Suzanne Pearson, Author at TEAM Christian Missions Blog

Diving Deep for the Gospel

Despite opposition and personal sacrifice, global workers exemplify “Passionate Service” that goes well beyond surface level.

Jun 01 2023

Author’s Note: Here on the blog for the past few months, we’ve been featuring stories that exemplify each of TEAM’s Defining Values. As we came to the value of “Passionate Service,” I knew I wanted to share a story about a TEAM missionary with a passion for cross-cultural service. Here’s what God showed me in the meantime. A New Adventure I held my breath and kicked hard for the surface. Snorkeling in the teal blue waters off the coast of the Philippines was a new adventure for me. For the first few minutes, I had stayed close to the…

Displaced populations show remarkable resilience and strength despite many challenges. Will you join us in praying for diaspora people groups and those who come alongside them?

Apr 18 2023

In this month’s Ministry Update, we focused on TEAM’s value of Creative Vision, and specifically the need to be flexible when serving in cross-cultural work. We heard from TEAM global worker, Samantha* how she has had to learn to hold her plans loosely in ministering to and serving alongside displaced Ukranian populations since the war began. Samantha is not alone. According to the International Organization for Migration’s 2022 World Migration Report, approximately 281 million people, or 3.6% of the world’s population, live in a country other than their country of birth. Of these, many live as expatriates due to war,…

Over half the world’s population lives within a 2,500 mile radius of Yuxi, a city in southern China. For this month’s Prayer Focus, please join us in praying for Gospel reach in Asia.

Mar 14 2023

With concerns over aerial surveillance, military aid to Russia, and increasing tensions with Taiwan, it seems that China is constantly in the news. Asia as a whole remains largely in the throes of economic upheaval caused by supply-chain disruptions and other aftershocks of the pandemic. And yet the Gospel spreads. Christianity grew twice as fast as the general population in Asia during the 20th century, and that trend continues in the 21st. According to sources cited in this article from Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary, Christians now make up 8.2% of people living in Asia. How can we, as the global…

Doug and Becca Gooding and their children, Nathan, Jonah, Tirzah, and Sam have answered God’s call to serve in a unique way.

Feb 14 2023

Over the next several months of TEAM Ministry Updates, we’ll be sharing stories that highlight each of TEAM’s defining values. Today we’d like to introduce you to the Gooding family. Their journey toward overseas ministry in Japan is marked by the value of “God Dependence.” Here is their story. Meet the Goodings In missions organizations like TEAM, it’s quite common for global workers to transition from a ministry post overseas to a position with the organization’s home office. It’s not as common for the opposite to be true. But our God has a wonderful way of revealing His plan…

Feb 02 2023

What defines you? In 2023, it’s a popular question. We all seem to be trying to wrap our minds around the question of identity – that which defines us. As followers of Jesus, we want our identity to be rooted in Christ. To that end, TEAM, as an organization with many members, has defining values that anchor us. But it’s important that these values aren’t just platitudes that we post on a webpage and then go about our business. For these concepts to truly define us as missional workers and as disciples of Jesus, they need to be lived out…

Sunshine through the city buildings in Italy.

“Alba” in Italian means “Sunrise.” And that’s just what the Alba Safe House and Recovery Program in Italy is all about…the sun rising on a brighter day for women in need of a new start.

Jan 17 2023

For many of us, when we think of Italy, we envision the breathtaking architecture, stunning landscapes, and incredible food. But what we may not know is that Italy is also home to a subculture that can be cruel to the weak and vulnerable. Prostitution is legal in Italy, and the infrastructure for social services is sparse, even for its own citizens. For these reasons among others, Italy is an epicenter for sex trafficking. The result is a sea of women, many of them foreigners in a country far from their own. They are trapped in the sex industry but…

"What was broken in relationship can only be healed in relationship." These words are the hallmark for TEAM’s anti-trafficking ministries.

Jan 02 2023

According to the Human Trafficking Hotline, there are over 40 million victims of trafficking worldwide. TEAM is acutely aware of the global crisis of sex trafficking and we thank God for opening doors to anti-trafficking ministry opportunities in various regions. For this month’s Prayer Focus, we invite you to join us in praying for anti-trafficking ministries and those they serve in these specific ways: 1. PRAY for global workers to find and connect with those in need in a post-COVID climate. In many areas, especially in places where prostitution is legal, it was relatively straightforward prior to the pandemic to…

Dec 15 2022

As 2022 draws to a close, all of us here at TEAM are so grateful for the many things God has done in our midst throughout the world. We wish that we could share EVERY story from TEAM’s 500+ global workers and their ministries! But even though we can’t (think how tired my typing fingers would be!), it is our joy and blessing to feature one story each month in our Ministry Updates. For December, we thought you might enjoy hearing some Ministry Update….updates! Here are some new reports from the folks you “met” here on the blog throughout the…

Missions organizations like TEAM include many folks who work behind the scenes to make cross-cultural work possible around the world.

Dec 01 2022

Each month we invite you, our faithful TEAM friends, to pray for a specific aspect of cross-cultural missionary work. We are so grateful to you for covering TEAM’s 500+ global workers and their ministries in prayer each month. Now as we approach a new year full of exciting challenges and opportunities ahead, we turn our attention to the other side of the missionary-sending coin…the folks that keep things running smoothly for our global workers serving around the world. For the month of December, we invite you to lift up our “home office” staff as they prepare, equip and support our…

Congreagation worshiping during a church service.

One of the greatest needs in international churches is for interim (short-term) and transitional pastors.

Nov 22 2022

Imagine entering a place where people from many nations gather as one. The faces are a kaleidoscope of color. Multiple languages, cultures, and backgrounds find commonality in the Gospel. This is the scene at international churches. Sounds like heaven, doesn’t it? Jeff Winters agrees. “There’s something so rich about having so many cultures in one place worshipping God,” says Jeff. “It’s a prelude to heaven when you go to an international church.” Jeff is a retired pastor who with his wife Judy served as an interim, or short-term, pastor at an international church in Turkey. Jeff and Judy stepped in…

Author - Suzanne Pearson

Diving Deep for the Gospel

Far From Home: Praying for Displaced People Groups

Together for the Gospel: Praying for Asia

From Home Office to Mission Field: A Lesson in God Dependence

Defined by Christ: A Call to Prayer

Sunrise on a New Beginning

January Prayer Focus: Anti-Trafficking Ministry Around the World

Looking Back on Stories from 2022: God’s Work Continues

December Prayer Focus: Pray for TEAM, Behind the Scenes!

International Churches: A Prelude to Heaven