We heart this new, ongoing series–a virtual trip to the coffee shop with organizations to help you go there, serve Him, and love them even better. (For more thoughts about why you might join an agency–and a handful of reasons you might not–make sure to check out He Said/She Said/You Say? “Should I go overseas with an organization?”, both the pros and the cons.)
Today, we’re grabbing a chai with Engineering Ministries International (EMI). You’ve seen them in posts like these:
We’re excited to welcome back Sheri of Engineering Ministries International for her final post of her invaluable three-part series on “cultural icebergs”–this time, evaluating collectivist vs. individualist societies.
EMI mobilizes architects, engineers, construction managers, and other design professionals–including those through an incredible internship program–to provide design services for those helping the poor. We’re talking water projects, hospitals, schools, orphanages, you name it. Meanwhile, they raise up disciples and trained professionals in-country.
We heart this new, ongoing series–a virtual trip to the coffee shop with organizations to help you go there, serve Him, and love them even better. (For more thoughts about why you might join an agency–and a handful of reasons you might not–make sure to check out He Said/She Said/You Say? “Should I go overseas with an organization?”, both the pros and the cons.)
Today, we’re grabbing an almondmilk mochaccino with OMF (Overseas Mission Fellowship) International.
We’re excited to welcome back Sheri of Engineering Ministries International. EMI mobilizes architects, engineers, construction managers, and other design professionals–including those through an incredible internship program–to provide design services for those helping the poor. We’re talking water projects, hospitals, schools, orphanages, you name it. Meanwhile, they raise up disciples and trained professionals in-country.
Sheri applies these cross-cultural points poignantly to the elements of designing cross-culturally–but we believe you’ll find inescapable parallels to any cross-cultural work. Hopefully it will help jumpstart real solutions for cross-cultural sensitivities, and help any culture manifest Jesus Christ according to its own cultural icebergs.
This week brought the alarming news of even more persecution of our Chinese brothers and sisters; The Guardian reports that alongside jailing pastors and closing churches, the Chinese government is releasing a new version of Scripture to establish a “correct understanding” of the text.
Whaaaat?
Photo credit: https://www.imb.org/image/indian-orphanage/
So we might already be tipping our hand a little here: We kind of like debunking myths about global work overseas, and maybe getting people to freak out of their box about what it looks like to go there, serve Him, love them.
Maybe you think your degree is sort of wasted when you choose global work–aside from the other intangibles that happen when you go to college, or the work experience you’ve been able to gain because of it.
But in case you’re flirting with that idea–or even wholly convinced you got the wrong degree for what you actually ended up wanting to do with your life (only 27% of grads have jobs related to their major)–we might challenge that a bit.
Because as my (Janel’s) mom is fond of saying, There are no wasted experiences in God’s economy. We’re guessing God actually knew, and had a considerable hand, in you getting that degree.
But wait! There’s more!
You might actually be surprised at ways global workers are using their degrees around the world in missions.
So today, we’re homing in on a business degree. How can you use that?
Turns out the possibilities are pretty close to endless.
“Business professionals are greatly needed. Sixty-five percent of the world’s population lives in places that are closed to missionaries. But they are open for business. Business people can gain access to these countries and bring disciple-making to the workplace.”
After our post on John Chau, we wanted to continue to update you as missions to unreached people groups captures headlines around the world. The New York Times offers more information on John Chau, recently killed in his attempt to evangelize India’s Sentinelese–and we also found this interview with Mary Ho, director of Chau’s sending organization, to be very helpful with some of the facts. Christianity Today also interviews two missiologists on whether Chau’s death will help or hurt missions in India.
Diwali, the Hindu festival of light, is November 6-10 (interested in praying during this festival? Click here for a free guide!). Indian neuroscientist Sai Anand communicates about God’s ingenius design of the human body, using it to share the Gospel. He’s written a fascinating article about his time as a Hindu, and how to share Jesus with the Hindustan population.
It’s that time again, y’all–where we corral good stuff from around the world that matters for your journey over there. But we’re not just spewing it out there: We want your dialogue. Check ’em out–and give us some thoughts.
If you’re headed to Africa, here’s a must-read. After my own [Janel’s] time in Africa, I was amazed at how the prosperity gospel was often furthering poverty and hindering the genuine growth of the Church. As Lindsay Steele reports, “As people have become desperate to rise out of poverty, many have looked to churches and seen their ticket to prosperity….This shift in focus is not only affecting believers and the Church, but it’s tainting opportunities for ministry to others, specifically to Muslims.” Read more here.
Color me surprised: Until this year, I had no idea Japan was the second-largest (only to Bangladesh) unreached people group in the world. It’s the largest unreached nation open to missionaries.
Our God is indescribably capable of surmounting any obstacles. But what could be the presenting barriers?