Our Story
According to Genesis 12:1-2, God told Abraham to “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you . . . and I will bless you, and you will be a blessing.” In 2004, Brian heeded a similar call when he left his country, his people and his father’s household to join the United States Peace Corps as a volunteer. At the time, Brian had no idea to which country God would be taking him, but in June 2004 he landed in Uganda and was eventually placed in a rural area near Pallisa Town in Eastern Uganda. Like He promised to Abraham, God similarly blessed Brian for going to an unknown land. On a visit to Tororo where he had been called to train some other Peace Corps volunteer, Brian met the greatest blessing of his life, Jesca, and the two fell in love and were eventually married and blessed with three beautiful children. God also promised Abraham that he would be a blessing to others. Through Jesca’s love for her community and her dedicated service to the people of Tororo, Brian and Jesca have had the great privilege of God working through them to be a blessing to members of their community in Tororo.
Jesca grew up moving from home to home and living with various families because her parents were unable to care for her. Through the mercies of various relatives and community members, Jesca worked her way to an associate’s degree from Uganda College of Commerce in Tororo before meeting Brian. The generosity of others has allowed Jesca to shine her light in the world. After years of serving others in their community independently, Brian and Jesca formed Shine International, Inc. in July 2019 in hopes that the organization would be able to help God’s children to reach their full potential so they may also brightly shine their lights on their communities.
When they are not in Tororo, Brian and Jesca reside in Elk River, Minnesota with their three children—Amani, Akisa and Adia. Jesca is a nurse and Brian is an attorney at Mayer Brown, an internationally-renowned law firm with offices throughout the world. They are actively involved at both St. John Lutheran Church and Plymouth Covenant Church and Brian coaches youth travel basketball in the community.
Brian and Jesca Kuhl
Brian is the Co-Founder, President and Chairman of the Board.
Jesca is the Co-Founder, Chief Operations Officer and Treasurer.
Brian and Jesca Kuhl met in Tororo when Brian was a Peace Corps volunteer, and have been married since September 2006.
Brian is a senior associate at Mayer Brown LLP, one of the largest and most profitable law firms in the world, where he specializes in corporate finance transactions.
Brian received his bachelor of arts degree from Augsburg University in Minneapolis, Minnesota and his juris doctorate, with highest honors, from the University of Wisconsin Law School in Madison, Wisconsin, where he finished in the Top 1% of his law school class and was awarded the Salmon Dalberg Award, an annual award given to “an outstanding member of the graduating class.”
Prior to law school, Brian was a teacher and a health care administrator in Minnesota and a Peace Corps Volunteer in Pallisa, Uganda.
Jesca is a wife, mother and nurse. She was born in Tororo, Uganda and moved to the United States with Brian in 2006. Jesca has worked in clinics, nursing homes and schools in the United States, where she was a beloved nurse because of her exceptional ability to form meaningful and loving relationships with people. Prior to moving to the United States, Jesca worked as both a manager and an accountant in Tororo, Uganda.
After years of serving others in their community independently, Brian and Jesca formed Shine International, Inc. in 2019 in hopes that the organization would be able to help God’s children to reach their full potential so they may also brightly shine their lights on their communities. When they are not in Tororo, Brian and Jesca reside in Elk River, Minnesota with their three children—Amani, Akisa and Adia.
