What I Wish I Would Have Known: Sarah’s Perspective

Reading Time: 6 minutes

before you go without

When you leave YOUR HOME COUNTRY, always pack chocolate chips, Secret deodorant,  books you can’t live without, and tampons. 

(some things you don’t want to mess around with.)

When you’re scrambling to imagine life without something? When it’s important to you? Pack it.

Sure, there are many things you will learn to live without (see my next point) and there are some things you don’t want to have to live without.

It’s okay to have certain things that are your “items” that you bring with you. Your list of essentials might be different from mine.  The point is everyone has certain things they don’t want to have to live without and that’s okay. read more

Meet an Agency: Worldwide Evangelization for Christ (WEC)

Reading Time: 7 minutes

We heart this new, ongoing series–a virtual trip to the coffee shop with organizations to help you go there, serve Him, and love them even better.

(For more thoughts about why you might join an agency–and a handful of reasons you might not–make sure to check out He Said/She Said/You Say? “Should I go overseas with an organization?”, both the pros and the cons.) read more

10 Realities a Missionary Probably Won’t Tell You

Reading Time: 11 minutes
missionary realities overseas global work hard truth Go. Serve. Love is psyched about featuring this post from missionary Joe Holman; it originally posted on his blog and is gratefully used with permission. Fun fact about Joe: He and his wife totally pull off the missionary thing amidst a family of 13. They’ve served in Bolivia since 2007. 

First, the Disclaimers.

I’m going out on a limb here, so I’ll put some disclaimers up in advance.

1. I love being a missionary.

This post points out bad aspects you’ll not hear us normally say.  It doesn’t mean I’m unhappy or unfulfilled.

2. I’m speaking of feelings and perceptions.

I know what the Bible says and can give a counterpoint to each of these.  For example, when I share how we feel about shortchanging my children, I know that there are 100 positive things that people can point out to me. read more

5 Character Potholes to Avoid Overseas

Reading Time: 4 minutes

character overseas

Wondering what kind of character essentials should be “packed”, so to speak, before heading overseas? Well–let’s look at what you’ll need to leave behind.

Character Potholes that can keep you on the shoulder

Rigidity/Hypercontrol.

Hopefully this one’s a bit of a gimme if you’ve already traveled overseas. Friends of mine used to joke about “Africa Wins Again” days–when a rat eats the special food you brought from home. The electricity’s been out for three days. And the government accidentally shuts off your cell phone.

It’s helpful for me to think of going overseas like skiing moguls: Keep your knees loose, not locked. If you like specific ways of doing things, missionary life might just eat your lunch–and even faster than everyone else’s. (Check out My Story: Culture Shock, Mayonnaise, and the Last Straw). read more

Steph’s Story: Searching for an Open Door

Reading Time: 3 minutes

On Go. Serve. Love, we talk a lot about strategies to reach the 4.13 billion unreached.

This month, we’re geared up to share stories from Avant Ministries, which since 1892 has focused on planting and developing the church in unreached areas of the world.

Through church planting, church support ministries, media, education, camp and business, Avant hopes to establish churches among the unreached: mature, nationally-led churches that desire to plant more churches, first in their own city, and then all over the world. read more