Julie Garrett
Director and Secretary
Of the many and varied jobs Julie has had, including being a dairy maid at DQ, a legal secretary and an administrative assistant to name a few, her most cherished “jobs” are that of mother to two wonderful grown daughters who love the Lord, and wife for 29 years to Keenan, her fun, generous, loving husband who loves the Lord. Most recently, Julie has become a children’s book author, releasing Otter in the Water in 2020.
Julie and Keenan began sponsoring GSM children in 2011. In 2019 and 2020, Julie traveled to eSwatini with Tracy and Becky – and is somewhat impatiently anticipating the day she can return! She fell in love with everyone there, children and adults alike! They are PRECIOUS people! While in eSwatini, she was overjoyed to meet her currently sponsored girl and, in a God-designed interaction, also got to meet a previously sponsored girl.
Pattie Yates Belden Director
Pattie has vast experience as a court mediator, foster parent recruiter, parent/adolescent dispute resolution counselor, teaching prospective foster and adoptive parents, family support worker for family reintegration, and an advocate for sexual assault and domestic violence, to name just a few. She has raised funds for many projects and nonprofits, as well as coordinating countless special events. And oh, boy, can she ever cook! (Which she has done for many of our fundraisers!) She has plenty of experience after raising six children (including Becky) and loving on over 80 grandchildren and great-grandchildren from her home in Hutchinson, KS. She is one of our founding directors.
Our Board of Directors
We are thankful for our committed, experienced board that allow us to operate with accountability, affirming our compliance with purposes and practices that promote integrity. God has put together an
amazing group of people;
we hope you enjoy this glimpse into their hearts.
Becky Spencer
Co-Founder
and Executive Director
Becky's desire to teach showed up early in life when she would line up her five younger siblings and give them spelling words and math problems to solve. Her first mission trip was to a reservation in Arizona with her youth group, where they taught Vacation Bible School. Sure enough, she earned her degree in elementary education, with an emphasis in English and music. The call to help children carried over into her marriage; she and her husband Tracy adopted four children in addition to rearing four birth kids. All ten of them have been on other mission trips. But as a singer/songwriter, an author, a speaker, and a certified Christian lay counselor--and even as they open their home to guests in their bed and breakfast in Buhler, KS--Becky knows our mission field is wherever we put our feet. And one of her greatest joys is sharing Jesus with her grandchildren--27 and counting!
Tracy Spencer
Co-Founder and Director
Tracy holds a three-year certificate of completion from a Bible college and serves as a lead man in his department as a CNC operator/machinist. The Lord put the call in his heart over 30 years ago that he would be a father to many more than he could see at the time. He's served with Becky on mission trips to inner-city Chicago, Mexico, and Africa. But he had no idea how God would fulfill that calling by allowing him to be a father figure to the children of eSwatini, who have captured his heart.
PHOTO & BIO COMING SOON
Lisa Barland
Director and Treasurer
Cindy Hogan
Director
Cindy has spent her career in special education as a school psychologist for the last 30 years, so enjoying and helping children is near and dear to her heart. She and her husband enjoy sharing their country home and property in Little River with friends and family, in addition to gardening, tending the farm critters, and experimenting in homesteading recipes, practices and projects—lots and lots of projects. She also enjoys beekeeping, listening to audiobooks, and discussing them with her book club. Cindy is a member of First church of God in Hutchinson, and serves with her husband as an usher/greeter, which is her favorite form of social media! She hopes to travel to eSwatini in the near future to meet and serve the adults and children in Africa that Grand Staff Ministries is striving to support!
Copyright Becky Spencer Ministries 2012