Meet Brandt and Lanie-Joy and their sweet children, Jaxon, Boaz, and Rilla-May.
How did they meet? Picture a family fridge filled to bursting with keepsake school work and a plethora of prayer cards. The Whatley family (including little Brandt) had a permanent place for their prayer card on the Smith family fridge.
Some of Brandt’s earliest memories are from the middle of a remote stone age people group, eating grubs and watching wide-eyed as his parents engaged with a people who lived day to day in fear. Fear of the spirits controlled every facet of life for these people, fuelling murder, sickness, and blood rituals that brought the people to the brink of extinction.
Meanwhile, in North America, Lanie-Joy thought it only made sense for her to marry one of the little boys on her fridge if she wanted to be a missionary herself. Our stories, yours included, are filled with evidence like this, pointing to the handiwork of a kind and faithful Father who is near and working all things for our good and His glory.
As Brandt transitioned from life within the jungle, to life in an Asian city, to live in North America, he found the Lord’s promises to be true in every context. These same promises hemmed Lanie-Joy in as the Lord wove His handiwork through her life. Saved at an early age during her parents’ divorce, the provision of believing family and church family proved a sweet gift of grace. While serving as a camp counsellor years later, Lanie-Joy recognized that the stability and deep-rooted peace found in Christ alone, is not a reality for much of the world.
With these people in mind, Brandt and Lanie-Joy pursued training with Ethnos Canada. Laying a foundation for ministry included two years at Ethnos360 Bible Institute and two years of specialized missionary training at Ethnos. The promises and faithful track record of the Lord stood firm even as Brandt and Lanie-Joy experienced difficulties. God taught them to wait on Him in the midst of financial difficulty, health issues, Brandt’s injuries after a serious motorcycle accident, and now as they serve in Arctic Canada among the Inuit.
Brandt & Lanie-Joy Whatley
