Meet the Jenkins Family
Brad attended King College in Bristol, TN. and later The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY. Brooke attended the University of Alabama and Edison Community College in Ft.Myers, FL. Brad has served for more than two decades in several churches as a Student Minister and Brooke has been his partner in that since 1996. They spent the last 4 years before entering the vocational missions, in Birmingham, AL.
Brad and Brooke Jenkins and their children Jaden, Jake, and Abie Lynn were called as missionaries to the Dominican Republic in May 2008. They lived in the city of Puerto Plata on the north coast of the island and served under the umbrella of two different ministry organizations.
Their heart for the orphan or “street kid” led them to the DR and has opened doors to a wide-range of ministry opportunities. They are working in the area of community development as a means to combat the epidemics of poverty, under-development, orphans, and exploited people. Utilizing interns and multiple mission teams their vision to develop relationships with the locals and area pastors in order to evangelize, encourage sustainability, and develop opportunity for parents and children. Living on the island they gave oversight to an extensive program with interns and mission teams coming along side the Jenkins family to help meet some immediate needs of local Dominican villages in Puerto Plata, primarily focusing on Lo Coco, Maggiolo & Hoyo de los Puercos, and Munoz.
Some of these immediate needs to impact the communities are: discipleship of pastors and community leaders, clean water projects, shower projects, sports programs, education and community centers, helping to create jobs, or preaching in churches; of course, all of this with the goal of sharing the saving Gospel of Christ in the villages bringing reconciliation (or right order- 2 Corinthians 5:18-21) to personal and community life. Brooke’s heart is for the many prostitutes of all ages that contribute to the large numbers of children living on the streets. These women have never thought another income option was available to them in life or trusted the Lord with their lives. Identifying local, spiritually mature women who are able to instruct, share love, grace, and Christ’s story with these women is critical in bringing new opportunity and hope to them.
The Jenkins have been impassioned by the Lord to desire a hopeful future for the indigenous people of the DR; that they come to have relationship with the Lord. It is the desire of the Jenkins and Until They Know to assist the locals in realizing their goals of earned income and providing for their own needs. Through the utilization of short-term mission teams with long-term focus and partnerships with other ministries and missionaries, as well as businesses, they also hope to help equip the indigenous church to take the lead in community impact, so that opportunity becomes available for everyone through God-centered initiatives.
Until They Know, is a ministry put together by the Lord and started by the Jenkins that has resulted from experience. As in all things, God is unfolding His plans constantly. Many times we feel like we are reaching the end of an opportunity only to find it’s the real launch point of something else. This is the case with Until They Know. After spending several years serving under the umbrella of other organizations in the Dominican Republic as missionaries living on the ground, the Jenkins now take that experience and God’s invitation into the formation of Until They Know.
Please follow them on Facebook, Brad Jenkins, Brooke Reese Jenkins or Until They Know. Or on twitter or instagram at utk223.
