If you’d asked me a few years ago, this wouldn’t have been the hill I staked my flag on. Hell, I’m not even sure I want to now….aren’t Millennials kinda (pardon my French)…assholes? But every day I see beautiful, passionate, world changers torn to bits by the machine that is missions, limping home disillusioned, cynical,
The Surprising Ways the Church is Failing Millennial Missionaries Read More »
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I was born in 1981 so I think that technically makes me a Millennial missionary. (Maybe I should duck and run for cover now?) Let’s face it, a lot of people crap on Millennials. Fairly or unfairly they’ve gotten a bad rap. We’ve all seen the John Crist spoofs about the entitlement of the Millennial generation. They’re
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When you’re in the middle of deep suffering sometimes all you can do is exhale anguished prayers between sobs. Those prayers sound more like “Help” and “Please” than they do anything intelligible. All you can manage is to play worship music over yourself and let the words believe for you when you can’t utter the sounds.
Suffering, The Uninvited Companion: A Scott Shaum Interview Read More »
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It was July of 2006 in Mbale, Uganda. I was 25, single, and about to free fall down the side of a 320 ft waterfall. In the beginning abseiling sounded like a good idea, a way to prove to myself that I could get over any of my fears. But once I realized there was just a skinny, African
Why Being Single in Missions Might Be Better Read More »
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In this article, I share my experience and the voices of single missionary women on loneliness, belonging, and the practical support churches can offer single missionaries. I came home after a long day in the IDP camps, tired and sweaty with barely enough energy to make myself a sad bowl of pasta (for one) before I curled under the
The Single Missionary, What the Church Should Know Read More »
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I have a confession. I love being alone. This might sound strange to people who gather that I’m an extrovert from my personality, because I love engaging with people and hearing their stories. But the truth is, I’m an introvert. I’m an extroverted introvert. Yes, I’m one of the weird ones, which means I’m often
Introvert in Missions: Five Ways to Thrive Read More »
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Dear Future Missionary, I want you to know I feel you. I see your heart bursting with promise with all you will do. And I say yes, bring your expectations, your passion, your wild and crazy ideas, your belief that you can change the world and anything is possible. It’s what gets us all here,
Dear Future Missionary: How to Prepare for Missions Read More »
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At the age of twenty-four, I founded a ministry to help rehabilitate girl child soldiers in a war-torn region of Uganda. It was a ton of hard work. I was young, full of idealism and naiveté and I didn’t know very much then about how to build a thriving culture. As people came alongside me
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I haven’t been writing much lately. Life happened. I’d wanted to fall into summer’s sandy shores and slowed time with abandon. But mostly I got anxiety and tumult. I’m not a busyness lover, I’m a stillness lover. I always know I’m not doing well when the ink from my pen dries up. I hit a deep soul weariness
Anxiety and How Every Bitter Thing is Sweet Read More »
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For years I have been fascinated by trauma and PTSD. Having experienced much of this myself, I’ve studied to help those in war torn regions and missionaries heal from their pain. What I’ve learned is trauma and PTSD can often be a silent killer among missionaries and aid workers. I teamed up with my strong
A Missionary’s Story of PTSD and Healing Read More »
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What to do with all this longing? All of us are longing for something. We’re longing for a husband, we’re aching to have children, we’re aching for the ones we lost, we’re longing to be seen and known by our friends, to feel successful, we’re longing to feel like we’ve finally “made it.” (Whatever that means.)
These Unfulfilled Longings on Mother’s Day Read More »
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“Often the real trauma is feeling mistreated, bullied, or discriminated against by our own fellow humanitarians, those who should be there to share the same values and ideals.” –Alessandra Pigni- In general, conflict in relationships is one of the most difficult things to manage. This is especially true when serving overseas. Team conflict with other
Why Conflict is the Deadliest Word in Missions Read More »
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