Missionary life as coronavirus closes doors, limits movement worldwide
It seems there’s hardly any aspect of life that hasn’t been touched by the COVID-19 novel coronavirus.
“We all are in uncharted territory. Our world is changing daily,” said Warren Janzen, SEND’s International Director. “Your range of emotional reactions are normal. Our God invites them all and can handle them all. Let’s not be tempted to talk about what is happening around us as if God is not present. He is here, he is in control, he is working out his purposes for our world, and nothing can stop him.”
SEND has been working with specialists, missionaries, and our leadership teams to adjust our protocols and activities to match the march of the Covid-19 virus across the world. Most of our missionaries are staying where they are and figuring out how to show the love of Jesus to those who are anxious, isolated, affected.
Here’s a look from the fields at how coronavirus has affected life and ministry for some of SEND’s families.
SPAIN: Total home quarantine
Officials have designated Europe as being the new epicentre of the outbreak, with Italy and Spain leading the rest of Europe in confirmed cases and deaths. Monday, March 16, was our official first day of full-lockdown mode. What does that mean? Exiting the house is prohibited except for select activities, such as going to the grocery store, pharmacy, helping the elderly, doctor’s appointments, and emergencies. There are ambulances and police that patrol the area and they hand out fines if you do not have a good reason to be outside.
A week ago, at our last church service, the pastor gave a sermon about living comfortably versus living as Christ’s servants, and cited John 16:33, “In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart, I have overcome the world.” We were challenged on how we can live intentionally during this time of fear—with caution and respect for authorities but also with the firm confidence in God’s provision. How can we be servants of Christ to our neighbors through this? To the elderly in our communities? How can we show others that we are never alone, even if we are forced to stay in our homes?
We hope that after this is all over, we can all share stories of how God worked in amazing ways through all of this. He doesn’t waste anything! — Joel and Kara Barkman
ALASKAN VILLAGES: Travel limits to protect the elderly
The villages of Alaska are known for having limited medical resources and an aging population. At least one village has already shut down travel in and out of the village, and at least one village along the Iditarod trail is not allowing mushers to stop there (not because of the mushers but because of all the support personnel required from out of town to support the mushers). One of our co-workers needs to travel to Fairbanks for medical tests; she will face a 14-day quarantine upon her return.
Please pray for the health and safety of not only our village missionaries, but also the native elders in these villages.
Please pray that all our ministry workers will find ways to connect with their neighbors despite the need for social distancing. This is a time of the year that people already struggle with depression and suicide. — Jim Stamberg, Area Director
SHORT TERM MISSIONS: Impossible to make plans
In the wake of all the uncertainty due to the coronavirus, it is difficult to know how to plan for this spring or summer. We had to place our two lovely short termers back on a plane to Canada before they wound up stuck in Spain! So Spring ministry is halted. We are also waiting it out a couple of weeks before we give any final thumbs up or down to our summer short termers buying their tickets. Will life be back to normal by then, or will we still be dealing with travel to and from certain places shutting down? Pray for God’s wisdom to know how to plan and organize for this summer. — Giles and Debbie Davis, who run the D House internship program in Spain
SUPPORT RAISING: Hard to do without social contact
Our family is raising support to join the Global Chinese Ministries team, but support raising relies heavily on social contact, the very thing that we all must avoid at the moment! Social distancing is key, not just hand washing and staying home only if you have symptoms. We are taking this seriously and we hope that you are, too.
We had two church presentations scheduled but those most likely will be postponed. We are not able to visit new churches every Sunday to make connections because most services have been canceled.
That being said, it is still our priority and job to support raise, so we are not throwing in the towel! We believe that God can provide the funds we need in spite of the curve balls the coronavirus is throwing at everyone. We plan to use more social media and video calls in the next few weeks. Pray for wisdom and creativity as we continue this ministry of developing new partnerships! — The S family, preparing to serve in Asia
FAMILY LIFE: When babies arrive
In addition to altering ministry plans, one SEND family in Japan has made the hard decision to miss the birth of their grandchild because travel is so uncertain. Another couple is expecting a baby in the Czech Republic. They don’t know if dad will be allowed at the birth, and he won’t be able to stay with mom and baby during their hospital stay.
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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