Fort Carson, ColoradoHaving so fond an affection for you, we were well-pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God but also our own lives, because you had become very dear to us.
1 Thessalonians 2:8
Joel met The Navigators at the Naval Academy, and Donna met them in graduate school at North Carolina State University and spent several years on collegiate staff. Donna and Joel married and were involved with The Navigators throughout their military career. After retiring from the Marines in 2004, Joel went on staff with The Navigators in order to pass on the help he had received from The Navigators while on active duty.
We have had the privilege of helping young Army men, women and families here at Ft. Carson, grow in their relationship with Christ. These soldiers and families spend time in our home, in the Word, and have become dear to us and our family. We minister in many facets from helping soldiers and families prepare for deployments, encouraging them while deployed and helping them to transition and heal upon their return. We have watched these soldiers and families learn to walk with Christ and reach out to others in need through all the challenges of military life.
The military lifestyle is mobile; we only have a short time to care for, invest in, and love these dear ones before they are moved to other parts of the world. When they go, they take with them the experience and the skill to pass on the love of Christ to others.
It is an exciting place and time to minister and watch the Gospel of Christ advance into the world!
