Jayn Parenti

Jayn Parenti was born in the Philippines to missionary parents who modeled the heart of missions and instilled in her a deep love for music. After moving to Southern California, her father was called to the pastorate, while her mother became a teacher, artist, and curriculum writer for Vacation Bible School programs and Christian schools, as well as a chaplain for youth in the prison system. During her early teenage years—spent amid the “Jesus People” movement—Jayn and her brother formed a group called Children of Light. Gospel music remained a central part of her life for the next thirty years. After releasing her first album in 1984, she embarked on a speaking and singing tour, during which she fell in love with the Ozark Mountains. When Jayn and her husband, Paul, “officially retired,” they moved permanently to the Ozarks. They opened a catering company that eventually specialized in serving corporate and private aircraft for regional and international flights. Her passion for global cuisine flourished, inspiring her to compile and write recipes adapted for her “American” kitchen. Jayn and Paul now live in northwest Arkansas and have a blended family of four grown children, eight grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren. Her father—the one who first inspired her heart for missions—also resides in the area. At the remarkable age of one hundred three, he continues to teach Bible studies on Sundays and still plays a lively jazz piano.

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