Founder and Executive Director

Jonathan was born in Perú and grew up in Chile and Panamá before moving to Chicago to attend Wheaton College (where he studied spiritual formation and then intercultural studies). His grandparents attended Wheaton at the same time as Jim and Elizabeth Elliot and were part of that same generation on global mission to Latin America. 

He spent 13 years pastoring and supporting Latino immigrant churches in Chicago and around the country before moving to Texas in 2021 and starting Diaspora Network in 2022. He is ordained and serves in Churches for the Sake of Others (C4SO). Jonathan speaks Spanish, Portuguese and some Arabic after having spent 4 summers in the Middle East. 

Jonathan and his wife Lini reside in Austin, Texas and are passionate about God’s beautifully diverse global family. 

Program Associate

Fatima was born in Marikina, Philippines and lived there until she and her older sister were adopted and moved to Fort Worth, TX with their maternal aunt and uncle. Her birth mom, two younger brothers, and most of her family still live in the Philippines.

She graduated from Texas A&M University with her B.A. in International Studies and English, where she gained experience working with international students and 1.5 and 2nd young adults. She organized cultural festivals and events, and collaborating with large, multiethnic/multi-linguistic teams. She earned her M.A. in Media Studies from the University of Texas at Austin. Her research focused on the Filipino diaspora and Asian Americans.

She currently lives in Austin with her husband, Benjamin, where they try to convince people that the best Vietnamese food is actually in Houston.

Ministry Resident

Espoir was born in the DRC and grew up amid warfare and instability. He survived the 2004 Gatumba massacre, an attack on a Burundi refugee camp that claimed the lives of 166 Congolese refugees and left 106 wounded. He sustained a gunshot wound to his shoulder, the bullet traveling through his chest before being surgically removed. Afterwards, he and his family lived in a Burundi refugee camp for over three years before being granted asylum in the US and resettling in Austin in 2007.

Espoir founded Kira For Action, a non-profit dedicated to providing essential services such as medical aid, clean water, shelter, food, and education to refugees and underserved communities. Under his leadership, the organization has positively impacted thousands of individuals and families in East Africa and the United States, bridging gaps in access to fundamental resources.