A Homeschooling Mom, a Businessman and a Nurse

GlobalFingerprints is the child sponsorship program of ReachGlobal. Through partner churches in 13 countries, GlobalFingerprints helps to provide for the spiritual, nutritional, medical and educational needs of children. As children in the community are cared for, communities often become more receptive to the gospel, opening the door for new church plants and the strengthening of existing churches. 

GlobalFingerprints site coordinators live in the U.S. and act as liaisons with local site directors. They support, encourage, counsel and empower local leadership to reach out to kids while planting and building God’s Church.  

Meet Katie Hagen:  

How does a homeschooling mom from Wisconsin become a GlobalFingerprints site coordinator in South Asia? 

Katie Hagen’s life hasn’t gone as planned. Widowed at age 31 with two young daughters, remarried seven years later and gaining three more daughters wasn’t exactly how she envisioned her life would go. But through all the grief, loss and unexpected blessings, Katie learned to hold steadfast to her Savior. 

The longer she clung to Him, the more she desired to “go to uncomfortable places for Him.” Near the pandemic, she stepped down from her position as women’s ministry director at Kenosha Bible Church (EFCA) in Wisconsin, partly to homeschool her teenage daughters but also because she felt a strong pull to outward-focused, evangelistic ministry. 

Katie intentionally invested in a local outreach to homeless people. She opened her home for a teen Bible study. Then, she began an evangelistic book club with non-Christian ladies in her neighborhood. 

Katie liked understanding people of different cultures, and she instilled in her daughters the same desire. She began to study the life of Christ and the Great Commission, which deepened her heart for the nations. So, when the missions leader at Kenosha Bible Church invited Katie and her two teen daughters to join on a trip to South Asia, Katie jumped at the chance. 

They were headed to a GlobalFingerprints sponsorship site. KBC, an average-sized EFCA Wisconsin church, sponsors more than 100 children there. Local believers provide tutoring and a feeding program as a conduit to build God’s Church in South Asia. 

Katie and her daughters felt an instant connection to the culture and people, especially the local ministry workers. When she heard about the open site coordinator position six weeks later, she saw how God was taking the intricate strands of her experiences, longings and giftings and weaving them together for this ministry. After several weeks of prayer, she decided God was calling her to apply. 

A year after that trip, Katie still reaches her community in Wisconsin and homeschools her girls, but now part of her heart is on the other side of the world. As a GlobalFingerprints site coordinator, she is the liaison to the American Christians who sponsor kids, keeping them regularly updated about the impact of their prayers and financial support. She sees her role as a way to knit together God’s global Church. 

“It’s beautiful and energizing to witness the American Church become excited to offer their resources and prayer to serve those who still need to know His goodness and grace,” Katie said.  

Katie travels to South Asia three times a year (often with her teen girls!). She is building a close relationship with the care workers, but especially with Jeet, the local program manager. Katie offers encouragement and support as they focus on the GlobalFingerprints program standards and problem-solve challenges. As increasing oppression tries to stifle the Church in this location, Katie is a source of encouragement and hope.  

“Despite having God's global mission on my heart and a long-time desire to go to uncomfortable places for Him, His call into missions was an unexpected turn of events in my life—faith-building and joyfully challenging!” Katie said. “He is always preparing us, even in the ordinary and there is nothing more ordinary than a homeschool mom who serves in her local church! He is an extraordinary God!” 

Meet Brian Cuda:  

How does a grandfather and business owner become a GlobalFingerprints site coordinator in Southeast Asia? 

Brian Cuda has always had a heart for kids—evidenced by the intentional way he discipled his kids and now his grandchildren. He’s also had a passion for sharing the gospel—in fact, he pastored a church in Minnesota for eight years. But the last 14 years were spent building a successful HVAC business to the point where it didn’t need as much of his time. 

Brian has served on the missions committee of his church, First Free (EFCA) in Onalaska, Wisconsin, since 2017, and he and his wife are also marriage mentors. He joined several missions trips to Southeast Asia and grew a burden to see the Church grow in that part of the world. Brian became restless to do more with his life for the global Kingdom of God. 

Brian was moved by the impact GlobalFingerprints makes in other Asian countries. “Since I have a recent burden to see many more come into the kingdom, I inquired about the program and found out that ReachGlobal is considering a new location in Southeast Asia as a place to expand the program. I had previously met people in-country who would potentially act as our partners. The timing seems perfect; there are no coincidences in His timing.” 

That’s when he heard about the need for a site coordinator for this new location. Brian’s passion for Southeast Asia and his gifting in administration made him a perfect fit. His son is a Delta pilot, making several annual international trips easy and affordable for Brian. With the freedom to step back from his business responsibilities, he knew taking on this role would eat into his hobby time. But that cost was insignificant in light of his urgency to invest in God’s kingdom. 

As site coordinator, Brian is helping to build the program from the ground up in this new location. He assisted with recruiting on-site care workers, who then identified the children who needed sponsorship. He rallied his church, First Free, who enthusiastically agreed to be the “Anchor Church” for the site—sponsoring 125 children! The program is now providing school fees and supplies for these kids. They also funded a Christian soccer camp where many children heard the gospel for the first time.  

“I have felt burdened to follow His direction to bring as many people into the Kingdom of God in light of His imminent return,” Brian said. “I believe this is simply a continuation of His call for me to serve the people of Southeast Asia. I hope to never miss the opportunity to join Him in what He has prepared!”  

Meet Heather Hall: 

How does a nurse from Oregon become a GlobalFingerprints site coordinator for 1,800 kids in Congo?  

Heather’s call to medical missions started in high school. She was sure of that part. She just didn’t know it would take more than 20 years to get there. 

Heather was faithful in pursuing this calling: she spent two months in Kenya as a nursing student and then returned to serve for a year at the same hospital. Here, she discovered a love for community development and public health and returned to the States to get her MSN in Global Public Health Nursing.  

It was during that program’s practicum that she returned to East Africa and met Holly Freitas, a ReachGlobal missionary who also served in public health and community development. When Holly started working with GlobalFingerprints, she recruited Heather to help with program development, training and policy writing.  

After visiting a few GlobalFingerprints sites, Heather thought she had finally found the role God was calling her to––she applied with ReachGlobal to do full-time program development for GlobalFingerprints. 

“I had always been looking for an organization that aligned with my developing missions philosophy of empowering people in ways that bring about real and lasting change. With a motto of, ‘Develop. Empower. Release.,’ ReachGlobal was just what I was looking for,” Heather said. 

Heather began raising support in 2021, but a cross-country move and the pandemic prevented her from gaining momentum. In 2023, Holly and ReachGlobal leadership decided she needed a change of pace and sent her on a four-month vision trip to Gemena in Congo––the location of the original GlobalFingerprints site.

In Gemena, Heather discovered the long-term site coordinator would soon be retiring, leaving a gap open that required someone who could handle serving in the most rural, impoverished and largest GlobalFingerprints site where over 1,800 children are served.  

Heather returned to Oregon with a new vision: she didn’t just want to serve with GlobalFingerprints; she wanted to serve in Gemena. It was there that she found her sweet spot.  

Heather remembered, “The Lord did something in my heart I had never before experienced on any of my other trips, something I didn't expect—I fell in love. I know it sounds cliché and even corny to say, but I honestly don't know how else to describe it. All I knew was that I didn't want my trip to end and wanted to continue being involved with the site in any way possible.” Anytime she talked about it, her voice filled with passion and her eyes with tears. This was the role, this was the place that God had been preparing for her for more than two decades.  

Donors caught the vision too, and a year later, Heather is now fully supported and starting her position as a full-time site coordinator. She will spend several months each year in Gemena, not just weeks. The Gemena site also includes a home for disabled children, vocational training center and a school. On a recent trip, Heather helped care workers problem-solve additional critical problems, like how to rescue malnourished and dying babies.  

It’s not hard to see how God has uniquely equipped and prepared Heather for this strategic role at this crucial time. That calling He put on her heart more than 20 years ago may have taken longer than she expected, but in God’s story, the timing is always perfect.  

GlobalFingerprints continues to grow! If you know someone who would make a great site coordinator, contact: Holly.Freitas@efca.org.

For more ways to serve in ReachGlobal, go here.