About Us

Oi, gente! 

JD and I wanted to give a little more background information on who we are, what we believe, and where we believe God is sending us!

Who we are...

Britt's Story:

• I was born in the NE United States, but was raised in SW Missouri. I grew up as part of an amazing family of two parents and five (to seven) siblings. Why the range in siblings, you ask? My family was a foster family from the time I was 4 until I was almost 15. During that time, we took in approximately 100 children from our county, and I can honestly say it was a huge influence on who I became. We also gained two of my siblings from the foster care system, and I can't imagine life without them. They're also a huge part of why I feel so motivated to do the work we feel we are called to. I know what an impact the love of a family can be to children without one, and I know that He has called us to show this love to the people of Brasil.
• As far as other details of my life go, I graduated from Missouri State University in 2015 with a BS in Elementary Education! After graduation, I taught junior high math and elementary computers for two years in a small, rural school near my hometown. I taught and lived in town on my own for approximately a year before JD joined me, and it has been such a fun experience to live in such a small community for the last couple years. 
• I can't remember a time when I didn't consider myself to be a Christian, but I didn't really claim my faith as my own until I was a freshman or sophomore in college when I was baptized. After a major life change, I began searching for a church home and found my now home church, Northside Christian Church, in Springfield, MO. 
• I had never been on a mission trip until JD and I visited Recife in 2016. It was a blast, and I fell in love with Brasil and its people on that trip. I can't wait to return and love on the people there.

JD's Story:

• I grew up as a PK in a family with 6 siblings. I accepted Christ around the age of 5 or 6 and was baptized a few years later. Since I was young, I have been actively involved in my local church or in various ministries serving in multiple capacities - everything from cleaning toilets to preaching and teaching.
• In 2008, I began attending the Global School of Supernatural Ministry (GSSM) and part of their curriculum was a mission trip to Brasil. The trip was powerful, but I didn’t see myself going into missions because of it. But when I returned home, I felt like part of me was missing. I spent time in prayer and in conversation with a close friend and mentor, and in that, I discovered a true heart for missions and service towards the people of Brasil.
• I have been playing the drums since I was 13 or 14. I’m not sure why I began learning how to play them, but I’ve always had an interest in them. When I was 15 or 16, I began playing the drums at various church functions and really enjoyed it. I currently play at Dayspring Church when given the opportunity! Learning how to play created an appreciation for music and music production, along with recording, and it has now created an avenue for me to help produce 3 different albums for Shores of Grace’s founders.
• I currently work for a truck fabrication company in Springfield, MO, and I really enjoy the challenges it brings.

How we met...

JD and I have a really interesting background together. We have really known each other for almost all of our lives (without even knowing it). Our families went to church together in upstate New York when we were kids. The picture below is of us (Britt - two year old on the left, JD - seven year old in the beanbag chair) at my Aunt's house in NY! We didn't know this picture existed until a few months ago! 

We met again (as our adult selves) in November 2015 at my family's Thanksgiving get-together. My Aunt was consistently trying to play Matchmaker during the time before we met, and we were consistently trying to turn her down. We didn't want to be set up - at all. But, of course, that isn't how the story ended. After about a month of hanging out together with my family, JD and I went on our first date. A week later, we were "official," and had basically already decided to get married in the very near future. Not anything we expected or would have planned, but isn't that how the best God stories go? We dated for about six months before we got engaged during our trip to Recife (!!!!) and were married less than 3 months later at the farm where JD lived when he first moved to Missouri. A beautiful, swirling, magnificent whirlwind of an almost-year to begin our lives, and we couldn't be more grateful for it.