Shelby and Nate Herman serve with Youth With A Mission (YWAM) in Tauranga, New Zealand. They help lead and disciple students in YWAM’s Discipleship Training Schools. They also serve aboard the YWAM Kona medical ship, bringing hope and dental care to people living on remote islands.

Check out the latest update from Shelby & Nate!

Home Church Family,

We’d love to take this opportunity to share a bit more about what we’ve been involved in recently.

Now, the ship is in dry dock, which has created a unique and busy season for us. This time is crucial as we carry out maintenance, upgrades, and long-term improvements to ensure the vessel is ready for continued service across the Pacific. There’s a real sense that what we’re doing now is helping to “future-proof” the ship for the next 5–10 years of ministry.

Our days have been very full of both practical work and leadership responsibilities. Shelby continues to lead full-time in the galley as well as overseeing all hospitality on board, supporting the crew through her work in the kitchen, which remains such a vital part of daily life on board. Nate has stepped into significant leadership roles, currently leading both the deck team and the medical team. This has involved not only overseeing day-to-day operations but also investing into team members, helping disciple them into what God is calling them to, and preparing the medical team for the year ahead.

A big focus for us right now is strengthening the team, both practically and spiritually, as well as preparing for upcoming outreach opportunities. We’re working through logistics, training, and planning so that when the ship returns to active service, we are ready to serve effectively and bring both physical and spiritual hope to the communities we visit.

Thank you again for your support, encouragement, and understanding. It truly means a lot to us to have you and the church partnering with us in this work.

Prayer requests:

1. Rest and strength for each day. This season has been very full on and very tiring.
2. Prayer for our team and the challenges they are facing. Many of them are very young and learning who they are and what God has called them to.
3. Wisdom for the year and endurance to go all that God has called us into.
4. Continued provision for us and large expenses we have this year.

Blessings,

Shelby and Nate Herman