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Meet our Diaconal Mercy Team.

Eric Appel

Eric and his wife, Nicki, have been married since 2008, and have three children: Paxton, Callum, and Shiloh. Eric and Nicki are both originally from California, but moved around a bit before settling in Palo Alto in 2016. They have been at Grace Pres ever since, and Eric has served on the Diaconal Mercy Team for most of that time. He is grateful for the opportunity to serve people in our church and broader community who are in need, sick, or facing difficult circumstances, and to support friends, families, and community organizations as they seek to care for those around them.

Doug Devine

Doug and his wife, Nan, have attending Grace since 2012. In 2017, Doug had the opportunity to take a class, Ministries of Mercy, based on a book by Tim Keller. At the end of that study, he was asked if he would like to continue on to be part of the DMT. Over the last nine years, the work of helping others has been amazing, difficult at times, and very rewarding. He praises God for the DMT and their church.

Jason Dong

Jason is married to Lizzy Dong, who is also on this team. Jason is drawn to the DMT because he and Lizzy have experienced the community at Grace caring for them in the same ways that the DMT exists to care for people, showing them how real and deep the commitment of God's people runs. Some of their sweetest moments have come from drawing near to friends in their own times of need and watching God work miracles in their lives. Jason is honored to be a part of this team and see more of God's grace and goodness play out as he interacts with those he meets.

Lizzy Dong

Lizzy and her husband, Jason, have been at Grace ever since they moved to the Bay Area, in 2021. They have a 2-year-old daughter, Addison, whom you can find most Sundays wandering the church yard without her shoes. Lizzy works as a pediatrician at a clinic in Menlo Park, and she and Jason currently lead a community group in Redwood City. She is excited about joining the DMT for the opportunity to see God at work and play a small role in His caring for and changing lives in our church body.

Jenny Lee

Jenny and her family have been a part of Grace since 2021. She has served with Grace Kids, Grace Teens, Grace Cares, audio-visual, and all-church retreat, and is a part of the amazing Redwood City Community Group. Jenny has a background in medicine and teaching, and will happily attempt to discuss classic literature with anyone interested. She and Paul are parents of two children. As part of the DMT, Jenny hopes to encourage those navigating challenges and help them feel less alone.

Krissy Woo

Krissy Woo is married to Chris and mother to Noah, Hannah, and Sarah. She and her family have been attending Grace Presbyterian Church since 2007. She is a proud Cal Bear, and previously taught ESL to early immigrants. She has enjoyed teaching in GraceKids, participating in GraceCares events, and is looking forward to extending God’s love and welcoming those who are in need via the DMT. When she is not homeschooling her kids, she enjoys running, playing pickleball, and coaching debate.

Xuan Wu

Xuan has been attending Grace since 2013. He has led a community group, volunteered on Sunday mornings by ushering, welcoming people, sound production, slides, orchestra and choir. He is excited to join the DMT to help serve those outside of his immediate circles. He has many hobbies and interests and would love to share them with you after service at "Got Lunch?"!

Liza Yannon

Liza grew up in the Philippines and came to the US for graduate studies in Statistics at Ohio State, where she met her husband, Aldo. They found their church home at Grace in 2006. Liza is retired but is as busy as ever. Since joining the DMT in 2023, she has had the privilege and blessing of walking alongside people during challenging times in their lives, and seeing God at work in numerous, unexpected ways.

What is the Diaconal Mercy Team?

The Diaconal Mercy Team strives to care for physical, emotional, and financial needs in our congregation. In some cases, these are crisis situations, such as a job loss or death in the family, but the DMT also walks with congregants through challenging seasons of life, helping connect those interested to counseling resources, or addressing practical needs.

The DMT also oversees expenditures from the church’s Diaconal Mercy Fund, which can be used to help address a congregant’s need, such as providing subsidies for counseling.

Who are the members of the DMT?

The DMT members are Eric Appel, Doug Devine, Jason and Lizzy Dong, Jenny Lee, Krissy Woo, Xuan Wu, and Liza Yannon.

They have served in a variety of ministries, been believers for some time and have gone through formal training prior to joining the team. They are, however, neither trained theologians nor professional counselors. They volunteer their time to help others to glorify Christ with their lives.

How do I contact the DMT?

Email dmt@gracepres.com. All members of the DMT have access to this email. One of the members will respond to you promptly and confidentially.

What is the care+support mailing list?

The DMT maintains an email list to send out requests for help. If you would like to be notified of opportunities to help, like dropping off meals, running errands, or moving furniture, you can join our email list here.

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