At Go. Serve. Love, we’re all about
a) getting real. Very real. We aim to be the kind of friend that would tell you if you stepped in goat poop.
b) connecting you with resources and communities that help you thrive overseas rather than take a dive.
Category: developing my character
“What kind of characteristics do I need as a missionary?”
Reading Time: 6 minutes
It might come to mind as you’re taping another box shut, or when you’re about to pass one of those points-of-no-return: Selling your house. Selling your wheels for pennies on the dollar. You might think, Well. If I go over there and bite it big time, this is going to be pretty embarrassing. Not to mention expensive. Do I have the characteristics it takes?”
(If you haven’t thought that? Just ignore those last two paragraphs.)
And here’s the reality: Some global workers come back earlier than they planned.
Crossing Cultures: Adding More Pieces to Your God-Puzzle
Why to Consider Counseling Before You Head Overseas
Reading Time: 5 minutes
Did you know Amazon sold 300,000 InstaPots on Prime Day this year?
True story. Maybe it feels like everyone you know has one.
If you don’t have one, maybe you wonder what the big deal is. Well, pressure cookers 101 will tell you that under high pressure, things cook a lot faster. Flavors within intensify.
FREE PRINTABLE INFOGRAPHIC: 5 WAYS TO PRAY FOR GOD’S WILL AS YOU CONSIDER GOING OVERSEAS
Reading Time: 3 minutes
It was a big “aha!” for me when I realized God wanted me to do his will even more than I did.
I used to think I needed to be alert for the smallest sign, the slightest indication of what He wanted. Wasn’t that being surrendered? I thought. But for me, I was a bit afraid of missing the signs. I ended up traipsing around on spiritual eggshells, deciphering some Christian version of the tea leaves.
He Said/She Said. You Say? “How can I know if God’s calling/leading me overseas?” Part II
Reading Time: 4 minutes
Missed Part I? Grab it here.
Years ago my husband had a friend who was contemplating starting his own non-profit (oh. And he had a family with six kids. So there was that.)
Our friend decided to take forty days to fast and pray, in search of what he should do.
At the end of all this fasting and praying, my husband wanted to know: Did God show you what to do?
My Story: The 90% You’d Rather Not Hear About
Reading Time: 4 minutes
Today we’re thrilled to welcome the honest thoughts of an anonymous, vibrant American who found new purpose in the mountains of Kenya.
The next time you want to ask me, or any global worker, why we’re so tired, please read this first.
Have you ever lived abroad? Have you ever lived among another people group? Have you ever stuck out like a sore thumb no matter where you turn? Have you ever tried to speak a different language 24 hours a day, 7 days a week? Have you ever had to be conscious of everything you said, you did, you wore, you ate, you implied, all the time?
He Said/She Said. You Say? “What do you wish you’d known before you went?” Part I
Reading Time: 3 minutes
“I wish I knew how to deal with conflict.”
When you want a job you usually put on your best for your prospective employer; it’s like a first date, you hide all the bad and accentuate the positive. Unfortunately, I discovered after two failed attempts to work with agencies, this not a good way to “get married” to a sending organization.
He Said/She Said…You Say? “Is there any way other than begging for financial support?”
Reading Time: 4 minutes
Back in the day when my husband and I were first considering a financially-supported ministry, I was so stinkin’ geared up to raise my own salary pretty much against it from the get-go. And I’d even seen my parents do it (and do it well). In fact, since I knew what it involved, I was like, reasons not to go: 1) We have to raise financial support. (It may have also been reasons #5 and #8.)
But it’s been 14 years now. Just as God used to sell a certain number of books to keep me employed or bring a certain number of tithing Christians to church to pay my salary, he continues to sustain my family through people who catch the vision for what we’re doing around the world.
And there are a lot of reasons I’d call my old self up on the phone and say, Do this.