Scripture From Around the World - Israel

Grjónagraut

Snúður and Coffee

When my husband and I moved to Iceland, we were introduced to some new foods.  Most of them are amazing.  If you visit, you must stop at the bakery to buy a snúður (a giant cinnamon roll) or a kleina (a twisted, deep-fried donut). Icelandic pylsur (hot dogs) and skyr (a thick yogurt) have been gaining international attention because they are so good. 

Kleinur

Other foods, though, I find just gross, to tell the truth.  Hákarl (rank, fermented shark) for one, is simply too disgusting for me to swallow.  For a team challenge at summer camp one year, I tried to swallow the same piece three times.  Yes, that was three times. The stubborn thing just wouldn’t go down.  After my third attempt, I got sympathy points for my team.  Thankfully, most foods taste better than smelly shark.

Icelandic Grjónagraut (rice porridge) is a favorite meal at our house and church. This budget-friendly, simple hot cereal is a great warm breakfast on a cold winter´s morning, a hearty after-school snack, or a sweet treat for supper when the coffers are low at the end of the month. It is neither low-fat nor low-carb, yet somehow no one complains when it is served. One of my sons prefers his cold the next day. Morning or evening, cold or hot, I hope your family enjoys this Icelandic dish.

Icelandic Grjónagraut

Rice Porridge

Ingredients:

2 cups water

pinch salt

1 cup dry rice

4 cups milk (Whole milk tastes the best, but any milk will work.)

1 teaspoon vanilla (Optional, but my kids like it better)

Cinnamon-sugar (a simple mix of a little cinnamon and a little more sugar)

Raisins (Stirred in the last few minutes or on the side dry)

Directions:

Place water and a pinch of salt into the pot.

Bring to a boil.

Add dry rice and cover.

Reduce heat to medium or medium-low.

Leave until most of the water is absorbed, about 15 minutes.

Add milk and vanilla.

Stir.

Reduce heat to low.

Cover and let sit about 20 minutes or until milk is heated through.

Serve with cinnamon-sugar and raisins.

Tips:

Use left over rice to make this the next morning. I just put it in a pot, cover it with milk, add a little vanilla, and heat it on medium-low while the kids get dressed.

Step by Step He Leads Me

A song that I learned many years ago goes like this:

Oh God, you are my God

and I will ever praise You.

I will seek you in the morning

and I will learn to walk in your ways, and

'Step by Step You'll Lead Me'

and I will follow You all of my days.

One of my favorite things about life is looking back and seeing how God led me every step of the way, seeing the puzzle He was making while I could only see the pieces at the time.  

Early Steps: My Foundation and Faith

A Christian home and school set the foundation for my faith in my early years.  Watching my parents serve the Lord in their local church body as a young child to seeing my dad follow the call to be a pastor. The local church body was our extended family.  God drew me to Himself at a the young age of 8; however, it wasn't until I was 15 that I truly understood "surrender."  It was at that time that I surrendered my will to His: to do whatever He wanted me to do wherever He wanted me to go.

Later Steps: Ministry and Missions

God then gave me opportunities to serve Him through missions.  At 16, I went to Samara, Russia with SCORE International.  It was my first mission trip, and my eyes were opened to a world way beyond my own.  I can still vividly recall women sitting on the porches of their homes as we brought Bibles to them.  Some of them had never seen a Bible, and I probably lost count of how many I had owned.  After graduating high school, I traveled on a ministry team around the United States and went with them on a mission trip to Portugal.  It was during this time of ministry that I met my husband and felt the leading of the Lord to return home and become a teacher.

Everyday Steps: Life Goes On...

I returned home to South Carolina, went to Winthrop University, and became a high school Family and Consumer Sciences teacher.  My husband and I were married during this time and continued to serve in our local church.  God had blessed us with two children, Ethan Jeremiah and Emily Jane.  I was living the American dream: now teaching at the university, being a wife and mom to my family, and ministering with my husband in the youth and music ministries at our church.

Even though I knew we were where God wanted us at that time in our lives, I really struggled with "wanting to do more."  I wanted to be in "full-time ministry" and had not understood why God, in all of these years, had not allowed us to serve Him in this capacity--be careful what you ask for!  God used the book Radical by David Platt to show me that my "full-time ministry" was in the place God put me, wherever that may be and whatever it may look like.  God showed me that my "secular job" and the neighborhood where I lived was my full-time ministry and mission field.  He began to open doors to share His love with the children in our neighborhood and with my students at the university.  I had become content with what God had for our family.  I believe He waited to give my husband and I that next big step until I realized those everyday steps of obedience and faithfulness was the thing that mattered the most.

Giant Steps: The Call to Missions

Remember earlier when I said "be careful what you ask for"? Well, God dropped a bombshell: He had laid on my husband's heart to visit a missionary in Mexico that we had known and our church had supported for many years.  In June 2014, we took a family mission trip to spend a week with Thomas and Linda Beard, missionaries to Montemorelos, Mexico for over 40 years now.  In April 2015, God confirmed this was not just a mission trip, but a call to missions for our family.  We began searching how to navigate this new journey.  God led us to ABWE, the Association of Baptist for World Evangelism, and put us on the fast track to the field.  In August 2017, we arrived in Costa Rica to attend the Spanish-Language Institute for the year and hope to arrive in Mexico in October of this year to begin ministering with the Beards.

New Steps:  New Territory

Homeschool.  Language school.  Missions.  Big City Life (San Jose, CR is LOUD).  So much new territory through which God has allowed us to walk.  And, now blogging.  I am looking forward to this new territory for me and sharing what God lays on my heart.  In April and May, I hope to share more of my personal testimony of God's faithfulness: how He fit those pieces of that puzzle together and how He gives a song in the night.

Scripture From Around the World - Singapore

The Weimer Family in Iceland

We arrived in Iceland in September 1999 right before the Y2K scare.  I was a new mom. Clayton was two, and William was eight months. Since we had been married only three years, we were really still green at this marriage thing. That is how we started. Newlyweds, new parents, in a new land with a new language wondering if the end of the modern age was soon to happen.

Fast forward almost 20 years. Clayton and William are adults now. Rosa, who was born later here in Iceland, is soon to graduate high school.  Patrick and I are "that old married couple" now. At least that´s what the teens and young adults tell us.  We know Icelandic now, thankfully, and love living as a family here.  

Patrick and I met at Trinity Baptist College in Jacksonville, FL.  We dated for all of three weeks before we knew we wanted to get married.  This picture of us is from this past summer. We were standing on a dormant volcano.  It was windy.  It is always windy here. 

Clayton was a toddler when we got to Iceland.  He has been a part of our ministry from the very beginning.  He is a mailman here saving money to pay for college Stateside in the fall and spring semesters.  This is a picture of him while helping his dad build something or other in the church building recently.  Construction is a constant for us. 

William was just a babe when we came.  He was our little Christmas miracle baby.  I contracted bacterial spinal meningitis while I was 8 months pregnant with him, but the Lord let us both live.  He, too, works as a mailman to pay for college which he is taking via on-line courses for now. He is double majoring in math education and missions.  

Rosa was born here.  Horses have always been her passion.  Icelandic horses are unique.   To buy her horse Brynjar and keep 

him fed, she works at a restaurant. When she is not learning, serving at the church, working, or caring for her horse, she is teaching children to ride horses. Rosa plans to study some form of equine therapy when she finishes high school.

Why did I mention my kids?  This is a team effort. Our ministry would look a lot different if not for them. I shared some non-ministry things that they do, but they are very involved in our church. Whether your life runs like a well-oiled machine, or your days tend to go sideways (like mine did today), please let me challenge you.  Make the time to invest in your children.  Pray for them every single day.  You won´t regret that.


    

Another Introduction

I am often asked to introduce myself in the country that I reside. The language is very difficult, so I usually stick to the simple facts. My husband, Tim, and I are missionaries in Japan. We have three adult children. Our two sons are married. Our daughter is a music teacher. All reside in the USA, so we are empty-nesters. We do not have any grandchildren yet. My husband grew up in Japan, so this is home for him. By the time I finish these simple facts, my brain is tired! HA!

Japanese grammar is backwards from English. The verb is always at the end of the sentence. By the time I get to the verb, I often can’t remember what I was trying to say! I keep plugging away at the language. I have also learned to laugh at my mistakes, such as the time I said I bought my son instead of saying that my son would pay the bill. 😂

I have never considered myself a writer. I started to blog years ago as a way to keep family and friends informed with what we are doing. When help was requested for posting at In Her Shoes, I felt like the Lord would have me to volunteer.

On a more personal note of testimony…When my husband and I first married, I didn’t understand why we didn’t go to Japan. As a missionary kid, he knew the culture and the language. It seemed like it must be God’s will for us. My husband assured me that he would never be going back to Japan. One thing I have learned, never say never!

Fast forward several years and three children later, you can imagine my surprise when my husband began talking about going to Japan. Many women can tell of a calling to missions. Although I was willing to serve on the field, I can’t say that I ever experienced a calling of my own. I do believe that my place is with my husband, so his calling is also mine.

Before we moved to the city we are living in now, I asked the Lord to give me a verse that would keep me on the field when the going got tough. He answered that prayer with 2 Corinthians 5:15, “And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.” My life is not about me. It is about the One Who died for me. This verse has had such an impact on me, that I consider it a life verse and talk of it often.

If you would like to learn more about my life in Japan, you can visit me at Life in the 10/40 Window.

Please Let Me Introduce Myself

     As a person who is just starting to be a contributor to the In Her Shoes blog, I was asked to write a blog post introducing myself. This makes me laugh a little, because I don't find myself to be a very interesting person. Oh, there are a few things about me that people may find interesting, like that I was born in Hawaii, because my Dad was stationed at Pearl Harbor, or that I have traveled through all 50 states and moved to Australia from Alaska, or even the fact that my Dad's side of the family is Mormon and my grandmother's father was a polygamist; but, in general, my life is the typical life of a missionary wife and mother.

     Although I was born in Hawaii, I grew up, got married, and had all my children in Ohio. Before going to the mission field, I worked for fifteen years as an interpreter for the deaf. My family and I have served in Vancouver, Canada; New South Wales and Queensland, Australia; and, Lord willing, are here to stay in the suburbs of Perth, Western Australia. I have been married for thirty-two years this year and have three daughters, one son-in-law, and one grandson. I love life and find enjoyment in nearly every aspect of it...with the exception of the occasional run-in with snakes and spiders.

     Finally, though I do not think it speaks to my IQ, I can sometimes be considered a "klutz" and "a dizzy blonde." My unwitting mishaps provide me, and those around me, with plenty of entertainment. I always like to pass on my funny experiences to help other people lighten their day. One particular incident involves our start into deputation. As a missionary wife, I thought that I needed to have a life verse. Up until this point in my life, I could never pull out just one verse that was of particular importance in my life; but I thought being a missionary now, I must get a life verse. I picked Proverbs 30:5 to fill the gap that I had in my missionary repertoire. It wasn't long before a young girl asked me to sign her Bible, and I decided that now was the best time to start using my new "life verse." I was having problems remembering the reference, and instead, wrote Proverbs 31:6. When I looked at it, and thought that it didn't look right, my thought was, Oh, well, it's fine. It's the "virtuous woman" chapter (can't go wrong there)...I will check it and be sure to get it right next time. Imagine my surprise the next morning, when I decided to check it, and realized that instead of imparting the wisdom of, "Every word of the God is pure; he is a shield unto them who put their trust in him." I had given the following advice: "Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto those that be of heavy hearts."

     It is my hope that you too can enjoy all of the interesting things that make life special!

     

     

Scripture From Around the World - Norway

A Little Introduction

Michael & Barbara
Zachary & Jude

“Gamarjoba!” A hearty hello from the European country of Georgia! My name is Barbara, and I would like to introduce you to myself, my family and the work we are doing here in this country.

I grew up on a little farm on the backside of nowhere in Eastern Montana, the second of 4 children. I raised goats, joined 4-H, kept up the house in the summer time, and in general, did what any other country kid did. My parents taught us to do the hard things, do them right, and not quit. They taught us to try food we didn’t know if we would like. They taught us to love and honor the Lord and required church attendance. Their faithfulness to go to church (it was an hour and ten minutes away) really showed their dedication to the Lord. All these things gave me an excellent background to ministering in this country.

From the day I could talk, I knew I was called to missions. I heard the call to reach orphans and abused in Mexico. My parents, though they knew this would mean I would eventually move a world away, always encouraged this dream. It kept me focused. I learned Spanish, attended teacher training classes, gained experience teaching junior church, and planned vacation Bible schools. When I reached college age, I took online classes at home for a psychology/Christian counselling degree, and continued to teach at church and in the public schools. I took several mission trips, about one a year, starting when I was fifteen. I received Christ and was baptized in July 2015.

The second trip to Mexico (I was then 22), I received the clear message that God had closed the door for me to go to Mexico. Feeling confused and a little disheartened, I talked it over with my mom. She very wisely advised, “God may have given you that vision to keep you focused through high school and college (Lord knows you needed that!) and now He has something special in mind.” So true were the words, for 6 months later I met the wonderful man who is now my husband- on his way to the country of Georgia. A year after meeting, we were married. Yay!

After a honeymoon and about a month break, Michael and I plunged right back into deputation ministry (he had started before we met), to raise funding to go overseas. I learned a LOT about God and faith those first few months. We really had very little, but the Lord provided our needs. We completed our deputation and arrived in Tbilisi (the capitol of) Georgia in May of 2017.

The Lord has blessed us with two children: Jude, turning three shortly, and Zachary, roughly a year and a half. They do keep me on my toes, but they are a great joy and help us so much meeting people in this country. Jude is into all things boy: rocket ships, Spider man (how, I don’t know!), dragons, and Patch the Pirate. Zachary is our lovable, happy, mischievous  and daring child who doesn’t know danger and hates to hear the word no.

Right now, we are digging the trenches in the Lord’s battle. (We are learning the language.) The trenches are deep, and the work is long and hard, but it is necessary before we can engage in the Spiritual warfare in this country. The Georgian language is among the hardest for English speakers to learn, having an immense vocabulary and complicated verb structure. The people here are greatly loyal to their Georgian Orthodox church, and are "good" people, but they are totally lost! They are told not to read the Bible and know more about tradition and superstition than about Christ. We look forward to knowing the language well enough to share the gospel with our friends.

I’m looking forward to sharing with you how God works in and through our family.

Scripture From Around the World - Italy

How Then Shall We Give?

By way of introduction, my name is Maureen Sullivant and our family has been serving in Thailand since 2008.  After language school, we moved to the city of Phitsanulok, Thailand where my husband Mike has started Song Kwae Baptist Church.  I spend most of my days homeschooling and feeding our four children ages eight through fifteen years old. 

Matthew 6

Missions is giving, right?  Giving of our hearts to Christ to be used however He wishes.  How well do we do in giving of ourselves graciously?  

Matthew 6:1 says, “Take heed that ye do not your alms (mission or charity work) before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.”

Do we endeavor not to serve to be seen?  It is easy to feel unseen on the mission field at times.  One year, the tourist slogan here where we serve was, “Unseen in Thailand.”  Some days I felt that not even God could see me in Thailand.  What frail faith!  If we are serving Jesus Christ, we will be able to have satisfaction in simply knowing, “Thou God seest me.”  What a self-centered state of affairs my heart is in if I have to be seen to be satisfied.

Verse two tells us not to sound a trumpet to announce our arrival and intentions to serve!  Don’t call everyone to attention so they can watch you do your ‘thing.’  As missionaries, do we not like to constantly sound a trumpet? Let people know what amazing servants of God we know we are?  Reminding people what we’ve sacrificed to be able to serve God on a foreign field?  I know that for myself, I can get to the point where I feel pretty self-righteous and entitled to a little respect.  If not respect, I at least shouldn't have to suffer disrespect, right?  So much for Christlikeness!  I’m sure we can all share a humble sounding hash tag we’ve read on a missionary post that made us cringe a little bit. 

In verse sixteen, Jesus condemns hypocrites who disfigure their faces to pretend to fast.  Jesus says that when we fast, we are to go about our day in such a way so as  not to appear to fast.  In other words, don’t go looking for sympathy, affirmation, or attention.  As missionaries on a foreign field, we are required to fast – to do without for a period of time – in many different areas of our lives.  Time with our families, time in our home churches, time in our home countries, fellowship with people who understand where we are, you name it!  We all have a list that is a little bit different.  How well are we fasting?  Do we go about our lives in such a way that we don’t draw attention to ourselves, or do we already have our reward here on earth?  Our attitude in this area has profound impact on our children as well.

In this passage, Jesus gives us nine guidelines for selfless service.

    1.      Don’t serve to be seen – verse 1

    2.     Store treasure in heaven – verses 1, 20

    3.     Don’t get people’s attention while you are serving – verse 2

    4.     Serve secretly – verse 4

    5.     Pray secretly – verses 5, 6

    6.     Connect with God through prayer – verses 7-15

-       Remember God is the source of fruit 

    7.      Be willing to fast – to do without – cheerfully – verses 16-18

    8.     Don’t try serving two masters – verse 24  

    9.     Don’t worry about the future – verses 25-34

-       God has the future firmly in hand.

By Maureen Sullivant

Scripture From Around the World - Austria

Single Missionary Women Speak

Not long ago, I asked single missionaries to respond to an anonymous survey about their experiences.  Let’s see what they answered.

Q How much time have you served on a foreign field?

A 0-5 years  53%

    6-10 years  12%

    11-20 years  29%

    more than 20  6%

Q Did you feel “alone” because you were single?

A Yes.  47%

    No.  6%

    Only once in a while.  47%

Q Did you ever feel excluded by your missionary team?

A Yes, especially by the married couples, families.  38.5%

    Yes, the male leadership treated me like a second-class person.  15%

    No, I didn’t feel excluded.  46%

Q Did you get unwanted attention from the opposite sex (native people or otherwise)?

A Yes.  41%

    No.  41%

    I got several marriage proposals!  12%

    Other: “I got occasional whistles from guys on the street.”

Q Overall has your ministry experience been positive?

A Yes, somewhat positive.  23.5%

    Yes, very positive.  76.5%

Q What would improve your experience?

A Being included as an integral part of the team, especially socially.  15%

    Being included as an active part in discussions and planning.  31%

    Having a partner to travel/minister with (husband or a female friend).  31%

    Help with car, house maintenance, etc.  15%

    Feeling loved and appreciated.  8%

Comments:

• “House maintenance is a difficulty. I hate to bother the head missionary, but he is the one with the knowledge and ability to fix things. Carrying heavy items home has been an ongoing difficulty, even groceries. But I guess I just didn't have many expectations so these things haven't bothered me too much. My biggest difficulty has been health issues, which probably wouldn't have been much different if I had a partner. On a field that is open culture, I would say that a single missionary would be much less lonely unless they couldn't get over their background and just relax. My field is not an open culture, so people do not at all readily include me in their lives. Also, I think being somewhat of a workaholic makes it easier not to notice the fact that I am not included aside from passing church or school encounters. I strive to invest in the people, and that keeps my focus on them and their spiritual needs rather than my own emotional need.”
• “Have had a really great experience, so can't complain.”
• “It isn't just on the field. Churches are geared toward families and couples. People sit as families, and churches feel family oriented. We have had several people drop out because their spouses don't attend and they don't like sitting alone. Depending upon the team, I have been out of the loop and not known about certain activities. I don't like to be obligated to attend family camp and family functions. I’d like to be looked upon as a person and not hear, "well, you don't understand" or " you can't do that or teach that." I say I'm not teaching experience, I'm teaching the Bible. I have more national friends and "family." I get more help and people don't ask and beg for things because I am single.”
• “Although the team I work with have made me part of the family, other missionaries seem to forget I'm an individual and on the same level as they are. I never get emails about meetings or important goings on. Whether it's just an oversight or purposeful, it’s hard to deal with at times.”
• “There are times I want to travel somewhere, but I can't because I am alone. It would be nice to have someone to travel/minister with.”
• “Feeling loved and appreciated. I think it helps my spirit tremendously when I don’t feel taken for granted.”

Q What one sentence of advice would you give to any future/actual single missionary women?
Answers:

• “Choose your team carefully and know what the expectations are before joining the team.”
• “Guard yourself from every kind of high expectation: as to living conditions, results, your own performance or ability, new friendships, etc., but go out of obedience and love for God alone.”
• “Learn to lean on Christ.”
• “Stick to your purpose. (For several years, I was distracted by trying to be like the married missionary women, and I had to learn to stick to my purpose and what I was called to do. I wasn’t called to do what they do. I was called to come along beside them and help them with their responsibilities.)”
• “Reach out. Share. Others are struggling with what you are.”
• “Keep remembering that God is in control, and if He hasn't sent the man to be your husband it is because He knows you can serve Him better alone right now. You are not flawed or missing something spiritually to make you worthy of being married. Just pray that if and when it is in God's plan, that you still desire a husband someday.
• “Cling to Jesus. He is a precious Lover of our souls and will truly be all you need if you will allow Him.”
• “Don't let anyone tell you that you are not complete in God just because you aren't married.”
• “There will be times of disappointment and discouragement, but God is always faithful.”
• “Be absolutely certain it is God calling you to your place of ministry.”
• “Daily remind yourself that nowhere on earth is supposed to feel like home; that feeling should be saved for heaven.”
• “Be confident of who you are in Christ, let Him meet your needs, and be content with Him Who fills all things.”
• “Stay active in your prayer life and Bible reading. Sometimes our married coworkers don’t understand us, but God does. When situations arise, pray instead of react. Most of the time the misunderstandings and slights are unintentional.”
• “Be yourself. Obey God above all else. Be confident in your calling. Don’t worry so much what your missionary colleagues may think; everyone is different. You shouldn’t worry about pleasing them but rather about being obedient to God and pleasing Him. The nationals will accept you easier. You will learn your language faster. You will become one of them more quickly. Don’t just hang around missionaries or expats. Pray that you will be socially satisfied within the culture and with the national people. Be present. All in! Make that place your home, not just a place where you serve. Decorate your home. Get pets. Buy plants. Do things that you like to do outside of ministry and church activities. (Anything you do opens doors to share Christ with those you meet along the way.). So, take a painting class. Join a gym. Take a cooking class. Travel your country. Take a day off and a vacation—even if you go alone. Try new foods. Invite people, families and couples, not just singles to your home. Enjoy your life.”
• “God is enough.”

Q Share how God has blessed you personally.

Answers: 

• “The blessing of the mission field is of being on the front lines, of seeing God work, firsthand. To know that you are filling in a gap where the gaps are much wider than within the borders of the U.S. Planting the gospel in hearts where it has never been planted before. Making a difference for one ... and then another .... It’s knowing that you’re living in the gold, silver, precious stones mode, rather than chasing wood, hay, and stubble. These are the blessings of the mission field.”
• “I work under the leadership of a national pastor and have a wonderful relationship with him, his wife, and family.”
• “I have worked with two missionary families. Even though I didn't choose the family I work with now, God has helped us work together effectively. No one is perfect, but I am thankful that I have never had to leave the field because I didn't have a missionary family to work with.”
• “After five years as a single missionary, the Lord graciously led me to a godly, single pastor, and we were married.”
• “God has done so much to further the work here on the field. I know that I am doing exactly what He wants me to do. Although I still sometimes struggle with loneliness, it doesn't overtake my life. God has proven faithful every step of the way.”
• “God has given me wonderful friends and tremendous Christian leaders with whom to work and I am very grateful for them! God is my comfort and security. He has proven Himself over and over.”
• “The first ministry I worked with was a struggle, but God has given me a great ministry to work with now. I really feel that God has been faithful to me because I trusted in Him to guide me each step of the way. He will never leave me nor forsake me.”
• “The Lord has blessed me in allowing me to invest more of my time in the ministry and people. I would not change that for the world.”
• “I served eight years as a single, and including that, worked twenty years before I married. I am glad I worked to make my home a place of ministry to others, even though some wondered why a single would. I'm also glad I learned to be content with the Lord alone before I married. That kept me from trying to make my husband do what only God can do in my life.”
• “I'm blessed to have great missionary partners in my current ministry.”

There are more single missionary women today than probably at any time in the history of missions. They serve in schools, orphanages, helping families, homeschooling missionary kids, doing accounting, nursing, doctors, teaching music and English and doing many busy-work jobs that free up the missionaries they work with. They keep house and open their homes to others. They embrace ministry. I don’t know what we’d do without this army of missionary women all over the globe!

Some of the heroes we all hold high were single missionaries: Lottie Moon, Gladys Aylward, Mary Slessor, Amy Carmichael, to name a few. They were courageous, gutsy little gals who wanted more than anything else to serve their Lord and Savior.

As you have read, the women I interviewed love God and want to make a difference. I tip my hat to all of you, wherever you are.

How can married women missionaries encourage our single co-workers? One word sums it up: include. The Bible indicates two paths—single and married (1 Corinthians 7:34). Both singles and married people are vital for life and ministry, and of course, every individual is important. Love the single lady missionaries on your field. Make sure you listen to their ideas and include them socially. Include them in planning, and don’t leave them out of the loop when communicating what’s going on in the team. Help them feel busy and satisfied, but be careful not to overwhelm them. Be open and transparent—and listen.

Thank you, everyone who took part in my survey. It encouraged me, and I am sure you’ll encourage others. God bless each of you!

Therefore, my beloved brethren,

be ye stedfast, unmoveable,

always abounding in the work of the Lord,

forasmuch as ye know that your labour

is not in vain in the Lord.

(1 Corinthians 15:58).

by Lou Ann Keiser (Spain)