Adam & Christine Jeske

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MBA Economic Development ‘04
Pietermaritzburg, South Africa

Adam and Christine came to Eastern’s School of Leadership and Development in 2003.  Their Eastern cohort studied via distance education while they worked in the most polluted city in the world, Lanzhou, China, as English teachers.  Their daughter, Phoebe, now six years old, joined their classes at four weeks old in her car seat, and their son Zeke, now four, was born soon after they graduated.  

When Christine signed up for the MBA in International Economic Development from Eastern in 2002, she had just finished a year of trial-and-error development work in Nicaragua, and craved advice and training from people further along in the field of Christian development work. Christine writes, "Eastern gave me practical skills training plus guidance in thinking through the big issues behind poverty and the global church. I have since served as an English and culture teacher at a Chinese college, as a refugee host in the United States, and as a microfinance project co-director." 

Recently Christine had the privilege of teaching on several of the same topics she studied at Eastern, as a lecturer for Eastern’s South Africa cohort in 2009, and among future African pastors and development leaders where she serves at the Evangelical Seminary of Southern Africa, ESSA. She continues, "I also drew upon lessons learned at Eastern in my forthcoming book, Into the Mud: Inspiration for Everyday Activists: True Stories from Africa (Moody).  The book tells real stories of people living neck-deep in some of Africa's most difficult issues — but with hands, minds, and hearts rooted in God's kingdom. Each of its interwoven stories addresses broader issues of missions and development. Reflection questions with each chapter challenge readers and study groups to apply lessons in their own lives and to enter more deeply into the thick of life's mud. This book is for anyone looking for God's stories of hope where the world sees only despair. Study groups, development students, mission teams, and everyday activists alike will be challenged by the stories to enter more deeply into the thick of life's mud." 

Click HERE to read more about the Jeske family, including endorsements for "Into the Mud" from Tony Campolo, Shane Claiborne, and others.  



Adam’s MBA in International Economic Development from Eastern has been a great step, opening a wide variety of doors. Adam writes, "as an MBA from a reputable institution, with an emphasis on International Economic Development and the integration of faith and best practices, coupled with the focus on nonprofit organizations and management, I gained so much. Eastern’s variety of professors, from esteemed academics to frontline practitioners made a huge difference and the unique mix of benefits of my education through Eastern helped me to serve well at a teacher training college in China, in a microfinance project in rural South Africa.  The strength of relationships from that time at Eastern has been great. I recently returned to campus to present at the 2009 Transformational Development Conference on photography in development and now teach at the Evangelical Seminary of Southern Africa."

Next, Adam and Christine will be transitioning back to the US. Adam will be looking for a position in leadership or communications with a quality nonprofit organization or to start my own nonprofit and/or business in photography and writing for the nonprofit sector. Both Adam and Christine have written articles and provided photography for publications around the world including Relevant, Neue Quarterly, Overland Journal, Momsense, Christian  Living Today, Camera & Image, On Mission, The Lookout, and more.

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