Missionary Life Archives - TEAM Christian Missions Blog

From Mission Field to Missionary Force

Today’s cross-cultural missions are marked by a movement “from everywhere, to everywhere.”

Dec 19 2022

The auditorium of Iglesia Impacto in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, was filled to the brim as volunteers buzzed around the room handing out booklets and TEAM pens. The event was promoted as a kind of “Missions 101” for Latin American believers eager to learn more about global, cross-cultural missions. Planned and coordinated by TEAM Mobilization Director, David Puerto, the global missions training was conducted entirely in Spanish and spoke to the very heart of the Latin American church and its desire to embrace God’s global mission. Initially, around 60 people were expected to attend the event. When 120 registered and 150 showed…

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…

“We walked with spiritual giants.” Steve and Cindy Thompson share their journey of 35 years in ministry with TEAM Italy.

Aug 25 2022

They were two all-American kids growing up in the 1960’s. She was a little girl with a big heart to reach the unreached. He was a Michigan kid with a knack for radio broadcasting. Their journey translated into 35 years of faithful TEAM ministry and serves as encouragement of God’s faithfulness. “God has a real sense of humor” Steve grew up in a Christian home with parents who loved the Lord. As a teenager, Steve says, “I wasn’t as close to the Lord as I should have been. I accepted Christ as Savior, but I didn’t have any idea what…

Have a heart for overseas missions? Serving in your own community is a great place to start.

Jun 23 2022

For many future missionaries, God’s calling to mission work can create an unnecessary sense of urgency. The desire to GO as soon as possible may cause an emotional decision to pursue cross-cultural missions right away without proper preparation. The result can be culture shock and difficulties adjusting to life on the mission field. Seasoned missionaries offer great advice to avoid this pitfall: think local before you go global. Taking the time to invest in local ministries that relate to the type of mission work you want to do will go a long way toward preparing you for the field. There…

The Junker Family knows that God’s plans are always best.

Apr 27 2022

“If you want to make God laugh, tell Him your plans.” We’ve likely all heard this saying before, but it still takes us by surprise when things don’t go the way we expected. We so often have the best of intentions for our family, lives, and ministry and it throws us for a loop when God takes us in a different direction. Jon and Tammy Junker, TEAM global workers in Japan, know what that feels like. Jon was a missionary kid, born and raised in Japan. Tammy grew up in California, and served as an English teacher and with TEAM’s…

Feb 25 2022

When most people think of early Western missionaries, names like William Carey, Adoniram Judson, and TEAM’s own Fredrik Franson come to mind. Alongside these well-known evangelists were unsung African American heroes of the faith, dedicated men and women responding to the call of the Great Commission. In celebration of Black History Month, we are honored to share a few of those stories. George Liele It is amazing to realize the first recorded American missionary was African American. His name was George Liele and he was a former Virginia-born slave who began ministering in Jamaica in 1783, a full decade before…

Letting your kids experience another culture’s art can be scary. But doing so can be a key step in understanding your host culture and what the people value.

Oct 27 2021

How is it that two people can look at the same situation and have completely different takes on it? I’ve been asking myself this frequently, especially in the current climate of politics and society. It matters what lens we look at the world through. Do you agree? Have you ever looked through a kaleidoscope? The tinted and distorted shapes in the glass leave us dizzy and a bit disoriented as we try to figure out up from down. Sometimes I think people assume this is the experience viewing the art of another culture will be for them. Disorienting. Confusing. Silly,…

How do we help our kids find peace in the midst of uncertainty when we’re struggling to find peace ourselves?

Oct 07 2021

We were supposed to fly back to our African home over a month earlier. Instead, we found ourselves settling in another completely unexpected place. My children had laid their heads in dozens of different locations over the past seven months. “Home” had become this fluid word meaning wherever we had currently been staying for the short while, and somehow even my 4-year-old understood. We had been hoping and praying that we would return to South Africa soon, but our future was very unclear. Thankfully, our children were doing well. They had embraced the nomad life like champs and had taught…

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…

For missionaries in high-security nations, communication is a constant concern. One careless email can endanger an entire ministry.

Apr 29 2021

My heart rate skyrocketed in seconds, and my blood pressure probably followed suit soon after. “You got to be kidding me! Why?” I couldn’t believe it had happened once again. “I have said multiple times not to use the ‘M’ word.” Not spelling out “missionary” is basic security 101 for anyone working in a high-security country — a nation where surveillance is high and the Gospel is either not welcomed or is discouraged. My immediate reaction was anger, but it was a cover emotion for fear. Would this be the time that someone was actually reading my communication? What would…

Category - Missionary Life

From Mission Field to Missionary Force

International Churches: A Prelude to Heaven

On the Same Wavelength: Meet the Thompsons

Ministry Before Missions: 5 Reasons to Think Local Before You Go Global

When God Changes Our Plans

Early African American Missionaries Who Changed the World for Christ

A Roadmap for Navigating Cultural Art Overseas

Helping Our Children Through Uncertain Times

After Home Assignment: Grieving the Good That Was

Don’t Say the ‘M’ Word: Sharing Ministry from High-Security Nations