Russ and Jess just joined Kids International Ministries a couple of months ago after working at an international school in South Korea for a couple of years. Their daughter, Macaiah is still an infant just learning to walk, but was born in South Korea. After a couple of months of marriage, Russ and Jess knew they needed to be overseas and that’s how they decided to start their first year of marriage. They put in a couple of years in South Korea and were eventually lured in to hosting short term teams for KIM at the beginning of this year.
Since I helped host the last team that came through Mindinao, I was asked to come up to Manila to see them off. During that time, Russ and I were able to meet and trade stories about this dream job we had. We were sitting in the water at the base of a 50 foot waterfall, of which all the guys with us were jumping off. He just looked at me after few minutes and said, “Did you ever think this would be your job?” I loved everything about that question and we were able to spend the next hour or so just trading stories from the month.
One thing Russ and I really connected on was the idea of expanding a good model. By the grace of God, and years of service by Jeff Long and his family, Kids International Ministries is a thriving ministry model and is multiplying itself through the Philippines. Russ and I spent a few hours dreaming with a few other guys about what it would look like to expand even further. It’s not about expanding our ministry to the rest of the world, because it’s not really even ours. Russ has been here a couple of months, and I’m leaving tomorrow. The reason expansion is so intriguing is because it has nothing to do with us, and would actually require more people to come and get involved. That’s what really excites me.
I’ve been able to spend a good amount of time around these two and it has been a blessing to know them. Jess is getting settled into this new country as she’s learning how to be a mom and they’ve just been a good picture and example for me to see of someone that’s potentially a few years ahead of me. I’ve been able to hear all about the transitions and support raising, as well as getting advice of where to go from here. It looks like these two have made the commitment to hang around here for a while and play a role in this huge picture of all that God is doing out here.
As I’m gearing up to leave, I can say this is an exciting place to be and it will be a hard place to leave. It’s never easy to leave, but I have of lot of exciting things to get home to. I pray the stories will continue.
