Blogs, Podcasts + Other Online Resources for Missionaries

Christine Elizabeth • Mar 23, 2017

Living away from my home country brings its set of challenges — one of which is wanting to find connections with people who also are living outside their home culture.

I’ve always been intrigued by the power of connection through social media, but over the last two years of living in Manila, I’ve learned even more about the power posting can have on building relationships.

Here is a list of online resources that have helped me connect with other missionaries and their stories from around the world.

Blogs for Missionaries

1. A Life Overseas

This blog has been a lifeline to me over the past two years. Their posts, mostly written by missionaries, are raw, challenging and inviting. They make me think, call me out on my own wrong attitudes and often have me saying, “Ah! Me too!”

2. The Culture Blend

Jerry Jones (not the owner of the Dallas Cowboys, the other Jerry Jones) lives in China with his wife and three kids. For work, Jerry trains people who transition between cultures, and on his blog, he writes about what he sees and learns as an international businessman. Traveling back and forth between cultures has taught him that his life is a ‘wonderfully awkward mix of people who see the exact same world from completely different perspectives.”

3. Velvet Ashes

For many of my friends who live overseas, Velvet Ashes is not just their favorite blog, it’s the only blog they read about expat life. Velvet Ashes is an online community for women who live outside their home countries and desire to connect with others and thrive. The site hosts retreats and book clubs and features blog posts written by women around the world.

A few other blogs that stuck out in my research are:

If you’re looking for country-specific blogs, a simple search with keywords like “expat” or “missionary blog” plus your host country will likely return personal blogs. These may give you some surprising new connections, insights and encouragement. Maybe a new friend or two, as well.

Facebook Groups for Missionaries

1. Local expat groups:

I started using local buy/sell Facebook groups as a way to furnish our apartment. But I discovered there are Facebook groups for many different demographics living here in Manila (women, moms, trailing spouses, men, even wives of foreign men who run hotels).

Through a group focused on expat women (called “Ma’am Manila”), I’ve been able to ask cultural questions, learn from other women’s experiences and even have met offline with other women living here. Do a Facebook search to find out if there are groups in your area available to join.

2. I Am A Triangle :

Little did Naomi know that a simple blog post would grow into an online Facebook community of over 10,000 people from all over the world. In 2013, she posted this blog post called “I Am a Triangle,” describing the tension expats face when they return to their home country after living abroad — how they no longer feel like they fit. Her words caught the heartstrings of many who have lived in multiple countries.

There is now a community of men and women coming from different cultures and living in different cultures, sharing and connecting about life on this Facebook group .

3. Mission organization groups:

Find out what Facebook groups are available through your missions organization. Organizations may have groups where everyone can post and share updates, and some may have groups for specific demographics (women, millennials, businesspeople) to communicate and share resources.

Instagram for Missionaries

I recently asked a group of new friends, “How did you meet each other?” They looked at each other suspiciously, breaking into laughter while replying, “Instagram!”

It’s becoming more and more common for social media to spawn real-life friendships. But while distance may keep us from all connecting in person, we can easily share life with others who walk a similar path to us.

Search common hashtags to find other overseas workers around the world, maybe even some in your area. To start, try searching these hashtags:

You can also search for locations near you to find people with common interests in your area.

Podcasts for Missionaries

Listening to podcasts has been a favorite practice of mine while we commute or wait in traffic. While you’ll often find me listening to something light and entertaining (my personal favorite is anything from Gimlet Media), there are some helpful podcasts out there geared toward missionaries and expats. Here are a few I found worth noting:

1. Global Missions Podcast : A collaborative effort between mission organizations, this podcast dives into current discussions and topics around the world such as raising support through storytelling , the global refugee crisis and tentmaking.

2. Engaging Missions : Bryan is a storyteller. While his day job in logistics may make your eyes glaze over (his words, not mine), he has a Skype account, and he’s not afraid to use it. Bryan interviews missionaries around the world and shares their stories on this podcast. (He also shares some of his favorite podcasts here ).

3. Two Fat Expats : Kirsty and Nicki are two seasoned expats who think a life overseas is meant to be enjoyed rather than endured. And they believe that life should be lived large. Currently in season three, their episodes are informative, entertaining and endearing.

Did I leave one of your favorite resources off this list? Let me know in the comments below. And be sure to subscribe to the TEAM blog for regular posts about life as a missionary.

Bridging Dissonance: Finding Connection in Music and the Gospel

By Emily Sheddan • 18 Jul, 2024
TEAM worker Luke Standridge and his fellow musicians use music to build connections to faith in Japan. In music terms, dissonance creates movement or even suspense in a song. It invites tension. That tension is what helps grab our ear’s attention and the interchanging of these notes with pleasant melodious parts is what makes music such a delight. In a similar way, God is using music to grab people’s attention and catalyze Gospel impact in the largely unreached nation of Japan. TEAM Global Worker, Luke Standridge moved to Japan in 2019 with no clear direction on how he was going to use his passion for composing music while doing ministry. However, after Luke got involved with a local church and began developing deep friendships, the Lord opened unimaginable doors for Luke that in time, coordinating his creative skills with sharing the Word. “People Need to Come to Japan!” Growing up as one of ten kids in a family that was heavily involved in ministry and missions, Luke never considered that it would one day be a part of his own journey. In 2016, via a Japanese language learning class in Indiana, Luke and his brother had the opportunity to travel to Japan. Hearing, learning, and using the language in the context of Japanese culture was the goal. While it was Luke’s first international trip – even his first trip on a plane - it was also his first time hearing about the spiritual condition of the Japanese people. “And just through that, God did a huge 180 change on my heart,” says Luke. “More people should come here as global workers. People need to come to Japan!” The call God was laying on Luke’s heart is echoed when looking at the spiritual landscape of Japan. The nation is home to the second largest unreached people group in the world. It is one of the most difficult places for the Gospel to take hold and grow. Japan is also home to a deep and rich culture that prizes creative arts from pottery to ink to music to anime – a fact that would help Luke find his niche in life and ministry. God’s Guiding Hand In the short three-month timespan of that first trip, Luke found that opportunities came naturally to share about life, and people’s curiosity for Christianity grew. “I left Japan knowing I just had to come back,” Luke shares. “Even if I didn’t get back to the same area, I knew Japan was where God wanted me to be.” The Lord is good all the time and all the time the Lord is good. His plans do not fail. Luke returned to Japan in 2019, and less than a week after arriving, he was put in touch with a renowned composer in Japan. The composer saw some of Luke’s music and invited him to help write the music for a beloved in-country animated show. But God wasn’t finished yet! Fast forward a year, and more connections and opportunities allowed Luke to help with music for Pokémon - a franchise that has brand recognition around the world and was being developed into a TV series in Japan. Luke recalls how the Lord began using these connections in the production world to open doors for Gospel conversations. One night while having dinner in downtown Tokyo with famous artists and composers from all around the country, Luke was asked about his ministry-focused visa. This was a rare opportunity in a setting with people otherwise uninterested in Christianity. Luke shares, “The whole time I could see God’s hand in guiding the entire thing.”

Connecting in a New Kind of “Neighborhood”

By Lorena de la Rosa and Suzanne Pearson • 13 Jun, 2024
Through creative arts and other forms of innovative outreach, “The Neighborhood” is creating connections to the Gospel and the love of Jesus. CONNECTION. It’s a common word with powerful implications. Dictionary.com defines connection as a joining or linking together; a relationship between people or objects that unites or binds them together. God has created each of us with a deep need for connection with Him as well as connection with others. Hebrews 10:24-25 speaks to this, as the writer exhorts, “Let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” This God-given need for connection lies at the heart of a creative and innovative ministry in Japan known as “The Neighborhood.” TEAM Japan global worker, Kelly and her family created The Neighborhood as a place where connections are formed through creative arts, educational opportunities, and simply just providing a space for people to be together. A Family Calling The journey to the creation of The Neighborhood began over 5,000 miles away from Tokyo, in California where Kelly, her husband Jeff, and their five children were living. The kids were the first to sense God’s calling to missions, and asked why their family wasn’t serving in this way. How Kelly and her family came to TEAM is a God-story in and of itself. “God placed a TEAM Japan worker at our lunch table the same week that the kids posed that question to us,” Kelly recalls. “We had never heard of TEAM and so we thought, ‘let’s check this out.’ After that, God just kept confirming that we were supposed to be here.” After a period of fundraising and with much excitement, the family of seven moved to Japan in 2014. For the first five years, Kelly and Jeff served as a part of other TEAM ministry initiatives, but they began to sense a stirring for something new. Creating The Neighborhood Kelly and her family truly have a deep gift for hospitality, and regularly opened up their home to others they met in Tokyo. They saw a great need for people to have a place to gather and connect, and they wondered what doors the Lord might be opening for them to meet that need. “About a year before we were to return the States on home assignment, we were just really thinking about our future in Japan,” Kelly says. “We saw a need for people to have a ‘third place’ – a place that’s not home and it’s not work. They didn’t have a church community or any other place where they could meet people and just connect.” Kelly goes on to explain that in Japan, the culture is such that people don’t generally invite each other into their homes, but as her family did so, people embraced that opportunity. “This idea formed in all of our hearts of a student ministry center – a place where we can create community and learning,” says Kelly. “It was born out of what we were already doing in our home, but seeing how we could expand it and have better space.” God’s Provision What happened next is a true testament to God’s provision. Kelly, Jeff, and the kids returned to the States and began sharing their vision for The Neighborhood with their supporters and churches who responded generously. Upon returning to Japan, the search was on for the right space. “We had a Christian realtor that we told our dream to, and he just went looking for it,” Kelly recalls. When the realtor found a 5-story apartment building, he said, “It’s kind of out of your budget but it has what you need and want.” The Lord provided the funds and the family moved into the space in November 2019. They now occupy all but the ground floor, with living space for their family as well as classrooms, areas to study or hang out, and guest rooms for exchange students or others who need a place to stay overnight. The first floor is occupied by a pizza shop – a welcome amenity for the many groups and students who visit The Neighborhood. “It’s very convenient!” Kelly says with a laugh. The Neighborhood began to see lots of activity right away until the pandemic hit in early 2020. During the height of the quarantine, Kelly and Jeff used the time to redecorate the space and plant gardens outside the building. Then as the restrictions eased, they invited individual students or families over for meals and fellowship. It wasn’t until March 2023 that The Neighborhood was able to fully open again as intended. Kelly shares that despite the setbacks of COVID, the Lord continued to provide the funds to pay the rent.
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