Neil & Hilda Martens
MACHS board members since 2024
Neil and Hilda Martens have home schooled since 2016. They live in the country near Grunthal and have been married for 19 years. They have 3 teen aged children. The oldest graduated in 2024. Neil pumps concrete, and Hilda is a homemaker and home school mom. They are very involved in church activities: Sunday school teaching, youth leading and board member. They are passionate about home education and are looking forward to serving God with MACHS in the coming years.
Matt & Heather Wickstrom
MACHS board members since 2024
Matt and Heather Wickstrom are first generation homeschoolers of five kids. Home educating since their oldest started school, they have more than 10 years experience from kindergarten through high school.
Matt and Heather have been married for 18 years and live in Winnipeg, MB. Matt is a home builder with Hearth Homes and Heather homeschools their children. Heather is highly involved with the homeschool community, serving as the MACHS Winnipeg Regional Representative and the author of the Winnipeg Homeschool Events Newsletter.
Together they are passionate about community and bringing homeschoolers together, serving at their church, and living out this amazing adventure God has laid out for them.
Larissa and Neil MacDonald farm near Minnedosa and have home schooled all eight of their children from the beginning. Larissa and Neil’s oldest three children have graduated high school; the oldest lives close by, their daughter is married with a child on the way, and one son works alongside Neil on the farm. The younger 5 children are all currently being home schooled. Neil and Larissa are involved with their local church, serving in many ways as time and talent allow, including serving on the board, on a worship team, and in the kitchen for after school Bible Studies and as VBS kitchen coordinator each summer. Larissa has also served for several years as a church rep on their camp board for Covenant Heights Bible Camp.
Larissa, who has volunteered with MACHS since 2014, is a mentor to home school families in Manitoba, in person and online, and across North America through various home school Facebook groups. It is her passion to help home school parents succeed and find the style(s)/methodology(ies) and resources that suit their family.
Larissa and the children enjoy their weekly home school group, and she also hosts a local monthly support group in their home. Larissa is honoured to be able to serve the Manitoba home school community in a new way as a MACHS board member.
Jarrod and Jaime Giesbrecht have home schooled their children from the beginning – 3 have graduated, and Jaime still teaches the other 10. They live on an acreage near Ile des Chenes and have been married for 24 years. Jarrod is an IT architect/software developer and Jaime keeps busy with teaching and caring for the family at home.
They have deeply appreciated the support MACHS has offered over the years as they embarked on their home school journey and are passionate about home education. They have really enjoyed organizing the exhibitor hall for the annual conference since 2018 and seek to glorify God by encouraging and equipping Manitoba home schoolers in their new role as MACHS board members.