Discovering a New Home
Written by Amy Magwood.
“God, I do not want to be a missionary in Spain; close this door.”
Kaitlyn
was a student in Cross Training at Rocky Mountain College studying Intercultural Studies. In this program, she was required to fulfill a six-month overseas internship. While discerning God’s direction in where to go, she asked her professors to pray for her. Shortly after, they called her into a meeting.
“We think God is calling you to be a long-term missionary in Spain,” they said in agreement.
Kaitlyn looked at
them
and laughed. “I will never go to Spain,” she replied, “not even on vacation.”
A Growing Interest in Africa
Kaitlyn didn’t have any specific objections
to
Spain, but certainly didn’t feel called there. She quickly forgot about the conversation and headed to Malawi, Africa, for her internship. After coming home, she continued her studies with a growing interest for ministry in Africa.
One of her assignments while in school was to analyze mission organizations and choose one that would be the best to serve with.
After some research, SEND became her top choice. However, since SEND did not have workers in Africa, she decided she would never serve with
SEND.
A Surprising Conversation
Fast forward to the winter following graduation, and Kaitlyn found herself at
Missions Fest Vancouver
. Pamphlets and flyers covered every table in the conference room, while mission representatives engaged in conversation with eager young adults seeking work on the mission field. As she looked around, she saw the booth for SEND and immediately walked over.
“You guys are awesome,” she said. “I love your
organization but
will never serve with you
because
I am heading to Africa. How can I pray for you?” The man at the booth turned, and swiftly replied,
“Have you ever thought about being a missionary in Spain?” Kaitlyn stopped. Her mind suddenly flashed back to that moment in her professor’s office, “
We think God is calling you to be a
long-term
missionary in Spain
.”
Dumbfounded, she walked away from the booth and went back to her room.
Doors Open One After Another
That night, Kaitlyn could hardly sleep; she could not get that interaction out of her mind. The next day she went back to the SEND booth. She filled out a general application and did not tell them where God was prompting her. Handing in the papers she prayed,
“God, I do not want to be a missionary in Spain; close this door
.”
The doors did not close.
At
each step, she repeated that same prayer, but the doors opened one after the other.
By the time she reached the end of the application process, SEND came back with two potential countries in which to serve: Poland and Spain.
“You can take Poland out,” she said with confidence, having surrendered to where God was sending her. “God has been very clear that I am going to Spain.”
Kaitlyn left on her vision trip shortly after, and
while in Spain
she heard the confirming voice of God tell her,
“You’re going to go back to Canada, and then you’re going to come home.”
Although Kaitlyn never pictured herself in Spain or even serving with SEND, God had other plans. Two and a half years later, Kaitlyn would describe Spain as “very much home”.
She is thriving
in ministry
, volunteering at the local church, and living with her sweet dog Nova. Although Kaitlyn began the journey towards Spain with her heart closed, God gently took her hand and brought her home.
Please pray
for
Kaitlyn and other SEND missionaries
in Spain who are in total home quarantine and are seeking to be
the
servants of Christ
to their neighbours during
the coronavirus outbreak.
Read more
here.
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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