Personal Data
Jim joined MKLM from Wray, Colorado, where he was a parishioner of St. Andrew of the Archdiocese of Denver. As a farmer, Jim gained an understanding of nature and an ability to creatively work with what’s available. It is these skills, in addition to his business degree, that Jim lends to his ministry.

Before joining MKLM, Jim was involved in community works and activism, including participating in a Global Build trip to Nicaragua with Habitat for Humanity, and volunteering at the Catholic Worker House in Denver, his parish’s food bank, and Annunciation Housing Partners doing house rehabilitation. Jim was also active in Fort Collins Chapter of Maryknoll Affiliates.

In 1998, Jim married fellow MKLM missioner, Karen, while they were both serving in Peru.

Current Ministry
Jim and Karen live and work in Ciudad Juarez. Their parish serves 6 neighborhoods of Juarez, all of which are marginalized communities which struggle with lack of adequate housing, health care, sanitation, and water. 

In addition, according to a recent report, Ciudad Juárez is the most violent of all the cities in Mexico.  Much of the drug trade from South America to the United States flows through Ciudad Juarez. It is a common practice of drug lords to have young people carry the drugs across the border, paying them in product. This practice is resulting in more and more youth violence. Safe, meaningful, organized youth activities are scarce.

Jim and Karen’s ministry, the Street Library, tries to provide the youth a safe environment for learning and for fun, meaningful activities. Each day, Jim and Karen load up their care, or “Book-Mobile,” with materials such as books, puzzles, games, school supplies, and pamphlets for various local programs.  Just prior to setting up the library in the street, they drive up and down neighboring streets announcing the mobile library and inviting children, youth and adults to come participate. Arriving at pre-determined street, they set tarps on the ground, with another one set up as a tent shelter, unload their crates of materials, and invite the children in.

Jim and Karen also continue to look for possibilities of setting up educational programs (like an equivalent to the GRE or ESL) in relation to the state and the municipality, ENEA, or Open School. These would be advertised at the street library, and targeted for these community members, but due to the difficulty of offering classes like this in the street, these would be offered in the nearby chapels or in a community center.