Stories Over Tea
We sat in a mud-walled room, though I would not have known it from the inside. Smoothly plastered and painted walls held paintings, interrupted only by windows across the front of the room. Beautifully woven carpets spread out from underneath thin, cotton-stuffed mattresses where we sat crossed legged. Though it was at least 105 degrees outside, we started as we always do- with several cups of steaming hot tea, served with candies and locally baked sugar cookies. We talked briefly about our families, and then jumped right in to stories.
I asked my friend how his storytelling had gone since we had met the previous week. He told me he had shared the story we had discussed together with some close family members. Because it was culturally appropriate to offer tea to customers in his part of the world, my friend had also shared the story with some visitors who had stopped by his shop. Their acceptance of my friend’s polite gesture provided a unique opportunity for him to naturally pass on a story in the course of conversation during their visit. I was amazed at my friend’s boldness; but I advised him to be careful. He told me, “I am only telling a story; there is no harm in that.”
Discovering the Power of a Story
What a simple, yet brilliant, way to share the Scriptures!
As we read the Gospel accounts, we see Jesus telling story after story. He told proverbs and stories from the Old Testament, and he told new stories that challenged and excited the people around him. As followers of Jesus, we have the joy and honor of passing along these same stories to people who have never had the opportunity to hear the Good News.
I wasn’t always this excited about telling stories.
When I first came to the mission field, I felt I had to pass along all my seminary training in order to be effective. I would pull my books out and try to explain big theological terms in simple language that could be understood; and frankly, it did not work. I ran into deep frustration, both on my part and on the part of the people I was trying to teach! It was later, during a home service in the U.S., that I was first introduced to the idea of sharing the Gospel the way Jesus did 2000 years ago- through stories.
Upon returning to the field, I tried putting what I had learned into practice. I was amazed at the immediate difference I saw in impact
, compared to my previous methods of teaching systematic theology to a class of one! I found stories to be much easier to remember and pass along to others.
In a country with low literacy rates, high security, and an occasional frisking of the local population by police or soldiers- storytelling was proving to be a great way to pass along the Gospel, without worrying about someone getting caught with a Bible.
A Lasting Legacy
Our routine, each time my friend and I met, was to drink tea and then talk about how his storytelling went since the previous meeting.
Then, we would pray for the people with whom he had shared. Next, we would start learning a new story. I would tell it, and he would repeat it back to me. He was always much better and quicker than me at learning new stories! As he began sharing these Bible stories, his wife and children were led to the Lord.
After much prayer, he also began sharing them with his brother and another close friend. His friend liked the stories, but was scared to accept their teachings. However, his brother was soon compelled to follow Jesus and also began sharing the stories with others. Soon, both brothers were leading their own story groups each week.
Because he had been sharing so openly, my friend's younger brother was eventually forced leave the country. However, my friend remains there to this day- faithfully sharing Bible stories with family, friends, and customers. When civil unrest required our family to leave that part of the country, it was God’s Word- forever imprinted in the form of these stories in our friends’ memories, that carried them through some very dark days, months, and even years ahead.
My experience in all those first meetings over tea with my friend has taught me that God’s Word, shared through stories, has the power to infiltrate and endure in even the toughest and most closed places- leaving a legacy that will endure long after we are gone.
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!
