Who We Are

Our Story
Hello! My name is Ana Paula and I thank you for taking the time to read about Joy of Living Club.
I have been working as a Nurse Practitioner for 6 years in an Internal Medicine/Geriatric Clinic in Cypress and it has been a beautiful journey. Every day I pray that God will use me as his instrument to touch lives. By being a NP, I get to treat physical problems but sometimes symptoms occur because of a much deeper spiritual problem that hides in someone’s heart.
Most of our patients are over 70 years of age and we had unfortunately 3 patients that committed suicide in the last 3 years.
I am married to Alberto Prieto and for 4 years we battled infertility. We tried to give Amelia a brother or sister without success. I had surgery, took different medications without using IVF and saw several doctors who evaluated me without receiving a definite diagnosis for infertility. Some told me our only option was IVF.
Albert and I chose not to take that route but rather tried to adopt through the fostering program from a Christian agency here in Houston. We applied for many children and received very few calls for us to take care of those children. We understood that God didn’t want that journey for us.
During lent in 2023, I was invited to a spiritual retreat where from the beginning of it, I was asked these 3 questions.
What suffering do you want to leave behind? I responded INFERTILITY
What hope do you have from this retreat? I responded to UNDERSTAND WHY GOD IS NOT LETTING US HAVE MORE CHILDREN
And what fear do you have? I responded DO WHAT GOD IS ASKING ME TO DO
While I prayed in the chapel, specifically for my patients I had an idea/inspiration imprinted in my heart and in my mind of having a place where seniors could come, leave their sufferings behind for a while and exchange them for joy. I felt God telling me, ”Please help me save these souls because I can’t lose one more.” He gave me the idea to start Joy of Living Club with its programs and goals.
I went to my spiritual director to tell her about the calling since I thought to myself I could never do this project. But she told me “Ana you don’t have to physically have a baby to be fertile, this is a project that gives life. So pray about it and if God wants it to happen, He will make it happen.”
After that day, I began to work on the Joy of Living Club. Exactly 1 year in Lent of 2024 on Holy Saturday, I received the IRS Acceptance Letter to begin operating as a nonprofit with our 501c3 status.
At the same time, one month after the retreat, I got pregnant and Albert and I received our baby boy Andres in October 2023. We are now a family of 4!
God is making sure his seniors receive his love and care through this organization with all of its members and volunteers.
Thank you for reading my testimony, Ana
Our Vision

Our Core Values
Accessibility
Hope
Community
Service
Gratitude
Meet The Team

Ana Paula Mendez
Founder

Olga Perez
HR Director
Estefania Gonzalez
Graphic Design
Gabriela Pellon, MD
Psychiatrist
John Hudson
Leader in Spiritual Area

Soraya Goode
Leader in Social Area

Andrea Moran Sendra
Business Advisor

Dulce Maria De Jongh
Leader in Spiritual Area

Bernardita Valenta Salmain
Business Developer