Caring for missionaries during COVID-19
As COVID-19 sweeps across the globe, missionaries grapple with how to respond in light of their desire to respect the culture and to reach the lost. In addition to the grief and fear that accompany a situation like the one our world now faces, they must answer other complicated questions: Stay or fly back home? Which culture’s medical advice should they trust? Who will care for their elderly parents or college-age children?
We understand that pastors are facing their own challenges as they rethink how to serve their local congregations, but this is a time when your missionaries could use an encouraging word or a listening ear as they also struggle to process all the changes the coronavirus has brought.
SEND mission coach Amanda Pankov suggests that churches start by emailing their missionaries with the following questions:
When you contact your missionaries, let them know about your church’s virtual meetings—whether it’s the Sunday service, midweek meetings, or prayer sessions—and encourage them to join in as a participant (with no pressure to share anything). Watching their sending churches’ Sunday services has been a great encouragement to SEND missionaries who are sheltering in place and who generally do not get to worship in their heart languages.
Involve your church members in meeting the needs that your missionary shares. This may mean writing encouraging cards or emails, assigning someone to listen to the missionary’s stories and then share them with the church, linking them to medical advice, or providing financial assistance.
Because a country's COVID-19 response can change quickly, someone in the church might commit to a weekly virtual check-in with your missionaries. Some good questions to ask during those conversations:
Caring for your missionaries also might mean helping to facilitate an evacuation. For a variety of COVID-19-related reasons, some missionaries will need to leave their place of ministry. Your church could help find them a place to live and a car to borrow. Also, people arriving from other countries likely will face a long quarantine, so the church could bless their missionaries by stocking their emergency home with food, supplies (even toilet paper, if you can find it!), bedding, towels, pots and pans, and so forth.
If your church needs more direct guidance, please reach out to a SEND missions coach , who can help provide resources about staying safe overseas.
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?
Learn about the spiritual harmony in Vietnam & how missionaries engage with college students. Join us in sharing the gospel!
Explore Georgia's spiritual heritage and the impact of SEND International's mission. Join us in fostering authentic relationships today!
