Drew Gipson joined the Marine Corps in 1995. In 1996, he married his high school sweetheart, Carrie. While serving in the Marine Corps he was sent to Cherry Point, NC where he and Carrie first encountered Liberty Church of Havelock. It is there they met Pastor Steve and Ana McDaniel while serving in the Kids Ministry under Pastor Steve, the Children’s Pastor at the time. In 2007, during a construction trip to Guatemala, Drew received the Lord’s calling for him and his family to be willing to serve full time on the mission field in Guatemala. While on a trip visiting Guatemala in 2008, Carrie also received that calling and reconfirmed God’s calling to Guatemala. Since that day, they have been preparing their hearts, while faithfully serving together in various ministry opportunities, waiting for when the timing of God’s call would come to fruition. Every step they have taken has always had the question of “How will this prepare us for ministry in Guatemala?”.

In 2011, the Marine Corps sent the Gipson’s to Okinawa, Japan. During their time there, they got involved in the ministry with Drew and Carrie helping lead the Singles Ministry, and with Carrie being the Coordinator of Religious Education, which included leading the Kids Ministry. It was here that they began sharing from their hearts what the Lord was doing with them and their calling to the mission field in Guatemala and with the Living Water Ministry.

In 2016, the Marine Corps sent the Gipson family back to North Carolina where they reconnected with Liberty Church of Havelock. Drew retired from the Marine Corps in 2018 after faithfully serving over 23 years. It became clear to both Drew and Carrie that their time to go to the mission’s field was arriving. With 3 of 4 of their children grown and serving in the Air Force, the Navy, and the Army, and the youngest graduated high school and attending college, it was time to head to Guatemala.

With the support of Pastor Steve and Ana, Liberty Church of Havelock, and their many friends and family they began their final preparations to faithfully serve as full time Missionaries. In February 2023 they will arrive in Guatemala to fulfill the calling that the Lord has been preparing for them over 14yrs.

See more Missionaries