The Travel App With a Mission to Solve Spiritual Isolation: How HelloFellow Connects Christian Women Solo Travelers To A Church Community Away From Home
- Jun 7
- 3 min read
By Niqueea Sykes
I was sitting alone in my Airbnb in South America on a Sunday morning, desperately Googling "churches with English services near me." I'd been traveling solo for six months, and every week I went through the same routine: search for a church, come up empty, and spend another Sunday feeling spiritually isolated.
That morning, something shifted. I posted about my struggle on social media, and within hours, hundreds of Christian women responded saying, "I've felt this exact same way." Women who traveled for work. Women who relocated abroad for school. Women who moved to new cities and couldn't find their church home.
That's when the Holy Spirit gave me the idea for HelloFellow—a faith-based travel app that would help Christian women stay spiritually connected no matter where in the world they go.
The problem? I had zero coding experience and no cofounder.
But I felt called to build it anyway.
Starting From Scratch
I'm not going to pretend it was easy. It was one of the hardest things I've ever done. I spent 11 months teaching myself how to code and hitting walls I didn't know how to get around.
There were so many moments when I wanted to quit. Moments when I thought, "Maybe I'm not the person to build this. Maybe I should just hand this idea off to someone who actually knows what they're doing."
But every time I thought about quitting, I remembered sitting alone in that Airbnb.
I remembered the hundreds of women who reached out to me. And I remembered that God doesn't call the equipped—He equips the called.
So I kept going. I documented the entire messy, beautiful journey on social media. I navigated the Apple Developer Program solo. And somehow, I made it to the finish line.
What HelloFellow Does
HelloFellow is the first faith-based travel app designed specifically for Christian women. It connects women solo travelers with:
Church communities abroad: Find biblically sound churches with English services wherever you go
IRL fellowship: Connect with other Christian women travelers and locals in your area for in-person community
It's the app I desperately needed when I was traveling. And on June 12th,2026, it launches in the Apple App Store.
The Legacy I'm Building
I'm building something for the next generation of Christian women who want to explore the world without compromising their faith. I'm building something for the women who move to new cities and need to find their church home. I'm building something for the women who feel spiritually isolated and don't know where to turn.
This app is my way of making sure no Christian woman ever has to choose between exploring the world and staying spiritually grounded. It's my way of saying, "You're not alone. Your faith matters. And there's a community waiting for you wherever you go."
What I Learned
If you're sitting on an idea right now because you don't feel qualified, let me tell you what I learned: obedience is more important than ability.
God didn't call me to build HelloFellow because I was qualified. He called me because He knew I'd be obedient. Your calling isn't contingent on your résumé. It's contingent on your willingness to say yes even when you have no idea what you're doing.
Start before you're ready. Build messy. Trust that God will equip you for what He's called you to. And know that the legacy you're building matters more than you think.
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