A role for everyone
SEND's workers around the world see our new vision statement —
a global movement of Jesus followers making disciples among the unreached
— taking root in each place they serve.
Today we focus on “ Jesus followers.
” The Great Commission offers a church-building, disciple-making role to all who believe — the missionaries who go, but also those who stay and support by praying and giving. Today we share the encouraging ripple effect of one financial gift — an educational scholarship for a teen-age girl in Thailand.
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By a SEND worker in Thailand —
Ning lives in a poor village on the northern border of Thailand. Her family largely survives by selling coconut ice cream in the market.
Several years ago, SEND workers befriended Ning's family. The Filipino couple with SEND would offer medicine and wellness education to improve the health of the Shan villagers. Ning began visiting the SEND-run community center where she studied English and learned to play the drums. She was fascinated by stories from the Bible. Before long, Ning chose to make Jesus her Lord.
Ning's parents seemed supportive enough at the start. But before long, the pressures of the village community, locked in folk Buddhism for centuries, came crashing down. Ning was forbidden to have any more contact with the SEND workers.
At first, Ning rebelled. On Sundays she would make some excuse to run an errand, but then race off to the center to play drums in the Shan worship service. Once the SEND workers realized what was happening, they encouraged Ning to obey and respect her parents, and wait to see what God might do.
All the other Shan believers prayed like crazy for Ning. She was dearly missed. Before long, Ning noticed a softening in her parents’ hearts. Little by little, she was allowed to have contact with the SEND workers and the small community of faith. Soon she was playing the drums again with all her might to the glory of God.
But Ning faced another threat. Shan girls of her age usually are sent off to earn money for their families, often by working at massage parlors and urban brothels.
To help Ning and 14 other girls avoid this fate, SEND offered educational scholarships. Not only did Ning’s parents allow her to study, they let her live at our center, where she can be tutored by a Shan dorm-mom who is discipling these precious girls.
Just a few weeks ago, we hosted a blessing for the dorm. We prayed many of the girls’ parents would come. Guess who provided the coconut ice cream? Ning's mom!
We pray for a great movement of God to transform the lives of the people in this village. The transformation has already begun in Ning and her family.
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More disciple-making stories
Continue in Christ:
Alim’s story exemplifies how SEND workers are making disciples all over the world.
From the nations to the nations:
Multinational teams that effectively use each member's unique strengths help fuel our disciple-making efforts.
Better together:
No one organization can (or should) do it all, so SEND collaborates with like-minded organizations to tackle the enormous task of reaching the unreached.
Couched in love:
A Central Asian believer takes what he's learned from SEND workers and uses it to reach a troubled man in his community.
Growing in a new land:
Hours spent studying the Word with one of our workers have prepared a student — the only Christ-follower on his campus — to serve as a powerful witness.
Mentoring Aigerim:
Sometimes, ministering among the unreached means sharing a kitchen and letting discipleship naturally develop.
More stories from Ning's community
(Ning's name has been changed for her privacy.)
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?



