Not Forgotten
Do you look forward to Thanksgiving and family gatherings? Maybe you experience the holidays with a heavy heart and a broken spirit which feels more like harsh slavery. We get it! Life is hard. Even ministry in the beauty of Alaska / Northern Canada can bring an emotional struggle. That is why I want to share with you some encouragement that our Area Director, Jim Stamberg, shared with us this week. As you read on, may God confirm in your spirit that you are not alone and He has not forgotten you!
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“Today my reading took me to Exodus 6:1-13
. In this passage, God tells Moses that He hears the groaning of His people and has not forgotten His covenant with them. However, when Moses begins to tell the people of Israel God's plan, they did not listen "because of their broken spirit and harsh slavery."
This struck me. How often do we give up hope and simply ignore the promises and movements of God because our spirits are crushed by years of disappointment? I would encourage you to examine your heart. We all live and minister in one of the harshest physical and spiritual environments in the world. So often our spirits are broken not only because of the lack of spiritual fruit around us but because we are depressed or struggling emotionally. Yet God is working in our midst. He has not forgotten us or His promises to us.
This year we have seen people come to Christ, believers baptized, and mountains moved (aka overwhelming airplane hangar projects completed). These are only a few of the things that we can see. What about all the ways God is moving that we may have missed?
At Director’s Council this past week, I was impressed with the fact that SEND North is NOT as unique of a field within SEND International as we often want to think. The truth is that all of the "low-hanging fruit" of missions has been picked. The harvest remains white, but the harvest fields that are left in the world are very difficult places to minister. They are places where it takes a long time to build trust, where we are hesitant to label ourselves as "missionaries," and where there are very serious and overt spiritual battles that are taking place around us.
I find this reality comforting. As I looked around the table at Area Directors from East Asia, Spain, Japan, Taiwan, Russia, etc., I was encouraged by the global movement and spiritual family that we are a part of. We are not alone, and there are believers all over the world who are wrestling with the same joys and struggles of ministry that we face.
"I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world, you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” - John 16:33
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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Explore Georgia's spiritual heritage and the impact of SEND International's mission. Join us in fostering authentic relationships today!
