Joan Rigdon Bio

Joan and Eddie have been married going on 39 years. They have four children and one grandchild. 

Joan grew up in Burbank, California, where her family owned and operated a highly successful print shop for over 35 years. Attesting to the quality of their product, they had customers such as Walt Disney. Joan’s brother and sister became a big part of the business. Her Dad used to say, "Joan is the only one that got away." She tells the story of a five-year-old child who received a nursing bag with a stethoscope for Christmas and everything else she needed to be a nurse. That was the day Joan decided she'd become a nurse.

While raising a family, and encouraged by her mother, Joan pursued her nursing degree to become a registered nurse (RN). She worked in hospitals for many years on surgical floors to intensive care units. Joan was involved in many aspects of nursing, from research to home health. Through those experiences, she was motivated to further her education, becoming a nurse practitioner (NP). She graduated from UCLA with honors as an NP and holds a double major in family health and occupational health. As a result of her focus on occupational health, she became an expert in Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). She was a frequent speaker at her professional conferences, training others on the techniques of a primary caregiver. After graduating, Joan worked in her profession for more than 25 years.

Joan came to know Jesus as her personal Savior over 40 years ago at Grace Community Church. After coming to the Lord, Joan became a student of the Bible with a love for memorizing scripture. 

As a child, she had the dream of going to Africa. Eddie and Joan's first mission trip was to Cebu Island in the Philippines 35 years ago. They then went to Moldova, Slovakia, Hungary, Bolivia, Mexico, and India. In 2004 Joan's dream came true to go to African countries. This included Nigeria, Rwanda, and Tanzania. Predominantly though, they have spent their time in Tanzania for the last 18 years making short-term mission trips. Now retired as a Nurse Practitioner Joan continues to use her skills when Water Is Life goes to Tanzania. 

Eddie and Joan are financial supporters of Water Is Life.