Why do we need millennials in missions even though they make mistakes? How can we learn from the failures and experience of older-generation missionaries who have gone before us? Seth Barnes knows a lot about failure, but he parlayed that failure into launching one of the biggest missions sending organizations in the world: The World …
Millennial Missionaries, Failure and Knowledge Transfer with Seth Barnes Read More »
Guys, I’m honored to have Amanda Held Opelt, author of A Hole in the World, and sister of the late Rachel Held Evans on my podcast Missionary Life today. This is my favorite episode so far! We share about the excruciating grief Amanda went through with the loss of her sister and how through the practice …
Grief, Rituals & Allowing Joy with Amanda Held Opelt Read More »
Today is a thrilling day for me. This podcast has been many years in the making, took lots of hard work, and me becoming more of a techy thanks to Youtube! Many of you have asked me to start a podcast and I wasn’t sure I had the bandwidth for it, but as blogging in …
What You’ve Been Waiting For: My New Podcast is LIVE! Read More »
I just finished watching the very recent and disturbing documentary, Savior Complex on HBO Max recounting the story of Renee Bach, a twenty-something white evangelical missionary, and her well-intentioned but misguided actions with her organization Serving His Children, where she administered medical care to malnourished babies in Jinja, Uganda without any kind of medical degree …
Why the White Savior Complex is so Dangerous in Missions Read More »
COVID-19 Traumatic Stress on Global Workers Survey Dear Tribe: I’m partnering with a doctoral psychology research student to better understand COVID-19’s traumatic stress on global workers and missionaries. I know I’ve spoken to many of you who were negatively impacted by COVID-19 while serving cross-culturally from having to emergency evacuate your host country, to not …
The Impact of COVID-19 Traumatic Stress Global Workers Read More »
Happy Thanksgiving! As we gather around, may we set a table in the wilderness for those who are lonely, or feel disillusioned in their faith, may we host those who are different from us, who challenge our theological beliefs. May we welcome those who are struggling with grief, or trying to heal from a church …
Christianity Today Article: What is a Missionary Kid Worth? Read More »
This entire year has been a year of clenching. Body curled inward, tight. Neck stiff, shoulders closed. Like many of you, it began with a move. Transition. That cavernous word. As global nomad’s, we call many places home and movement seems to be our mantra. Whether welcome or unwanted, whether reentering after living on the field, being …
I want so badly to do this perfectly. It’s like somewhere inside I believe if I do all the “right things” I can keep the bad things at bay. I hold tightly to this belief like a child gripping a flashlight to chase away the monsters under the bed. Almost 8 months pregnant, I plan …
In Part I I talked about some of the issues surrounding ethical adoption, now I’d like to talk about how we can do it better. Please know, my heart is NEVER to bring condemnation, because we all need grace and I am a huge proponent of self-compassion, but as we enter this adoption landscape I want …
Ethical Adoption Part Two: How We Can Do it Better Read More »
I lived on the red-earthed roads of Uganda for almost seven years. It’s so much different to live in a place than to visit it. Over time, you get to see the complexities of issues that others only have distorted, rosy snapshots of. Short term missions trips would see smiling faces of children in orphanages …
Ethical Adoption Part One: The Problem with Orphanages Read More »
When I was 26 I moved to Uganda to start a non-profit. I didn’t really identify as a “missionary” then because there was too much baggage associated with the term and I wasn’t “evangelizing” people, I was simply loving them as Jesus would. But new to the field, there was a lot I didn’t know …
4 Ways to Avoid the White Savior Complex in Missions Read More »
I got to see my baby today. He’s eight weeks and the size of a wild strawberry, tiny as a jelly bean with little limbs. The heart is already flickering at 172. I’d never seen my baby’s heartbeat. I’d never had a happy ultrasound. On the black and white screen this rainbow baby was hanging out upside …
