next few weeks, life will remain full.

We are currently packing to move into a home at a Christian camp. This is such a gift from God, and we’ll be able to stay there until August.

On May 2nd, we will head to North Carolina for a month of training. Then, sometime in June, I (Brandon) hope to travel to The Gambia to prepare our living space so everything is ready for our family’s arrival in August.

Through every storm, God has proven Himself faithful. He is present. He is guiding us. And He is preparing the way ahead.

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Prayer Requests

• Peace and strength as we continue to process loss

• Protection and endurance through spiritual warfare

• Fruitful training in North Carolina

• Smooth transitions with travel and moving

• Continued provision and support

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We are grateful for each of you—for your prayers, encouragement, and partnership in what God is doing.

On March 19th I was notified that we lost our first monthly supporter and prayer partner. While away in Tennessee and preparing to go to training two days later, I got a phone call no one wants to get.

“Brandon, your Dad has passed away. I’m sorry to have to call and tell you this.”

Sometimes life throws curveballs. One minute you feel like you’re right on path with God’s will, and the next something happens that changes your course for a period of time.

We wrestled with how seriously to take Jesus’ words, “let the dead bury the dead… follow Me.” After prayer and counsel, we felt it was right to drive home—to be with family, help walk through decisions, and plan services.

God opened the door for a training in May to keep us on track for an August return. This month will just look very different for us.

Would you pray for us as we navigate this season of life? Pray for me as I process the loss of my dad. Pray that we would grow closer to Christ through this, and that we would walk forward in wisdom as we prepare for what’s ahead. Pray for other family members.

We’re never guaranteed tomorrow.

Goodmorning friends! We wanted to send a small update on life and what God is doing.

The past couple of months have been very busy as we continue preparing for our move to The Gambia. If you are reading this, we want to sincerely thank you for supporting us on the journey God has called our family to.

At the end of January, Brandon returned to The Gambia for two weeks. The goals for the trip were to purchase a vehicle from another missionary, reconnect with friends, and build relationships with new partners.

In West Africa, sometimes things go exactly as planned—but many times they don't. Even when plans change, we try to stay focused on the bigger purpose of the work God has called us to. On this trip, because of many of you and how God has moved in the hearts of supporters, Brandon was able to purchase the vehicle, reconnect with friends and ministry partners, and begin building several new relationships that we believe will last for years to come.

In the coming months, you will hear more about the Agape School and the NGO Friendly Hands. This school currently serves 136 children and includes grades Kindergarten through 5th grade, with plans to add a grade each year as the Lord provides. We will be partnering alongside the NGO in whatever ways God opens the door. While the exact details are still developing, we are very thankful for this connection.

The school is located about 40 minutes from the house we are building. When we return to The Gambia in August, we currently plan to live on the school property for a period of time while our house is being completed. During this time, Brandon will help oversee several building projects, and we will also continue ministry work in the village of Mamuda.

At the end of February, we began the big task of packing our bags, totes, and our minivan. We have spent many days sorting through our belongings and selling many things we will no longer need as we prepare for this transition.

On February 22nd, we left for Florida and will not return home until April 18th. During this time we have already met with a group in Palm City to share about the work in The Gambia, along with several other meetings and opportunities to share along the way.

Whenever Makenzie and I find a moment to breathe between traveling, meetings, and parenting, we are spending time strategically planning, praying, and talking about the next steps.

As of the time of writing this update, we have already stayed in three hotels, one Airbnb, and a camper for four nights with Brandon's grandparents. Next, we will spend a couple of nights with another family while visiting headquarters, then travel to Tennessee, where Brandon's family has planned a week-long vacation together. After that, we will head to North Carolina for one month of training.

Through all of this movement and preparation, we continue to see God's hand guiding the process.

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Praises

• Our training is fully funded

• God is bringing new connections and relationships

• Our minivan continues to run well through all the travel

• Ongoing Bible conversations with friends in The Gambia through WhatsApp

• God continues to open doors in ways we never could have imagined

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Prayer Requests

• Rest and good sleep for our family. Traveling with little ones has made consistent sleep difficult.

• That our upcoming training would connect deeply, equipping us well for the work ahead.

• We are still trusting God provides monthly partners and some more one time gifts to finish purchasing the things we need to live in the Gambia.

Check out our website Aroundtheworldwiththewerners.com for more information and to follow along this journey.

As we round out the end of the year, we just want to thank everyone who has been with us along the way. We are grateful for every prayer, dollar, and word of encouragement given over the last few months as we began our preparation into full time ministry in the Gambia. This month has been full of God's grace and mercy, and we have felt His presence in the midst of trial.

Looking back over the past year, we have seen the hand of God graciously leading us. From the humility to step away from American comforts we found in our home, our jobs, and our community to the family and support we found in Missionary Ventures, we see His faithfulness in illuminating the next steps. Our trip in July was fruitful, our ministry focus was made clear, and we now have the confidence moving forward that we are walking in His will for us there. We look forward to teaching and discipling the Fulani people, sharing knowledge of practical life skills through food preservation and business principles, and allowing our kids to be a part of the spiritual formation of the youth. In the upcoming months, to prepare us for these tasks, we hope to be taking online Bible courses, attend a month long cross-cultural training, and continue down avenues that grow us stronger as a family and as believers. We covet your prayers in all of this.

How can you be a part of our lives and ministry going into the New Year? That is a great question, and we are praying earnestly for the right people to come alongside in this fundraising/preparatory season. We know now more than ever the importance of a strong support system, and we hope to connect with you in the upcoming months through these various needs.

- Prayer - we have seen the battlefield we are walking into, we have felt the isolation, we have seen the power of prayer. We hope to have a strong base of people who are committed to pray once daily, weekly, or monthly on our team. Check our website for opportunities to sign up and let us know you are praying.

- Discipleship - as we walk into a place where there is little Christian fellowship, we are hoping to have several men, women, couples or families step into our circle. We feel called to teach the Bible in a Muslim village, so be praying if you could be someone to teach us, disciple us in ways of more formal Bible study, conflict resolution, or family dynamics. We are hoping for at least one man to work with Brandon, and a couple or family to walk alongside us all.

- Finances - our ministry is new and in a lot of ways being built from the ground up. We are partnering with Missionary Ventures to finish our house build, gain monthly funding, and to cover travel/vehicle/first time outfit and passage expenses. See below for exact numbers and ways to give.

- Engagement - if you or someone you know would be willing to hear more whether that is a one on one meeting, a small group visit, or even an opportunity to speak at your church, please reach out (or expect to hear from us, as well).

Thank you again for being part of the ministry God has for us. We look forward to telling you more as we prepare to GO. Please see below for direct prayer and giving links. We pray you have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

In Christ,

The Werner Family

Since returning home from The Gambia, life has been fuller and more demanding than we expected. In many ways, we've been busier now than we ever were before we left — but this season is different. It's stretching us mentally and spiritually, yet it's been incredibly good and purposeful.

A Season of Deep Healing & Surrender

Makenzie and I have been working through layers of past and present hurts, allowing the Holy Spirit to shine light into the deep places. We've been tackling things we never wanted to face, but we're doing it in the mighty name of Jesus — trusting Him for complete healing, restoration, and freedom.

This process has been exhausting, sanctifying, and so full of God's grace.

Relationships Restored & New Ones Forming

God has opened the door for us to build relationships with people we've never known before, while also giving us opportunities to rebuild old ones that had been lost or damaged. We've clearly seen His hand in bringing the right people into our lives at the right time.

Partnership & Ministry Development

We officially signed on with Missionary Ventures, and we truly believe they will be incredible partners as we begin long-term ministry in The Gambia.

In this season, we're actively:

• Meeting with people one-on-one

• Sharing our vision for The Gambia

• Speaking in small groups, Sunday school classes, and churches

• Building a prayer and support team

• Asking God to lead every conversation

Our heart is not just to talk about missions or funding, but to share what God has done in us. Healing, freedom, surrender, and restoration are part of the story He's writing.

Education & Training

I (Brandon) have applied to Moody Bible Institute and will begin online classes in January. As a family, we also plan to attend our one-month missionary training in North Carolina in March — a huge step toward long-term work in The Gambia.

Upcoming Travel

Lord willing, I hope to return to The Gambia in January for two weeks to stay connected with the community and continue work on our house and ministry plans.

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How You Can Pray for Us

We deeply value your prayers. Here are our specific requests for this month:

1. Steadfastness

That we would stay anchored in Christ and remain faithful even when the spiritual and emotional work is heavy.

2. Freedom From Past Hurts

For every chain to be broken — for true healing, unity, and wholeness as God continues to refine us.

3. Provision

That the Lord would provide the funds needed for:

• Our missionary training

• Travel

• Ministry projects

• Ongoing mission work in The Gambia

4. Spirit-Led Conversations

As we speak in homes, churches, and groups, pray that people don't just hear about money or missions — but about the transforming power of Jesus in our lives.