I grew up in a family that modeled Christ’s love for others as a natural part of life. My parents taught me that God calls us to go out into the world and work to redeem it for his Kingdom. I wanted to join in this work – but I didn’t know exactly how that would manifest itself in my life.
I liked numbers and spreadsheets, but I also had a heart for combating poverty and injustice and experiencing different countries and communities. I found an intersection between these skills and interests studying International Development with a focus in Business at Calvin College.
These interests led me to study abroad in Honduras, on the semester run by Kurt Ver Beek and Jo Ann Van Engen, who also co-founded and lead ASJ. I felt an immediate affinity for Kurt and Jo Ann, who challenged me to think critically about big issues. They taught me that
if I really wanted to help the poor and oppressed, I would have to address the root causes of injustice.
Their teaching deeply impacted me, and when I had the opportunity to volunteer for ASJ, I jumped at it. This was 2009, and ASJ was still a small organization – in the U.S., we didn’t even have an office! After I graduated from Calvin College, I joined ASJ as a program assistant, and started a journey that would lead me through many different responsibilities and titles until arriving where I am today. I have grown a great deal in these nine years, and so has ASJ. It has been a truly beautiful experience to be able to grow and professionalize together.
In every position I have held at ASJ, I have been inspired and challenged by both the organization’s Christian mission and its distinctive orientation towards justice.
My Honduran colleagues constantly inspire me with their skills, their creativity, their wisdom, and their heart. Their example has taught me that justice work can be both technical and personal, both intellectually rigorous and spiritually faithful.
As ASJ has continually challenged me and helped me to grow in my understanding of justice, I have also been able to share this message with people around the world.
What makes this work possible are the close relationships I have been able to build with my colleagues in Honduras, where I spend up to two months each year.
The closeness of the relationships between our U.S. and Honduran staff are part of what makes ASJ truly unique. I love to tell people that the majority of our staff, programming, and leadership are in Honduras, and that in the U.S. we take our direction from them – it’s a role-reversal from how many nonprofit organizations work.
This ASJ community has shaped me both professionally and personally. Last month, I married Kyle Stoltzfus, became a “mother” to an energetic border collie mix named Dakota, and moved to Clarkston, Michigan where Kyle works as an engineer for General Motors. When Kyle and I celebrated our wedding, it was important to me to have both my ASJ community and my Honduran community present. I was able to share this special day with the Honduran family that has lovingly hosted me on my Honduras trips for over a decade, and with ASJ coworkers, board members, and supporters.
ASJ is more than just a job – it is a community that continues to encourage, shape, and influence me.
This community extends to each one of you receiving this letter, and I look forward to continuing to connect with many of you, and seeing what about ASJ’s work and mission inspires you. If you would like to connect, drop me a message at
jill@asj-us.org. I love coffee almost as much as I love sharing ASJ’s story, so let me know if you would like to share both.
I am so excited about the advances we are seeing in Honduras through ASJ, and about the conversations this is sparking around the world. I am eager to continue my justice journey in this new role, led by God, and accompanied by each one of you.
Blessings,
