Diving Deep for the Gospel

Suzanne Pearson • Jun 01, 2023

Author’s Note: Here on the blog for the past few months, we’ve been featuring stories that exemplify each of TEAM’s Defining Values . As we came to the value of “Passionate Service,” I knew I wanted to share a story about a TEAM missionary with a passion for cross-cultural service. Here’s what God showed me in the meantime.

A New Adventure

I held my breath and kicked hard for the surface. Snorkeling in the teal blue waters off the coast of the Philippines was a new adventure for me. For the first few minutes, I had stayed close to the surface, concentrating on the fact that I could breathe fresh air through the snorkel while still enjoying the beautiful coral and tropical fish below me.

But a beautiful, abandoned spider conch shell on the sea floor had caught my eye and I was determined to swim down and retrieve it. Experienced snorkelers and divers may chuckle, but even though this treasure was only about 15 feet down, I was completely intimidated by the dive. My Let’s-Not-Drown fear was saying, “DON’T! It’s TOO FAR! You’ll run out of breath!” But that other fear, some call it FOMO, was louder, yelling, “You’ll be so mad at yourself if you don’t try.”

So I took a few ragged, angst-filled breaths and then went for it, forcing the air from my lungs as I plunged so that I could sink to the bottom. Getting down did not prove to be a problem. In a few swift strokes, I had the shell in hand and now aimed myself back toward the fractured sunlight gleaming from above me. It looked SO FAR AWAY. The panic started to set in, admonishing me. “Yep. You’re in too deep. You should have stayed at the surface where it’s safe.”

Fortunately, my legs were stronger and my lungs more sufficient than I gave them credit for, and with a generous amount of gratitude (and also gasping), I emerged victorious in my quest! It wasn’t until later as I reflected on this adventure that I began to realize that in a way, my shell-retrieval escapade was a metaphor for the experience that brought me to the Philippines in the first place.

Safe Near the Surface

As the Communications Manager at TEAM, my job is to share stories of what God is doing in His global Church. For the most part, I do this by sitting across a Zoom screen from my brothers and sisters in the field, listening as they recount the highs and lows of their ministry. I learn the names of those whose lives are being impacted by the Gospel. I get a window into the missions world as workers share, through laughter or through tears, the challenges they face and the creative ways they adapt to life in a culture very different from the culture of their upbringing.

Basically, I’m snorkeling. I can see what’s going on, and it’s beautiful. It’s new and it’s interesting, but it doesn’t demand much of me. I praise God with our workers as they tell me how the Lord miraculously provided an antibiotic for a sick child in a distant village, but then I can leave that call and pick up my own child’s prescription (that I requested via Teledoc) from a WalMart located 30 seconds from my house.

I’m staying near the surface…snorkeling.

In our spiritual walk and ministry calling, are we willing to dive deep and see what God has for us there?

Going Deeper

Then a few weeks ago, I went to the Philippines. I was invited to attend a gathering of national Filipino believers who are serving as missionaries in the greater Indo-Malay region, bringing the Gospel to unreached and previously unengaged people groups in Muslim communities. As I sat in on their time together, hearing their stories and watching them learn and grow together, I was struck with the depth of their commitment and the passion with which they serve.

The workers’ joy was absolutely contagious despite the dangers they face. Many have endured unspeakable persecution. All have made tremendous personal sacrifices. Their lives are so different from mine, and much of that is by choice. They are smart, well-spoken, and educated. They have other opportunities in vocation and location, but they choose the harvest in hard places. They choose to go and fulfill the Great Commission with the unfettered faith that one day, we will see the realization of Revelation 7:9 , when people from “every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages” will stand “before the throne and before the Lamb.”

They aren’t snorkeling. They’re scuba diving. They’re in deep, and unlike me, they aren’t kicking like mad for the surface. And guess what else? They’re not the only ones.

The Bigger Picture

As I thought about this self-sacrificial, passionate service for Jesus , I realized the same is true of all cross-cultural workers. I thought about my friends Michael and Susan in Indonesia. Matt and Sara in the Czech Republic. Cindy in Nepal. Scott and Sue in Chad. David in Guatemala. Samantha wherever she can find Ukrainian refugees who need her. And countless others (some in places that can’t even be named here).

Quite simply, every global worker I’ve been blessed to talk with and work with is an example of passionate service. They’ve taken a deep dive. They could have chosen any number of paths, but they chose to hear and heed the Lord’s call on their lives. They’re scuba diving.

And that makes me want to dive deeper, too. In what areas of my spiritual walk and ministry is God calling me to take the plunge? What about you?

Loving Like Jesus Cross-Culturally (Part 1)

By Megan Lunsford • 23 Apr, 2024
When seeking to serve cross-culturally with an authentic love for others, there’s no better example for us than Jesus. If we sat around a table and threw out the question, “How do we love like Jesus?” I think we would have several commonalities as we respond. For example, Jesus loved all people right where they were. He loved those who were deemed the least, those hardest to love, or those who were His enemies. These are all beautiful realities of the heart of Jesus. When we step into relationships, it can be easier to take on the warmer, more gracious gestures of Jesus’ love, especially in cross-cultural relationships. Think about it––when doing life with those who look and act differently than us, we are already out of our comfort zones and would rather keep things as simple and familiar as possible. But there are other facets of Jesus’ heart we often overlook that can transform us and others even more into His likeness. Jesus is love because God is love. Everything Jesus did was out of love; it’s the mere definition of who He is. As followers of Jesus, He calls us to the same: “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.” (1 John:7-12) Every display of love we offer to others is an opportunity for them to encounter the ultimate love of the Father. That’s a pretty big deal! In this article, we’ll look at three expressions of Jesus’ love that we tend to overlook when engaging others cross-culturally. (Next month, we’ll look at three more.) 1. Jesus loved sacrificially. Everywhere Jesus went, crowds followed Him. We even see times in Scripture where Jesus had plans to step away for time alone but those who were hurting found Him and He had compassion on them and stayed with them. Can you imagine rarely having any time to yourself but, instead, constantly being surrounded by crowds of people wanting help from you? Jesus loved sacrificially. He welcomed all who came to Him with love and compassion, never turning anyone away. “When He saw the crowds, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” (Matthew 9:36) In the same way, we can make room in our lives for Jesus to bring sacrificial interruptions which, in His eyes, are orchestrated encounters to transfer His love to others. It can be tempting to be so “on mission” that we are full steam ahead and find ourselves frustrated when the Holy Spirit sends an interruption into our path that we feel we don’t have time for. Or, perhaps, we have scheduled a meet-up but it’s the norm in another culture to be 30 minutes or an hour late. We anxiously think through how it will affect whatever we have planned next. While it’s normal to feel a little stressed, what if the very "interruption” standing in front of you was really a divine appointment sent by God? Or what if that person running late experiences how peaceful and gracious you are in adapting to their culture and therefore, they can encounter a beautiful display of Jesus’ love? To truly represent Christ, we should remain ready and willing for each assignment the Lord sends into our path, no matter the cost or how much we will have to re-route our day. He is always a hundred steps ahead and will work all things for His glory and our good. 2. Jesus loved by discerning each situation well. Think about how many situations Jesus had to respond to on a daily basis. We read in Scripture that there were lines of people waiting to be healed by Him, talk to Him, hear His teachings, or simply touch the hem of His robe. Jesus was fully dependent on His Father to discern each situation before addressing it. “Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.” (John 5:19) Another temptation we can have when in a relationship with those God has sent us to is to think we already know the solution or what God wants to do before we’ve even asked Him. We believe we are full of knowledge, so we just pull from the bank we have stored within and go with it. However, when we access what is familiar to us as our default, we risk missing out on a God-given solution that might truly be the key to unlocking whatever challenge is in front of us. What does this look like when interacting with others? We can simply ask, “God, what is on Your heart for the person standing in front of me?” Then we listen and respond as He speaks. When we make it a daily habit to pause and hear God’s heart for each situation before responding, we are guaranteed to be effective in loving those around us. He knows the heart of every person that will cross our paths. Imagine how impactful we can be if we first lean on His wisdom and discernment before moving forward. 3. Jesus loved by speaking truth. Most of us are familiar with the story of Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well. If we are honest, this conversation makes us a bit nervous as none of us would be comfortable with Jesus calling out intimate details of our lives that we would prefer to hide. But Jesus went further than just airing her dirty laundry. He offered her the hope of the Gospel and a relationship with Him - a divine fulfillment that could never be found in an earthly relationship. Jesus modeled a powerful example of loving others well cross-culturally. He took the low place and spoke truth, truly out of love––speaking to her heart from His. Like Jesus, our goal in sharing the truths about Him and His Word is to bring hope and satisfaction through Him alone. When we speak truth from Scripture, we are calling others higher into all God has for them. The tricky part here is we should avoid speaking truth if it isn’t first fueled by compassion. If it merely comes from a place of judgment, condemnation, or self-righteousness, it will fall flat 100% of the time. But if it truly comes from love, you are likely to not only win a heart back to the Father but, like the story of the Samaritan woman, even an entire village! If you see someone living outside of God’s best for their lives, ask God to show you your heart before engaging theirs. Once your heart is properly postured, you can speak truth out of an overflow of God’s love and trust Him for a transformation in their lives.

Hospitality, Help, and the Hope of the Gospel

By Suzanne Pearson • 16 Apr, 2024
TEAM Canada provides warm welcome and trusted friendships for diaspora populations living far from their native countries. As TEAM Canada workers Peter and Ruth (names changed) drive from their home to a nearby community center, they pass numerous apartment buildings and townhouses. Most of the families who live there are immigrants. They’ve left their countries of origin due to political unrest, trauma, and other difficulties. They’ve left family, friends, homes, jobs, and personal wealth behind. They search for peace, justice for the oppressed, and rest from fear and weariness. And as they adjust to a new country and a new language, they are often very isolated from others around them. “The sad reality is most immigrants are never even invited inside a Canadian home,” says Ruth. Peter and Ruth and their team try to change that reality. For the last nine years, the team, which includes workers from partner organizations as well as volunteers, has held English classes at the community center. Three days a week, over 60 students from more than 20 countries come together to learn English as well as to fellowship together and receive practical help in assimilating to a new normal. Meeting Needs and Building Trust That practical help may come in the form of procuring furniture, clothes, or dishes for newcomers, assistance with creating a resume and finding a job, or teaching people how to navigate Canadian laws and the medical system. As these tangible needs are met, relationships are built. “We invite them into our homes for meals and games,” Ruth shares. “We take them on hiking trips, picnics, outings, and out for coffee.” This is particularly important in this type of ministry because most immigrants come to Canada from cultures that value hospitality. Conversely, Canadians do not typically prioritize hospitality and consequently many newcomers feel lonely and isolated. Inviting folks to various gatherings and outings allows the team to spend extended time hearing people’s stories, struggles, hopes, and dreams. When she speaks about building friendships, Ruth’s heart for the people she serves is evident. “Hearing their stories, it’s easy to love them, and many have become close friends,” Ruth says. “We recognize the value of steady one-on-one relationships.”
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