April 29, 2025

The SEND U Blog

Reflections and Resources for Lifelong Learning for Missionaries

Category: Cross-Cultural Living

Beyond the Missionary To-Do List: Finding True Rest in Sabbath
Cross-Cultural Living, Missionary Roles

Beyond the Missionary To-Do List: Finding True Rest in Sabbath

As missionaries, we pour our hearts and souls into the work God has called us to. We navigate new cultures, build relationships, share the Gospel, plant churches, train leaders, and manage countless practical tasks. It’s demanding, rewarding, and, quite often, overwhelming. Indeed, if someone asked, “What will be your biggest disappointment and frustration on the field?” many of us might honestly answer: What I haven’t accomplished – what is still left undone. The sheer volume of need and opportunity can feel like a relentless tide, always threatening to pull us under. Consequently, we constantly face the pressure of the unfinished task list. It takes real courage, as counsellor Geoff Whiteman once noted in the context of work-life balance, to simply walk away from what is yet undone. This is precisely where the ancient, yet perpetually relevant, practice of Sabbath comes in. Sabbath isn’t just about stopping work; rather, it equips… Read the whole post
Ken Guenther13 mins read
When God Calls: Entrusting Ourselves and Our Children to Him
Cross-Cultural Living

When God Calls: Entrusting Ourselves and Our Children to Him

Jenna Ness, alongside her husband Kevin and family, lives and works in North Macedonia. Together, they are navigating a life of faith, growth, and service, embracing new cultures and challenges with their children. This post was first published by the blog, Risen Motherhood. Was it wise? Five years ago, I found myself sitting in a women’s conference. At the time, my husband and I believed that a huge transition was impending, and we were getting input on all sides, both positive and negative. Should we move across the world for ministry? Was it wise? One of my greatest fears during these days and months was how our children would handle such a huge transition, especially due to the losses—mostly relational—they would experience. I didn’t feel like I could talk about it with anyone, so it became a deep groaning between me and the Lord. Will you provide for them? For… Read the whole post
Jenna Ness6 mins read
Work-Life Balance
Cross-Cultural Living, Resilience

Work-Life Balance

This past year, I have been reading about work-life balance. I have been looking for resources that would help our workers in cross-cultural contexts. Over the past few years, I have heard many of them tell me that work-life balance is a huge issue for them. So in 2024, I sought to both understand the problem more fully and look for ways to equip our missionaries to better deal with this challenge. The following is a summary of some of the things that we have learned. The Myth of Work-Life Balance I quickly learned that many authors question whether a work-life balance is even possible. Our May 2024 edition of our monthly newsletter, the SEND U Training Tracks explored the concept of work-life balance and questioned whether it is a myth. Pursuing balance can actually create additional stress and anxiety. The 7-Slice Method In this newsletter, I introduced David McNeff’s book, The… Read the whole post
Ken Guenther5 mins read
Why do missionaries need pre-field training?
Pre-field Training, Cross-Cultural Living, Spiritual Formation, Training, Adult Education

Why do missionaries need pre-field training?

A legitimate question When I first began leading our Member Orientation Program more than 10 years ago, I seldom, if ever, had to defend its legitimacy. All new missionaries assumed that they would need to go through the pre-field training program before leaving for their place of assignment. In fact, one of our greatest struggles was to convince new missionaries and their coaches that they should wait to enroll in Member Orientation until they had raised more of their support. The primary question was “When?”. When do I get to go to MOP? As we began conducting the training in the Philippines as well as in Michigan, a secondary question then became “Where?”. Where will I complete this training? But in more recent years, the questions have been different. Now we are dealing with the question of “Why?”. Why do I need to go through this particular pre-field training program?… Read the whole post
Ken Guenther2 mins read
Cultural Views on Wealth
Photo by Alexander Mils on Unsplash
Cross-Cultural Living, Book Reviews, Cultural learning

Cultural Views on Wealth

When I was growing up, my parents were very clear about what I should talk about with others in order to respect what our culture saw as being polite. There seemed to be a very long list of taboo topics that people weren’t supposed to talk about. I chuckle now as I think back to the line “and never, EVER discuss politics.” My, how things have evolved in my home culture in my lifetime!  Another topic one did not discuss was money. Wealth (or lack thereof), debt, spending habits and amount of one’s income were all generally off limits. We should not discuss these topics with people outside of our immediate family. I observed that this was an accepted cultural attitude—your money was no one else’s business. I remember once asking my parents if one of their friends was RICH. By their response, you would have thought I swore or something. But I guess asking… Read the whole post
Jenny Baker1 min read
Back To Top