Fostering Resilience in Others
This post is an excerpt from SEND Canada's 2022 Annual Report.
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Jon and Elaine Winter, from Ontario are living in Thailand, where they serve as the Directors of Member Care for SEND Asia. They describe their work as an opportunity “to walk alongside their peers to help them move towards healing and purpose in their ministries.”
It’s no secret that living and serving overseas can bring some unique difficulties. To overcome these challenges, global workers must develop resilience, relying on the unchanging character of God. Don’t we all need regular reminders of this, especially in difficult seasons of life?
That’s where Jon and Elaine’s roles come in. Jon works at The Well where he provides counselling to global workers in Asia. The Well provides debriefing sessions for individuals, families, and groups experiencing transitions and trials. Elaine works at The Well too. Her role includes triaging requests for care - a task that has been particularly important recently because of a surge of clients needing support.
Jon and Elaine have found that as they provide care, conversations, and counselling to global workers in Asia, they must rely on the Lord for the endurance they need to help workers who are hurting.
The Winters have also faced personal circumstances that tested their resilience. In the last year, Jon was in a bicycle accident that required a long recovery. The Winters also experienced the loss that comes with life’s changes when they moved to Thailand after serving in Japan for many years. Jon and Elaine have also experienced challenges resulting from the spiritual darkness present in Thailand. They must depend daily on the Spirit for the joy and strength required to be a light in this darkness.
God has enabled them to persevere with joy and purpose through their experiences. And, God has used their experiences to bless and strengthen fellow global workers. Praise God for the way He has faithfully carried Jon and Elaine through challenges and has positioned them to help others.
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?



