Our Story
It might be hard to believe that we have more than 35 years of missions experience between the two of us, but that's what happens when one missionary kid marries another and they go back to the mission field within two months of getting married. It has been an incredible journey, but God has guided us every step of the way.
We grew up as MKs
Jay was born in Thailand and grew up in Laos and the Philippines. Emily first went to Belgium with her family when she was four years old. We were both blessed to witness first-hand the amazing ways that God moves on the mission field. We also learned at a young age the real challenges of missions and the great need for Christ in the world. Shortly after high-school, we met working at a training program for new missionaries and God-led us to walk life together as we follow Him.
We discovered a passion for missions
When we got engaged, we did not realize at first that we were being called into missions. But as we sought God's will for our lives and marriage, He made it clear that He has given us a passion for reaching the lost and the life experience to equip us for the challenges of overseas ministry. Within two months of our wedding, we were on the field and have been serving in missions ever since. We have become credentialed ministers and are taking classes to pursue ordination. Every day God provides new opportunities to learn and grow as we live out His calling for our lives.
We battled cancer
Five months after we arrived in Belgium, we found out Jay had a large cancerous tumor in his right thigh. After surgery and radiotherapy, we thought the cancer was gone, but in November 2022, it came back and Jay had to have chemo and more radiotherapy. During all of his treatment, we stayed in Belgium to continue serving in whatever capacity we could. In October 2024 during our itineration, we learned that the cancer is now in his lungs, and so we returned to Belgium in March 2025 to work with our medical team and for Jay to have more chemotherapy. We are having to return underfunded, but we are at peace knowing God's hand is over us and He will make a way!
We've seen God move
Throughout our entire missions journey, we have seen the faithfulness of God. We know that it is only through the grace of God and the prayer support of our friends and family that we have been able to endure and overcome our challenges. But God has blessed us abundantly and our greatest joy has been seeing ministry flourish and people come to know Jesus Christ. We would love to share these stories with you! Please get in touch to schedule a service or meeting.
