Who Am I?

There once was a man from Ontario...

Hi, my name is Ryland Frank. Born in Orillia and raised in the Alliston area, I wanted to become a roller coaster designer. Convinced of this, my academic choices throughout high school reflected this desire; however, God had other plans for my life. With God planting small ideas in my mind, one thing led to another, until I found myself packing my bags to move to Edmonton, Alberta. Having been accepted into the School of Worship Studies program at Vanguard Bible College, I figured I was set for the next four years of my life.

Boy, was I wrong!

After my first year of studies, I believed God wanted me to enrol in a double major. So, continuing my music studies, I added an intercultural studies major to my plate. It was during this time that God gave me two visions: In one, I saw myself in Uganda; in the other, I saw myself teaching music to children in Africa. I put two and two together, and I figured God wanted me to travel to Uganda on a missions trip, teaching children music there. I searched for opportunities to come, and I ended up with a 7.5-month internship in Kampala, Uganda!

During my time there, I helped to co-initiate an NGO project called the Stoplight Approach, which focuses on training teachers on positive methods in discipline and teaching, and focuses on training students how to keep themselves safe and in the best frame of mind for optimal learning. I helped write a book on this approach to teaching, and helped to initiate a pilot project study to prove the efficacy of this approach. Since I have left, the Stoplight Approach has been gaining speed and spreading faster than we could ever imagine.

Since then, I have graduated with a Bachelor or Arts in Theology, Intercultural Studies Major & Music Emphasis (almost made it with a double major!), and now have the amazing privilege of returning to Uganda against all odds. I will be leading the Awaken Missions short-term missions team in July 2016, travelling to many of the same places I went to last year. I will also be arriving early and staying later than the team, to continue to be an asset on the field, to further what God has in store for the Stoplight Approach.

Check out my BLOG for updates, as frequent or infrequent as they may be. Check out how to STAY CONNECTED for more regular updates. Check out the CALENDAR for details of the Awaken Missions team's time in Uganda. Check out the DONATE button if you wish to consider making a small contribution to help support my funds.