April 2017 - TEAM Christian Missions Blog

Preparing for Missions: 6 Tips for a Healthy Goodbye

Preparing for missions? Moving overseas and saying goodbye to the people and places you love is not easy. Here are six tips on how to leave well.

Apr 26 2017

When Jesus told us to “go to all the world,” “go” meant leave! Leave home. Leave family. Leave what’s familiar, and go to what is strange to you. For a missionary, all the studying, fundraising, preparation and planning marches inexorably to this point: time to “go.” Two letters. One small step into the aircraft door. One big turning point. That moment can be an intensely lonely moment, both for those leaving and those who are left. However, both parties are in company with a lot of people in today’s world. Jerry Jones, a blogger who lives in China and…

Feeling tired, drained or frustrated while living overseas? You might be experiencing culture stress. Here's how to handle it and adapt to your new normal. Graphics by TEAM

Apr 24 2017

In the last 18 years, I have traveled to countries on nearly every continent. Every country I traveled to has taught me about culture and about myself. Through my travels, I have experienced things completely foreign to my definition of normal. I have bathed and washed my hair in a bucket, slept in a treehouse, eaten with monkeys, been roommates with scorpions, used two boards as a toilet, traveled through the mountains in the back of a pickup truck and eaten foods I can’t pronounce. All of these experiences, while exciting, triggered culture stress in me, which can affect your…

Trying to get the kids in your life involved in missions? Here are actionable strategies with links to resources to help you get started. Photo by TEAM

Apr 20 2017

Jon Acuff writes about a conversation he had with his daughter when she was five. Flipping through a magazine, she saw a picture of a starving child and asked her dad, “That’s pretend, right?” Acuff writes that what he really felt she was asking was, “You’re not okay with that, are you? Are you doing anything about this, Dad?” Over the years, adults may become desensitized to the suffering around us, but often children can bring us back to reality: We’re not okay with that, are we? Are we doing something about it? When it comes to local and global missions,…

In rural Chad, people struggle to find water — especially clean water. Waterborne diseases run rampant. But a water well can change everything.

Apr 17 2017

How many hours would you walk for a drink of water? One? Two? More? For people in the desert lands of Chad, this often isn’t really a question. They will walk for their water. They have no other choice. In the rural parts of Chad, people often don’t have ready sources of water. They gather surface water during the rainy season. And when it dries up, they walk for hours until they can find another source. No matter where they go, the water is dirty — contaminated, in part, by people and animals alike who use the water to bathe. Children…

Even if missions is years away, preparing doesn't have to wait. Here are four things high school students can do today to prepare for missions. Photo by TEAM

Apr 12 2017

As a missions coach, I regularly meet high school students who are exploring what role missions could play in their lives after graduation. For many, the likelihood of serving overseas long-term is years away. But that doesn’t mean preparing for ministry has to wait. Here are four things high school students can do right now to get ready for a future in missions. 1. Form a close-knit Christian community. In his book, Life Together, Dietrich Bonhoeffer reminds believers that community with Christ, each other and the world around us is vital to making decisions and pursuing goals. Living life…

Moving halfway around the globe can be challenging. At the beginning of my time here, I had difficult days. Days where I thought I'd never fit into the culture. On those days, I'd take out my bike and ride. Photo by TEAM

Apr 06 2017

I twist and turn down the bumpy sidewalk in my suburban neighborhood of Tokyo, and I feel the cool air hit my face. I hear the cars passing me, and I smell exhaust fumes mixed with scents from the corner restaurant. As I approach a pedestrian crossing I hear the screech of my brakes, and I’m reminded of why I feel at home here. I never thought riding a bicycle in Tokyo would become my favorite pastime. My husband and I moved to Tokyo just four months ago, along with our two young children and dog. If you would’ve told…

Missionaries are caring for the planet to teach people about the God who made it. Will you pray for them?

Apr 04 2017

Whether it’s ruined soil, contaminated water or disease caused by piled up garbage, there’s no doubt that environmental destruction hurts people deeply. In the midst of that hurt, many people doubt God’s power, His love or that He even exists. That’s why missionaries around the world are shining a light on God’s handiwork through creation care ministries. By teaching sustainable farming methods, cleaning beaches and more, missionaries get to show how faithfully God has provided for our physical needs — and that opens doors to share about the eternal life He offers all of us. This April, will you pray…

Archive - April 2017

Preparing for Missions: 6 Tips for a Healthy Goodbye

How to Handle Culture Stress

Actionable Ways to Get Kids Involved in Missions

Wells of Hope for Muslims in Chad [VIDEO]

How High Schoolers Can Prepare for Missions

Biking to Belong in Japan

6 Ways to Pray for Creation Care Ministries [April Prayer Focus]