It was 2006 and I was sitting in a dimly lit room in Rwanda listening to a femaleĀ genocide survivor tell me her story of rape and torture. Most of the time her face remained distant, as though she was recounting something that happened to someone else. A fly buzzed around the office table. I could […]
What Missionaries Should Know about Vicarious Trauma Read More Ā»
After many months of writing and formatting, I’ve finally released my very first eBook A Self-Care Plan for Global Workers (Learn to Prevent Burnout.) I’m very excited about this! This project is very dear to my heart. When I wasĀ living in Africa and first trying to create my own self care plan, I searched the
My New eBook: A Self-Care Plan for Global Workers Read More Ā»
I still remember crying on my way home as I drove my gray Toyota Hilux truck through the red dirtĀ streets of Gulu, Uganda dodging cows, and children, and potholes. I sobbed my way through the whole story on the truck bed of our grassy compound while my husband listened. The sunflowers wilting in the late
I want to begin first by saying this isn’t a political post, this is a love post. This isn’t about whether or not you are Republican or Democrat, conservative or liberal, whether you’re concerned about national security or whether you’re concerned about refugees. This is about being human and this is about our call to
5 Practical Ways to Respond to Trump’s Refugee Ban Read More Ā»
I’ve always been an overly responsible person. As a child, I used to help take care of my sisters, I had a steady babysitting job at the age of 11, and had donned a purple Burger King hat by the time I was 15. I was the good girl, the responsible girl and that’s where
āLearn to light a candle in the darkest moments of someoneās life. Be the light that helps others see; it is what gives life its deepest significance.ā ā Roy T. Bennett, The Light in the Heart It was dry season in Africa, the sunflower heads wilting in the heat, thirsty for drops of rain.
5 Ways to Support the Missionary in Your Life this Christmas Read More Ā»
“Why are we afraid of broken things? What if the abundance of communion is only found there in the brokenness of suffering–because suffering is where God lives? Suffering is where God gives the most healing intimacy.” Ā -Ann Voskamp, The Broken Way- Sunset in Cape Town is like a world set on fire. The pinks and
The Broken Way: What I Learned from an African Mental Hospital-I Read More Ā»
Recently, I went back home to visit my family in Virginia. There’s nothing quite like your family to bring out all your crazy. They know I love them to pieces, but for some reason when I’m around them I go into “fixing mode” nitpicking and criticizing about different behaviors and commenting on things that could
This is part II of Why God Doesn’t Need Missionaries to be Martyrs. In the first part I talked about how God is not the author of our suffering. This doesn’t mean I believe suffering doesn’tĀ have a role to play in our lives. I’ve written about how desperately we need a theology of suffering. But
Why God Doesn’t Need Missionaries to be Martyrs Part II Read More Ā»
You don’t have to sacrifice your spirit, your joy, your soul, your family, your marriage on the altar of your ministry. –Shauna Niequist,Ā Present Over Perfect– I feel I’ve been learning lessons like thisĀ alongside Shauna these last four years. This book is wrecking me lately because it’s story I’ve been writing myself. Why God Doesn’t Need
Why God Doesn’t Need Missionaries to be Martyrs Part I Read More Ā»
We’ve all been there. Our very first missions trip probably looked a lot like us taking a million selfies with African babies, or handing out soccer balls at an orphanage. Fifteen years ago, I was just as guilty. My first trip as a 19 year old resembled this and that makes me sad. But growth
One of the things we don’t talk about too often on the mission field is our bodies. Ok, we think about them all the time, like “Is Africa making me fat?” or “Do I have a tapeworm?” or “I wonder what kept me up on the toilet all night long.” But rarely as missionaries do
What Missionaries Need to Know about Adrenal Fatigue Read More Ā»
