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.

short-term missionaries

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.

short-term missionaries

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.”

short-term missionaries

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.

short-term missionaries

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.

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.
By Suzanne Pearson 23 Feb, 2024
Justin Burkholder, pictured here with his wife Jenny and their daughters Isabella, Olivia, and Zoey, has recently been named as TEAM’s next International Director. On February 19, 2024, with much excitement and gratitude to the Lord, TEAM announced that Justin Burkholder will become our organization’s new International Director, effective July 1, 2024. Justin, who is currently TEAM’s Executive Director of Global Ministry, will assume his new role upon the retirement of the current International Director, Dave Hall. ( Read the full press release here. ) We sat down recently with Justin to learn a little more about his background, his family, and the journey that has led him to TEAM. Q: Tell us a little bit about your “origin story” - Where did you grow up? What was your family like? A: I grew up in Mexico City as a missionary kid. My parents were focused on church planting. We were very close as a family. Both of my parents are still alive, and my dad serves as a pastor in southern Florida. I have one brother who is a pastor in Wisconsin, and the most special individual in my family is my sister, Amber. She was born with a very severe case of cerebral palsy and is entirely dependent on my mother...who is extraordinary! The three most impactful forces that have shaped who I am (outside of God’s grace) are growing up in Mexico, having parents who loved and planted churches, and sharing life with someone with a severe disability. My parents belonged at the time to a church and denomination that came with quite a bit of legalism and performance-oriented Christianity. Grace was a challenging concept to grasp. While I had an awareness of my sin and need for redemption, it wasn’t until I attended Moody Bible Institute that I began to grasp the fullness of God’s grace and His delight in His children. I have continued learning and trusting in the Gospel through formal education, like completing my M.Div., and through spiritual practices in community. Learning the Gospel and believing the Gospel has been a daily exercise. The Gospel is as beautiful and multi-faceted as a diamond! At an individual level, it is simple enough for us to live convinced that “Jesus loves me, this I know.” At a corporate level, it becomes the foundation that forms and informs our life as a spiritual family. At a cosmic level, it is redemption that reaches as far as the curse is found. It is hard to even grasp the multiplicity of goodness found in the Good News. Q: Share a little bit about your family life now. What does a typical day look like in the Burkholder household? A: My wife Jenny is my high-school sweetheart! She brings joy and kindness wherever she goes. She’s the best listener I’ve ever met, and we love spending time together. We have three daughters. Isabella is ten, Olivia is seven, and Zoey is four. Each of the girls is unique and has taught us a lot in our process of following Jesus together. We like to go out on walks and go to the park together. Once a month I try to get some alone time with each of my daughters which usually includes bowling or trampolines. A typical day in the Burkholder house starts around 5:00am. Because of traffic here in Guatemala City, we have to leave early for school. After school, the girls come home to different activities - sometimes swimming class, sometimes piano lessons. Four or five nights a week we have dinner together where we usually talk about our high and low moments of the day. On weekends, we enjoy time together, playing outside, or watching sports together. Go Cubs and Go Buckeyes! Q: What are your interests and hobbies? If you have the day off, what are you likely to be up to? A: I enjoy physical activity, running, strength-training and following sports. I also love music and, truth be told, am a bit snobby about my taste in music! I also am a very curious person and love reading just about anything that passes through my hands. A day off is usually an opportunity for time with family. Jenny and I like to cook something interesting together on our days off. Often there is time for some reading and watching some type of athletic event. Q: How did God lead you to TEAM? A: My wife and I were working in the Chicago suburbs. I was a youth pastor and she was a Spanish teacher. When we got married, we had already sensed God’s direction to serve cross-culturally, but it was a matter of discerning when and where. There was a driving desire in me to see a church deeply love the Scriptures and at the same time, be deeply engaged in loving and serving their city and the most vulnerable among them. As God directed our paths, we visited a variety of places and made some friends in Guatemala who opened up the path for us to serve here. While we were exploring, we knew that the International Director of an organization called TEAM happened to go to our church, so I decided I should probably invite him out for breakfast - his name was Charlie Davis. Charlie was extremely thoughtful, passionate about disciple-making, and very gracious in creating space for us as we stepped into this endeavor. Charlie connected me with Steve Dresselhaus, a fellow TEAM global worker who was at that time serving as the Senior Director for the Americas. I cannot express the debt that I owe Steve. He walked closely with me in the transition, encouraged courageous thinking about the church and her role in society, and blasted open the doors for us to serve in Guatemala. After meeting Steve, we spent some days praying about joining TEAM. One thing I will never forget – one night during the process, I found myself wide awake in the middle of the night. A peace like I have seldom experienced passed over me confirming that we should join TEAM. There is no doubt in my mind that God tied all of these pieces together to bring us into the TEAM family and community. Q: What roles have you held in TEAM? What have been the milestones in those roles? A: The most important role I have held in TEAM is that of a global worker. God in His grace has allowed us to help plant two churches here in Guatemala, serve in leadership development, counseling, and discipleship. Our greatest joy has been found walking with those who are learning to follow Christ more deeply. I served as the Ministry Area Leader in Guatemala from 2016 to 2019. We helped to establish and lead this ministry area as it grew from just four global workers to over 15. I then served as Senior Director for Mexico and Central America from 2019 to 2021, Regional Executive Director for the Americas in 2021 and 2022, and then transitioned to the role of Executive Director of Global Ministry which I’ll continue in until the end of June. Q: What do you love most about being a part of TEAM? Why TEAM rather than other organizations or job opportunities? A: The TEAM community is full of people who have faithfully served God’s mission and have given up a lot to do so. It is a privilege to know many of our global workers and be counted among them. I am also fascinated by the fact that TEAM has existed now for more than 130 years! There is something to be said about the resilience and faithfulness of an organization that has continued to impact the world for so long. The rest of our conversation with Justin will be coming soon on blog! We’ll hear more about how God called Justin to the role of International Director, and what Justin sees for the next chapter in TEAM’s work in the global Church.
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