Leaving room for a change of plans
By a member of SEND’s Diaspora | North America team —
As we entered his house, he hung his head and said, “No, no, I am embarrassed. I should be coming to see you. You are my teacher and yet you came to me. In my country, the custom is that the small people go to see the big people, and the big people just stay home and wait for us.” I said to him, “Don’t be embarrassed. We are all the same before God. God doesn’t ask who our father is. He doesn’t ask how rich we are. He doesn’t ask if we are big people or small people. He simply looks straight at our hearts and he loves us."
After we got past the awkward start to our conversation, we actually had a very nice visit. We shared family news back and forth and talked about what it will take for his children to get into college. As we visited, I silently prayed for how I would steer the conversation and share about sacrifice. We were visiting during the Islamic holiday EID al Adha, which commemorates when Abraham was ready and willing to sacrifice his only son until God intervened and provided a ram.
Suddenly it came to me, not to share about sacrifice, but to share the story found in Luke 18 about the two men who came into the temple to pray—one who was rich and haughty and the other who was poor and humble. My host had already prepared the way for me to introduce the story by the way he’d reacted when we showed up at his door. So, I shared the story and emphasized again the fact that God looks at the heart, not at our social standing, wealth or outward appearances.
It was well received and it also prompted a brief discussion about hypocrisy, along with external and internal faith. We look back and give thanks for God preparing the way for something different than what I thought I was going to share. If we are going to pray and ask the Holy Spirit to lead us, we have to be willing to listen and follow his prompts, even if it means a change of plans.
Before we left, we asked how we could pray for the family. They gave us some requests and we prayed for them. They warmly thanked us for coming and invited us to return soon.
We went on to visit another family afterward, and while the second family was kind (and we had a nice visit), when we shared a Bible story it was not as well received. One family member even rolled their eyes as we shared (yes, that happens in other cultures too!). Before we left, we were able to pray for them, but we didn’t see the same receptivity we experienced in the first house. We had to remember that we are planting seeds on these visits and yes, some are falling on the hard path, yet some are falling into softer soil. May God give us grace to keeping sowing seeds as we pray for the Lord to produce a harvest.
Today I encourage you to keep visiting your Muslim neighbors and colleagues. When you visit, share Bible stories and pray for them. You are planting seeds of faith. And not only are you helping to change their understanding of who Christians are, but you are reshaping their worldview and helping them to understand who God truly is – a God who takes sin seriously, but also a knowable loving Father.
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Additional Posts
Choosing a Missions Organization: Why SEND International Stands Out “Why should I be a missionary through SEND International?” Jenna, a new missionary in Eastern Europe, shared with us what she appreciates about working with SEND. The highlights for her are: - Devotion to prayer - Diligence in communication - Commitment to development - Intentionality in accountability Prayer “Back in September of 2022, the Lord reconnected me with SEND after I had met them a year prior at the Moody Bible Institute. However, before he would sign me up for anything, my Missions Coach encouraged me to pray. He said something to the effect of, "I know that you've been praying on your own for a long time. But as the Church, we are not called to walk alone. So, you and I won't talk for about a month unless you have questions. I want you to go pray with 5 or 6 others from your church about where God is calling you." That October, more than 10 friends prayed with me and we saw God answer as He directed me to Romania. From February 2024 to November 2025, I had the pleasure of being a part of team meetings in Romania with my SEND colleagues. Our meetings were four hours long, two for prayer and two for business. This has been the minimum for our team. There are also prayer meetings with the local churches we partner with, among smaller groups within our team, of course prayer with many of you across the pond, including those at our US office. The organization was built, has been sustained, and continues to run on prayer. This is my favorite thing about SEND. Communication As I mentioned above, we have a two hour block for business / ministry details in each of our meetings. This provides consistency across our team which works alongside three different churches and in a variety of ministries. It also helps us to communicate about the need for change or growth, alongside what is working well. In addition, my team director also meets with each of us, allowing us to communicate needs, considerations, and prayer requests. I've also enjoyed getting to work with SEND workers outside of my immediate region . We receive emails with the minutes from the Europe leadership team, Friday communications from our international director, and information regarding projects that affect our work among the unreached. In December of 2024, our international director at the time wrote a note to my parents for the first Christmas that I was gone. If nothing else had convinced my mom yet, this did. He took the time to care for me, but also to care well for the parents that were sending me (What it meant to my dad and mom for him to do this well has been one of the greatest ways I've been supported.). I also have some pretty wonderful regional directors. These people have prayed alongside us (while also serving in their own countries of service), they have taken time to come visit and encourage our team, and they have also taken the time to encourage the people in our churches. Development SEND has provided much in the area of development and care (spiritually, physically, mentally, and emotionally). At our regional conference (every three years), there have been medical check ups available, counseling options, and time for connecting with others on the field with similar experience. At our conference last October, I connected with a missionary who served overseas for many years, and is now serving on the administrative side of SEND. She has met with me since then for mentorship and has also invested much of her time recently in preparing a retreat for the singles across Europe. Accountability Over the years I have read and heard amazing stories of how God has worked through missionaries. God has done great things and great things He is still doing! However, people who have committed their lives to the Lord in this way are not “super Christians”. We are still humans with the same struggle against flesh that others have . A major challenge is in being isolated -- living in areas with little to no presence of other believers to sharpen them can cause many difficulties. SEND has been a great resource in this area too. Through my team, I have an accountability partner that I meet with monthly. When my regional director came to visit, he and his wife spent a day with me and asked intentional questions about how I lead, handle conflict, and how I am growing in general as a Christian. In addition, my teammates share their wisdom with me on a regular basis. These things and more have assured me that SEND International is a highly valuable organization and I'm excited to partner with them in service to, for, and with our great God! Interested in being sent by SEND?
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