Aid through Awana
By Josie Oldenburg —
When she’s spotted at church in Maryland, the kids yell, “Auntie Isabel, the missionary.”
In a hot refugee camp in Macedonia, she hears “my friend, my friend” as the Syrian and Afghan children try out the few words of English they’ve picked up.
Isabel Lee, who serves on SEND’s US Council, formed a bridge between these two groups of children when she led a team to Macedonia to minister to refugees.
Her church, Chinese Bible Church of Maryland, offers an Awana program, and for Missions Month, the kids collected pledges and memorized Bible verses to raise funds for the refugees.
The kids raised about $1,500 — with donations ranging from $2 to $200 — for Isabel and her team of seven people from five churches in three states to use as they carried the gospel message to people in Camp Tabanovce.
About 800 people live in temporary housing or tents alongside the train tracks in the Macedonian village. There’s a sign nearby: 400 meters to Serbia. But for many, it’s an unpassable distance.
Isabel’s team partnered with SEND missionaries Andy and Nadine Spradley. They worked at the Mercy Café, serving tea and coffee to the refugees. Before long, they noticed that little kids would come to the café to ask for coffee.
“At first, we told them that they were too young to drink coffee, but then parents in the camp started asking us for milk,” Isabel said. “And we realized that the kids really just wanted the milk in the coffee. So we’d pour them a ‘coffee’ that was mostly milk.”
The week Isabel was there, the temperature sometimes hit 90 degrees; the week before, rain had turned the camp into a field of mud. Many of the refugees arrived during colder months and were uncomfortable wearing their winter shoes. So, the money raised by the Awana children also helped pay for hundreds of rubber sandals.
“They asked for something that would allow their feet to breathe,” Isabel said.
The team also offered yarn so that the women could knit and crochet.
“A man in the camp suggested that we bring the women together to do something, and then we found out that the Spradleys had a lot of yarn left over from a project at church,” Isabel said. “We only needed to buy crochet and knitting needles. I felt God answered our prayer.”
Most of the women made pocket washcloths for their children, to help them bathe in the camp’s cold water.
“I could really see all the moms thinking about their kids,” Isabel said. “Parents are parents.”
Isabel met one young mom who, at seven months pregnant, got on a raft to travel to Europe. She and a teammate went into a tent and met the woman’s 5-day-old baby.
As the team built relationships, Isabel said, “Everyone welcomed our prayer, even in Jesus’ name.”
“People would said, ‘There’s no hope. All the borders are closed.’ We’d answer: ‘God is our hope. We cannot put our hope in people or borders.’ ”
And, now that Isabel is back home in Maryland, she’s staying connected, especially with one family with four boys who were living in pup tents. They recently sent her a video message.
“My friend, my friend,” one boy said. “I love you much.”
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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