Joanie was born in St. Louis, Missouri, and she is the second oldest of four children. She was raised Catholic and grew up practicing her faith, but did not know there was more in store for her. She graduated from high school in 2022 and felt lost after deciding not to go to college that year, but then an opportunity to serve on a mission trip to General Cepeda, Mexico, came up—that was the first time she encountered Jesus in the poor.

Growing up, she always wanted to help people in some way, but never knew that foreign missions were around the corner. In the summer of 2023, she decided to join Family Missions Company as an intern to learn more about the amazing opportunities FMC has available. After her internship in 2023, she felt the Lord calling her into missions full-time, but she was so afraid and wasn’t quite ready to say ‘yes’ to the Lord in 2024. In that year, she learned so much about herself and how much the Lord loves her and how His presence is all around her.

In December, she was asked to come back to FMC and help with childcare for the missionaries coming off the field—it was during that week helping with the kids and being back around the community that she was able to see Jesus’ love for her in a radical way. That week, her aunt asked her to come back to FMC and help with childcare for the upcoming missionaries. She felt that being asked to come back to FMC was a sign from God calling her into a season of healing. After saying ‘yes’ to the Lord, she moved back to Louisiana and helped with childcare. During her time back, she felt the Lord calling her back into a discernment of full-time missions. She reached out to FMC and then applied to become a full-time missionary. She plans to continue growing in her relationship with Jesus. She is excited to see what the Lord has in store for her during this new season of healing and preparation for missions.

“I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5).