Freedom through Facebook
By Josie Oldenburg —
Bill and Joan Ginther know that switching on the news or scrolling through Facebook just might change their lives.
“If you watch the news and do nothing, you should stop watching the news,” Bill said. “That’s how we operate.”
And that’s why, several months into the refugee crisis in Europe, they found themselves walking through the muck, delivering hard-boiled eggs and apples to refugees stuck in Macedonia.
“When the refugee crisis became more public, we thought, ‘We have to do something,’ ” Bill said. “We decided to ask: ‘Lord, what would you have us do? We are available, we’re semiretired, we have time, we have energy.’ That’s a dangerous prayer. He takes you up on it.”
Soon after that prayer, the Ginthers saw a SEND Facebook post inviting people to serve refugees living in two hastily organized camps along a train track in Macedonia, near the border with Serbia.
They went to the so-called “mud camp,” populated by 472 people who had made it to Serbia but were pushed back.
“We were immediately overwhelmed with the needs and the desperation,” Bill said. “We thought, ‘What can we do? We are just a couple of people.’ But we realized these people needed a listening ear. So we started to listen to people, to talk to people, to ask if we could pray with them.”
***
During their time in Macedonia, Bill and Joan developed a close connection with Tahir who had fled from Syria with his two siblings. Tahir was close to earning his law degree when their region of Aleppo was bombed; 10 people died in their apartment building. The family decided to send the children away, while Tahir’s parents stayed behind to care for their own elderly parents.
The Ginthers tried to meet the family’s physical needs, delivering clothes and healthy food to supplement the simple meals the Red Cross provides.
One day Tahir asked, “So, why are you here? What brings you all the way from Canada?”
“That’s a great introduction to say that we believe God sent us here to be with you, to listen to you, to be his presence here,” Bill said.
During their time in the camp, Bill prayed that Tahir and his siblings would have hope beyond their surrounding circumstances, that they would have hope for a home beyond this earth.
And then Bill and Joan left.
***
That could have been the end of the story. But Bill is on Facebook. So is Tahir.
“These are ordinary young people. They have cell phones. There are a hundred phones lined up, waiting to be charged by the generator in the camp,” Bill said. “If you’re on Facebook, you can be found, and you can stay in touch.”
So, they did. Using Facebook Messenger’s voice-call capability, they started talking every other day.
One day, Tahir told Bill: “I would be interested in what you have.”
“I would be more than happy to pray with you now,” Bill responded.
“Just give me one night just to think about it.”
Early the next morning, Tahir phoned Bill: “I’m ready. I’m ready to make your God mine and to accept him as my own personal savior.”
“I had the pleasure of leading him to the Lord by phone,” Bill said. “God can use social media. And he did.”
Tahir has been on fire, eager to share his newfound faith and to grow. He asked for an Arabic Bible and received a New Testament.
“He wasn’t satisfied,” Bill said. “He asked: ‘Wait, isn’t there more?’ I told him there are one-year Bible reading plans. He said, ‘A year? Why would it take that long?’ ”
When Tahir and his family received a five-day pass to leave the camp, his first request was to go to a church to share his testimony. And he did.
“There are up to 60 million refugees in the world,” Bill said. “They are forgotten people. I shudder when I hear the term migrant or refugee. These are just people. Unless someone goes to bat for them, they are lost in the system.
“These are people with lives and real feelings and hearts who are waiting to know the Lord. They are individuals created by God who deserve something better.”
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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