God has been growing and stretching us into His image and likeness for the sake of His offer of salvation. It will forever amaze us that Jesus, in all His perfect beauty and righteousness, would choose humans to be His arms and legs, His mouth and thoughts, His eyes and ears, to a world in need of Him. And so He sends us.

Joe grew up with Seventh-day Adventist parents who read him mission stories. At an early age, a deep desire grew within him to go into other lands and tell of the wondrous love of Jesus. Through his interactions with missionary kids, he appreciated the impact of cross-cultural missions on his life and those around him. The tug of missions would not depart from his heart. So the growth process began.

I was four years old when an earth tremor in my Seventh-day Adventist childhood home created the greatest sense of the coming of Jesus. At this tender age, I believed that I would go to heaven with my parents, side-by-side, and that my Dad was actually Jesus. However, the tremor happened on a day when Mom and Dad were not home, and my spiritual questions began to look for the Answer. At 11, I prayed that I would go and serve as a cross-cultural missionary. Years later, God providentially guided me to serve as a missionary in a creative access country. More growth spurts!

As young single adults, Joe and I providentially met the late Bruce Moyer and learned from him about missions in the 10/40 window and among the unreached. These opportunities were roots firmly embedded in our growth journey.

Joe earned his Doctorate in Strategic Leadership, and I earned my Ph.D. in Strategic Communication from Regent University, USA, in 2021. We have been privileged to work as professionals in 12 countries on four continents. Through much study and wide travel, and as tentmakers, we have sought to share the gospel with people we meet. We are certain of God’s call to cross-cultural missions, and so, our growth journey continues.

Join us next month to learn how we answered our call.

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