Jen
Jen Chase is passionate about Jesus and serving Him through her capacity as a parent, High School Counselor, and team member of The Joy in the Journey ministry. She is married to her best friend who also happens to be her high school sweetheart and together they have the privilege of raising their three children, one of whom was adopted from Ethiopia.
Karla
Karla Jackson has a heart for serving others. She is married to her high school sweet heart, Jeremiah, and they have 6 children (four bio and two adopted through foster care) and one grandson. She loves Jesus, spending time with family and friends, traveling, and has the privilege of working from home as an implementation specialist for a phonics company. Serving others brings joy to her heart and she feels honored being a part of Joy in the Journey ministry.
Bekah
Bekah loves celebrating people. She is the Special Needs Minister at their home church, a homeschool momma, and wife to her best friend. They have 4 kids, with adoption/guardianship being the bookends of their little family. As a family it is their joy to serve, love and laugh with people. The Behnkes have no greater passion than to share the goodness of God and praise His authorship of their family.
JOY TEAM
Krystal
Krystal Unrein is passionate about people knowing they belong. She has had a heart for vulnerable children since she was young & by the grace of Jesus has come to have the same heart for vulnerable families. She is the Connections Director at her home church. She & her husband have a daughter adopted through foster/kinship care & a biological son. They love coming alongside foster & biological families with the hope of the gospel.
Jenny - CA
Jenny Morgan finds so much hope in how the Lord sees and knows us all - every single detail! She and her husband have two daughters who were adopted through foster care, and they enjoy camping and exploring God's creation together. Jenny handles operations and all things admin for her husband's engineering firm. In her spare time she enjoys journaling with a good cup of coffee, riding her horse and backpacking with a crew of other adventurous mamas.
Ruthie
Ruthie Bond loves to celebrate the little things. Her family’s journey with kinship and foster care, disability diagnoses, and adoption motivated her to pursue her degree in Special Education. Together, the Bond family has moved states, faced the beautiful heartache of reunification, and experienced the joy of adoption and homecoming. All by the unending goodness and love of Jesus, her family, now of eight, serves the Church— living the truth that making a home is Ministry.
Jessica - CA
Jess Petrencsik loves coming alongside people and lifting up their arms as they pursue their calling. She is a storyteller who finds beauty in broken places and shines light where God is transforming pain into purpose. As the mother of four kiddos through independent, open adoption, Jess is especially committed to growth - despite how hard it is - and to centering her family's narrative on what God is doing through challenges. To recharge, she does creative stuff or heads into nature for hiking or backpacking.
Amy
Amy Penn is a recent college graduate and works at Christ In Youth in Joplin, Missouri. She loves gospel. She is passionate about music, and glorifying the Lord through song. Amy is originally from Oregon where her family currently resides. She is the only biological child in the Penn family and in 2008 her two sisters were adopted from Haiti. In 2020, Amy’s cousin moved into their home. The Penn’s are a unique family with different personalities, skin colors, abilities, and last names, but through the kindness of Jesus he has made them whole.
Karin - CA
Karin Wright is a mom to four kids - two bio boys and two girls adopted from foster care. She lives in Southern California with her kids, husband and their dog, Cody. Most weekends you will find her cheering at a kids sporting event or on a family outing to Costco. Karin is a special education teacher, specializing in Deaf Education. Given a moment to herself (lol), you'll find her reading, thrifting or crafting.