A Home Away From Far Away Home
By Traci Manos
January 15, 2025
JBU’s Missionary in Residence (MIR) program was started during John Brown III’s presidency in 1992 to provide support for missionary kids (MKs). Billy Stevenson, David Sanford and the international program committee initiated the program and purchased the house on Alpine Street, which serves as the residence for the MIRs to this day.
Ed and Kay Klotz were among the first to accept the MIR post, which they kept for two years before moving into permanent positions at JBU. Since then, 23 missionaries and their families have served as MIRs — including Seth and Andrea Sears, Brian and Christine Matchell ’05, and Corey and Tiffany Carey recently.
“We try to rotate missionaries from different continents each year to bring some diversity to the post and the world to JBU’s doorstep,” said Stevenson, chief global engagement officer.
Stevenson oversees international student programs, study abroad opportunities and international mission projects. He also steers the MIR search committee and recommends MIRs to President Chip Pollard, a task that he said has been a joy.
Philip and Heather Enoch and their children Andrew, Kate and Emily currently serve as JBU’s MIRs. The family has been with Africa Inland Mission for 21 years and are in the U.S. on home assignment. Most recently, the Enochs were at Rift Valley Academy, a Christian boarding school for children of missionaries in Kijabe, Kenya, where Philip filled various administrative roles for the school, and Heather taught sixth grade and served as a campus chaplain.
“Repatriation from resident country to passport country (or a completely new country like some of our international MKs) is a huge and impactful transition,” Heather said. “We thank God for the MIR program at JBU that supports these students during this tender time.”
This fall, 117 MKs are enrolled at JBU, representing 20 different countries of residence and accounting for 8.7% of JBU’s undergraduate student body.
Karis White, a sophomore nursing major, moved to Malaysia with her family at the age of four and lived there for 11 years. At 15, her family moved to Kandern, Germany, where she attended Black Forest Academy.
“I am so grateful for the Missionary in Residence program because it offered a cushion for my transition to the U.S.,” she said.
Once at JBU, White joined an MK-led Bible study that meets in the MIR home.
“The study has been coined ‘citizens of heaven,’ reminding us that when we don’t feel at home on this earth, the Lord has a place for us in his family,” she said. “The group has truly become a safe space for me to talk about my life and feel understood. We are going on year two of meeting — this year with six new freshmen. Every time we share our life experiences and transitions to JBU, I am reminded of the Lord’s faithfulness!”
Along with hosting Bible studies like the one White is part of, the Enochs extend their hospitality to all third-culture kids (TCKs) by inviting them into their home each Wednesday night for a meal and connection time — no agenda, just food and conversation.
John Martin, a freshman engineering major, is an MK from East Asia, where he and his family served for 13 years at an orphanage for kids with extreme medical conditions. He said the Missionary in Residence program has been an anchor for him in the storm of academics, and that the Enochs have been so kind and giving every time he sees them.
“During each week, I always look forward most to our Wednesday night dinners at their JBU-provided home,” Martin said. “There, they provide a place for all the missionary kids to laugh, eat and connect with each other in the third culture that we all magically share. Because of this, I have yet to go through a week feeling completely alone in this transition. I am so grateful that JBU has this wonderful program.”
The Enochs also host a growth group and meet with students one-on-one for discipleship.
One of the MIRs responsibilities each fall is to invite mission agencies to campus and organize the international flag ceremony, or “Flag Chapel,” for World Awareness Week in November. In the spring, the Enochs will help the student club MuKappa put on its annual goat roast, which Heather said may look slightly different this year with various meat options and sides, instead of only goat.
“We are so thankful for the opportunity to serve at JBU,” Heather said. “Coming from an MK-care background, we’ve loved being able to support and learn from the MKs. Our goal is to be available for whatever MKs need, whether that be a ride to a doctor’s appointment, jumping a dead car battery or help processing a decision.”
