Our History
Our organization, Joy in the Journey, started in March 2013. One of the Joy in the Journey (JITJ) leaders attended a conference for adoptive and foster moms in Atlanta, Georgia. It was at that conference that God placed the idea to bring a similar, smaller gathering to the Midwest. Quickly, God brought like-minded friends who felt the same calling together, and the Joy in the Journey ministry was born. In February 2014, the very first Joy in the Journey retreat took place.
Fast forward to 2020, when a group of foster and adoptive moms from Southern California attended the Missouri JITJ retreat and felt a pull to bring a retreat to Southern California. The CA team worked with the Missouri team to create this new extension on the West Coast. We have hosted 3 retreats in California since 2022 in Big Bear and Carlsbad, with increasing attendance from moms in and around California.
The retreat's success reflects its enduring relevance and impact within the foster, adoptive, and kinship community. Through the years, the team has aspired to stay true to the mission of the ministry as well as to be sensitive to the calling of the Holy Spirit. Joy in the Journey belongs to the Lord, and we are blessed to be His hands and feet by serving moms through the joys and challenges of motherhood. The Joy in the Journey ministry strives to fulfill the mission of connecting, educating, and encouraging these women through our weekend retreats.
