We were lucky to catch up with Patrice D’Evans recently and have shared our conversation below.
Patrice, thanks so much for taking the time to share your insights and lessons with us today. We’re particularly interested in hearing about how you became such a resilient person. Where do you get your resilience from?
I get my resilience from my faith in Jesus first and foremost. And everything I do is centered around Jesus Christ. I put my full faith in Jesus and He gets me through any and everything in my life. I have had to hold on to Jesus so much because I have had an unusually hard life where I have had narcissistic attacks throughout my life that were not only physical but emotional, psychological, and even spiritual from a young age since I was three years old when I had my angel encounter to save my life.
I was born as the rarest empath called a Heyoka Empath and having these extremely spiritually powerful traits that are Christ-like it allows me to live out the calling and purpose God has for me. God equipped me to be able to survive the trials in my life from narcissistic abuse and jealousy in family, career, and church.
I write about my life In my autobiography, Resilient Joy, which is available on Amazon, I share my story of how I was resilient in the four stages of my life leading to my calling to heal women and share the gospel of Jesus Christ. My book is the book about the play since my book goes into more depth of the details than my One Woman Show (play) about my life. It’s called “Patrice D’Evans’ Resilient Joy”. It is on my YouTube channel, Patrice D’Evans.
After 15 years of living out my calling to bless women, I use all of what I know to help young men now. I am a Christian Evangelist, Preacher/Speaker, and author who, today, is using her experience, credentials, spiritual gifts, and talents to be a Christian Matchmaker for young empathic single men 25-32 to find their Christian wives.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
My name is Patrice D’Evans and I am a unique person in that I was born with a calling on my life and chosen by God and I was born to be the highest level empath, which is also the most spiritual and rarest empath. That empath is called a heyoka empath. To really understand me is to first understand my faith, which is Christian, and my unique personality traits that come from being a heyoka empath. I believe being born a heyoka empath goes hand in hand with being a Christian. Firstly, because the traits of a heyoka empath are Christ-like traits. Secondly, because I believe God created heyoka empaths to be extremely empathic so they would be preachers, pastors, nurses, doctors, teachers, and roles that require people to be the most empathic and who care and serve the people of the world. And God especially made us to be empaths to serve in “the body of Jesus Christ”. In Christianity, we believe each person in the “church” (not the building but the Christian believers) is a part of what is like a part of a person’s body. I believe the leaders of the Christian church should be empaths and those with more difficult spiritual tasks should be heyoka empaths.
The definition of the heyoka empath first was coined by the culture of Sioux which were the Lakota and Dakota people of the Great Plains of North America. They called heyoka empaths “sacred clowns” because they seemed to do everything backwards in what seemed to be an effort to heal people and help them see themselves reflected in the heyoka empath. They were fun-loving and even seemed to age backwards. They looked significantly younger than they were.
Today we know that apart from the religious parts but simply focusing on the personality traits of the heyoka empaths the Lakota and Dakota people were right about the traits they noticed. We also now know even more about empaths. Empaths in general can feel the thoughts and feelings of others on a deep level as though they are feeling them themselves. This helps them to care and help others solve their problems. They can read your emotions and even see from your perspective. They have deep concern for the well-being of other people, and often put the needs of others above their own.
There are different levels of empaths. Many people may know what an empath is or even what a super empath is. Well, Heyoka empaths are born with empathy even higher than a super empath. They are the highest and most powerful empaths. The biggest difference is that the heyoka empath is more spiritual, they are like born psychologists and they speak out on things that are going wrong, even if it is contrary to systems, to make changes that usually are the changes needed for that system. Whereas super empaths would work through the system to encourage change. Heyoka empaths can see things others cannot see in the spiritual world. And they are extremely wise. You cannot “put a wool over their heads.”
Heyoka empaths are also very talented and creative and excel at a lot of things because of their born talent, wisdom and knowledge. They have a higher unselfish (unusually connected to God) unbiased drive for truth, so everyone is considered, and the problem is really solved. They are usually right since they are so connected to God and really looking to solve the problem with no ego. And they can spot a lie in an instant. They mirror people in a fun-loving way so people can heal by seeing themselves. This can be liberating or irritating to people who are insecure, narcissistic, up to no good, and want to hide.
Because it seems like many people are insecure, selfish, and don’t want to be seen and to hear the truth, especially about themselves, they gaslight and abuse heyoka empaths to silence them. Because of this and the fact that heyoka empaths are taking in so much information, including spiritually, in their environments, and they put themselves last to help others, they have extremely hard lives and can suffer from depression and anxiety. They, and all empaths, are narcissist magnets. I believe that when heyoka empaths achieves their highest level of empathic ability they overcome that problem and can achieve resilient joy. Of course, I also believe that the only way to do that is to receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior and the Holy Spirit will heal them. And since I believe God made us to do that very thing, by connecting with God in that way through salvation, finally heyoka empaths will have reached their highest level and can do what God put them on this earth to do and be.
There is so much to know about a heyoka empath. The reason it’s so important that I share that here is as a heyoka empath myself my story of how I achieved resilient joy and my highest level of heyoka empath ability is a unique and compelling story. It is so compelling that I did a One Woman Show called, Patrice D’Evans’ Resilient Joy, in 2020. And then I wrote my book, which was my autobiography that explained the play in more detail, in 2021. My book is called, Resilient Joy. It is available on Amazon.
The story in my book, Resilient Joy, is about A Heyoka Empath’s Victory Over Narcissistic Abuse and Jealousy in Family, Career, and Church. I still receive gaslighting and rejection because of jealousy. And at times my wisdom and truth are still rejected as I try to heal and help individual people and systems or groups to get their desired outcome (of course with everyone winning). Because oftentimes what the people must do to get the outcome makes them upset they’d rather just get rid of me and keep the problem. That’s usually in groups though. Individuals who I coach take heed to my wisdom and grow very quickly since I only work with those God sends me and in my obedience to God. In those God-led coaching opportunities I help them with life changing wisdom and healing quickly and joyfully. Groups usually have one narcissistic person (and flying monkeys which I explain in my book) who has the power and title to stop the progress (whether in family, career or church) because they are usually the ones who need to make the change so the group can succeed.
So, I have had to be very resilient because I am what they call chosen. That means I am approved by God and sent by God to do the healing I do. I believe Heyoka empaths are usually chosen ones. So, I live an obedient life for Jesus and I do what is called “walking in the Spirit”. For Christians that means you are, in faith, obeying whatever Jesus tells you to do. I became a Christian at 15 years old saying “the prayer of salvation” and then I decided to fully give my life to Jesus and obey God in all I do at around 33 years old after a burnout from extreme gaslighting from my family and my husband’s family. They were trying to silence the truth in me and they were dangerously jealous of my natural and spiritual gifts and talents. There were a large amount of narcissists (and flying monkeys) in both of our families and they feared that I knew too much. (By the way, I will be 53 this week, and true to being a heyoka I look about 20 years younger than my age.)
Nevertheless, I’ve stayed obedient to Jesus throughout my life and kept my joy despite it all. And I am still getting some opportunities to heal, have breakthrough, cast out demons, and share the gospel of Jesus Christ. Because I am an evangelist the “church” does not have a clear place for me, and they are not very inviting nor comfortable with what God has told me to do. I am led to use my elegant, signature EPCOT-style Caribbean Fusion Belly Dance and my singing to bring revival to those who are not saved and are not a part of the church. I did this in my “Jesus Revival in the Park” event this past summer in my neighborhood park and people were saved.
Churches see my anointing and (if they are not prejudiced) love it until they need to get better and face anything truthful that they do not want to admit to. Or they just become jealous and find an excuse to get rid of me making it hard for me to obey Jesus in my calling. I’ve had this happen to me my whole life. They can see my anointing but quickly get competitive, and afraid (like my family) that because of my powerful anointing, talents and great leadership, I may take over. They don’t realize that heyoka empaths are not like others who would do that with their power. That’s why the heyoka empath’s traits are so much like Jesus Christ. We really are just helping; and we truly get satisfaction from helping to make things work better for everyone involved in obedience to Jesus, of course.
The answer to how I have resilient joy is because in faith I have always held on to Jesus Christ. Jesus is my very best friend and has always been. And I could never have made it through my life without Jesus and his unconditional love for me. I love Jesus with all my heart. In my weakness, His strength is made perfect. He never leaves me, rejects me or forsakes me. Jesus is my everything! And I am in an obedient state living and doing whatever Jesus tells me to do as an evangelist to glorify Him; and to share the gospel of Jesus Christ so people can be delivered and go to and live forever in heaven when they die. Christians call that “The Great Commission”. All Christians are supposed to be sharing the gospel as the great commission.
Today, as a preacher/evangelist I am focused on accomplishing the great commission and sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ no matter what. I have been resilient, and I have held on to my joy and helped others do the same. I have a ministry on YouTube and that channel is “J.O.Y. Party TV with Patrice D’Evans” and my nonprofit, Saka® Core fit, sponsors my evangelizing in my event called “Jesus Revival in the Park”. This past summer, 2023, we had the event five times in the months of June and July. People were saved and I was able to obey God in how I evangelized using my dancing.
My background is that I am born and raised in New York City, and a professional dancer, actress, singer, and producer and I am a New York and North Carolina certified high school Spanish teacher and a certified Christian matchmaker and trauma-informed coach. For over 15 years in obedience to Jesus, I used my gift as a professional dancer to start my own dance fitness company. I created a 30-minute Saka® Dance Fit DVD. I worked with women in our live Saka classes (it’s now a nonprofit Saka® Core Fit) transforming their lives body, mind, and spirit and unlocking their joy and healing them with my natural and spiritual gifts from Jesus. I was later led by God to put Saka online in 2016, so I obeyed in 2018. Then the pandemic hit (really at the end of 2019) a year later. I soon realized why I needed to obey. Then God told me to belly dance, so I did. I have been a professional belly dancer in Atlanta, Georgia ever since with a five-star rating in the leading performance platform. I created my own signature style which is Caribbean Fusion Belly dance. It is an elegant, beautiful, family-friendly EPCOT-like style that brings so much joy to everyone who is blessed to see it. That’s why Jesus wanted me to use it for my evangelizing.
In further obedience, today I am also a Christian Certified Matchmaker for Christian Single empathic young men 25 -32. In my matchmaking service, Joyful Matchmaking, I help the Christian Single empathic young man 25 -32 who is looking for his Christian wife and has been in a cycle of loneliness or finding himself in toxic narcissistic relationships that is not pleasing to God, heal, develop effective communication skills and resilient joy so that he can attract and find his Christian wife.
Thank you for taking an interest in me and my story, if you want to get the complete story please get my book, Resilient Joy, on Amazon, check out my website, https://www.patricedevansjoy.com, my YouTube channels, “Patrice D’Evans” and “J.O.Y. Party TV with Patrice D’Evans”.
God bless you!
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
In my speaking programs and on my YouTube channel, Patrice D’Evans, I talk about three main things to have resilient joy and to be successful in attracting your future spouse in person ( or anyone for that matter) to take these three steps:
1. Devote – Devote yourself to God in prayer, and time with God
2. Discover and not decide – Discover who God made you to be and your calling in life.
3. Discern – Discern if the people in your life line up with your calling, especially your future wife or spouse.
I believe these are the three foundational steps to have resilient joy and to attract the right person in a romantic relationship and even in friendship or work relationships.
I have a free download where I clarify it even more. Please click here to receive it: https://www.PatriceDEvansJoy.com/freedownload
Alright so to wrap up, who deserves credit for helping you overcome challenges or build some of the essential skills you’ve needed?
Jesus has been my Source and my everything that made me who I am today. He has blessed me and healed me so I can have my new family with my beautiful children Rocco and Marianna and those who we have added to our little family that I built as I healed from the abuse from my toxic family growing up. My husband Jeff has been there with me through thick and thin and joins in making sure our ministry, non-profit, and businesses are pleasing to the Lord Jesus Christ and successful.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.PatriceDEvansJoy.com
- Instagram: @PatriceDevansofficial
- Facebook: @PatriceDEvans-CaribbeanStyleBellyDancer/Actress
- Linkedin: @PatriceDEvans
- Twitter: XPatriceDEvans
- Youtube: https://www.YouTube.com/c/patricedevans
Image Credits
Tracy Bosworth Page
