Joel and Tammy have been missionaries proclaiming the love of Christ in the nations for over 28 years.
They started in Europe and then God used professional basketball to allow them to live in a closed country in the Middle East for ten years. After being detained by the police, deported, and blacklisted for life, Joel and Tammy felt called to the nation of Nepal. Commissioned in January, 2009, by Heidi Baker, they began to pioneer an Iris Global base in Nepal. They moved there with four children and began caring for widows and orphans, loving the poor and homeless of Kathmandu, and going to the most remote, unreached places in the Himalayas to preach the gospel and plant churches.
They currently have a children’s home with 20 kids and a transition center for the 12 children who are over 18 years old. Seven of those children have graduated into adulthood!
They’ve built a drug and alcohol rehabilitation farm for homeless men who struggle with addiction called The Freedom House. They have feeding programs, health programs, and daily share the gospel and pray for people on the streets of Kathmandu. Their vision is to start an Iris Missions School of the Himalayas in 2024 to train and send out fiery missionaries to Tibet, China, and India.
