| Staff Directory |
Fran Dwelle
As Founder and Director Emeritus of JOY International, Fran Dwelle connects with women of all ages and stages in life. She has always had a desire to encourage women to live well. She believes the best way to live well is by being a devoted follower of Jesus Christ.
Fran, her husband, and three daughters were involved in Christian missions in Eastern Europe for 15 years. They lived both in communist Yugoslavia (Croatia) and Vienna, Austria. Desiring international women to experience Christ’s love and grace, she and a team of her friends founded JOY International in Vienna.
Wanting to see North Dakota women share Christ’s love and grace with other women, she launched JOY International in Bismarck in 2006. She values and thanks God for the women on the leadership team and the many volunteers who share in the JOY ministry. She is excited about the plans to launch JOY Chapters in other cities in North Dakota.
Fran and her husband, Arland, currently live in Bismarck, North Dakota. Her Italian heritage may explain her love of music and Italian cooking. Playing piano is a favorite pastime. Walking by the Missouri River or having coffee with a friend are her favorite daytime activities. She enjoys travel, especially to visit her three adult daughters and their families. Her grandchildren are her pride and joy.
Experiencing God’s goodness is a constant help and comfort in Fran’s life, especially through some physical challenges. She believes that God works all things out for His good purpose. Fran cherishes each new day and looks forward to the future with hope and joy. Her theme verse is, “The Lord is my strength and my shield. My heart trusts in Him, and I am helped. Therefore my heart exalts, and with my song I’ll praise Him.” (Ps. 28:7)
Bonnie Estabrook
Bonnie has led JOY International as the Executive Director since 2017 and has been part of the JOY Leadership Team since 2006. She's been married to Pat for over 30 years and has three grown children and five grandchildren, all living in Bismarck. Family is very important to her, so much so that her family meets for Sunday dinner every week, just to hang out and share life.
Bonnie likes to joke that she is a jack of all trades and master of none. Her interests span motorcycle riding and snowmobiling to cross country skiing, photography and traveling. Bonnie has also operated a number of businesses (real estate, coffee shop, daycare) and has volunteered in many Christian ministries over the last 20 years. When it comes to putting her skills to use, she enjoys any role that involves settings up systems, procedures and policies.