When making major decisions in life, Joy Caro always consults God.
“I am quiet, and I listen for God to guide me,” she said. “And He speaks to me through a sense of peace, or when the same message gets repeated. Then I know.”
Joy, the new divisional sergeant-major (DSM) for the North & Central Illinois Division and one of its representatives on the Territorial Soldiers’ Forum, asked God if she should take the position.
“I prayed. Then a song came on the radio about being a leader. And I spoke with Mark Bender [NCI assistant divisional sergeant-major], and he thought I would be a good DSM. Hearing those affirmations is how God spoke to me,” Joy recalled.
Studying God’s Word is also an important part of Joy’s life.
“For me, reading God’s Word is important to my faith because it is how I learn who God is,” she said. “I learn and I review His promises for my life, and I am reminded of His faithfulness.”
Joy brings a lifelong commitment and decades of service to this appointment.
She grew up in a family of 10 children. They attended the Aurora, Ill., Corps where Joy took part in sunbeams and accepted Jesus as her Savior when she was a junior soldier.
As she grew up, attending divisional and territorial camps became a passion for Joy.
“Camp was a place where I felt worry-free,” she said.” I was in a mental space to start focusing on God.”
Joy and her husband Adan have three sons, Jonathan, Adrian and Benjamin, who all attend the Aurora Corps where Joy now serves as the young people’s sergeant-major. She helps plan and oversee youth programming, leads some youth groups and helps youth get to and from camp in the summer. She spends a few weeks every summer volunteering at Wonderland Camp.
Joy uses her faith every day as a special-education teacher at an elementary school. She teaches students who have severe developmental delays, concentrating on academics, along with teaching social, functional and language skills.
“My faith gives me the power to love the children,” Joy said. “It helps me with patience too.”
She said that being very social and being able to speak Spanish are assets in her role with the Soldiers’ Forum.
“I have a background in communications. And I know enough Spanish to have conversations with people,” Joy said. “That will help me in being able to listen to what soldiers in the division have to say and to bring those concerns to the forum.”
And just as she looked to God for help in deciding to take on this role, Joy says she’ll look to Him for guidance as she serves.
“I am excited to see what God does through me in this division,” she said. “I am excited to get to know more people in my division and help in any way I can.”
Click here to learn more about the forum.
