Early in 2026, Grace International School parent Jenny visited Texas and spoke with a group interested in serving overseas. One participant asked, “In other jobs, it’s easy to define success. How do missionaries define success?” Jenny answered, “I’d like to give you a different question: In light of the massive success of Jesus’ death and resurrection, how would you like to live?” Reframing that question describes what Jenny and her husband, Joey, have learned during their years serving abroad.
In 2003, Joey and Jenny left the US to reach university students in East Asia. There, they fell in love not only with one another but also with the people they served, and made it home. However, in 2020, they lost their home of 17 years. God had already put Chiang Mai on Jenny’s heart as a place their family could thrive. She had toured Grace International School and knew it welcomed students with learning differences. When they moved to Thailand in 2022, GIS became a place where all four children could thrive and feel a sense of belonging—two as full-time students and two in Grace Connect.
Currently, Joey and Jenny serve as area directors in their organization. Joey supervises teams in Asia, helping coworkers shape their teams and roles around the way the Lord has made them. Jenny supports their children’s education and helps other women thrive.
Joey admits he has deeply hurt others, including his wife during his early years of ministry. “It exposes how I’ve merely related to the gospel as one who shares it with others but not myself. I’m too eager to prove myself as a minister, all while neglecting to rest as our Father’s beloved child whose identity and worth are already secure in Christ.” This recognition shapes how he helps others navigate difficult situations.
In one instance, coworkers sought Joey’s advice after a local church leader reacted poorly to their feedback and requested a meeting. Joey encouraged them to meet in a neutral location rather than their home so they could leave if something went wrong. The caution was wise as the leader became hostile. Later, Joey helped them process what happened, recognizing that toxic leadership is rooted in the sin present in all of us—and that our only hope for change begins with the gospel of grace.
Experiences like this have led Joey and Jenny to embrace ministry from weakness. They believe healthy ministry teams and organizations are centered on the gospel of grace, and they long to see the broader culture of international Christian workers renewed by grace, too.
That vision is also why GIS’s mission resonates with them. “We find such beauty in that GIS is ‘committed to enabling families to serve, equipping students, and cultivating a diverse community,’” they share. “What a gift that allows us to likewise enable and empower others.”
By helping their family thrive, Grace International School enables Joey and Jenny to strengthen healthy ministry teams and help international Christian workers live and serve from the transforming grace of the gospel.
