Freedom From Shame
“Hello, can you come right away?” Our new friend blurted out the words without the usual greetings, and we knew instantly there was a problem. “I need you to translate for the funeral home, they are calling at 3:00 p.m.” Our heads were spinning. What had happened?
We gently asked what was going on and where they were. He said, “We are at the hospital. My wife is suddenly very sick and has just lost our baby at 23 weeks, and we don’t know what to do. Can you come help us? I need to find a place to bury the baby.”
Of course, we quickly answered, “Where are you? Which hospital? We will be there as soon as we can.” We received this gut-wrenching call and have been trying to support this refugee family, who had only arrived in the US six months ago. The young 23-year-old mother was very sick and fighting for her life with multiple medical issues.
Their hearts were broken, and yet they hardly had time to grieve because the mother was so sick herself. They have a three-year-old son, who was with them in the hospital because he had nowhere else to go. They have no family and no relatives to help out, as would have been the case back in their home country. We joined them at the hospital and brought some toys and books for the little one to be distracted amid a difficult setting.
My wife leaned over the bed and hugged the young mom to give comfort and support. We asked to pray for them, and they agreed with red, swollen eyes and heavy hearts. We cried with them and prayed for God’s peace and mercy to comfort and sustain them in this time of shock and uncertainty. We prayed for God’s healing hand upon the young mother, that she might recover and be restored to health.
By the third day, she was out of the ICU but still on strong medications to manage her blood pressure. Her body was only partially responding, and we called out to God for a miracle. We shared the need through our local church’s prayer chain. Thankfully, God heard our prayers and the prayers of many others. By the end of the week, the wife had recovered enough for the family to return home.
We gently asked what was going on and where they were. He said, “We are at the hospital. My wife is suddenly very sick and has just lost our baby at 23 weeks, and we don’t know what to do. Can you come help us? I need to find a place to bury the baby.”
Of course, we quickly answered, “Where are you? Which hospital? We will be there as soon as we can.” We received this gut-wrenching call and have been trying to support this refugee family, who had only arrived in the US six months ago. The young 23-year-old mother was very sick and fighting for her life with multiple medical issues.
Their hearts were broken, and yet they hardly had time to grieve because the mother was so sick herself. They have a three-year-old son, who was with them in the hospital because he had nowhere else to go. They have no family and no relatives to help out, as would have been the case back in their home country. We joined them at the hospital and brought some toys and books for the little one to be distracted amid a difficult setting.
My wife leaned over the bed and hugged the young mom to give comfort and support. We asked to pray for them, and they agreed with red, swollen eyes and heavy hearts. We cried with them and prayed for God’s peace and mercy to comfort and sustain them in this time of shock and uncertainty. We prayed for God’s healing hand upon the young mother, that she might recover and be restored to health.
By the third day, she was out of the ICU but still on strong medications to manage her blood pressure. Her body was only partially responding, and we called out to God for a miracle. We shared the need through our local church’s prayer chain. Thankfully, God heard our prayers and the prayers of many others. By the end of the week, the wife had recovered enough for the family to return home.
Jesus can Break the Chains of Shame
The husband said, “We called you because we had no one else, and we knew you would come. Thank you for coming. We are so sorry to bother you.”
I said, “We are so glad you called. In fact, we wished you had called earlier.”
He said, “It is a shame that we lost the baby and we can’t tell anyone else from our community.”
We shared that there are things in this world that are difficult to understand, but there is no shame in losing a baby. The weight of shame for Muslims is all-encompassing, overwhelming, and so painful. It causes them to avoid seeking help at all costs. Join us in praying for this hurting family and for Muslims around the world to experience true freedom in Christ and be released from their burden of sin and shame.
As Christians from the West, we rarely understand the depth that the grip of shame holds on these dear people. It is very real, causing them to be fearful and controlled by it. Shame is a tool of the devil to keep them in bondage. They truly need Christ to set them free.
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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