Blessed are the Flexible

Anonymous Missionary • Apr 04, 2023

In this series of TEAM Ministry Updates, we’re sharing stories that highlight each of TEAM’s defining values . The following narrative is shared by “Samantha” (name changed), a TEAM Ukraine global worker, as an example of the value of “Creative Vision.”

A common saying among overseas workers is the adage, “Blessed are the flexible for they shall not be easily broken.” Although not technically numbered among The Beatitudes, this truth is one that all who minister cross-culturally should keep in the back of their minds. Maybe we should even cross-stitch it on a pillow and place it somewhere we have to look at it daily!

When global workers get together, even if we come from diverse places, we can all laugh at the moments when we learned this “cross-stitchable” truth the hard way. Most of the first term overseas is made up of thousands of moments where flexibility keeps you from breaking under the pressures and stressors, and everything that’s so new about your host country.

I like to think I’m a fairly flexible person. After serving in Ukraine for seven years, I had not “seen it all,” but I had seen enough to know that how you imagine something to turn out is often categorically opposite of what happens. So many factors of daily life as a cross-cultural worker are beyond our control. Buses are late or never arrive. The store is out of chicken. The officials at the migration office inexplicably go on a two-hour smoke break and never return. The power turns off in the middle of baking a cake or during the spin cycle of the washing machine.

In fact, sometimes it’s even more jarring when what I plan for the week is accomplished; I truly don’t know what to do with myself!

Flexibility May Mean Sacrificing Our “Agenda”

Over the years in Ukraine, I certainly grew more flexible as a person. What was less welcome for me was when my ministry “agenda” needed to become flexible. Oof. Pride and flexibility aren’t things that go well together.

What about when the ministry I came to support shifts, or even dissolves? What if the “needs on the ground” I’ve spouted to supporters and churches end up being radically different, and instead there’s an entirely different set of needs (and resources to meet these needs)?

How will I choose to respond when local friends shoot down my grand ideas for what youth group should look like? What if no one comes to my carefully planned women’s Bible study but instead an acquaintance in crisis is regularly free to meet and talk for hours?

What will my attitude be when discipleship meetings don’t happen, but the Lord instead opens doors to serve as a support-raising coach and cross-cultural mentor for Ukrainians being sent as global workers? What if I’m not the one up front doing the ministry as I thought, but rather encouraging and equipping local friends to thrive in their ministries? What if none of my life looks like I thought it would?

 

A spirit of flexibility, creativity, and humility leads to the understanding that at its core, missions service means joining in the work God is already doing in the places we go.

Becoming a Partner and Cheerleader

It can be painful to see the differences between the ministry expectations I lugged to the field with me in three 50 pound checked bags seven years ago and the reality of what has actually been achieved in these short years.

And yet, I am in awe of so many things God has done that I could never have orchestrated. Those most hungry for Jesus and willing to follow Him no matter what weren’t the people I had expected. Some church members I thought were ready to help lead the ministry never did, and others I never expected were the first to sign up. When I thought I’d moved across the world to teach or lead, I instead found the vital importance of learning, listening, and coaching from the side. What was needed among the body of believers in our town in Ukraine was not my voice as an instructor but instead as a partner and cheerleader for local leaders.

Adapting to a Time of War

And perhaps the greatest test of flexibility yet came in February 2022 when the Russian invasion began. The onset of war meant that I had to leave Ukraine and find new locations and ways of serving. For my Ukrainian brothers and sisters, their lives were turned upside down as husbands, fathers, and sons became soldiers and families faced heartbreaking decisions of whether to stay or flee.

Yet even in unimaginable pain and heartbreak, I see our creative God at work in Ukrainians both at home in their country and abroad. So many Ukrainians have stepped up to serve their neighbors despite incredible hardship and risk, and God is using them to draw many people to Himself. As felt needs are met – like a safe place to spend the night or a hot cup of tea and groceries – thousands of Ukrainians hear the Good News of Jesus’ love for them and respond to His call. And instead of ministries dependent on foreigners or “ministry experts” to function, Ukrainian Christians start and lead ministries in their own exceedingly flexible, God-dependent, and extremely winsome way.

A Front-Row Seat

Now I write this as I’m about to head back to Europe. I begin a new chapter in cross-cultural life and ministry serving Ukrainians, only this time they’re foreigners doing life in a new country and language, living in the limbo of war. Talk about flexibility!

Life and ministry today look nothing like I expected before the start of the full-scale invasion. Yet the Lord in His creativity is doing things in me and around me I never could have imagined, and I’m excited to see what He will do in the months and years ahead. May I have the faith and flexibility to walk in step with the Lord into wherever He’s leading. Even if it’s in not a place or way I expected, I get a front-row seat to see His glory spread throughout the world.


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By Suzanne Pearson 19 Mar, 2024
Previously on the TEAM blog, we sat down with Justin Burkholder (pictured above at left, with TEAM's Executive Director of Communications, Aaron Catlin). Justin will become TEAM’s next International Director on July 1, 2024. Justin shared about his background, family, and the journey that led him to TEAM. Check out that interview here . Today, we pick up the conversation as Justin shares how God called him to the role of International Director, and what he sees for the next chapter in TEAM’s work in the global Church. Q: How and when did you first consider applying for the position of International Director? How did the Lord reveal Himself to you as this opportunity presented itself? A: For some time, I have been evaluating how God wants me to use the gifts He has given me. Jenny and I have had a fruitful ministry in church planting in Guatemala and would happily continue doing so as God leads. However, as God blessed my efforts in TEAM leadership, there were friends and family who expressed that I should consider using my gifts in the International Director role. I don’t believe that everything necessarily rises and falls on leadership, but I do believe that it is a core component in the body of Christ. Using the gifts God has given me is a way that I want to bless the body of Christ in TEAM, making my contribution to the global purposes of God’s mission. Jenny and I spent a lot of time praying about this and decided that I should put my name in for consideration, trusting God’s guidance. We had a tremendous amount of peace throughout the entire process and were blessed by the prayer-filled process that the board undertook. Q: This is a key role in a large and complex organization, and I’m sure this was a big decision for you and your family. What were your fears or concerns? Why did you ultimately decide to accept the position? A: You say “were” like the fears have passed! I still am quite aware of my youth and inexperience - of the responsibility and weight of this role. Mostly, I’m afraid of leading an organization like TEAM in the flesh. Many of the fears that I have faced have been fears rooted in fleshly desires and concerns. I have no desire to succeed in the world’s eyes and fail in the Kingdom of Jesus. Why did I ultimately decide to accept the position? I’m convinced that the Good News about Jesus is true. The tomb is empty, Jesus is King, and the world needs to know, because Jesus is coming back. He will put things in order. He will establish righteousness, peace, and justice for all mankind, and He has commissioned His Church to proclaim and demonstrate His rule and reign. I want to use my gifts to do whatever I can to amplify the proclamation of this message and the multiplication of His Church around the world. Q: What are your goals and vision for the future of TEAM? A: This is something that I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about. I’m certainly not ready to present a fully-shaped vision and goals for TEAM’s future without the input of other people in different contexts in TEAM. But, I will share a few things that I think are important: First, we need to model God-Dependence . I am hopeful that as leaders in TEAM, we can continue to model God-Dependence. As Hudson Taylor said years ago “…God’s work, done in God’s way, will never lack God’s supplies.” I am hopeful that we can increase our sense of faith in God, prayer, and seeking direction from the Spirit. Secondly, we must strengthen our relational fabric . Due to the changes that we have experienced by decentralizing our home office functions, and the challenges from the pandemic, we have experienced a loss of relationships. It is imperative that we intentionally prioritize the building of relationships with one another. I plan to visit our workers and staff, and I am expectant that other key leaders and staff will be doing the same. Third, we must pursue the greater presence of the global Church. The Kingdom of Jesus Christ doesn’t look like any single geopolitical, ethnic, or racial culture. If we want to truly see the Kingdom of Jesus come on earth as it is in heaven, then we as citizens of this Kingdom must learn from one another, submit to one another, and grow with one another. The missional potential of the global Church has been unleashed by God’s Spirit since Acts 1, and we have an opportunity to learn from many brothers and sisters in Christ who can help us to better model and proclaim the Kingdom of Jesus to those who have yet to believe. Lastly, we must increase our Gospel boldness . There are still many places of great spiritual blindness and spiritual brokenness around the world. The apostolic impulse of cross-cultural organizations should call us to the to the edges of where the Kingdom of Jesus is not penetrating. Whether spiritual blindness and brokenness exists because of lack of access, idolatry, injustice, or any other myriad of reasons, I prayerfully hope to see more and more TEAM workers continue to move into spaces of great Gospel need.
By Suzanne Pearson 08 Mar, 2024
Through God-ordained partnerships and creative connections, TEAM worker Keith Moore sees the global Church advancing in amazing ways. In the global missions landscape, a phrase that comes up often is “from everywhere, to everywhere.” God is calling His global Church in literal new directions, as He raises up cross-cultural workers to be sent from places that were once on the receiving end of missions work. We call this movement “polycentric sending.” TEAM workers Dawn and Keith Moore have seen first-hand this transition taking place. Their story involves the unlikely but beautiful intersection of Charlotte, North Carolina; Tegucigalpa, Honduras; and Memphis, Tennessee...and beyond. The Path to Honduras Keith and Dawn joined TEAM in 1991 and served as church planters for nine years in Bogota, Colombia. After safety concerns precipitated their return to the States in 1999, they knew they wanted to continue serving in Latin America. The Moores felt called to Honduras but wanted to connect with a strong missional church to help send them. The Lord orchestrated a collaboration with Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis, Tennessee. “Some people asked, ‘Why Honduras? Missionaries have been there for 100 years. It’s already reached,’” Keith says. “But there’s a whole section of Latin America that had not been reached - the upper crust.” Keith goes on to explain that he and Dawn felt called to reach college-educated professionals in Honduras – a ministry vision that resonated with the missional goals of Bellevue Baptist. Impact and Growth With the support of this new church partnership as well as another sending church in Birmingham, Alabama, the Moores embarked on their next adventure. Keith and Dawn started Impacto Honduras Church from scratch, and in less than 20 years, the church grew into four locations with 1600 total members. The Moores and other TEAM workers also created a “Bible school” type training program to help professionals who feel a call to ministry to make that transition. Throughout this period of explosive growth, church partnerships played an integral role. “It’s such a different vision when you have a church that says, ‘OK, this is our deal, we want to make this happen,’” Keith explains. “They helped us with everything. They took away every single obstacle to growth. Every time we needed something, they were there.” In 2017, the Moores once again found themselves on the verge of another decision. Was it time to leave Honduras? “I had no desire to leave,” Keith recalls. “People were coming to Christ every week! It was just so amazing.” However, back in the U.S., Keith and Dawn’s parents were in their 80s and would soon be in need of more care. “We realized that either we would leave in a crisis, or we would leave strategically,” says Keith. The couple began to implement a careful succession plan. By the time they left, the four churches were established with strong, Honduran leadership ready to carry on the work of the Gospel.
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