Zookeeper’s Ministries wouldn’t be possible without the incredible team of ladies God has brought together for the purpose of reaching women. Several of them have been with ZooKeeper’s from the beginning and are impassioned to see God bring Hope, Help and Harmony to Women’s Hearts and Homes!
Tami Carr
Board of Directors
Vice President of Operations
Writer for Daily Dose of Encouragement
Tami serves on the Board of Directors and is Vice President of Operations for Zookeeper’s Ministries. In addition, Brenda says, “She is absolutely my right arm! Her name should appear on the cover of Living in a Zoo? right alongside mine!” She has spent hundreds of hours praying, editing, brain storming, researching scripture and encouraging Brenda in the task to which the Lord has called her.
Tami has been with ZooKeeper’s ever since that first prayer meeting in 2001 when Brenda called her friends together saying, “I need you. You won’t believe what God is calling me to do.” After hearing what the ministry was all about she climbed on board with Brenda and has ridden over every bump in the road right along with her. As a matter of fact, Tami is one who named the ministry “ZooKeeper’s”.
As well as teaching the Living in a Zoo? study, Tami is trained as a Precept Bible Study leader. She has taught ladies Bible studies for over twenty years leading groups in several different areas of North and South Carolina. She is currently serving as Women’s Ministry Director at Life Community Church in Jamestown, NC where she and her husband, Darin, co-teach the MarriedLIFE Sunday School Class, a class full of young couples raising families of their own.
They’ve been involved in couples ministry for most of their married lives and are founders of Happily Ever After, a ministry dedicated to training and teaching couples God’s plan for marriage. Humor is definitely a factor in their own marriage. When asked how long they’ve been married, Darin’s typical response is, “10 wonderful years - 24 total!”
Tami’s primary passion in life is to know God and encourage other women to pursue a relationship with Him through His Word. She has experienced God’s faithfulness in the healing of a broken marriage and the return of a prodigal son.
Tami is available for speaking/teaching events and is willing and available to God to minister to women out of her own experiences as a wife, mother, mentor, and friend. You may contact Tami at: tami@zookeepersministries.com
Debra Spaugh
Board of Directors
Administrator
Debra is the valued administrator of ZooKeeper’s Ministries. She too has been with us since the very first meeting when this ministry was but a prayer. Her sweet, efficient, loyal, talented, always smiling face is the one you will encounter if you have any questions related to administration. We don’t even want to think about what this ministry would be like without her organized self! Her sweet spirit spills out all over everyone who crosses her path.
She has been married to husband Arnie for twenty-five years and has three children and one grandchild. Their oldest, Jessica, is married to Nick and they have one daughter, Maddie. Danielle, is a college senior at North Greenville Christian University and son Alex, is in 7th grade. Debra is a successful home-school mom, having home-schooled all three of her children and loved every minute of it!
Debra has been on staff at Life Community Church in Greensboro, NC as Nursery and Preschool Director for the last five years. She worked for many years in children’s ministry before joining the staff and has also worked with Ladies’ Ministry as administrator and on various special projects.
She is a true example of a Titus 2 woman, mentoring many of the young moms in her church. Her example of motherhood is legend and she is also a great example of what a homeschool Mom is all about.
For any questions concerning administration, bookkeeping, or product ordering, you may email Debra at: debra@zookeepersministries.com
Simone Martins De Sa
Portuguese Ministry - Stateside
Simone was born and raised in Campinas, Brazil. She met her husband Bobby at Agape Baptist Church in Campinas when both were just teenagers in the church youth group. They married in 2000 and came to the United States just three months later for Bobby to follow God’s leading to attend High Point University on a soccer scholarship. They have one daughter, Julia, who they say is a precious hand-full, so they know what “living in a zoo” is all about!
Besides her volunteer work as our Portuguese Ministry Administrator, Simone works for a major Real Estate Developer in Greensboro, NC, as Assistant to the VP of Construction and four project managers – so the girl knows how to organize! She translates all the materials for our Brazil ministry, including the daily devotionals, correspondence with our Brazilian sisters, the Portuguese website and any other translations needed on this side of the Atlantic. Her mother-in-law, Pat, heads up ZooKeeper’s Ministries-Brazil and all Zoorority Chapters in that country.
Ministry work has included working in her church children’s ministry while still in Brazil, and also here in the US, and with Chance International, a sponsorship ministry helping poor children in Brazil learn about Christ while developing Christ centered self-esteem to help them succeed in life.
She says, “I am a busy 28-year old mom, wife and professional who just like many women is still trying to become the woman that God intended for me to be! I heard a statement once before that I couldn’t agree with more: “Living life with God is not just slightly better, but it is absolutely better”.
I was blessed to have lived my first 19 years of life in Brazil where the foundation for what I have become was built. Life was complicated at times, but I continued to seek God’s direction and wisdom for each decision that I had to make because I’ve learned that even in the midst of this crazy zoo that life is, God has a special plan for me in my family, in my church and in this ministry. The desire of my heart is that service to this ministry will impact many women in Brazil who are striving to maintain life’s balance without pulling away from God’s principles.”
Simone brings so much talent, knowledge, and passion for souls to ZooKeeper’s and we are honored to have her working with us. If you know any Portuguese-speaking women looking for hope, help and harmony in their hearts and homes, Simone will be thrilled to help. You may contact her at: simone@zookeepersministries.com
Rita Reid
Military Ministry Coordinator
Rita’s heart’s cry is, “I love the Lord, “He heard my cry”.
Her whole life is a testimony to the life changing power of Jesus Christ and His Word. Her desire is to share His love and grace to other’s far and near and to help bring hope, help and harmony to women’s hearts and homes. That is what led her to become the National Military Ministry Coordinator for ZooKeeper’s.
Rita was first introduced to Brenda and ZooKeeper’s about four years ago while she and Desmond, her Marine husband of fourteen years, were stationed in Greensboro, NC. They started attending Life Community Church where Brenda attends. Shortly thereafter Rita signed up for the Living in a Zoo? study. Soon she began to see the Lord use the nine principles taught in the study to do incredible things in her own heart and life and she was hooked. Since that time it has been her heart to share those life changing principles with other women facing the incredible challenges of military life.
Since becoming part of the ZooKeeper’s Team, Rita has traveled to Colorado and Nicaragua with Brenda helping to establish ministries and Bible study groups.
She is working with base Chaplains to reach out to women and families in the military, set up a system where DVD classes are done in small home group settings to offer privacy, support and encouragement as they deal with the stresses of family life in the military. ZooKeeper’s is excited about the opportunity to give back to those who give so much to our country.
Rita has been married for fourteen years to Desmond, a Battalion Commander in the United States Marine Corps. She also has had over twenty years experience with the Corps, a portion of which included active service, and currently as a military spouse. She is the stay-at-home mother of their four year old daughter, Joanna, who is the image of her mother, in looks and personality!
They are currently stationed at Camp Lejune near Jacksonville, NC, and are active members of Centerview Baptist Church, where he serves as a deacon. She is involved with various church ministries including Ladies Bible studies, Children’s Ministry, Music, and VBS. She is actively involved with Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPs) and has worked as Assistant Activities Director for seniors at various Assisted Living Communities in North Carolina. She is a natural organizer and brings her talent to ZooKeeper’s with enthusiasm.
We are blessed to have Rita on our Team. You may contact her via email at: rita@zookeepersministries.com
Beverly Lussi
Military Ministry Assistant
Writer for Daily Dose of Encouragement
Beverly Lussi recently joined ZooKeeper’s Ministries in our Ministry to Military Women. We are all excited for the opportunity to minister to military families and Beverly is a great asset in this endeavor. She works alongside Rita Reid, Military Ministry Administrator to help bring Hope, Help and Harmony to women who have given so much to our country. She is also a writer for the ZooKeeper’s Daily Dose of Encouragement.
She has been a stay-at-home mom for most of her 32 plus years of marriage to her best friend, Emory. Having moved 15 times in 32 years, Beverly’s life has been anything but dull. She considers herself to be a very ordinary woman that has been blessed to be on an extraordinary journey with God. Some of that journey has included being a youth director, a house-parent at a children’s home, a home-school teacher for 12 years, Sunday School/Bible study teacher, Women’s Ministry Leader, Worship Leader/praise team member, EMT, and even a volunteer fireman. Whew! She certainly understands what Living in a Zoo? is all about!
As a pastor’s wife(and I might add, loving it immensely) for over 15 years serving in Missouri and Wyoming, Beverly’s journey took quite an unfamiliar turn when her pastor husband became a Navy Chaplain in 2001. With frequent moves being a part of the military life, Beverly felt led of God to launch her own women’s ministry in August 2009 which she calls WOW MOM Ministries - Women Of the Word, Mentors Of Many. She is available for speaking/teaching events, as well as consultation on how to begin a women’s ministry in your church.
Beverly and Emory are currently living in Jacksonville, NC, serving at the Marine Corp Air Station New River. They have three grown sons all presently serving in the armed forces, a teenage daughter still living at home, three Spartan daughter-in-laws , and six delightful grandkids! Life doesn’t get much better than that!
For more information on ZooKeeper’s Military Ministry you may email her at: beverly@zookeepersministries.com
Maria Gonzales
Spanish Ministry Administrator
Maria came on board with ZooKeeper’s in 2009 during the publication process of the Spanish version of Living in a Zoo? and boy was she a God-send! It has been amazing to watch how the Lord has brought team members at exactly the right time!
Her sweet sprit and love of the Lord and Kingdom work is contagious to all around her. She had a heart to bring the message of Living in a Zoo? to Spanish speaking women all around the globe.
She was an editor and proof reader for the Spanish Version translated for the Spanish website, Daily Dose of Encouragement devotionals, emails from Spanish speaking countries, and will travel with us on our mission trip to El Salvador in the spring of 2010 where the Zoo will be introduced for the first time.
She was born in Brazil and moved to New Orleans with her parents and three sisters when she was 14 years old. Both parents are Greek. Maria speaks 4 languages – all spoken at home (Greek, Portuguese, Spanish and English).
She has been married to Carlos for “26 wonderful years”, having met him in New Orleans after his family moved to the US from El Salvador during the Civil War in that country. They have a son – Lucas Gonzalez who is 20 years old. They have lived in Greensboro, NC for 14 years.
Aside from her work with ZooKeeper’s, Maria has worked with VF Corporation (Wrangler) for 10 years as Sales Coordinator to Hispanic retailers.
She has taught Sunday school classes to children and adults and coordinated children’s church. For the past 8 years she has been teaching English as a Second Language (ESL) at Life Community Church. At the time she moved to America her parents could not speak English, which is why she now has a heart to teach others the language to better equip them with daily life in America.
After years of feeling God’s call on her life, she and Carlos accepted an invitation to the Hispanic Church in New Orleans, and on that Sunday, she knew where she belonged. Two Sundays later they both accepted Jesus into our hearts and lives and got baptized. One month later she was teaching second graders Sunday School and continues teaching children to this day.
When asked what drew her to ZooKeeper’s Ministries, she says, “Besides Brenda begging…. (just kidding!!) What drew me to ZooKeeper’s is that - I love the Lord and it’s very hard to tell Him “no”. Philippians 3:10 says My determined purpose is that I may know Him, that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of His person. Also anything that has to do with women interests me.” Reach the Moms, reach the children!
For questions concerning our Hispanic Ministry you may email Maria at: maria@zookeepersministries.com