Who We Are

Here's who we are, and a bit about why each of us is going on the pilgrimage.



JOSH STENGEL-GOUPIL
"On this pilgrimage, I want to experience peacefulness and find out what my purpose in life is. I also want to see how I would handle things when I am out of my comfort zone and see how far I can push myself."









RACHAEL HUNTLY-BALL
"I want to go on this pilgrimage mainly to get out of my comfort zone. To leave the things that made me a child so that I discover myself as an adult. I also want to get really involved in nature and have a lot of fun with my friends."









ASHA WEBBER-JUGGOO
"I would like to be able to have an amazing, well-rounded spiritual experience, one that will change me and help me understand myself and my goals better."









HALEY CORNELIUS
"I want to go on this pilgrimage to experience an adventure and to get away from my everyday life. I want to get out of my comfort zone and challenge myself to do things I’ve never done before. I also hope to get a better understanding of myself and who I want to become."











BEN LINDSEY-CLARK
"I want to find love in the universe. I think if I do that, I'll become a happier person and become closer to God. The desert will provide me with a plentiful supply of unexpected beauty. Ultimately, the desert of Arizona, from the majestic steps to the deep canyons will provide that universal and thus Godly love."








KOLEY FREEMAN
"Arizona is to be a great experience for us all. For me, this pilgrimage is an opportunity to test my limits and get to know myself better when placed within a new environment."








EMILI THORNE
"As many probably know, my goal is to just camp alone for one night and experience nature in Sedona. I hope to maybe connect with God in doing this, and feel some sort of inner peace I wouldn't be able to accomplish just anywhere. I also want tot know my J2A friends on another level, and just accomplish that feeling of trust you can only get with certain people."








ROBYN MO-LIAN
"Hi! My name is Robyn Mo-Lian. I’m going on this pilgrimage to hopefully learn something new about myself. I’m also going on this pilgrimage to get away from normal life and experience something new. Hopefully to experience an adventure. During this time I also hope to connect more with myself and with others in J2A."








SEBASTIEN ENGELMANN
"On this pilgrimage, I want to have fun and experience things that I couldn't experience back here in Ottawa. I hope to do interesting things that I couldn't normally do and explore places that will stay with me for all my life. To make a long story short, I want to experience something I haven't experienced before."






EMMA O'CONNELL
"I want to go on the pilgrimage so that that I can become more connected to god and life itself. I want to have a better understanding of myself as well as the people around me. I want to be put outside of my comfort zone and really see how the world seems to flow with life."









KEIR BISSET
"I want to experience life to the fullest. I want to get to know others and myself in a special way. I would like to reach and surpass my comfort zone."










THE LEADERS:

JOYCE HARDMAN "This pilgrimage is already happening! It has stretched us and blessed us in the choosing, planning, and fundraising. We have come to know each other and care for each other like a special family. I have enjoyed being a part of these two years of growing into readiness to take on this exciting and sometimes challenging experience together. We have already been supported so generously by the parents and this First United family. Holding us is a field of love that is way bigger than just us fourteen travelers.

I am thrilled to be going to Sedona and the Grand Canyon—two places known to be so awesome that “you have to be there” to get the full impact. I wish for myself and all the gang, moments where God’s presence is palpable: in love among us and offered to us, in little serendipitous moments, in inner whispers of guidance, and in the opulent beauty of nature. I look forward to enjoying these kids just being themselves, responding to each experience."

WENDY SNELGROVE: "I am thrilled to be, in essence, a Godparent to eleven wonderful young people as they journey in this transitional part of their lives; to be a guide and a support as they separate from parents, but still need strength and wisdom from adults. I hope that our pilgrimage will bring them with wisdom about who God is calling them to be. I hope that they will experience abiding love and joy that will sustain them their whole lives."

MURRAY ANGUS: "In many respects, the J2A youth have been on a pilgrimage for the last two years: during that time, they have grown immeasurably in their strengths, their world views, and in their ability to ask questions and to seek their own answers. This pilgrimage to Arizona will be an opportunity for them to continue that questing, and to discover their own capacity for listening to God's voice calling them. As for myself, I'm never far away from questions about my faith and about my directions in life, so I'm looking forward to that time in the desert - alone with the elements, but always, and most assuredly, in the company of God.

OUR GUIDE
JAMES GREGORY is an Ottawa native who fell in love with the red rocks of Sedona the first time he visited in 1995. He moved to Sedona year later and lived there for eight years. He loves to hike in Sedona’s red rock canyons where he claims “there is an adventure waiting around every corner.” He has led hundreds of hikes in the area and has become somewhat of an authority, especially in off-trail hiking. He has invented a simple, easy-to-use system of descending on ropes which received a US patent in 2005. When he is not hiking in Sedona, he is carving pieces of the red rock into fantastic shapes.







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