SEND's core values: Urgency
By Amy Walters —
The Disaster Prevention Department had occupied the second floor of what was now a twisted heap of steel. Miki Endo, a woman in her twenties, had just started working there in the early spring of 2011. On March 11, a massive earthquake off Japan’s coast launched a giant tsunami toward her village. Miki got on the loudspeaker imploring people to get to high ground. She stayed at her post, calling out the tsunami warning ( listen to her here), and when the wave hit, she was washed away. She is credited as saving 7,000 lives while sacrificing her own.
Miki’s story comes to my mind often. It drives me. You see, Miki knew what urgency was. She knew that danger was coming and did everything she could to urge people to take action.
Miki’s story comes to my mind often. It drives me. You see, Miki knew what urgency was. She knew that danger was coming and did everything she could to urge people to take action.
As a Christian, I’m called to that same sense of urgency. Just look up the word “compel” in the Bible. You’ll find Jesus’ parable in Luke 14 of the Great Banquet where the servant is told to go out and compel people to come in. And you’ll find Paul saying in 2 Corinthians 5that Christ’s love compels us to persuade others with the gospel. Even Jude gets in the action urging his readers to contend for the faith and keep the gospel pure. He tells them, “Be merciful to those who doubt; save others by snatching them from the fire; to others, show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.”
But so often this urgency gets overshadowed by the daily grind. Life’s responsibilities occupy our thoughts and suddenly the most urgent part of our day is fighting traffic during the evening commute.
I fall victim to this small thinking all the time. And I find what helps me most in keeping that sense of urgency for the lost is to remember stories like Miki’s.
I remember what she sacrificed so that others might live. I remember that most likely, Miki had never even heard the gospel. And I remember that on that day she and thousands of others went into eternity never having met the Savior.
This compels me to do everything I can to tell others about the hope of the gospel.
Phil Armstrong, the first Director of SEND, often thought back to his time as a soldier in World War II. He had just picked up some Japanese prisoners of war and was transporting them. “I studied each face and in each my heart flared up with the words, ‘Christ died for you.’ I felt as though I couldn’t stand it. I prayed until I had to look away in tears. Christ hadn’t failed them. We had. Now I’ve got to do something about it. I don’t know what, but I am promising everything I have to our Lord to be used where He chooses.” That urgency compelled him to help start and lead a missions organization that has reached thousands with the gospel.
When I asked another SEND missionary, Phil Bray, about urgency, he told me this story. “Shurakovia was a Spetznaz major, which is to say he was the quintessential Russian troop. I shared the gospel with him during the week we were in Vladivostok, gave him a Bible, and asked him to please give it consideration. Within one week of my time of being with Shura he was killed in a parachuting accident. I don’t know if he trusted God in that week with the gospel that he had been exposed to. But he entered into eternity. And each day in Russia, there are men, women, children, who are entering into eternity without ever really having been exposed to the gospel. The time is now, and the call is urgent.”
SEND’s International Director, Warren Janzen, describes urgency this way. “Everyone is on a journey to Jesus—some for inheriting the kingdom and coming into His presence. Others are there for judgment, and the consequences for rebellion. The urgency is that, these people need to know! They need to hear that compelling invitation where they have to deal with the fact and make the choice. But until they have the opportunity to make that choice, I feel the burden’s on us to get that message out and give them a compelling witness.”
So what about you? How do you maintain a sense of urgency to share the gospel with those who have not yet accepted it?
“In light of the urgency of the hour and the lostness of people, we are committed to a life of obedience which calls us to endure hardness as soldiers of Jesus Christ in order to proclaim the gospel and see His church established.” –SEND’s Core Values
• Our total commitment to Jesus Christ fuels all that we do.
Read SEND’s statement of faith.
• Learn about SEND International's mission, focus, and values .
• Learn about SEND International's mission, focus, and values .
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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