19 Apr Life on Mission | The Post Family
For Kevan and Ashley Post, their college experience impacted them so strongly that it’s still making waves for them over 5 years later.
As college students at Clemson University, they both participated in a campus ministry called the Navigators. This ministry places a high emphasis on one-on-one discipleship and Bible study. Over the course of several years at Clemson, they were mentored by ministry leaders, encouraged to memorize Scripture, and equipped to mentor underclassmen themselves. “I was a completely different person after those four years in the Navigators,” Kevan says.
After graduation, the Posts considered going straight into ministry with the Navigators. The ministry offers opportunities for young college grads to intern with one of their campus programs to continue to discipleship process for themselves and to disciples students.
Taking it slow
However, with counsel from Kevan’s parents, they decided that the post-grad internship was not the right step for them. Kevan’s parents had been missionaries for a time when he was younger. So, while they believed strongly in full-time ministry both in the U.S. and abroad, his parents also saw the value in taking time to work in the real world. “They really counseled us to take time to work- to build work ethic. They told us that our time in ministry would be more valuable with some real world experience under our belts first. Plus, if we did move overseas for a season, a transition back home would be easier if we had work experience to build on,” Kevan explained.
Kevan and Ashley ended up in Greenville working “normal jobs” and serving in student ministry at Grace. Now, as they’re preparing to move to Argentina, they’re glad they took the time to simply work and serve the church. “When you’re serving and leading, you interact with a variety of people. You learn a lot about meeting people where they are and caring for their needs. In the groups we’ve led, everyone has always been at different places. We’ve had to love each of them in their own way, and we’ve had to discern how to lead each of them well,” Ashley shared that this is what they expect to be doing in Argentina, too- leading and loving people right where they are.
After spending a couple years in Greenville, Kevan and Ashley moved to Charlotte for Kevan to take a job teaching Spanish. They had always kept the idea of serving in ministry in the back of their minds, even as they continued to serve and lead in their new church; in February, this idea for the future started to become a present reality.
“We saw an ad about the need for leaders to work with the Navigators ministry at a university in Argentina. We knew we loved the Navigators and the discipleship we had experienced in college. And we thought this could possibly be a good fit for us. So we started praying that God would either close or open doors as we moved forward with pursuing this. The doors never closed, so we’re still moving forward. And now we’re planning to leave for our training in September of this year.”
The road to Argentina
They’ve got a plan now, and they’ve started support raising. After participating in a month of pre-field training in Colorado, Kevan and Ashley will move to Mexico for a year. There they will practice their Spanish and continue to be trained in ministry. And, since the Navigators is such a disciple-focused ministry, the discipleship process for the two of them will be intentional, too.
But Kevan and Ashley are staying a little more flexible with their plans farther down the road. They know they’ll move to Buenos Aires, Argentina, to work with the Navigator ministry that is already established in the city. Eventually, their family will move to a different area of Argentina with another couple with the goal of starting up a college ministry at a local university. “We are flexible when it comes to the future,” Kevan says. “We know that there are needs everywhere, so we’re not sure what the plans will be exactly. But we feel like we are supposed to be down there, and we are positive that we will know the next steps as we need to know them. We feel very strongly about working with college students, because that season was so impactful for us. That aspect of our ministry certainly isn’t random or something chosen out of a hat. It’s something we’ve already experienced and want to pass on to others.”
Being a family on mission
The Posts have two little ones to consider in all of this, too. However, both Kevan and Ashely are excited about the opportunity to raise their family in a different context. They’re already thinking through the the ministry opportunities that will present themselves both within their children’s lives and also within their new community.
“I spent a few years overseas when I was a child,” Kevan shares, “but we are planning to be there longer than I was. Third culture kids definitely have their own identity and challenges. Yet, our kids’ eyes will be opened to the world in ways that wouldn’t be possible if we stayed in the U.S. They will be able to do ministry with us. I’m looking forward to that- being able to do ministry with our kids. I really value being with my family, and I don’t want to be the dad that’s always off doing ministry. Instead, I hope to be doing ministry with them right there beside me. I actually think it will be an added benefit for our parenting. After all, we are most responsible for discipling our kids before we disciple any others.”
And Ashley is looking forward to the unique ministry opportunities she will have in the community through being a mother. “Bringing our kids to the mission field will affect me much more than it will affect Kevan,” she explains. “I’ve spoken to a lot of women about what this will look like for me. And I know that Kevan will be the one doing most of the campus work; I’ll be ministering to other moms in the community. Our oldest daughter will join preschool, and I’ll meet other moms there and will be able to begin investing in those relationships.”
How you can help
As they are in the process of support-raising, they’ve clearly seen the Lord’s provision. The process challenges them to depend fully on God. It doesn’t matter how hard they work to raise support; their role is to simply share the work He is doing and allow Him to move people to give. They’ve been able to share their story both with believers and with others who don’t believe.
Kevan and Ashley are still looking for people who are excited about what they are doing and want to be a part of it. Right now, they have a huge need for monthly support to cover ongoing living expenses and one-time gifts to help with moving costs.
If you’d like to give to Kevan and Ashley’s journey or to follow them as they continue to move forward, you can check out their blog or go directly to their giving site.