Andrews University

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Institute of Archaeology, Andrews University

Area North of the Tell

#970https://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/hiap-photos/2881/thumbnail.jp

MT. Nebo from Hesban

#858Ahttps://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/hiap-photos/2880/thumbnail.jp

Tell Hesban

#464https://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/hiap-photos/2875/thumbnail.jp

The Tell from Wadi

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Area South of the Tell

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Scraping Balk in B.1

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Paul and Lily Preparing for a picture in D

Ayala, Mikey

Andrews University 
Digital Commons @ Andrews University 
Lake Union Herald Lake Union Herald 
1-2025 
Extra to My Ordinary 
Mikey Ayala 
Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/luh-pubs 
ONE VOICE 
Extra to My Ordinary 
We all desire to make a positive impact, but sometimes we feel like 
we must do something extraordinary for it to matter. I used to think 
that way, too. I used to look at people having deep, life-changing 
conversations with strangers and think, “That’s what I need to do.”
 But when people learned I was a pastor, they 
would become polite but distant, especially young 
people. They seemed to build a wall when they 
heard I was a pastor.
The truth is that many people feel judged or 
misunderstood by the church. It was hard for me 
to accept, but it’s a reality. So, how could I share 
Jesus with them when there was so much mis-
trust? That’s when it hit me — on a riverbank with 
a fishing rod.
Fishing was more than just a hobby for me. It 
became my way of connecting with people who 
would never step inside a church. Something about 
fishing — standing shoulder-to-shoulder, waiting 
for a bite — makes conversation come naturally. No 
pressure, no agenda. Just like what is happen-
ing in the little moments.
One morning, I was fin-
ishing my fishing at the St. 
Joseph River in Berrien 
Springs, Michigan, when 
two college guys showed 
up to fish for steelhead. 
They had their gear, but 
I could tell they had not 
found a good spot. I was 
ready to head out, so I 
gave them mine — a place 
that had been working 
for me — and hand-
ed over the rest of 
my bait.
They were surprised. I could see it on their faces. 
Maybe it’s because most fishermen don’t give away 
their best spots. Many hold their “honey holes” 
tight, guarding them like treasure. But for me, fish-
ing has always been about relationships, not com-
petition. I’m willing to share everything I know if it 
helps me connect with others. It’s a small act, but it 
can change everything.
We chatted about fishing and swapped a few sto-
ries. No deep conversation happened that day, but 
I could see a connection had been made. Respect 
had been earned. That’s what mattered. The mo-
ment wasn’t about baptisms or a radical conversion 
— it was about planting a seed, opening the door 
for something more. One day, I believe these inter-
actions will mean something even more profound.
I’ve learned that sharing Jesus only sometimes 
comes in big, flashy moments. It happens when we 
show up in life’s small, ordinary spaces. The times 
when we’re not preaching or handing out flyers but 
just being present, living life, listening and laughing. 
These are the moments that make a real difference.
Maybe you love fishing, or perhaps it’s something 
else — music, gaming, hiking. Whatever it is, use it. 
Those passions of yours are tools to build relation-
ships. They’re ways to meet people where they are, 
in their ordinary lives. Don’t wait for a stage, don’t 
wait for the “right” moment. The right moment is 
right now. P
Mikey Ayala is a student at the Seventh-day Theological 
Seminary at Andrews University and host of the “Jesus on a Jon 
Boat” podcast. You can follow him at Instagram/YouTube: @
lovemasfishing


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Area North of the Tell

MT. Nebo from Hesban

Tell Hesban

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Area South of the Tell

Scraping Balk in B.1

Paul and Lily Preparing for a picture in D

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