What Do College Grads Have in Common with Retirees?

Brianna Langley • Sep 11, 2018

A recent college graduate, a young married couple and a nearly retired couple wouldn’t typically have a lot in common.

Gen Z-ers are just starting their careers and learning how to live as independent adults. Millennials are navigating buying houses, settling down and maybe even starting a new family. Baby Boomers are considering what life looks like after retirement and trying to decide how they will spend their post-career years.

And yet, they do share one big thing: God is using them in short-term missions.

A Couple with a House, Careers — and a Calling

Going on a short-term mission trip after you’ve settled down with a spouse, a house and a career would just be impractical, right?

Rachel and Brandon Maston would beg to differ.

Rachel and Brandon Maston were newly married and looking forward to starting their life together when God began to open their hearts to missions work. Photo courtesy of the Mastons.

The Mastons weren’t planning on being missionaries . Rachel is a graphic designer by trade. Brandon is a photographer and video producer. But a year after they got married, Brandon read David Platt’s book, Radical .

“There were a lot of thoughts that just kind of lit up in my mind that, you know, that this is possible,” Brandon says, “and this is what God calls us to do, is to actually have a ministry and go out and be part of something.”

So, Brandon began researching mission agencies. When he found TEAM , he and Rachel were struck by how eager everyone was to help them find a way to use their talents.

Brandon’s company was supportive of their decision to serve abroad for some time. And Rachel was thankful for the chance at a fresh start in her career. But they had no idea what they’d do with their house for the eight months they’d be gone.

Eventually, they decided that no matter what happened, they were definitely going to go. And that’s when God provided.

One of their pastors had a relative who needed somewhere to stay but only for a short amount of time.

“So, we met up with her and talked through it,” Rachel said. “And it worked out perfectly that she needed a place to stay, and nine months or so to stay there, and we had a place for her to stay.”

Six months later, Brandon and Rachel were living and serving in La Paz, Mexico.

Their primary ministry was to support long-term ministries through video production and graphic design. They created materials to help with fundraising and awareness campaigns.

In Mexico, Rachel and Brandon used their videography and graphic design skills to make resources for long-term missionaries. Photo courtesy of the Mastons.

But they also joined a Monday night Bible study and integrated themselves in the Mexican community through biking and other activities. By participating in these things, they not only used their skills but also got to share Jesus with the people around them.

“The Mastons left behind videos and brochures that we will be using far into the future. The professionalism in their work was exceptional,” says long-term TEAM missionary Steve Dresselhaus. “The eternal value of their work will be seen in the quick and easy way they made friends. They immediately became part of our Monday night group.”

Both Brandon and Rachel are grateful for the chance to make a long-term difference for the Lord’s global ministry in just eight months.

“God doesn’t call people who have their lives all put together. But by making you go, He puts your life together in a way that’s going to be glorifying to Him, if you’re just available and willing, ” Rachel says.

College Grad Finds Unexpected Future

Stacey* was just a college student, but she thought she did have her life figured out. She was getting her degree in political science, and she was going into the foreign service.

But when she attended an extra credit lecture led by a TEAM missionary, she was intrigued. How did this guy know so much about Islam and Muslim culture ?

Later, she got a call from TEAM missions coach Tasha Eckenhoff. Tasha had seen Stacey’s name on the sign-in list at the lecture and wanted to get together.

Okay, that’s fine, Stacey thought. I’m not going to do missions, but we can get coffee.

A year and a half of friendship later, Tasha told Stacey about a short-term missions opportunity in North Africa through a program is called LAUNCH Intensive.

LAUNCH is designed for short-termers to see if they would be able to thrive on the mission field long-term. The idea excited Stacey — but she soon found out the program is very competitive.

Well, I’ll apply, Stacey thought. But nothing is ever going to come of it.

“And then, it happened,” she says later. “And I think it was probably one of the most influential … experiences I’ve had.”

For recent college graduate Stacey, a short-term missions trip to North Africa changed her worldview – and future plans. Photo courtesy of Stacey.

Stacey thought she knew what she wanted to do with her life. But on that trip to North Africa, God opened her eyes to a people group and culture that she fell in love with.

“We’ve gone to every other part of the world expecting to live out our days there, in order to share the Gospel with those people. And for whatever reason, we haven’t done that with Muslims the way I think they deserve,” Stacey says. “And that just breaks my heart because they’re incredible people. And they have huge hearts. And they want to love you, and they want to care for their families just like the rest of us. And for some reason, we’ve kind of determined that they don’t deserve that.”

Stacey’s post-graduation plan now is to serve the Muslim diaspora in Europe mid-term. Then maybe even long-term.

All because of one college lecture — and one short-term experience.

Going Short-Term in Their Golden Years

It’s one thing to serve overseas as a college grad. But with grandchildren to spoil and finances to consider, serving overseas after retirement seems like a whole other thing.

But it’s more than possible.

David and Jan Fitzgerald are soon-to-be retirees who pastor a multicultural church in Colorado Springs.

It started with a group of Vietnamese refugees in the 90s. Then came Latin Americans. Then Chinese immigrants. And now, 34 years after they first planted the church, the Fitzgeralds find themselves surrounded by internationals.

So they decided to put their intercultural skills to use by serving God overseas on a short-term trip.

Jan and David Fitzgerald didn’t let their life stage stop them from seeing what the Lord might have in store for them in Taiwan — possibly for years to come. Photo courtesy of the Fitzgeralds.

“We’re constantly thinking about people that come here from other countries, what they’re going through, their experience of life here, and the challenges of it,” says David. “And that, actually, probably helps us a little bit when we go overseas to realize a little bit of what they’re facing when they come to live here.”

They set their sights on Asia, and David learned to speak Mandarin. When they heard about TEAM’s short-term opportunity in Taiwan , they jumped at the chance.

“We got an opportunity both to experience Taipei as well as other scenery,” David said. “But we also got an opportunity to see what TEAM is doing in Taiwan, in terms of church planting and ministry , both in Taipei and other places as well on the island.”

They also visited Trailblazer Camp — a ministry that the long-term team in Taiwan uses to reach local children.

“Sometimes, we tend to mix up our culture with Christianity. And [short-term trips] give us a bigger view of the world and of what God is doing,” David said. “There are Christians on the other side of the world that serve the Lord. And they don’t look like I look. And they don’t eat what I eat. And they don’t always behave the same way that I behave. And that’s okay.”

Now, the Fitzgeralds are considering moving to Asia long-term to pursue ministry.

The One Commonality

Being a long-term missionary isn’t for everyone, even if you have a passion for global missions. But with short-term missions, people of all life stages can make an impact for long-term work.

And even though the Mastons, Stacey and the Fitzgeralds have a lot of differences, they do have one important commonality: God can use them in short-term missions.

And He can use you.

*Name changed.

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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.