From Everywhere to Eurasia with SEND
By a SEND missionary in Eurasia
If you close your eyes and try to picture a map of the world, you might see, in your mind’s eye, the continents of the world, the giant land masses of Asia, Africa, South America, and so on. Or maybe you can visualize a few big countries like China, Nigeria, Ukraine, India, Brazil, or France. But can your mind’s eye picture the complex interconnection of multiple cultures, peoples, and languages that make up hundreds of local communities all over the globe? What a swirling interwoven masterpiece that is! These culturally complex communities and people movements are global realities that our God sees, and that He can use for His glory.
If you close your eyes and try to picture a map of the world, you might see, in your mind’s eye, the continents of the world, the giant land masses of Asia, Africa, South America, and so on. Or maybe you can visualize a few big countries like China, Nigeria, Ukraine, India, Brazil, or France. But can your mind’s eye picture the complex interconnection of multiple cultures, peoples, and languages that make up hundreds of local communities all over the globe? What a swirling interwoven masterpiece that is! These culturally complex communities and people movements are global realities that our God sees, and that He can use for His glory.
Even in our globally-connected world, our modern eyes often cannot see the many different ethnic groups, multi-cultural societies, or people migrations that exist in hundreds of “dots” on the map all around the world. But this reality is most people’s lived experience on earth, and an experience that God is already using to build gospel bridges to places and peoples that are hard to reach with the Good News of Jesus.
This is the movement of God’s Spirit to bring the Good News of Jesus to every tongue, tribe, and nation. SEND Eurasia seeks to participate in God’s movement to send His people from hundreds of points on the globe to hundreds of culturally and linguistically complex, local points full of people He loves.
When God Called Grace
This miraculous movement of people can be seen in the story of our very own SEND teammate, Grace P. Grace’s story demonstrates this extraordinary wisdom of God in leading His people from everywhere to everywhere for His glory.
Grace comes from Quezon City, Metro Manila in the Philippines. Her story begins right in her own community. She began walking with Jesus as her Savior on May 16, 1985, when she was 15 years old. As she grew in her understanding of Jesus and His love for her, Grace’s heart to serve grew as well, and she began to serve His people through music ministry, Sunday school teaching, and in many other ways. Grace also grew in her desire and skill in sharing the gospel and got involved in the evangelistic outreach of her church.
Every story starts right where a person finds themselves. But Jesus always grows His children to move beyond their comfort zone. Grace soon had opportunities while she was working, after university, to minister on short-term, cross-cultural trips. Then, God took Grace to a different part of her own country, to the southern island of Mindanao. There she encountered people of a very different faith, and there she was challenged to follow God deeper into the nations, even farther away.
Grace Responds to God’s Calling
That experience was almost 20 years ago for Grace. Since then, God opened doors for Grace to receive more ministry and vocational training. God led Grace from a less-focused calling to a specific burden and a specific path to serve in His harvest in Central Asia. He never gave her more than a few new steps at a time, and there were challenges, reversals, and moments of stalling along the way. But she now looks back at almost ten years of adaptation, of language learning, and of relational ministry with people she loves because God first loved her, and first loved them.
From everywhere to everywhere is not a movement of only one lone person. It is a community movement. From the beginning, the church was an intercultural team movement:
1
Now Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius from Cyrene, Manaen, who grew up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul were prophets and teachers in the church at Antioch. 2
While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set Barnabas and Saul apart for me to do the work for which I called them.” 3
Then they fasted and prayed, laid their hands on them, and let them go. 4
After they had been sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went to Seleucia and from there sailed to Cyprus. 5
Arriving in Salamis, they began to preach God’s word in the Jewish synagogues. They also had John to help them (Acts 13:1-5).
Do a little geographical digging and you’ll find that these saints came from very different local communities. Why would God throw together such a motley crew? How were they able to serve in unity?
Short answer?
It brings Him glory when His people live with one another in a way completely contrary to the world around them, and He gives us what we need.
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For it is he who is our peace. Through his mortality he made both groups one by tearing down the wall of hostility that divided them. 15
He rendered the Law inoperative, along with its commandments and regulations, thus creating in himself one new humanity from the two, thereby making peace, 16
and reconciling both groups to God in one body through the cross, on which he eliminated the hostility. 17
He came and proclaimed peace for you who were far away and for you who were near. 18
For through him, both of us have access to the Father by one Spirit. 19
That is why you are no longer strangers and foreigners but fellow citizens with the saints and members of God’s household, 20
having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, the Messiah Jesus himself being the cornerstone. 21
In union with him the whole building is joined together and rises into a holy sanctuary for the Lord. 22
You, too, are being built in him, along with the others, into a place for God’s Spirit to dwell (Ephesians 2:14-22).
What a privilege to come together from everywhere to serve everywhere people need Jesus, and to go together where the Gospel hasn’t yet gone.
Grace’s team in Central Asia is just one of our SEND Eurasia teams looking for more teammates. We are praying for Jesus followers called from everywhere to serve in the masterpiece of multi-cultural communities one finds in Eurasia.
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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