Join Santiago “Jimmy” Mellado and Jay Pathak as they discuss growing up as “third culture kids”. Jimmy shares about the ever-present otherness he felt being raised in multiple countries and the way this impacted his sense of self, shaped his interests and desires, and the way God reclaimed every step of his life to shape a beautiful story of redemption and service to others.
Jimmy Mellado is President and CEO of Compassion International. He has a deep love and passion for the beauty and potential of local churches fulfilling their Jesus-given mandate to redeem and restore this world for His name’s sake. Born in El Salvador and raised in seven different countries, Jimmy has experienced firsthand the powerful impact thriving local churches can have on their communities, especially in under-resourced environments.
Prior to joining Compassion in June of 2013, Jimmy was president of the Willow Creek Association and was key in launching and hosting The Global Leadership Summit. His educational background includes graduating cum laude with a Mechanical Engineering degree from Southern Methodist University (SMU) in Dallas, Texas and a Master of Business Administration from the Harvard Business School.
He is also an accomplished athlete. In college, Jimmy was a member of the 1983 NCAA Division I Indoor & Outdoor National Championship team at SMU where he competed in the decathlon and held the school record. After college, Jimmy went on to place 4th at the 1987 Pan American Games and 26th in the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games, competing for the country of his birth, El Salvador. He has continued to stay engaged with the sport he loves by serving as a volunteer track and field coach. Jimmy is married to Leanne and they have two daughters and a son.
Show Notes:
Strong and Weak by Andy Crouch
https://bit.ly/3n08ybH
Compassion International
https://www.compassion.com
Third Culture Kids by David C. Pollock, Ruth E. Van Reken, and Michael V. Pollock
https://amzn.to/3qPD3lv
Divided by Faith by Michael O. Emerson and Christian Smith
https://amzn.to/3q7b7ux
