Facing the Reality
Facing the Reality of Misplaced HopeLet’s admit there is a fight going on that we do not know how to win with worldly wisdom. Suicide claims the lives of almost 800,000 people worldwide every year and is in the top 10 leading causes of death consistently, and yet we do not know how to face or handle it. Suicide is a challenging topic, but we can all relate to it. Everyone has a friend of a friend, a classmate, a family member, that has struggled with thoughts of suicide or acted on those thoughts. These relations give more reason and urgency to talking openly about suicide and its victims. For many of our SEND members, this conversation affects them in their daily lives as they build relationships and disciples to find and live for Christ.
Alaska is one of the top three states with the highest suicide rates per capita. According to a study done by the CDC, at least 23 Alaskans out of every 10,000 die by suicide. In the past three years, teen and adolescent suicide has increased by 18%. However, suicide does not only take the lives of adolescents; in Canada, the highest suicide rates occur in the 40-59 age range.
While there are plenty of staggering statistics, the natural question is to wonder, “why?” Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES) are particular experiences identified by mental health professionals that can cause developmental challenges for children who experience them. Some examples of ACES are abuse, incarcerated family members; loss of a loved one at a young age; or alcohol or substance abuse in the home. Studies show that the more ACES a child is exposed to before the age of 18, the more likely they are to attempt suicide at least once in their lives.
These external factors, coupled with the lack of mental health resources in the rural communities, breed confusion, depression, a loss of direction, and negative self-opinion. They also enhance the lack of deep connection and feelings of not being known. Adolescents are especially searching for someone to look up to, especially when there is too much pain at home. Unfortunately for many, sometimes the only inspiration adolescents can find when they are struggling with suicidal thoughts are those that have committed suicide already, which is why many villages see a chain reaction of suicides. In many of these places, the physical conditions, as well as the generational ideology of being “strong” and tangibly competent, have led to adolescents being unable to look to the past to decide what to do with their future.
The idea of cultural loss lingers in the air of every community in the Far North. The local culture has a rich heritage of being steadfast survivors who protect and provide for one another. While there are many empowering lessons to be learned from this culture, the modern age of connectivity and technology has clashed with many of these traditions, pulling the newer generations in different directions of tradition and modernity. This divide is where dismissal and misunderstandings happen generationally, leaving many adolescents searching for answers about their identity.
Lacking identity, as well as causal factors such as ACES and depression, are not unique to the remote areas of the Far North but are experienced in concentration here. While victims of suicide are often linked by what is labeled as hopelessness, one SEND member suggested it is more a case of misplaced
hope. Many individuals, age, and gender aside, place their hope in any number of worldly institutions. When the elements in their lives fail them, they do not have an active relationship with God upon which to rely.
One SEND member reflected on previous conversations with individuals struggling with thoughts of suicide or dealing with the loss of a loved one by suicide and said, “There isn’t anything I can give to someone who is struggling with suicide than Jesus.” This member shared how, amid tragedy, they remain faithful in sharing Jesus because such deep loss can open incredible doors to people willing to hear the Gospel. Even in an unexpected death, God is capable of bringing life.
Depression and suppressed emotion are not easily defined or addressed. The anchor of Christ is something tangible for those in the weighty fog of suicidal distress to hold. In the Far North, our members are bringing the truth of God the Foundation, allowing Him to work through them in communities across to 60/40 Window.
Please pray for our members and the members of these Far North communities:
Further, we encourage impacted readers to consider a life lived with people in our rural communities, to support the individuals and churches already established financially. We encourage you to look around your cities to see the needs in new ways, to feel the aching of misplaced hope, and to answer God’s beckoning to engage with His people. “Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God” (Psalm 43: 5).
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?
Learn about the spiritual harmony in Vietnam & how missionaries engage with college students. Join us in sharing the gospel!
Explore Georgia's spiritual heritage and the impact of SEND International's mission. Join us in fostering authentic relationships today!
