2021 - Page 2 of 4 - TEAM Christian Missions Blog

After Home Assignment: Grieving the Good That Was

Woman with suitcase looking out airport window

At the end of a home assignment, denying my grief feels easiest. But God equips me to acknowledge the pain and move forward with faith.

Sep 10 2021

I hate the goodbyes that come with ending a home assignment. I want good things to keep going as they are, indefinitely. And yet, I know that’s not how life works. Denial of something’s end doesn’t delay or prevent its end. It only keeps us from grieving what was and archiving pieces of it in memory, from getting up and walking into what’s next. If I stay stuck in this spot, unwilling to accept the reality that time is moving on, time isn’t what stops moving. There will come a day when I’m ripped from my spot, stuck in “the…

A group of men in Honduras consult their Bibles.

Every church needs to train leaders for the future. Join us this month in praying for missionaries who train local church leaders and missionaries.

Sep 01 2021

For Jose, it was just another normal run around the park. He didn’t know that he would end up having a conversation that would change his life and his family. But that day at the park, Jose met members of TEAM missionaries Ralph and Ellen’s church plant in Mexico. They invited Jose and his wife, Amilia, to be a part of one of their house churches. Soon, Jose put his faith in Christ and was baptized. Since then, he has been actively sharing his faith with everyone he meets! The change in Jose was so apparent that his wife and…

Your first year as missionary is less about bold ministry than it is about diligent studying and acclimation.

Aug 25 2021

“Your goal for the first term is to survive and want to come back.” When Eric Binion got this advice, he was a new missionary in South Africa. And at first, it sounded as absurd to him as it probably sounds to you. Eric already wanted to be in South Africa. Plus, a missionary’s first term is generally four years in-country. After language school, you still have two years to dedicate fully to ministry. Why aim for such a low goal? Decades later, Eric is giving the same advice. So, what should you expect your first year as a missionary?…

Cristian felt like he was falling apart. Now, through sports ministry and discipleship, he’s a passionate believer with a vision to spread the Gospel.

Aug 16 2021

When two visitors showed up at Cristian’s middle school, he had no idea that the basketball program they promoted would end three long years of loneliness. It wasn’t easy growing up in La Paz, Mexico, where Cristian regularly navigated offers of drugs, family dysfunction and his own adolescent hormones. And he was doing it pretty much all on his own. He’d had some good friends, neighbors who provided a safe space and a listening ear — and who also pointed him to Jesus. But they moved away. Where Cristian had once found friendship and spiritual guidance, now there was only…

A missionary talks with a woman from an unreached people group in Chad.

Unreached people groups are found in rural villages, high-tech cities and everywhere in between — but all have the same need for the Gospel.

Aug 01 2021

What pops into your mind when you read the words “unreached people groups”? Simple, tribal living or high-tech, city life? Intense religiosity or no religion at all? Commitment to community or extreme individualism? Hard-to-reach or just a plane ride away? Actually, any of those answers could be correct. Ask TEAM missionary Eric Kroner about the unreached people group (UPG) he serves in Chad, and he’ll share about farmers who live without electricity or running water. “They are very much aware that their livelihood is dependent upon rains, at the whim of disease, and with the very rhythms of day and…

How do you know if God is calling you to long-term missions? Who are the best candidates for short-term mission trips? We’ve got answers.

Jul 27 2021

The journey of pursuing missions is unique for each person. God is personal and above all, and He is able to orchestrate all the details of a missionary’s life for His honor and glory. And yet, as you pursue cross-cultural Christian missions, you might find yourself stuck on this question: How long should you commit to overseas missions service? Is there really a valuable difference between short-term missions or a mid-term assignment? Should you just jump into long-term missions and commit your foreseeable future to overseas work? As a TEAM missions coach, I regularly help people walk through these questions,…

With crushing debt, a dying mother and a looming prison sentence, Murad was in desperate need of a miracle. Then, he dreamed of a missionary.

Jul 19 2021

Every salvation story is different. Murad began his by hitting a pedestrian with his car. The accident wasn’t necessarily all his fault, but in Murad’s Middle Eastern country, that doesn’t matter. The person at fault is the one who doesn’t get hurt The medical bills stacked up quickly, and Murad was responsible for all of them. Tradition also required Murad to pay a separate amount as an apology to the family. The full amount was 20 times what Murad made in one month. In the midst of that crisis, Murad’s family was hit with another: Murad’s mother, Qismah, was diagnosed…

From finding the right care to fighting shame, missionaries with chronic health conditions have a whole set of unique prayer needs.

Jul 01 2021

When Noelle and Lee* sensed God calling them to Italy, they put out a fleece. Noelle has an autoimmune disorder that requires treatment every six weeks. If God provided a place for treatment, they would move forward. “He provided, so we came,” Noelle says. The treatment wasn’t local, but it was doable. Every six weeks, Noelle travelled to Germany for blood product infusions that keep her immune system from attacking itself. Thankfully, travel among European countries was easy. Then COVID-19 began to spread. Borders closed. “Without this treatment, I can deteriorate very quickly,” Noelle says. “It was a bit frightening…

When it comes to finding the best books on missions, there’s no one better to ask than actual missionaries!

Jun 17 2021

There are almost endless books on Christian missions to read. Rather than try to identify the best, we decided to ask missionaries for their favorites. This list is a perfect mix of memoir, faith-building insights and cultural education. And they’ve all proven themselves invaluable to missionaries around the world. Check out the list, and then be sure to share your favorite books on missions in the comments! Have We No Rights? by Mabel Williamson Recommended by Amie Bockstahler, missionary to Guatemala Demanding your rights is a treasured American pastime. But is it compatible with the mission field? That’s the question…

With limited internet access, one Peruvian church has had to think differently about how to do church during an ongoing pandemic.

Jun 10 2021

Throughout the pandemic, churches have celebrated the power of online services. People who would never have set foot in a church could casually hop online for a bit of hope. But for people in the community of Ciudad de Dios, going online for church is an impossible luxury. Located on the outskirts of Arequipa, Peru, the neighborhood is made of people working simple jobs with meager wages. Any internet access comes in the form of cell phone data. And with schools online during COVID-19, families have had to use most of their data for their children’s educations. Now, well into…

Archive - 2021

After Home Assignment: Grieving the Good That Was

Praying for the World’s Future Church Leaders

5 Things to Expect Your First Year as a Missionary

‘More than Just a Basketball Thing’

How to Pray for Unreached People Groups

How Long Should I Be a Missionary?

When a Muslim Dreams of a Missionary

Missionaries with Chronic Health Problems Need Your Prayers

Missionaries’ Favorite Books on Missions

When Your Church Still Can’t Meet in Person — or Online