Shawn Small
After a decade working in parish youth ministry Shawn started Wonder Voyage Missions. Over the last 15 years, WVM has led thousands of pilgrims to over forty countries. Shawn is a storyteller and an award winning filmmaker. He is an author who brings the gift of engaging narrative to our journeys. Shawn is dedicated to creating voyages that give people abundant opportunities to encounter God.
| By Shawn Small | Wonder Voyage Ethos, Wonder Voyage Stories
In 1757 the young Irishman Edmund Burke published the obesely titled, A Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of Our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful. Burke explored why humans long for moments that both terrify and awe us like riding a raft through a rushing ...
| By Shawn Small | News | 2 Comments
There is often a moment at the end of Olympic races where the winning athlete exerts every ounce of strength, speed, and will to cross the finish line and then falls to the ground in utter exhaustion and overwhelming joy. As summer comes to an ...
| By Shawn Small | News, Wonder Voyage Ethos
The Jesus we worship is an amazing storyteller. He wrote our universe into existence, but he also took the time to personalize a story for each of us. At Wonder Voyage, we want to help every pilgrim dive deeper into the story God is narrating ...
| By Shawn Small | News
This week I received an encouraging email from one of our Voyage Guides, Laurel, who is the rector of St. Dunstan's Episcopal Church in Carmel Valley, California. Laurel wrote, Last Saturday, as I arrived at St. Dunstan's for Sunday service preparation, I saw a young ...
| By Shawn Small | Wonder Voyage Destination
I believe the closest science has ever come to discovering perpetual energy generators is the modern Jr. High student. I was a full-time Jr. High minister for 200+ students when I started in youth ministry. The students were adrenaline incarnate. They kept me on my ...
| By Shawn Small | Wonder Voyage Destination
Our modern world is a blur. We lust for speedy convenience. DoorDash for our meals. Amazon for our stuff. Download speed for our entertainment. Life is done in a rush. When we get to the end of a day we think, “I did a lot ...
| By Shawn Small | Travel Tips
My grandmother, Marie Lindgren, was known for a multitude of things in her tiny hometown of Paton, Iowa. As a registered nurse, she was often the first called in a local medical emergency. Her monster cookies, with the circumference of a softball, were legendary amongst ...
| By Shawn Small | Wonder Voyage Destination
Wonder Voyage has accomplished an ambitious goal that we have been pursuing for a decade. We have established a Wonder Voyage trip within six hours of any location in the contiguous United States. We wanted to give any group the ability to hop into a ...
| By Shawn Small | Wonder Voyage Stories
At Big Bend National Park on the Texas-Mexico border, I stood on the upper rim of the Chisos Basin, breathed deeply, and took in the contours and colors of creation. The 7000-foot climb was both exhausting and exhilarating. It had been just three weeks prior that ...
| By Shawn Small | Wonder Voyage Destination
When I was a kid, the ultimate adventure was the family road trip. My elementary school brain assumed flying was for the rich and famous. Our only alternative was to load up the wood-paneled station wagon--basically a rolling playroom--with survival supplies like sleeping bags, books, ...