Providing Food and Sharing the Message
This post is an excerpt from SEND Canada's 2021 Annual Report.
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For almost four years, Doug and Lynn Harder have been making trips to the Shan Mountain Village (along the Thailand-Myanmar border) to serve over 1,000 men and women recovering from drug addictions. The COVID pandemic, along with the military junta of February 2021, created the perfect storm. These events have spiraled the people into abject poverty and hunger.
Thanks to supporters like you, the Harders have been able to send nutritious food supplements to the drug-recovery camps, as well as to an Internally Displaced Persons camp nearby. Due to the trusting relationships built with the village headmen, Doug and Lynn alone are permitted to bring food and medicine into the mountain village!
Doug reported in February 2022 that they continue to work to provide the “super-food” for the people in both the Shan Mountain Village and the rehab camps. Each person receives just 50 grams a day! They boil the food and get their basic minerals and vitamins.
However, not only did the Harders want to give daily physical bread to the people, they also wanted to provide spiritual bread. The Harders and their team began to wonder how they could get Bible stories into the hands of the people.
A friend introduced Doug to solar MP3 players which only need the sun’s rays to operate. The Harders and their team began to load those players with the sweeping narratives of the Scriptures - from Creation to Christ, as well as songs and stories of Shan believers who have been transformed by Jesus. And all of this is in the Shan language!
The only Shan pastor in the mountain village area shared with Doug that the solar players were accepted with enthusiasm, and the people are listening. The stories, music and the Shan Christian testimonies are well received!
While it is essential to provide food for the Shan Mountain Village and the rehab camps, the Harders are praying that people will come to know and love Jesus Christ. Because of the faithful support of Senders, Doug and Lynn are able to share the message of Jesus with the Shan people.
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?



