Few things are static throughout a missionary’s career. Moves between countries, cultures, and languages are common experiences. New locations, coworkers, and job descriptions. All of those transitions can take their toll.
Here are some resources to aid you in assisting missionary friends through the transitions they will navigate and help minimize negative effects.
Casual Autumn Friday
In the spring we have several little sayings to aid us in describing the season. (In like a lion, out like a lamb, for instance.) We ought to have some for autumn, don’t you think. This season is so mercurial. Unpredictable in every way except its unpredictability....
Casual First of February Friday
Happy groundhog day – if you’re into that. Believe it or not, some people are not eager for winter to be over. What if, at the end of this day, you had a chance to do it again? Would you do the same things? When it comes to caring for the missionaries you know and...
Casual Friday Resources
Sixty degrees one day then—BOOM—snow and ice the next. The weather in these parts is rarely predictable. Just like life on the mission field. The best way to cope with the uncertainties is to adjust your mindset and decide to roll with the changes. Also have a game...
Casual End of 2017 Friday
I’ll keep this on the short side since Christmas is upon us. Still plenty of useful stuff to enhance your care for global workers. LIFE ON THE FIELD Know anyone who will be spending their first Christmas on the mission field? They might appreciate these...
Casual Countdown to Christmas Friday
We got a little white Christmas teaser this week. Only an inch or so, but it sure was pretty. And a good reminder that things which may be inconvenient may also be an opportunity to slow down and enjoy the scenery. Carve out a few free moments to dig into this week’s...
Casual Advent Season Friday
I skipped last week’s post because I didn’t want to compete with Black Friday. (Personally, I wish it would just go away.) So this week I have a longer than usual list of missionary care resources for you to pick through. Pour yourself a cuppa and enjoy! LIFE...
Casual Almost Thanksgiving Friday
Thanksgiving is just around the corner. When you think of the things for which you are thankful, do your missionary friends come to mind? Are you grateful for your relationships that provide you with opportunities to speak into their lives? I am thankful for you, my...
Casual Friday Missionary Care Resources
I love putting this together for you each week, because I know you love missionaries and want to do everything you can to help them flourish on the field. Lots of resources for your own equipping this time, and many that are meant for you to share. Enjoy! LIFE...
Casual First of November Friday
Wow—I’m gone for one week and you get three weeks of material! Such a deal! Seriously, I suggest that you wade through this a little at a time. There are more than three dozen resources here and you won’t want to overlook any of them. LIFE ON THE FIELD Knowing...
Casual Fall Friday
It’s a beautiful Fall day as I write. Tempting to lay this aside and go take a walk outdoors. But I want to make sure you get the latest batch of missionary care resources because I know how much you care for your friends working cross-culturally. So here you go....
Casual Oktoberfest Friday
Confession time: I did not post last week. But you probably already knew that. I skipped a week because I was at a conference on missionary care. My head is overflowing with things to write about from those 4 days. But today…today I need to hustle and get my backlog...
Casual Autumn Friday
(I mention autumn in the title this week so maybe the weather will get the hint!) A quick trip to New Hampshire gave us a chance to interact with a sending church and some of the folks they’ve sent out. So encouraged by their desire to grow in their understanding of...
Casual Friday Resources
The past two weeks in California were extremely productive for us as we visited with previous partners on the field, former missionaries, future missionaries, and current missionaries. We had the privilege of conducting a missionary care workshop at a large church,...
Casual Friday Missionary Care Resources
The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference. (Elie Wiesel) Wow. Such a potent statement! With all that is going on in our world these day—floods, fires, hurricanes, nuclear threats, ebola outbreaks, ad nauseum—it can be tempting to be indifferent. I mean, who...
Casual Friday Missionary Care Resources
Around here the leaves are already transitioning from various shades of green to a spectrum of chartreuses. Some (like our walnut trees) are starting their annual pilgrimage toward the burial grounds of their forefathers. Though it seems bit early, the calendar and...
Casual Friday Xtra-Large
You will not want to miss this exceptionally large batch of resources. Some really good stuff here!
Casual Friday Missionary Care
Well, here we are...back in the saddle! Sorry about last week's mishap. But at least the old site is now history and we have this beautiful new site to enjoy! I hope you enjoy these resources as well. LIFE ON THE FIELD Hardly a day goes by that doesn’t remind us of...
Casual Friday
Every time I interact with a missionary I am reminded how vitally important it is for them to have a solid network of care providers standing with them. You are part of someone’s network. Maximize your potential for helping them thrive with resources like these. LIFE...
Casual Short And Sweet Friday
Short and sweet this week. We’ve had a very full guest load and little free time for scouring the internet. But I trust that these few links will be of some use to you in your ongoing efforts to improve your missionary care skills. LIFE ON THE FIELD An alternative to...
Casual Friday Resources
Is it Friday again already? What happened to this week? Of wait…I remember—I was sick. While hosting eight guests. I love what we do here at the lodge, but sometimes it’s flat-out inconvenient. Then again, caring for others is rarely convenient. The best way to make...
Casual Small World Friday
It’s a small world. No – really. Our latest guest was just dropped off by her friend, someone we’d never met. As we chatted with this friend we discovered that we not only know several of the same people, but one family in particular lives just a few miles from here....
Casual Friday Cinco De Mayo Friday
Hello from Atlanta, Georgia where we are currently visiting with our daughter and her family. We have some big decisions ahead of us, but I’ll have to report on that subject a little later. Meanwhile, your friends and families on the mission field need your continued...
Casual Friday
Well, we’re back from our month of travels. The worst part of being gone is digging out from under the backlog when you return. But the good part is we have a ton of resources to share with you this week. So without further ado… LIFE ON THE FIELD Michelle Gielan...
Casual German Friday
This week I’m coming to you from Frankfurt, Germany. We added a couple of days to our return trip so we could decompress a bit on the way home. We have been so painfully reminded in these past three weeks of just how vital your role is in helping global workers thrive...
Casual Friday Resources
Greetings from the ancient silk road—a fascinating region with a long history of Christian activity. The more I interact with global workers the more convinced I am that we need to rally every member of the body of Christ we can to get involved in caring for them....
Casual Friday From Central Asia
I am writing this week from central Asia, in a place that seems to be the international headquarters for the Amalgamated Exhaustion Corporation. I felt this on my last visit back in November, and I feel it again: I’ve never been in the midst of so much worn-outness...
Casual Friday Missionary Care Resources
By the time you read this we will be in central Asia. That means I put this together a bit earlier in the week than usual, so there are a few less links. Rest assured that these are the cream of the crop. I’m sure you’ll find them useful and informative. EVENTS Keep...
Casual Friday Missionary Care Resources
‘Tis the season. No, not that season. The season of exodus from the mission field. For many global workers, as soon as the school year is over, they head back to their passport country for a time of “home assignment.” Are you prepared to interact with them? Many of...
Casual Friday Systemic Care Resources
Years ago a tree surgeon explained to me the difference between systemic care and symptomatic care. To put it simply, systemic treatment deals with the root of problems, not just the manifestations. To truly help our missionary friends thrive in their ministries, we...
Casual Friday Missionary Care Resources
What do they say about March? In like a lion, out like…? We’ve certainly had that first part; we’ll see if the second half comes to pass. Like life on the mission field, you never know what any given day will bring. That’s why it’s good that global workers have...
Casual Friday Missionary Care Resources
Never a dull moment around these parts! On Tuesday we had a series of severe storms crash through our neck of the woods. Besides flooding and downed trees all over the place, we lost our phone/internet connection. Fortunately we have a public library with great WI-FI...
Casual Friday Missionary Care Resources
I was out of town last week, partly to attend the MC2 conference in Minneapolis. (My next e-newsletter will be a report on that. If you are not yet a subscriber, contact me and I’ll add you to the mailing list.) This week’s batch of missionary care resources was...
Casual Friday Missionary Care Resources
I honestly get excited every week, as I am compiling these resources, to think that there are people like you who will be using them. Here are 15 practical ways that you can help missionaries stay on the job. EVENTS Midwest Conference on Missionary Care: Hard Pressed...
Casual Friday ‘Tis The Season
‘Tis the season. No, not THAT season. We just got past that one. I’m talking about home assignments and all that goes with. When we were on the field we often joked about “furlough fever.” We were so caught up in preparing—plane tickets, housing and transportation...
Casual Friday Bonanza
Wow…where to start? So much good stuff out there this week. I’ve tried to narrow it down a bit for you. Plenty of ways for you to add to your skill and knowledge in caring for missionaries. (Maybe a good way to make use of enforced indoor time due to ice storms and...
Casual New Year Friday
Few of us are immune to the irrational urges that accompany the turning of the calendar pages from one year to the next. There is something hope-inspiring about a fresh batch of weeks and months in which to pursue our goals. One of my goals for this year is to become...
Casual Friday: Be the gift
Well, it’s that time of year already. Halloween is over and Christmas is upon us…or so it would seem. Rather than bemoan the fact that everyone seems to be jumping the gun, why not start planning now for how you intend to bless the missionaries in your life. You’ll...
Casual Friday Missionary Care Resources
In two weeks Irene and I will be on our way to a central Asian country to minister to non-traditional missionaries. In fact, you may not consider them to be missionaries at all…but they are. Dorette Skinner’s article below explains why. They have personal, spiritual,...