Missionaries and Disasters
As missionaries serve around the world, they often find themselves on the frontlines of disasters, whether it be famine, sickness, or flood. One of my dearest friends was one of the first people on the ground after the tsunami that…
How to Attend Your National Church Well
One of the hardest challenges when moving to the mission field is leaving behind our home church and integrating into a new church in our country of service. When we go to the field, we can’t take our church or…
5 Ways to Pray for Churches Around the World
“Try this approach, O believer, whenever you are sad of heart and in heaviness of spirit: Forget yourself and your little concerns, and seek the welfare and prosperity of Zion. When you kneel in prayer to God, limit not your…
Waiting Days Are Not Wasted Days
In the months before my husband and I departed for the mission field, our pastor taught expositionally through the book of Exodus. Previous studies of this book had often left me rolling my eyes at the Israelites. How could the…
Pilgrims in a Pandemic
Sometimes it takes a worldwide pandemic to remind us who we truly are. Was it really just last month that we could shop without worrying about empty shelves? Was it really only a few weeks ago that our retirement seemed…
When the World Turned Upside Down
I am writing this at the time of two very significant events: a global pandemic that has dramatically altered life for nearly everyone around the world and the celebration of the historical resurrection of Jesus Christ. One may feel more imminent,…
Our Unchanging God in the Ever-changing World
We live in uncertain times. Every day, I turn on the news to get the latest updates about the growing number of patients falling prey to COVID-19, about the new restrictions in place to limit its spread, and about how…
How Kids at Home Can Pray for Missionaries
My daughter-in-law asked me how her homebound sons can pray for missionaries and missions during this time of lockdown due to COVID-19. Her question was a great one, and I thought perhaps there were other parents who would like to…
Patrick of Ireland, the Missionary
Patrick of Ireland is one of my heroes of the history of Christian missions. He was a man that was more than the myth surrounding him. Celebrating St. Patrick’s Day has become a tradition in our culture and in other…
Leverage Your Short-Term Mission Trips for Long-Term Goals
I’ve often wondered how the Apostle Paul would utilize modern technology in missions. Would he eagerly promote the short-term missions (STM) surge to the nations? While I’m confident he’d leverage global travel and communication technology for the gospel’s sake, just…