JOY DASHER

Hi, I’m Joy! I grew up in a little town called Pueblo in southern Colorado. My parents raised us in church and instilled the importance of faith into everything we did. It was not until the age of 17 that I began choosing whether or not Jesus was someone I truly believed in or just something my parents told me to believe in. Never in my wildest dreams could I have begun even to comprehend what saying yes at that moment and moving forward in faith would mean for the rest of my life. I’ve volunteered with a foster home for children who have disabilities in China, helped run a Christian film ministry in Colorado, and most recently, been working full time to finish my bachelor's degree.
I have always looked at life as chapters in a story. The last four years have felt like a multi-book series where the Lord has shone through in the darkest moments time and time again. Yet somehow, it feels like each step has led up to this moment. After the loss of multiple family members, close friends, difficult job hurdles, doubts, and endless questions, each moment seems to have led me here, choosing to take a step forward through each open door in faith that the Lord will continue to lead me. Every dream that felt like it was impossible, or like I was too late in the game to finish, or like it was not practical enough is still in front of me. The God I believe in is not a dream killer, but instead, One who stands holding open the door if we can only trust in Him.
I believe that the first step through an open door is the Mountain Gateway Academy. I am trusting that whatever lies at the end will be made clear through each step of it. I could not be more excited for what is to come.