Pro tips from a multicultural marriage
Nora O’Sullivan-Jonsson is an Irish missionary serving with SEND in Bulgaria, along with her husband, Gisli Jonsson, who is from Iceland. Since 2009, the couple has served as Christian counselors in Sofia. The two bring valuable experience gained while working in Nepal, Northern Ireland, and London. In Bulgaria, they walk alongside women who are coming out of sex-trafficking situations, plus people struggling with past and present abuse, depression, anger, and relationship issues. Nora also is engaged in two outreaches: one to children and families in a Roma community and another to the young people at an orphanage outside Sofia. The couple’s work often brings them into close contact with people who face devastatingly difficult situations, and they rely on multicultural teams of co-laborers to effectively minister.
Q. Nora, in Bulgaria, you’ve served on four different multicultural “teams:” your SEND team, a Roma team reaching out to a Roma camp, and a Bulgarian team doing orphanage ministry — plus you’re Irish and your husband is Icelandic, so your marriage is multicultural! As someone with so much experience, can you share with us, what are some of the benefits of serving with people from other cultural backgrounds?
Q. Nora, in Bulgaria, you’ve served on four different multicultural “teams:” your SEND team, a Roma team reaching out to a Roma camp, and a Bulgarian team doing orphanage ministry — plus you’re Irish and your husband is Icelandic, so your marriage is multicultural! As someone with so much experience, can you share with us, what are some of the benefits of serving with people from other cultural backgrounds?
The biggest benefit for me in working with others from different cultural backgrounds, with different molding experiences and knowledge of God, is that I have become aware of how my view of God is limited
! I, in some ways, had interpreted the scripture through my Western eyes. I could always agree in theory that of course my knowledge was limited, but as you work alongside and develop deeper relationships, you really know it, because the Lord has worked differently with other cultures and in their history, so it is a bit mind-blowing to experience that the Lord is aware, calling out to and working in all cultures in very different ways!
Working together definitely deepens humility.
It has been brilliant, but not without pain, learning that I have not got the full answer, and neither has any individual on the team! The Lord — in what he is doing, and in what he is calling us to do — is known in some part by each of us but also beyond all of us.
I’ve seen that we offer a more comprehensive gospel
when we put in practice the working as a body, each having a different role and part to play. We can reach a greater, more-diverse group of people. Only together can we do a more complete job
! I have found it is very edifying that the Lord wants each of us to use the gifts that he has given each one of us individually! A bit like David — he was not of use to the Lord or the people in trying to use Saul’s armour, but he had to stand and use what he had learnt with the Lord about how to fight and do life.
Working together deepens my awareness of how great the group of missionaries are
, but also how easy it is to get tripped up in comparing giftings, support, basically how easy it is to put a whole group out of action — despite such a significant calling — by not sorting out our attitude and our need of help to deal with our insecurities.
Q. When we say diversity, ethnicity often pops into our minds, but what other kinds of diversity do you think can benefit ministry teams?
Q. When we say diversity, ethnicity often pops into our minds, but what other kinds of diversity do you think can benefit ministry teams?
I think it HUGELY benefits a team to have diversity in personalities, which is very evident on a multicultural team. In Psalm 139, it speaks about how the Lord knows us. When we serve with brothers and sisters on a multicultural, diverse team, we are given all sorts of interactions that expose who we truly are. This lets us know what the Lord has always known about us — which is a bit humbling, but a great way to have to depend on a Saviour who knows how to save!
When team members have different ways in which they came to know the Lord, this allows more people to hear the gospel
in a way they can understand.
Practically speaking, having a group of people with diverse abilities, communication styles, education, and talents allows different needs to be met in the group and among the people we are serving. Also, different cultures have different ways of showing love and different eating customs, which has been very enjoyable and fun!
Q. How has serving on multicultural teams stretched you, personally?
Q. How has serving on multicultural teams stretched you, personally?
Being married to Gisli, I very quickly became aware of how different our understanding of the same words are and of how deeply I could offend him, and him me, by inadvertently saying something that was not automatically understandable to the other person. Arrrhh!!! So it is beneficial to learn to clarify, and it grows my character and depth by having to go outside my own box of understanding.
In working in the different teams, I became very aware of how much I think I am right in what I do and how I understand the Lord! Especially on the mission field, I thought as a missionary, my job was to get others to do things like I do them. I found that, in practice, team members from other cultures were taking on my methods — but not deeply.
I have grown a lot wiser! Now in implementing a practice with a team, I go for a lot more open discussion on what people are really thinking of a particular method I want to use or they want to use. We’ve realized that a project will be more fruitful if we, as a multicultural team, own what we present to whatever group we are trying to reach or train. Plus, when national team members share what they think will work or not work in their culture, our approach can be adjusted.
Q. Can you share a few tips for how teammates can work together to build healthy, diverse teams?
Q. Can you share a few tips for how teammates can work together to build healthy, diverse teams?
Q. How do your various ministries support the idea that when engaged in Harvest work, we are Better Together?
From day one, as Gisli and I were trying to serve the culture, we met folks who needed help but were best helped by other members of the team! This also happened to our team members — they found that they met people who needed me and Gisli in our counseling ministry.
From day one, as Gisli and I were trying to serve the culture, we met folks who needed help but were best helped by other members of the team! This also happened to our team members — they found that they met people who needed me and Gisli in our counseling ministry.
I could not do any of my work with the Roma or the orphanage without our teams. With regards to the Roma, Stoyanka as Roma herself is the leader and is the one who is trusted and has access to their community. Dimo operates as the translator and models to the guys how to relate respectfully to the girls. Then I train the children in different skills, bringing in my experience as a science teacher and as a counselor.
In Harvest work, if we want a rich harvest, we are necessarily and hugely Better Together!
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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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