Morning Comes Again
This article first appeared on A Life Overseas. Here’s how I wanted to start my book about our years in India: “We didn’t have to be perfect. But Joshua and I, we were going to be happy. Our house would…
Some Thoughts on Compassion Fatigue
I can’t share many photos from our time in India because of security concerns, but the photo above, like the boy it features, is anonymous. I call it “Boy Without a Name.” Everyone called this boy Chotu, which means “Shorty”…
Celebrating TCK Mamas
This article first appeared on A Life Overseas. “Your new baby is beautiful,” I said to my sister last week. “And I can’t believe you named her after me!” “Wait,” my sister said. “Your name’s not Abigail.” “Yeah. But my…
Are You Afraid of Success in Your Ministry?
I have a friend who lives in darkness. Her giant house has armored doors. There are snarly dogs in her courtyard and a muscular, protective husband in her home office. She never leaves home unless covered from head to toe,…
Seeking Buddha, Finding Jesus
There are so many amazing books about how God is moving among Muslims and Animists. And there are scores of useful gospel training seminars by former missionaries to these religious groups. But what about Hinduism and Buddhism? When I worked…
For the Doubting Missionary
Alex and Anna I’ll never forget meeting Alex* and Anna.* For me, it was like meeting Beyoncé or Michael Jordan. With admittedly fewer cameras and less bling. Alex and Anna had served in Asia for ten years. My husband and…
10 Things I Love About Being a Missionary
My Dream Life I used to want to raise a tribe of kids on a big farm. (I know nothing about farming, but hear me out.) I thought I’d can peaches, attend church ice cream socials, and push my kids…
Is His Burden Light?
This essay originally appeared on A Life Overseas. “Lord, give me a burden for souls.” That’s the last line of a song written by a young lady from my husband’s hometown. It reminds me of Jesus’ words: “Come to me,…
In Case of Emergency
This essay originally appeared on A Life Overseas. “Hey.” My mom’s voice sounded otherworldly—either because I was talking to her on an actual payphone, or because of the mix of Bollywood music and traffic sounds filling the air around me….