We chose to hand her back to God
By the mother of a SEND missionary —
Our daughter moved to the other side of the world. She is 27 years old. She is single. She is living in a third world country doing Muslim ministry and fulfilling a very large dream that she has had for many years of bringing Jesus to an unreached people group.
As parents, my husband and I have often been asked, “How can you let her go? How can you stand to see your daughter in those conditions? How can you send her off knowing the dangers of the culture in which she will be living? How can you let her go ALONE?”
Recently, when SEND International staff talked to my husband about the process of “letting go,” he responded, “Who would do differently if she’s in God’s will? I prayed that at least one (of my kids) would go into missions. We serve an awesome God. I wouldn’t dare be out of his will.”
How DO you let go? How do you watch one whom you have loved, nurtured and spent so many years protecting walk into a powder keg of a world, knowing that even the name of Jesus on her lips is enough to put her in harm’s way?
You don’t.
It’s not about letting go. It’s about handing back. If it was about letting go, I doubt there is a parent on earth who could do it. When it’s about handing back, then it is about putting the hand of your beloved child into the hand of your beloved Father. That is not letting go. That is holding on TIGHT.
Holding on to faith. Holding on to truth. Holding on to the knowledge that God is more capable of loving her and caring for her than you could ever hope to be. And holding on to the hope that there will be others in heaven someday because you were willing to hand back one of your most precious treasures.
When our daughter graduated from college with an International Ministries degree, we knew that she would not be staying home. However, we were not prepared for her to be offered a position right out of school in Cairo, Egypt. While my husband saw the advantages of the job offer, I could only see the “what ifs” of sending a young, single, American woman to a Middle Eastern culture.
One night, husband and I took a walk to discuss the decision our 22-year-old daughter was facing. As he spoke about the “wonderful opportunity” that the Lord seemed to be offering her, I stopped, glared at him and said, “Will you STOP pushing this at her?! Why do you keep talking about it in such a glowing way?! I DON’T WANT HER TO GO THERE!” My husband looked at me with tears in his eyes and said, “Believe me, I understand how you feel. But why would we want to stop God’s leading in her life? We have always prayed that he would use our children for the Kingdom.” In that moment, and together, we chose to hand her back.
And she chose to go.
Our daughter was in Egypt during the 2011 revolution. We spoke to her on the phone as looting was going on in the streets below her. We heard the gunshots and we experienced the racing hearts of parents who had no control. But we also prayed with her, quoted verses, and witnessed the strength, faith, and courage of the young woman whom God was shaping into the one who left last month to serve him long term.
God knew what He was doing. Cairo prepared her for what she is doing now. And while he was shaping her for her future, he was also lovingly shaping us. We filed that experience away in our “faith file,” and we pull it out even now on the days that we struggle. Those days come. But he has proven faithful.
This past week we talked to our daughter over Skype. She had two fans blowing on her because it was so hot. She was telling us about her war with the cockroaches in her new home. But she was smiling. She was content. And she was glowing as she recounted the story of two Muslim women who had just accepted Christ.
Our children don’t belong to us, folks. They never have. We need to hand them back.
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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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