About Jayn Parenti

I started life as a missionary kid in the Philippines, where my parents taught my brother and me the national language, Tagalog, so we could love people as naturally as possible. Their desire was simple and sincere: to communicate with people in an authentic, everyday way. Those early years shaped my understanding of faith, service, and what it means to live with an open heart.

My father, Harold Chilton, had already lived a remarkable first chapter. In the late 1930s he was an accomplished jazz musician, arranging for dance bands and performing before audiences while still in school. He joined the Marine Corps early in World War II, and during those years God began to take hold of his life. Through many faithful people who “watered and fed” the tender plant of his faith, he offered everything—life, talent, time, and treasure—to the Lord. Soon he fell in love with a woman who shared the same devotion, and together my parents served wherever God placed them. That commitment shaped our home and became the backdrop of my childhood.

My parents poured themselves into ministry—teaching, visiting remote villages, and helping establish what would become Faith Academy, in Manilla, a school that still impacts families today. I watched them serve with joy and courage, and I learned that trusting God often means stepping forward even when the future feels uncertain. As I wrote, “I saw first-hand what it meant to trust the Lord… even when it was frightening and the future unsure.”

When we left the mission field in the early 1960s, music continued to weave itself through our family life. Near the beginning of the 1970s, my brother formed a band called Children of Light during the early Jesus People Movement in Southern California, and I joined him. You might say I cut my musical teeth there—learning to build intricate harmonies, experimenting with arrangements, and beginning to write music that would later grow into my own compositions. Those years taught me to speak and sing with purpose, and to see every gathering—large or small—as a place to plant seeds of hope.

Eventually, I studied musical theater, recorded gospel music, toured, taught children’s choirs, directed performances, and—of all things—started a catering business. Proof that there’s hope for everyone… I didn’t start really cooking until I was in my forties. Through every season, one truth stayed constant: wherever God places you, that very place becomes your mission field.

Now retired, my husband Paul and I have turned our hearts toward a new season—one that includes sharing the stories of Global Workers around the world. Hearts for the Harvest was born from prayer, curiosity, and a desire to help families connect with real people serving in real places. My hope is that this book encourages families, strengthens churches, and most of all, blesses the global workers who have gone out to “make disciples of all nations”.

At its core, my story is about loving God first, loving people well, and trusting that every seed planted—no matter how small—can grow into something beautiful. Writing has become a final passion, and there are more books in my heart—each one different from the last. Through stories of missions, ministry, theater, art, music, and food, God has allowed me to meet people who are hurting, searching, hoping, and longing for beauty in His creation.

So this is retirement: meeting with people, sharing my stories, laughing at myself when needed, and offering whatever encouragement the Lord puts in my hands. I don’t have all the answers—just a lifetime of lessons, a grateful heart, and a desire to point people back to the One who has carried me every step of the way.