Jay Comfort
PRESIDENT
Jay Comfort has been married to Nazuna Konishi for over 42 years and they have two grown children. Jay is a retired teacher and college guidance counselor. Since 2016, Jay has been the President of BTW. A founding member of BTW along with Lou Felo and Rob Muir. Leh, Ladakh, India has been the focus of outreach since 2012. Jay and Nazuna reside in Leysin, Switzerland and Leysin is the European base of BTW activities.
Jay Comfort
PRESIDENT
Jay Comfort has been married to Nazuna Konishi for over 42 years and they have two grown children. Jay is a retired teacher and college guidance counselor. Since 2016, Jay has been the President of BTW. A founding member of BTW along with Lou Felo and Rob Muir. Leh, Ladakh, India has been the focus of outreach since 2012. Jay and Nazuna reside in Leysin, Switzerland and Leysin is the European base of BTW activities.
Meet our amazing team
board of directors
Dave Kawata
VICE PRESIDENT
Dave grew up on the mission field in India where his parents served for 16 years. In college he participated in the Navigator Ministry and has been involved with churches in various capacities. He retired after 30 years of teaching and coaching and started a small construction handyman business. The business was recently closed as he fully retired. He has been involved in humanitarian aid in the USA and in Northern India. Is married to Lisa and has two children, Stephen and Christina, and resides in Delaware.
Dave Kawata
VICE PRESIDENT
Dave grew up on the mission field in India where his parents served for 16 years. In college he participated in the Navigator Ministry and has been involved with churches in various capacities. He retired after 30 years of teaching and coaching and started a small construction handyman business. The business was recently closed as he fully retired. He has been involved in humanitarian aid in the USA and in Northern India. Is married to Lisa and has two children, Stephen and Christina, and resides in Delaware.
Dona Clair Kelly
SECRETARY
After retiring from many years in the corporate world, Dona Clair has volunteered in many non-profit organizations. She has traveled throughout the world visiting over forty-five countries, and has been on Beyond Tears Worldwide teams since 2014. Using her many years of vocal training, she taught voice privately to those who could not otherwise afford the lessons. Dona Clair has two sons, three granddaughters and four great grandchildren.
Dona Clair Kelly
SECRETARY
After retiring from many years in the corporate world, Dona Clair has volunteered in many non-profit organizations. She has traveled throughout the world visiting over forty-five countries, and has been on Beyond Tears Worldwide teams since 2014. Using her many years of vocal training, she taught voice privately to those who could not otherwise afford the lessons. Dona Clair has two sons, three granddaughters and four great grandchildren.
Robert Miles
TREASURER
Robert Miles retired from the New Jersey Judiciary in 2014 where he served as Chief Probation Officer for Cumberland, Gloucester and Salem Counties.
Currently, he works in real estate sales. He also buys distressed real estate for rehabilitation and resale. He serves several non-profit organizations with concerns for bringing relief to impoverished people locally and around the world. He is married with three children and seven grandchildren.
Robert Miles
TREASURER
Robert Miles retired from the New Jersey Judiciary in 2014 where he served as Chief Probation Officer for Cumberland, Gloucester and Salem Counties.
Currently, he works in real estate sales. He also buys distressed real estate for rehabilitation and resale. He serves several non-profit organizations with concerns for bringing relief to impoverished people locally and around the world. He is married with three children and seven grandchildren.
Michael & Laura Grieco
Michael and Laura, married for 15 years in Northern New Jersey with two children, have diverse backgrounds. Michael works as a lab technician and meteorologist in biotech, is a photographer and experienced scuba diver, and has dedicated time to volunteer work at the New York Aquarium. Laura, a homeschooling mom and piano teacher, is also a signal support systems specialist in the New Jersey Army National Guard. They have served in youth ministry and led Bible studies and began their mission journey with BTW in 2019, leading a school renovation trip to Leh and Tangar, India, following their passion for cross-cultural missions.
Michael & Laura Grieco
Michael and Laura, married for 15 years in Northern New Jersey with two children, have diverse backgrounds. Michael works as a lab technician and meteorologist in biotech, is a photographer and experienced scuba diver, and has dedicated time to volunteer work at the New York Aquarium. Laura, a homeschooling mom and piano teacher, is also a signal support systems specialist in the New Jersey Army National Guard. They have served in youth ministry and led Bible studies and began their mission journey with BTW in 2019, leading a school renovation trip to Leh and Tangar, India, following their passion for cross-cultural missions.
Mary Beerly
Mary Beerley lives in Mississauga, Ontario with her husband, Jim Beerley, who serves as President of Crossworld, an international mission agency. The Beerleys have 3 grown children of their own and have fostered children since 2013. They currently have one teenage girl living with them. Mary and Jim have worked and ministered in Haiti and Monaco, teaching, doing outreach through Bible studies, camps, humanitarian trips, youth work and pastoring. Mary has made one trip to Haiti and 2 trips to Northern India to work with teachers in professional development. She currently teaches junior high in Mississauga.
Mary Beerly
Mary Beerley lives in Mississauga, Ontario with her husband, Jim Beerley, who serves as President of Crossworld, an international mission agency. The Beerleys have 3 grown children of their own and have fostered children since 2013. They currently have one teenage girl living with them. Mary and Jim have worked and ministered in Haiti and Monaco, teaching, doing outreach through Bible studies, camps, humanitarian trips, youth work and pastoring. Mary has made one trip to Haiti and 2 trips to Northern India to work with teachers in professional development. She currently teaches junior high in Mississauga.
ALEX SEIDLER
Alex has been in full time ministry since 2006. He was a missionary for 12 years to East Asia where he led campus church planting teams and provided strategic missional leadership. He most recently served with Elim Fellowship as their Global Ministries Director and also on their Council of Elders.
Alex is the founder and director of The Gateway Project, a new collaborative missions organization dedicated to forming and planting teams in the most strategic cities on the planet. Alex holds a passion for revival and seeing the least reached places of the world reached for Jesus.
He is a graduate of both Elim Bible Institute and Roberts Wesleyan College. In 2009, he married his beautiful wife Jodi, and together they minister throughout the world believing for God’s heart and mission to be experienced in a fresh way. They have two amazing boys and are currently based out of Rush, NY.
Alex Seidler
Alex has been in full time ministry since 2006. He was a missionary for 12 years to East Asia where he led campus church planting teams and provided strategic missional leadership. He most recently served with Elim Fellowship as their Global Ministries Director and also on their Council of Elders.
Alex is the founder and director of The Gateway Project, a new collaborative missions organization dedicated to forming and planting teams in the most strategic cities on the planet. Alex holds a passion for revival and seeing the least reached places of the world reached for Jesus.
He is a graduate of both Elim Bible Institute and Roberts Wesleyan College. In 2009, he married his beautiful wife Jodi, and together they minister throughout the world believing for God’s heart and mission to be experienced in a fresh way. They have two amazing boys and are currently based out of Rush, NY.
Three Trips In 2025!
BTW is looking forward to what is ahead for the 2025 teams. Two teams are planned. The first team will be continuing to renovate the Cafe before it reopens in the Spring. We are looking for 6 people on this team March 15-29, 2025. The second team will be going into the Highlands to a small community, Dipling, June 14-26, 2025, to deliver much needed supplies and to minister to the people there.
PROJECT 1: March 15 – 29, 2025 (tentative)
The ongoing renovation of Café au Leh. A 4-6 member team is to do work on the kitchen floor, renovate the third floor lounge, painting and other tasks that need to be completed.
PROJECT 2: June 21 – July 5, 2025 (tentative)
Operation Dipling – A 6-member team is planned to visit the small community of Dipling to distribute clothing and our signature hats, provide educational materials for their school and teach an ESL Christian Values Education class.
PROJECT 3: June 21 – 30, 2025 (tentative)
This 4-member team will be visiting either Diggar or Puga for research and needs assessment for a future team trip. We will, of course, distribute our BTW signature hats.
“How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who proclaims peace, who brings glad tidings of good things, who proclaims salvation, who says to Zion, Your God Reigns.” Isaiah 52:7-8″
