What is missionary success? Staying open to Spirit-led change
In this post,
Joel Barkman realized that he was defining a successful missionary as someone who stayed on the field for decades, and he shared how he rethought that idea. Sophia Wang’s story beautifully illustrates how being open to God’s call, even once you’re already serving overseas, might mean accepting an unexpected move.
By Sophia Wang, SEND missions coach
— After five years in Spain, God called me back to the States to serve as a missions coach with SEND International, specifically to help diversify our global workforce. I would like to share my journey here.
In Spain, I unexpectedly found that some of my best opportunities to share the gospel were with Asian students. Naturally, having a similar face gives me a unique opportunity with other Asian people. However, I never fully appreciated this characteristic of being Asian while living in the States nor as an Asian in Spain, because I felt, at times, more of the pain than the blessing of being Chinese. While I carry some scars due to both overt and institutional racism in our fallen world, Jesus has moved me toward healing and taught me to pursue knowing and clinging to my identity as a child of God.
God had already shown me that he could use my education, my profession, and my love of sports for his use, so I asked, “Lord, I know it’s not a mistake that you’ve made me Chinese, so do you want to use this face of mine, too, to further your Kingdom?”
As I explored various resources and sought out wisdom from other Asian Christ-followers, I began to see the need to develop my voice. I sensed a stirring to share what the Lord has done in my life as an Asian-American who loves Jesus, especially in the aspect of following Jesus into overseas missions.
During a home service, I explored the potential of returning to work with Asians overseas, yet I believe God cautioned my heart to wait on him for something more.
A great fit — but could she move back?
The idea of mobilization came up when I analyzed what my experiences revealed about how God wired me. I am a perpetual networker, and I’ve seen God use my relational gifts to “recruit” and connect diverse peoples throughout my life.
As I was seeking the Lord’s path for my future, I went to three colleges to represent SEND and explore mobilization. I loved meeting and speaking with students, hearing their stories and questions and coaching them to consider the next step God might have for them.
Mobilization truly did seem like a great fit for my gifts and the varied experiences I brought to the conversation, but I honestly hadn’t thought that working Stateside was for me. I was convinced that God had prepared me for cross-cultural ministry overseas, so why would he bring me back to the States?
But, I knew God wanted me to rely on him to put things in place for my future. So I asked him if he wanted me to be open to serving in North America, and I had to lay down before him my prejudice toward valuing overseas ministry more than US-based ministry.
The Lord’s confirmation
As I was going through this process with the Lord, my home service coach mentioned my growing interest in mobilization to SEND’s director of mobilization. His response revealed that God had been working behind the scenes and was now ready to reveal this seemingly dramatic ministry shift.
He exclaimed, "We’ve been praying for an Asian mobilizer for the past three years!”
My journey as an American-born Chinese woman called to full-time ministry in Spain brought to my attention many cultural differences and challenges that have often impeded others, especially Asians and other “people of color,” from effectively following Jesus in active Great Commission service. Now, by sharing the experiences and lessons that God carried me through, I can purposely invest my unique story to encourage such believers to participate in cross-cultural ministry.
Instead of God calling me, just one person with an Asian face, to go engage the unreached, I see that through this mobilization ministry, God can multiply my influence many times over as he raises up many workers with faces and strategically unique opportunities like mine to go into his harvest field.
After months of searching, learning, praying, training and waiting on the Lord, I rejoice that the he has revealed this tailor-made new opportunity for me to serve his expanding global Kingdom.
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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