Joel Reyes was born in the country of El Salvador but emigrated to the United States because of the civil war afflicting his country. After five years in the United States he went to Canada where he attended Canadian Union College and graduated with a bachelors degree in secondary education.

Joel spent a year as a Student Missionary in Pohnpei, an island in Micronesia. It was there he met Jennifer Strube a fellow SM from Walla Walla College. Joel and Jenny continued their friendship after completing their missionary service in Micronesia. In 1992, after finishing college, Joel and Jenny got married.

Joel started his teaching career in his Canadian hometown of Edmonton, Alberta. After teaching for one year the Reyes moved to Texas where Joel taught middle school for the Weslaco Independent School District. While living in Texas the Reyes family was blessed with the births of their three children: Benjamin, Josue and Ashley.

After nine years in Texas, Joel accepted an invitation to work with the Oregon Conference. He worked as a school principal until in 2005 International Children’s Care invited Joel to join their ministry in El Salvador.

Jennifer and Joel are missionaries at heart; they confess it was the missionary spirit that attracted them to each other. They believe the Lord called them to the Hogar Escuela Adventista and feel that there is no better place to be than serving His kids in El Salvador.