A Different Gathering
By a member of SEND’s Diaspora| North America
team
My older brother and I jostled for the front spot in the line for the church potluck. We loved these events and as soon as the prayer ended, we sprinted for the main table piled high with untold wonders! We filled our plates to overflowing with our favorites and hustled over to sit down to start digging in! First on our forks was some delicious looking spaghetti. However, when that spaghetti hit our tongues it was nothing like we had expected. We gagged almost immediately. This wasn’t anything like the spaghetti mom made, what was going on? It was like someone was playing a joke on us, but no one was laughing. It was the worst thing either of us had ever been subjected to in our short lifespans. I don’t remember who slipped away first, but we both slunk past those waiting patiently in line and then into the kitchen. We dumped our plates quickly into the trash can! Who can mess up spaghetti, we croaked? We learned a good lesson that day that neither of us has ever forgotten. Take a small portion until you are sure you are getting what you think you are getting. Now many years and many church potlucks the world over, this small grain of wisdom has saved me on more than one occasion!
When is the last time you ate something new and different? Especially as we approach the holiday season, I suspect many of us have our favorite foods that we just tend to rotate through on a regular basis. Then sometimes we stretch ourselves by having something that we like but just haven’t eaten in a while. This is true of many refugees as well, or they wish it was this way. Yet, they find themselves in a new land with new foods and it proves to be a challenge for them. I would like to ask you to consider inviting a new refugee family over for dinner this coming Thanksgiving or Christmas. Ask them to bring something that they enjoy. Yes, of course, have your own traditional favorites, and enjoy sharing them and introducing them to your guests. But this year, how about we also consider having something new as well? Most likely the refugee family will be facing all new foods, so let them bring one of their favorites and maybe we can try one new thing?
Please also take the opportunity to share the true meaning of Thanksgiving. Perhaps take a moment to go around the table. Let each one gathered share what they are grateful for. If possible, share with your guests that not everyone in America or Canada appreciates or thanks God for his abundant blessings. And I say that, because most Muslims view all people in the West as Christian and they need to hear, gently, that not everyone in the West is a follower of Jesus. In this ever-increasingly polarized world, they need to hear Jesus speaking of humility and talking about the two greatest commandments: Love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and Love your neighbor as yourself. For as we follow and live out these two commandments, the world around us will be transformed. Transformed not by us, but by the power of His love and grace.
At this special time of year, there can be many distractions, from commercial extravagances to simply being too busy. But please, as you gather to thank God for His blessings, consider inviting a refugee or recent immigrant family in that display of thankfulness. This could be on Thanksgiving Day itself or some other day around Thanksgiving. In fact, let’s consider it a season of Thanksgiving, instead of just a day of Thanksgiving.
My older brother and I jostled for the front spot in the line for the church potluck. We loved these events and as soon as the prayer ended, we sprinted for the main table piled high with untold wonders! We filled our plates to overflowing with our favorites and hustled over to sit down to start digging in! First on our forks was some delicious looking spaghetti. However, when that spaghetti hit our tongues it was nothing like we had expected. We gagged almost immediately. This wasn’t anything like the spaghetti mom made, what was going on? It was like someone was playing a joke on us, but no one was laughing. It was the worst thing either of us had ever been subjected to in our short lifespans. I don’t remember who slipped away first, but we both slunk past those waiting patiently in line and then into the kitchen. We dumped our plates quickly into the trash can! Who can mess up spaghetti, we croaked? We learned a good lesson that day that neither of us has ever forgotten. Take a small portion until you are sure you are getting what you think you are getting. Now many years and many church potlucks the world over, this small grain of wisdom has saved me on more than one occasion!
When is the last time you ate something new and different? Especially as we approach the holiday season, I suspect many of us have our favorite foods that we just tend to rotate through on a regular basis. Then sometimes we stretch ourselves by having something that we like but just haven’t eaten in a while. This is true of many refugees as well, or they wish it was this way. Yet, they find themselves in a new land with new foods and it proves to be a challenge for them. I would like to ask you to consider inviting a new refugee family over for dinner this coming Thanksgiving or Christmas. Ask them to bring something that they enjoy. Yes, of course, have your own traditional favorites, and enjoy sharing them and introducing them to your guests. But this year, how about we also consider having something new as well? Most likely the refugee family will be facing all new foods, so let them bring one of their favorites and maybe we can try one new thing?
Please also take the opportunity to share the true meaning of Thanksgiving. Perhaps take a moment to go around the table. Let each one gathered share what they are grateful for. If possible, share with your guests that not everyone in America or Canada appreciates or thanks God for his abundant blessings. And I say that, because most Muslims view all people in the West as Christian and they need to hear, gently, that not everyone in the West is a follower of Jesus. In this ever-increasingly polarized world, they need to hear Jesus speaking of humility and talking about the two greatest commandments: Love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and Love your neighbor as yourself. For as we follow and live out these two commandments, the world around us will be transformed. Transformed not by us, but by the power of His love and grace.
At this special time of year, there can be many distractions, from commercial extravagances to simply being too busy. But please, as you gather to thank God for His blessings, consider inviting a refugee or recent immigrant family in that display of thankfulness. This could be on Thanksgiving Day itself or some other day around Thanksgiving. In fact, let’s consider it a season of Thanksgiving, instead of just a day of Thanksgiving.
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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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