Crystal Davy
Chair
My name is Crystal Davy and I am the board chair for Juniper Refuge and the Worship Director at Grace Chapel here in Lincoln. I am married to my best friend Ben and I have three children, Addison (2008), Nora (2010) and Solomon (2014). I grew up in Mexico as a missionary kid, feeling like the luckiest person on the planet to have the adventures and friendships I experienced. From an early age, I saw firsthand the beauty of diverse peoples and the challenges of living cross-culturally. And when we have been God’s celebrated guests, how can we not turn around and welcome others into that same hospitality.
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Grace Chapel PCA
Amanda Trost
Vice President
I moved to Lincoln, NE for college (UNL), where I met my husband, Bryan. Together we are raising 4 active children and a rambunctious rescue pup. I love to travel, try new food, listen to live music and can usually be found in the stands at my kid’s sporting events.
I have always felt that hospitality has been a passion and calling on my life. Being a part of Juniper Refuge has given me the opportunity to expand that definition in the context of God’s command to love the stranger (Matt. 25:34-40). I am honored and blessed by the relationships I have made with refugee and immigrant families in our community!
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Lincoln Berean
Susan Meckel
Treasurer
During our 25 years in Lincoln, my husband Clyde and I have raised three children, now all adults. I enjoy meeting people from different cultures, and love eating and cooking a variety of international foods, especially Indian and Middle Eastern cuisines. Having been involved in various local and international ministries, I am happy to be able to serve refugees and immigrants in our community through Juniper Refuge.
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Zion Church PCA
Anand Titus
director
My name is Anand Titus, and I am the husband to an amazing woman, the father of two incredible children, and a faculty member at the University of Nebraska. I am a member of Grace Chapel, and I believe that the need for community is deeply woven into our inner fabric. I am also the son of immigrants, and hope that I can be a part of a community that extends the kind of hospitality my parents received when they arrived in this country.
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Grace Chapel PCA
Tim Branum
Co-founder, Director
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Grace Chapel PCA
Nikki Long
Executive Director
I am a wife and mother from southeast Georgia, where I was born and raised. I married my husband Dave at a young age, and we have grown up together following Jesus wherever He leads. After college we moved to North Africa, and have moved every two years since with our two daughters in tow, living also in East Africa and northern Iraq. We landed in Lincoln in 2017, when my husband received an invitation to work at UNL. I was brought into ministry again in 2018 with Juniper Refuge, where it has been a privilege to work with refugee and immigrant families. If you’re interested in exploring how you can be a part of our mission, shoot me a text at 912-324-9742, and I would love the chance to connect!
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Grace Chapel PCA
Shanda Fujan
Volunteer & Program Manager
I have been working with Juniper Refuge for almost a year, living in Lincoln and loving the opportunities to pour into this community! After earning my degree in Art Therapy from Concordia in 2021, and a year of teaching and barista-ing, I’ve been working full-time in this position and recently added a part-time graduate program to for Clinical Mental Health Counseling. I am very excited to see how my studies and passions will inform the work I do with Juniper Refuge and serving the refugees in this community. The part of my job I love most of all is getting to know people like YOU, and equipping and then matching volunteers with refugee families to foster a mutually beneficial and long-term friendship. Interested in getting involved with Juniper Refuge? I might be your first contact!! Reach me at shanda@juniperrefuge.com to learn more about what God’s doing around here!
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Grace Chapel PCA
Diane Brown
Refugee & Resource Liaison
I am honored to join the incredible Juniper Refuge team as the Refugee and Resource Liaison! My husband, Jeff and I spent 17 years investing our lives in four different countries with our two children. From the Costa Rican Ticos, to Caracas, Venezuela; Chiang Mai, Thailand, to the United Arab Emirates where our kids went to schools with other kids from all over the world and we truly formed our community, including worshipping with people from across the globe. Our lives were richly blessed by becoming friends with internationals who took the time to help us initially, and become lifelong friends in the process. I know what it feels like to be a foreigner/nomad here on earth, longing for “home”. It’s such a privilege to be able to extend this hospitality to our newly arrived neighbors, and walk with other Lincolnites as we all look forward to our Heavenly Homeland (Hebrews 11:13-16)
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New Life Church
Kris Eubanks
Finance manager
I was born and raised in Southern California but the Lord led my husband Brian and me to Lincoln in 2013- I love it here! Although we don’t have any biological children, we are foster parents to a teenage girl as well as “dog parents” to our adopted pup, Julian, and foster pup, Prim. I am deeply involved with my church community and especially enjoy spending time with the youth ministry where I lead a small group of 9th grade girls (my baby chicks). I was first introduced to Juniper Refuge through a class I attended called Perspectives on the World Christian Movement. God used this course to open my eyes and heart to HIS heart for people of all nations. My hunger to be used for the advancement of His kingdom grew, and when my church partnered with JR to mentor a refugee family, I jumped at the opportunity! My relationship with these refugees has been a beautiful outlet for the overwhelming gift of empathy that God has given me. Now as the Finance Manager at JR, He has blessed me with yet another opportunity to use my God-given gifts for His glory, and I am so thankful!
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North Pointe Community Church
Sommer Waite
Administration, communications, and program coordinator intern
My name is Sommer Anna Octavio Waite. I graduated from UNL with a degree in Communications and minors in theatre and dance. My mom’s love for people, all over the world, was contagious from a very young age; my impetus for decisions to teach English for two summers overseas and live in an international dorm in college. I have been married for 24 years to my husband Andy, aka “soccer mom”. I am a proud “girl mom” to four vivacious daughters: Gracia (21), Tula, (19), Scout (16), and Mosley (11). I am (I need a cheat sheet) the Administration, Communications, and Program Coordinator for Juniper Refuge. I am thankful to have many precious women at JR holding my hand and linking arms with me in this new position. In the always wise words of Tim Keller, “I have been scandalously saved and that turns me into an agent of social healing.” I sincerely declare that this is my dream role!
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Redeemer PCA
