If you listen to our podcast, you’ll hear Callie and Amanda’s voices in every episode. So, who are they anyway?

Callie

Callie Newton is the host of The Dry Ground Project podcast and the marketing director for Lighthouse Transitional Care, an organization that cares for aged-out orphaned youth and leads them toward healthy adulthood through practical empowerment and Christian discipleship. She’s been living and working in Riga, Latvia since February 2020.

Callie met Jesus at a young age as a student at a Christian school. She strives to walk closely with Him, allowing His grace and mercy to influence her every step. 

Callie’s career has taken many twists and turns over the years. She taught herself to code at age 10 and studied journalism at the University of Missouri. But God gave her a heart for justice and for the nations. Callie’s first internship was at Index on Censorship’s quarterly journal where she documented instances of press censorship worldwide.

From there, she taught English in South Korea, wrote about the villainous industry of hydraulic fracturing for newspapers in Arkansas, and worked in marketing for The Southern Poverty Law Center and Oregon State University.

Callie began traveling to Latvia to teach English in 2015, started volunteering with the Lighthouse in 2017, and by 2019 it was clear that her future was with this work in Latvia.

She’s also a registered yoga teacher, and in her spare time, indulges in many hobbies including reading, writing fiction and poetry, fiber and visual arts, cooking, baking, weight lifting, roller blading and playing casual, cozy video games.

She lives with her husband Aaron—who also works with the Lighthouse—two dogs and one wobbly cat.

Amanda

Amanda Banister is the CEO & founder of Lighthouse Transitional Care and co-host of the Dry Ground Project podcast. She has worked seasonally in Latvia since 2009 and moved to the capital city, Riga, to work full time with orphaned children and young adults in 2016 after God gave her a heart for the fatherless.

Amanda is thankful to have grown up in the church and in connection with Jesus. From an early age she talked about becoming a missionary, a goal she pursued later in life. She can point back to many times where she has felt God’s calling on her life unquestioningly, and working alongside vulnerable youth and young adults as they navigate life is one such call.

Amanda earned bachelor’s degrees in anthropology and dance performance from Southern Methodist University in 2013. She pursued a career as a dancer, teacher and performer before moving overseas to begin life as a missionary. After a year of serving vulnerable children through an organization in Riga, she saw a gap in care for aged-out youth, and that’s where the dream for the Lighthouse began. She has become a passionate advocate for young adults aging out of state-run child care systems and wants to continue to lift up and listen to their voices.

When she isn’t advocating for young adults from foster care and orphanages, Amanda can be found teaching dance classes, drinking coffee, drawing, painting, or spending time with her husband, Landon, and their two dogs. 

Together, Amanda and Callie started The Dry Ground Project to connect with other professionals working with young adults aged out of orphanages and foster care around the world. It’s hard work, and community isn’t optional. Let’s keep going together.