Natalie Drake
Natalie has become quite accustomed to living out of a suit case for the past few years that working for Outtatown has been a nice fit for her lifestyle. Born, raised and educated in southern Ontario, she enjoyed traveling across western Canada last year and seeing those mountains for the first time! Whether it’s working as a waterfront director at camp or as a youth worker with troubled teens or as an English teacher in Korea, Natalie loves working alongside students and hearing about their passions. Known as someone who “asks good questions”, Outtatown has been a job that combines travel, teaching and amazing friendships which is why she is excited to come back next year! Natalie has a BA in English and French from the University of Windsor and is slowly on her way to becoming tri-lingual in Spanish. Natalie has traveled through much of Asia (including North Korea!) and has become captivated by Guatemala’s beauty and heartache. She enjoys good satirical comedies, an audience who thinks she’s funny, playing volleyball, listening to Korean pop, reading, and playing John Mayer covers. This summer she’ll be busy learning Spanish and catching up on Canadian lit to impress her new neighbor Margaret Atwood.
James Cuthbert
James Cuthbert’s permanent address is in London ON, but he is known to wander from place to place. Since graduating from Redeemer University College in 2009, with a Major in Kinesiology and minors in both Business and Religion, he has held 6 different jobs, from Ice-cream factory worker to Canoe trip instructor, and has lived everywhere from a little town in Belize, Central America to a cabin on a lake near Huntsville, ON. Last year he was apart of Outtatown’s Guatemala site and looks forward to returning both to western Canada and Guatemala. Apart from traveling, canoeing, and eating ice cream, his hobbies include playing sports, instruments, video games, board games and anything else that can be played. Having grown up with both sets of grandparents being missionaries, and his father being a Pastor, he has spent most of his life being involved in different ministries and looks forward to helping others find and use the gifts God has given them, and at the same time playing in God’s wonderful creation.
Bethany Bustard
When Bethany first heard about Outtatown, her instant reaction was “That’s my dream job!” Since that first introduction, she has felt God nudging and leading her towards this opportunity. She is so excited to incorporate mentoring and discipleship with travel, adventure and authentic community. She currently lives in Collingwood, Ontario and is looking forward to a warm and family-filled summer.
After high school Bethany took a year off to do a DTS with YWAM travelling to Australia and Egypt. Following that great experience she went out west to Trinity Western University, completing her BA in International Studies. This past year has been characterized by building community at both ends of life’s spectrum. She has enjoyed providing programming to seniors as well as co-leading a young adult’s ministry in her local church.
Bethany loves spending time with her large extended family, playing scrabble, going on adventures with friends, sipping tea, travelling to new places, reading, playing the piano, living in community and spending time in the great outdoors (she can often be spotted riding her red retro bike with a basket).
She is looking forward to building genuine relationships and seeing God’s hand at work in and through her life in the upcoming year.
Rafael Duerksen
As a Swiss who grew up in Paraguay and now lives in Canada, Rafael likes to kid about his lack of national identity. Truth is, however, that Rafael loves being multicultural – enjoying the many benefits of having friends all over the world. He is very excited about the upcoming year as he cannot wait to see and experience new things and add to the list of places he calls home.
Besides travelling and wandering through the world, Rafael loves spending his time reading, playing frisbee as well as tennis, and being outdoors. He also enjoys spending quality time with people and having good conversations and discussions.
Rafael graduated from Canadian Mennonite University in 2008, where he studied Biblical and Theological Studies. In addition to being involved in youth and children’s ministry at his home church over many years, he has been involved in several short-term mission and service assignments in North America, Paraguay, Switzerland and Germany.
After being a leader for the Outtatown South Africa, Rafael could not resist the opportunity to come back for a third year and go to Guatemala to practice his almost forgotten Spanish, meet new people and spend another year on the road in intentional community with others.
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