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Life feels like a lot right now, both in some overwhelming ways and some great ones, so I feel like it’s best to give you kind of a “state of the soul” today. Both for your information, and my own need for processing. And then, to give you a bit of a manifesto as I enter a summer sabbatical of sorts. Thanks for being here.

We love WSML episodes! Here's my top 10 as we head into the end of the podcast season.

This morning, as I was again ruminating on this, coffee in hand, I heard a gentle whisper: “Why don’t you instead ask: what do I desire FOR you?”   My breath caught as I let the question linger quietly in my spirit. Am I asking the wrong question?   What could the Lord desire FOR me, instead of FROM me?

Today, I want to take the time to walk you through resource that we’ve provided for free on our website for over a year now, but we haven’t really devoted a lot of energy to here on the podcast. I hav e heard from a number of you that are making the difficult decision to transition from your host countries back to your home countries this year, and still others who are shifting assignments from one country to the next as is the norm in your field. Many of you are about to go through a major shift, and I want to support you through it.   Last year, we released a resource called “The spaces between nations: a transitions workbook.” This document is over 40 pages of lists to make, journalling prompts, memories to capture, timelines to make, themes to identify, and even packing tips and travel tricks to support you on your journey. It’s a resource that I poured a ton of time and emotion into, as I have watched many of my best friends make these transitions in the last few years. I pray that it will be a blessing to you, too.

In this life overseas, we all journey through these seasons where life feels like too much, but being able to step away and bring it to God feels like just another impossible thing to add to our never-ending to do list. We might even have tools at our disposal, but often we just need something that’s already done and prepared for us. Something we can just plug and play.   So, today, I want to give an unsolicited and unpaid recommendation to the forthcoming Velvet Ashes Online Retreat. The Velvet Ashes team does a really incredible job crafting a beautiful retreat for expat ladies every year, and it’s always a highlight for me.

Today’s episode topic is deeply personal to me, because it’s been a constant battle in my home really since I got married. Today, we’re talking about practically valuing and protecting your family and prioritizing it over your mission. Let’s get into it.

Today, we’re talking about something that you’re all told me is heavy on your hearts and something you don’t always know how to handle: money requests from staff or local friends.

Most of us can make a list of “great things to have in our country” pretty fast by now. Seasoning mixes, seasonal teas and treats, Ziploc bags, essential oils, Western candy and snack foods, makeup and sunscreen and bug spray, passport holders, decaf coffee. We fill our suitcases and our visitors’ suitcases with these things with ease.   But what about some items to really make your life easier? That maybe you haven’t thought about before? Let’s get into it.

Last week, we chatted about different questions you could ask a prospective or current sending agency. On Instagram, you all shared so many more, so I wanted to give you a part 2 episode. In addition, later this week we’ll have a beautiful download on our website of all these questions, organized for you to used. It’s been a great thing to crowdsource, and I’m hopeful that it’ll be useful for our community for years to come!

I’ve adapted the original 30 Days of Prayer and Learning into a Lenten guide, including journaling prompts, sabbath practices, and opportunities to write your own prayers for your host country. Each day, we’ll pray together for a facet of your host country or a relevant topic: for example, for the government, for the lonely, for single mothers. There are also questions top help you dive deeper into this topic with further research into what that looks like where you are serving. What resources are there for single mothers? What is the government really like, and how does it function within the region, or globally? You’ll also have the opportunity to partner with local friends who can add depth and dimension to your understanding.

Here’s the number one thing I want you to keep in mind as you go through this: more than anything else, your supporters need to feel connected to YOU. Yes, they need to understand your ministry and believe in your “why”. But in the end, they need to know your heart, your personality, and be connected and invested in you as a person, as a family. And because of this, not every newsletter needs to be an impact report! I know, mind blowing, right?

Today, we're chatting about how to plan our weeks well. Between non-negotiables like school or meetings, self care time, and goals we are working towards, it can be hard to know what to prioritize. Let's figure it out!  We're also talking about what to expect from TCT in 2023. Plan to join us for our FREE Lent of Prayer and Learning ommunity experience, starting Ash Wednesday, Feb 22.

This year, I’ve been challenged by several wise, older people in my life to move away from a faith that relies on routine and checked boxes, and more towards a faith that is more intuitive and spirit led. Sounds easy, right? But in reality, I relied heavily on very strict rhythms in almost every area of my life to keep myself afloat, including in my faith. And while it worked at a base level, it wasn’t the liberating, life giving faith experience I knew God wanted to give me. So, as I go into this Advent season, I’m considering what to fast or what to adopt with this intuitive, spirit-led faith in mind.

As we get to know how the church operates in another culture, it’s to be expected that we find new ways that the Gospel manifests itself, often that are very different from how we have seen the gospel presented in our own cultures. Some things that are only tangentially important to our culture’s interpretation of the gospel are much more important and central where we find ourselves now, and other central parts of our own faith become secondary in our new culture. Of course, there are the basic tenants of christianity that shouldn’t change from culture to culture. But often, there are “grey areas” that are more nuanced and can look very different ways in very different places!

The last time I put out a call for episode topics, I got a number of responses about having realistic expectations for ourselves, how to grieve the loss of our capacity and ability to whip through a to-do list, and reframing success. Friends, today I’d like to introduce you to a little something I call the “minimum successful day.”

Much of this life is just not absolute. There are lots of uncertainties, lots of grey areas, lots of things changing all the time. We find one rhythm that feels like it works for us, and then something changes and throws that off. We think we’ve found the right house staff, but our needs change. Flight prices go up, roads close, your favorite cereal isn’t imported for a few months, pandemic regulations shake up your plans. It can be easy to feel a bit unmoored *often* in your life overseas. Things rarely stay consistent.   So today, I want to encourage you to do something: just, try things out. Experiment. Explore. Don’t commit to a certain rhythm or make decisions quickly. Take time to see what feels good. See what sticks.