Be A Learner

We minister within our own respective countries but in different cultures. We can speak our own language, pay with our own currency, and have familiar foods but we can't assume that we know how to reach our host culture. Culture is like the water a fish swims in, nearly imperceptible to the fish. Stories abound of missionaries who went ill-prepared into a village assuming they knew how to 'do ministry' and none of those stories ended well! So, we strive to keep an attitude of a learner which is easier for some of our teammates.

We are blessed to have team mates from four different countries. They are in a new culture. While it gives them a larger learning curve, it allows them to see issues which we might otherwise miss. Needless to say, that makes them a valuable part of our team.

One of my favorite quotes is from our German teammate. “We like to teach the people, but at the same time, they teach us all the time.” Can you hear the spirit of humility and openness? How much easier is it to build relationships when people can feel that you see them as an equal? A practical example is the actions of another teammate. This single guy has built strong relationships with local elders by asking them to teach him about northern survival.

How about you? What can you learn from your unsaved neighbors? How can you build a bridge? The key is to truly, deeply care and not see them as a project. I think we all can benefit from being a learner.

Want to learn more about us? Check us out on social media…

Additional Posts

When God First Widened My World: Remembering Urbana 1996

By Michelle Atwell • December 23, 2025
When God First Widened My World: Remembering Urbana 1996 I still remember the winter air. It was December 1996, and I was a junior at Oakland University in Rochester Michigan, serving as a small group leader with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship—the ministry that had profoundly shaped my faith since my freshman year. I was growing spiritually, serving faithfully in my local church, and stepping into leadership on campus. Attending Urbana felt like the natural next step. Urbana only happened every three years, and I knew that once I graduated, I might miss the chance altogether. My church believed in that moment enough to cover the cost. They entrusted me—and my campus minister—with a van full of college students, driving from Detroit to Champaign-Urbana during the quiet days between Christmas and New Year’s. I had heard the stories: thousands of students, passionate worship, a clear call to live fully for Jesus. What I encountered exceeded every expectation. A Campus Taken Over by the Kingdom Buses poured in from every direction, unloading students onto a snow- covered campus. Dorm rooms filled. Cafeterias buzzed. The entire university seemed overtaken—not by noise or spectacle, but by a quiet, collective hunger for God. For the first time in my life, I met students from places far beyond Michigan— Harvard, Loyola, Wheaton. My world was expanding in real time. I don’t remember every speaker or session. What I do remember is the unmistakable clarity of the invitation. God was bigger than I had ever imagined. Not just personal. Not just local. He was King of the nations. And there were people—millions of them—who had never heard His name. The question was simple, but it felt weighty: Would I commit my life, in whatever way God asked, to the Great Commission? Explore God’s leading toward the nations with a SEND missions coach.

Opening Your Homes This Thanksgiving

By Diaspora North America • November 4, 2025
Opening Your Homes This Thanksgiving 

Come and See

By Diaspora North America • October 7, 2025
Creating Safe Spaces for Conversations 
Show More