Imogen Cook - HOPE61 Trainer

In 2014, Imogen graduated with a degree in early childhood teaching, ready to commit to working in a kindergarten or daycare centre for her foreseeable future. Little did she know the path God would then take her on would be vastly different from working as a kindergarten teacher. Read below about her work with One Mission Society and the journey the Lord has taken her on.

If you would like to get in touch with her personally, email her at hope61@oms.org.nz.

The OMS NZ office we owned before selling in 2023.

A New Beginning

I started with OMS New Zealand in 2015, volunteering with a friend to fill my days since a job in early education wasn't coming as fast as I thought. As I helped design new brochures and marketing tools for OMS, I began to learn what life as a missionary looked like, and Gods heart behind it. "We'll help you go as far in missions as you want to" Owen Brown (OMS Director) said to me. I didn't know where I wanted to go but I left it in God's hands and served in whatever opportunity came.

The Power of a Mission Trip

Not long after my volunteering began, the opportunity to go on a short term mission trip to the Philippines was offered to me. My eyes were opened to a whole new world of serving, where God definitely pushed me out of my comfort zone. A couple of years later, I found myself leading a short term team to Fiji where we worked with vulnerable girls and children at Homes of Hope. I enjoyed these trips immensely, and realised that although these opportunities came with a level of fear of the unknown, I was feeling at home in these environments.

The kids in the Philippines were a definite highlight of the trip.

The missionary candidates I trained in Melbourne, Australia.

Preventing Human Trafficking

In 2019, I was asked if I would be interested in becoming a trainer for OMS' HOPE61 ministry. The purpose of HOPE61 is to raise awareness of human trafficking, and equip the church in preventing it in their communities. Me, a shy introvert who hated public speaking, was being asked to lead full day group trainings? The idea made me nervous, but the excitement I felt was a clear indication that God was in this. Since then, I have trained people in New Zealand, Australia, Thailand, the Philippines, and raised awareness in the Cook Islands. What God is doing with this ministry is incredible, and I'm certain He's got more planned.

My Role in the OMS Office

From redesigning brochures when I first started volunteering in 2015, my role in media and marketing has also grown. I was soon brought on to work part time in the OMS office. This has also been a blessing but a challenging journey in growing my skills in design, social media, marketing, communications, and admin work. But through it, it's been a privilege to share the incredible work God is doing through our missionaries and ministries around the world, as well as encourage people to answer their own missional call.

A gathering of our staff and board members to celebrate our missionaries from the Philippines during their brief visit back to NZ in 2024. I assisted in setting up meetings for them.

After travelling to the Philippines in Feb 2025 to train people in human trafficking prevention, we stopped over in Korea for a few days to meet with OMS missionaries. I knew it wouldn't be the last time I would be there.

Where To From Here?

Looking back on all God has taken me through, I believe He is calling me to serve as a full time missionary so the process has officially begun! I want to take HOPE61 further around the Asia/Pacific region which means I need to spend time serving through OMS opportunities around the region to build relationships with missionaries and churches. While I have no official plans to settle in a new country yet, I will be ready to go if and when God opens the door. For the rest of 2025, I plan to spend a month in South Korea, serving at a missionary training school, as well as take a trip back to Melbourne to train the next set of OMS Australia missionary candidates.

I believe God is wanting to use me to bring light into the darkness. As I start my journey to becoming a full time missionary, I need to build my support team. A team who will support me in prayer, encouragement, and helping me by giving their time, talent or treasure. If you would like to support me in this ministry journey in any way, I would love to hear from you! Please email me at hope61@oms.org.nz and we'll make a plan. Thank you!