Van Life Ministries

Ryan and Elisha Sharp founded Van Life Ministries in 2023 after they lost their home in Hurricane Ian and had to move seven times in the course of a year.

Remarkably, the married couple met some of their best friends despite the tragedy after they relocated to Tampa Florida and started attending South Tampa Fellowship Church shortly after the hurricane.

Interestingly, about a month before the hurricane hit, Mr. Sharp felt a call to "van life" and started watching videos and listening to podcasts by "vanlifers." The videos really answered a lot of his questions and concerns. So one evening, he posed the question to his wife, thinking she would say no. Elisha immediately said, "yes, lets do it."

After some research, they realized that good vans were so in demand that the prices were ridiculous and the quality was subpar as a result. The same was true for small motorhomes. Being a lifelong nonconformist who always thinks outside the box, Mr. Sharp immediately thought of other more affordable options. His fifteen years as an interior designer and experience in construction helped too in terms of options. He thought about military vehicles, rescue trucks, and even called some water tankers, but soon realized that an ambulance would be the ticket. It had most everything already needed. They are well maintained and much safer than any RV due to safety standards. And the storage, which is the key to good living, is incredible.

So he checked out Youtube only to find that a few others had a similar idea and were living life in a decommissioned ambulance. The couple watched a few of these videos and prayed hard. Then decided to make the move to purchase an ambulance. They found one up for auction and won the highest bid, somewhat expensive but still far below what they would've paid for an RV or travel van.

They arranged to fly up to the Fire Station in Ohio that had sold the ambulance and would then drive it home.

Then Hurricane Ian hit Punta Gorda almost directly the day before their flight was scheduled. The couple escaped the day before and waited out the hurricane sleeping in their vehicle on the other coast with no AC or running water for a week. Luckily the couple had lived off grid for years on their own property and were thick skinned. They tried to stay in contact with church friends and their pastor back home but heard nothing until a few days after the Hurricane. They were relieved and amazed to find that none of their friends or church members perished, although many did lose homes or endure damage. As soon as it seemed possible, Ryan and Elisha drove back home to help and to assess the damage. It was devastating.

And they didn't even know if they could get back home because there was little or no gas. They took a lesser know highway and drove all night knowing that traffic would be less hectic. They first went to their old church and found their pastor, who had opened the doors of the church to help victims (although he said the board members had urged him not to). He was helping people with no power and just a generator, but they had plenty of food from being a small food bank for the community. Ryan and Elisha offered them water that they had purchased on the other coast and any help. Then headed to their neighborhood.

When they arrived, they were amazed at the damage. But thank God their neighbors and friends were out cleaning up and rebuilding. Ryan and Elisha helped them and offered cases of water and food. But their neighbors were prepared beforehand and didn't need water or food. They did accept the physical help though. After they assisted in cleanup, the couple assessed their home, and it was destroyed although they were thrilled to find that the bathroom located in the center was still up and almost untouched. And that's where Ryan had put some valuables that he couldn't take supposing that that would be the safest location. They cleaned up what they could and received a phone call from a family member who said they could stay with their family for a while. It was an amazing moment because this family member had been separated from Ryan and Elisha due to not being a Christian and not wanting that relationship. So it took a hurricane to touch her heart and bring them back together. Ryan said that if they had to lose their home in order to gain her back, it was well worth it. So the couple left for Tampa. What should've taken 2 hours took eight, and I-75 was still closed much of the way. Plus their was no gas available until they reached almost a twenty minutes from Tampa and even that was an hour long wait. But they finally reached their family member's home about eleven o'clock at night. It was the first time they had been able to shower, sleep in a real bed, and most importantly, have air conditioning in over a week. And then the reunion came. Ryan and Elisha offered to help in any way they could and also prayed hard for an opportunity to share their faith while they were there. They planted seeds along the way and then after a couple months the Lord opened a door wide open. A somewhat heated political discussion turned into an opportunity, and Ryan was able to share his Christian testimony and share the gospel with their family. Ryan and Elisha are still in prayer for their salvation, but the seed has been planted.

After regaining employment in their new town and finding a new church home, they were finally able to reschedule a flight to Ohio to pick up their ambulance.

They flew up and after visiting and laughing a while with the firefighters, started back to Florida. They made it a few miles and the power steering started whining. They called the fire department back because the rig was not supposed to have any issues. The fire department got approval to pay for the issue to be fixed, but the part wouldn't be ready until the next day. So they stayed in the ambulance. Then it took all day but the repair finally was completed and they took off again. They made it fine until they reached Charlotte North Carolina. Ryan noticed that the gas gauge indicated that they were losing fuel all of a sudden at a much faster pace. He pulled off the freeway and found a gas station. When he looked down, there was fuel pouring from under the ambulance. It was amazing that they had not blown up. He called AAA. They said they would send someone. The couple waited waited. And waited some more. Finally after five hours and after hours, AAA called and said they couldn't help because it was not a regular truck. Needless-to-say, Ryan was not happy with AAA and doesn't recommend them either. Now at night, they were stranded at a gas station that was not in the safest part of town. But they prayed and Ryan started looking for tow trucks. He just happened to find a tow truck late at night on a Sunday. It was a desperate prayer answered. They towed it to the nearest repair shop for larger vehicles. The couple spent another night in the ambulance at the repair shop, officially starting the "vanlife" in some ways. The next day they were told by the receptionist that the shop didn't work on diesels. But just at that moment, a mechanic walked up behind her and said he would take a look. The receptionist said it couldn't be done through the shop, but this awesome God-sent mechanic said he would look at it on his own time. It was another miracle. He immediately plugged the fuel line. But the couple waited till the end of the day when the mechanic could look at it further. The good news is that it was a leak up around the engine so it wouldn't have to be lifted, but the bad news is that the part of the line leaking had to be ordered, and it was in another town on the other end of the state. So the couple slept four days in the ambulance in the same location, eating every meal at the only restaurant nearby, Taco Bell. It was a long four days and chilly, but luckily not below freezing.

At long last, the part came in and they got the fuel line fixed. So relieved, they started home again only to realize that a front tire was losing air. They called a tire shop but they couldn't get a new set until morning. The couple spent another night in Charlotte in the tire shop parking lot. But they fixed it the next morning. And the couple was finally on the road. They documented everything from the moment they picked up the ambulance to reaching Tampa in one piece. The videos are still being edited but will be available on youtube on the Van Life
Ministries channel.

The couple later spent four months working for Walmart and living in their parking lot and were able to minister to many homeless people and struggling folks who would stroll through.

It was their first real opportunity to do "Van Life Ministry." The couple had a lot of success talking to people and praying for them, and knew they were indeed in the middle of God's will. They continued attending South Tampa Fellowship and attending a Bible Study group every week. They met some of the best people at that church who have continued to partner with them in the ministry.

For over twenty years, Ryan has led Bible studies and men's accountability groups. He has written countless news articles, a 67,000 word novel, and been a volunteer activist, educator, and speaker on behalf of the unborn for over 20 years. Ryan has a powerful testimony and many amazing stories about the Lord's faithfulness in his life. Elisha is a beautiful kind women of God, and has served the Lord as well for over 25 years. Both have worked extremely difficult manual labor jobs, everything from a potato farm to factories. Both worked retail. Ryan drove public school buses, did every kind of construction, and owned his own interior design business for 15 years. They both were live in foster parents with six teenage boys under their care, and have completed training courses in ministry, nursing, in-home health care, foster care, and other fields. Ryan graduated with honors from Missouri State University in 1999 with a Bachelors in Mass Media and Communications. Elisha was home schooled and educated at Christian Fellowship School in Columbia, Missouri. From the moment they
received Jesus Christ, the two have been faithful evangelists, sharing their testimony and the gospel with everyone they can. Both have always lived their faith with co-workers, leading many to Christ while counseling others through a variety of issues. And that's really the most important thing as believers and what Jesus commands.

In July, they began traveling to National Parks and conducting services for park goers in conjunction with another ministry. The Sharps say that the Van Life or Amb Life, as they call it, is very hard and not for the weak willed, but it is the hard that makes their relationship with God real and powerful. Ryan believes that material comfort is often times an obstacle to our relationship with God just as a lot of things can be, but when you are stripped of that and all the clutter of life, it helps you focus on what's truly important. Jesus Christ being number one. Then family and friends. And that's what the Sharps are committed to.

The hurricane only seemed to confirm and jump start God's call in their lives, and they are committed to full time evangelism and service to the Lord. But to do that, they sacrifice a good income that would come from being in a constant location. They are missionaries and their mission field is the United States. For these reasons, they are dependent on the help of other believers to fund their ministry.

Your donation or regular pledge helps cover the cost of gas, insurance, and other expenses required to do this work. Also ten percent of your donation goes to the Orphans and Widows fund. The Sharps believe in following Biblical precepts and teachings. The Bible describes the tithe and what it is to be used for. Often a tithe is prompted by churches and pastors to their congregation but nothing is required of the church or the leadership. The Bible teaches that there is a purpose, structure, and responsibility associated with the tithe. Part of that is a portion that goes to orphans and widows out of what is donated. Many churches ignore these Biblical precepts and use the tithe as they or the board see fit and offer nothing to those most in need. Meanwhile the pastor drives around in a new $50,000 vehicle paid for by the congregation. The Sharps get by on less than most. They have no running water, plumbing, or basics that most Americans are accustomed to. They are good stewards of the resources they have. You can ask anyone who knows them or come visit them yourself. Rest assured that every dime you donate will be put to the best possible use. And you can call the Sharps anytime at 727-798-1102 if you want to hold them accountable and are encouraged to call them, regardless, for updates, for testimonies about their ministry, and just to encourage them and to receive counsel and prayer. They like to be in contact with people as moving around can sometimes make it hard to stay connected. The Sharps are committed to God's Word and believe in the scripture which says we should "encourage one another daily." They find that more valuable than just sending a newsletter every so often, although you will likely receive a thank you call or card.

Please prayerfully consider making a donation or monthly pledge to Van Life Ministries via the Acts 2
Life at https://acts2life.org/donate/donate.html

Donate