Singing a New Song
Ethnomusicology within the context of missions! How does this help bring God’s love to people? Jonathan has worked in Bangladesh for more than six years, encouraging people to worship God deeply and meaningfully using their own cultural expressions.
People of peace
There is an Afghan man I’ve known now for about 11 years, and who I consider to be my best friend. He loves to share his faith but has suffered a lot of rejection from his relatives because of his allegiance to Jesus. He has a real gift for explaining the scriptures and all the believers greatly appreciate him. He is a person of peace.
Do unto others
What can one say to someone in a who is in a situation like this, violated, pregnant and refugee?
Nurture and hospitality
"How on earth could we come alongside people with stories like these, and stand with them in appropriate ways? Even though we knew something about being foreigners and strangers, we were beginners in working with displaced people."
The Lost Song
Tears came to my eyes as I realised that my ‘lost song’ had been restored, and this had happened in the most unlikely of situations.
On the far side of the sea
Heading to the Middle East with four kids under seven, including a baby on my hip and a toddler at my knee, there was not a lot of fighting I could do. I did, however, need to do a lot of trusting.
God give you strength
At the end of virtually every interview with a refugee who was asking for assistance we couldn’t provide, they would stand and say “Thank you” or “Peace be with you”. And as they left, with frustration fading from their eyes, they would simply say, “God give you strength”.
Seeing the invisible
First impressions can be deceiving. As I started to get to know the women here, I began to understand that they are only “invisible” if we do not take the time to see them.
Home at last
"There are many beautiful stories of change in this place, where lives are being impacted and empowered to be a blessing to others. Those who have had so little physically have hearts overflowing with gratitude and giving."
When Mum and Dad migrate without you
In Thailand, one in five children don't live with their parents due to internal migration. Parents work long hours and live in basic conditions while their children remain in the care of relatives or orphanages. In partnership, Interserve Partners are proactively working to keep families together through wholistic support.
An ongoing creation
I yearn for a fruitful life, where I know my purpose and can see God working through me in tangible ways. The problem is that my life doesn’t exactly look like that at the moment. Right now I don’t ‘do’ very much at all.
Four denominations, one church
I have been privileged to serve the national church in the Middle East and to see God at work. Under the local leadership of the Anglican, Methodist, Orthodox and Presbyterian churches, I helped pastors and directors run NGOs. Serving God is considered a real honour and privilege and they do it with zeal.
God has a mission for people with a disability
“Disability removes an unhealthy power dynamic in the field.”
Second chances
For the first time Sarah didn’t feel despised or discriminated against. Gradually she started to smile more, chat with other parents and, most importantly, enjoy her relationship with her son.
Why not?
Sometimes I feel we concentrate so much on how we feel His call and asking Him, “why us?”, but maybe a different way of thinking is, “why not?” Why not go and serve alongside those who have no option of living in a safe and materially blessed society as we do. We feel that Father has given us 30 years of abundant blessings, so why not now use these blessings to bless others.
Don’t cry, God is kind
No longer am I in an isolated, almost forgotten, rural location: I am in a city, bustling with over half a million people, full of the noises and busyness of urban life. I am also in a very different job to before; I am now a nurse in a government hospital. One of my most overwhelming doubts over the past months has been, can I cope? Can I do this job?
Excerpts of a journey
"You encouraged me. No one has ever encouraged me before."
Learning the language of discipleship
Perhaps with the exception of natural linguists or extreme extroverts, language learning for most people is slow, hard work.
A Christmas Prayer for Kings
A prayer reflection
Watching grass grow
"Herein lies the battle. We like quick results. I want instant deep relationships. I want the school project to be fully funded, location determined… I want my kids to speak the local language already! But is being here about what I want? We are learning that there is value in the waiting; in the slowing down."
