Making the most of this Thanksgiving
By a member of SEND’s Diaspora | North America team
As we walked on the paved pathway, ahead we saw a group of children bunched together. There was an adult in front of them, and as we got a little closer we were able to see what was going on. They were learning how to use rollerblades! The teacher placed a neat row of bright orange cones, evenly spaced, on the path and then gestured to the children to weave in and out of the cones. As each youngster launched forth to attempt maneuvering through the cones, moving as fast as they could, the orange cones were soon scattered! A few of the youngest ones ended up wiping out on the pathway. The teacher quickly repositioned the cones and the children resumed their attack. While this story took place in Pakistan, and the teaching was not in English, this sports drill is one that is repeated on a thousand schoolyards every day, with parents watching nearby and occasionally shouting an encouraging word to their children.
We may be different in terms of language, food, and religion, but in many ways, we are very much alike. If we are parents, we want to provide for our families and for our children to excel in school, sports, or other activities. Or consider our sports teams and their fans – we have intense rivalries. Last week, Pakistan beat India in Cricket and the Indians were so upset they made it illegal for anyone to celebrate Pakistan’s win in India! Do you know of any rivalries this intense here in the US? Passions and pride run deep in all cultures. And this serves as a good reminder that as we interact, work, and live alongside our ethnic neighbors, we can relate to them in many ways.
This month we celebrate Thanksgiving, a time of reflection and giving thanks. As we enter this holiday is there a way that you can display thankfulness among your Muslim neighbors or colleagues? When the Bible says, "to those whom much has been given much will be required," it is not suggesting that we need to do things to earn our salvation…instead, it is meant to encourage us to reach out to others, to show and share God’s love with them.
We have several weeks left to use this Thanksgiving as an opportunity to speak with our Muslim friends about our thankfulness to God for his work in our lives. Can you think of creative ways to share about what the Lord has done in your life? If you have kids, why not get them involved as well? Ask them for ideas and you are sure to get some out-of-the-box thinking! Maybe you could share a meal with your neighbor, or tell them about our history and how God has blessed this country from its humble beginning (how Thanksgiving was set aside as a remembrance of that provision). Or perhaps you could tell them your personal testimony, how God has blessed you and your family over the years. There isn’t one “right” way to reach out! So, feel free to get creative. And as you do, we would love to hear what you come up with. Send us a quick note
about how you plan to reach out to your neighbor or to share a story about how you already have!
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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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