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 collaborated 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 in Texas and Asian Americans in the American South.

Fatima 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.

Hispanic/Latino Catalyst

Pastor Liván was born and raised in Cuba, and surrendered his life to the Lord in 1992. He attended the Seminario Bautista Cuba Oriental, and earned a Masters in Theology from BH Carrol Texas. Afterwards, he served as a pastor in the Cuban cities of Guantanamo and Manzanillo.

In 2014, he and his family immigrated to Tennessee where he pastored Cristo Rey Baptist Church. In 2019, he responded to God’s calling and moved to Houston to lead the Spanish Ministry at Clear Lake Baptist Church. The ministry transitioned to an independent church plant in 2021 and Planting Hispanic Churches Vida en Cristo Baptist Church was established. The church now gathers at the Nassau Bay Baptist Church campus.

In addition, Pastor Livan serves as the Coordinator for the Union Baptist Association’s (UBA) Hispanic Planter Training Center, and as a consultant for SBTC for training and coaching for Hispanic church planters.

Pastor Liván is dedicated to teaching the Word of God and fulfilling the Great Commission with an emphasis on outreach to the Spanish-speaking community, both at home and abroad. He has shared the Good News on numerous mission trips to Cuba, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, and Mexico.

Operations Director

Kimberly is a second-generation Chinese American and is originally from Los Angeles, California. She graduated from Westmont College with her B.S. in Mathematics. Kimberly has had technical roles at a software company and has spent years as a church ministry assistant. As she has learned to embrace her ethnic identity, she has developed a heart for diaspora communities and is excited to be a part of the Diaspora Network team.

Kimberly and her husband, Kyle, have resided in Austin, Texas since 2010. They have three children that they love to disciple to know, love, and follow Jesus more. She enjoys growing in her knowledge of and love for Jesus, reading, running, playing board/card games, doing crafts, and having conversations about Jesus, parenting, marriage, the Asian American experience, and food.