Jager and Leah Huyser are making a new home for themselves in Abaco in the Bahamas where they will serve as missionaries and help those affected by Hurricane Dorian rebuild their homes and lives. The 400- square-foot bungalow where they will live for the next year is shown behind them.
The new year often brings new changes and that is certainly the case for Jager and Leah Huyser as they take their service-minded hearts to Abaco, the Bahamas, where they will serve as missionaries for one year with the Many Hands for Abaco organization.
The desire to serve as a missionary has been on Leah’s heart for years as she has dreamed of being an overseas missionary since the third grade. She most recently served as Sully First Reformed Church’s youth director where she committed herself to helping junior high and high school-age students grow in their walk with the Lord.
Inspired by his wife’s desire, Jager’s passion for missions grew and deepened. His valuable construction and maintenance knowledge and skills will complement Leah’s relationship-building skills in Abaco. Together, they desire to not only plant seeds of hope in Christ in the people of Abaco but also help Abaco residents rebuild homes and lives following Hurricane Dorian. The Huysers were most recently in Abaco working and spreading the gospel with a group of mission-minded SFRC church members Nov. 15-23.
On Wednesday, Dec. 31, Leah and Jager packed several totes of belongings into a car donated to the Many Hands for Abaco organization and hit the road for their life-changing, service-minded adventure. The duo spent two days driving to Florida. The drive alone was already full of adventure as they came to a screeching halt in St. Louis’s bumper-to-bumper traffic, visited filming sights from the show “The Walking Dead” in Atlanta, and ate a real meal at a Waffle House – one of the few places they found open on New Year’s Day. Upon their arrival in Miami, the couple filled their tank up with gas in hopes of saving money.
In Abaco, a tank of fuel is over $7 a gallon. The Huysers filled their tank up only to find out a short while later that the cargo ship only allows cars to carry one-fourth of a tank of fuel during transport. Fortunately, quick thinking led the Huysers to a local auto body shop where most of the gas was siphoned out. Once the car was safely on the cargo ship, Jager and Leah took an hour-long Uber ride to the airport and then had an uneventful, 45-minute flight to their final destination, Abaco.
Upon their arrival in Abaco, the Huysers were immediately surrounded with familiar faces as a group from Pella Christian arrived at nearly the same time, ready to get right to work. Leah’s new title in Abaco is Impact coordinator, and Jager will serve as a maintenance assistant.
Jager’s parents, Shawn and ChyAnne Huyser of Lynnville, were able to touch base with the new missionaries via video chat on Sunday night. ChyAnne reports seeing the couple in their new surroundings was “so good for us. We are so thankful we can download WhatsApp for video calls and texting.”
Requests for safety and good health for the couple is appreciated. ChyAnne said the plan as of now is for Jager and Leah to make their first visit back to Iowa on June 25 where they will stay for an extended time during Abaco’s hurricane season.
To learn more about the Huysers’ mission and how you can prayerfully and financially support the young missionary couple, visit mh4a.org/huysers.
With Leah and Jager’s departure from the states, Leah’s former position as SFRC’s youth director is now vacant. Sully First Reformed Church is looking for a person who will lead the discipleship of junior high and high school students and seeks to partner with families, equip volunteer leaders, and collaborate with church staff to create Christ-centered, relational environments where students are known, challenged, and formed as disciples. The youth director role provides spiritual leadership, relational presence, and program oversight to help students grow into fully-devoted followers of Jesus with a faith that lasts beyond adolescent years.
Applications for the position of youth director will be accepted until the position is filled with priority consideration given to applicants received by Feb. 13, 2026. A job description and application can be found on the church’s website at https://www.sullyfrc.org/employment-opportunities-1.
