I’m posting this blog quickly today because I have a dinner for 100 to cook. Yes, that’s right. One hundred. No, we didn’t invite a few of our closest friends over for dinner. Instead, I’m cooking the Wednesday night meal for Asbury United Methodist Church, where my husband serves as Minister of Music. The kind hospitality crew has graciously allowed us to present this meal as a fundraiser for his mission trip to Costa Rica with Never the Same Missions July 6-20, 2014. We’ve already served a takeout meal for 100 a few weeks ago, and Tom, a professional trumpet player, has a concert planned for this Sunday afternoon, also at our church. All these activities will help support his mission trip. So why do I want Tom—or any adult, for that matter—to come with me on what is primarily a student trip? I can think of several reason, the first being that we’ve been best friends for more than thirty years. We’ve both taken multiple mission trips but never had the opportunity to serve together. But there are other reasons I want him to go. On the Never the Same trip, he’ll have the opportunity to make a positive difference in the lives of teens and nationals. He’ll serve as one of the adult leaders on a team of about thirty to forty and will have his own small group to disciple. They’ll spend time together and also join with their team for large-group devotions every day. He’ll travel on a bus with his team for daily ministry as they perform the “Spellbound” drama and have the experience of watching people transformed by the power of the gospel message. In addition, he’ll have multiple opportunities to share—or help share—Christ with nationals who come to watch the performance. Tom is a great encourager, so I know he’ll push, prod, and lead by example as he shows the teens how to engage the culture. Sometimes, they’ll perform the drama. But other times, they may wash hair, scrub clothes, deliver food, or perform other acts of service. Never the Same needs willing workers like Tom who will get their hands dirty—and more importantly, their hearts soft—for the sake of Jesus. Tom will also attend the FUAGNEM (Fired Up and Going Nuts Every Minute) worship services with me every evening. (I’m hoping he may get to use his trumpet.) Have you ever experienced worship with several hundred students? Let’s just say these are some of my favorite memories of previous trips. Never the Same offers powerful speakers (including trip sponsor Susie Shellenberger, founding editor of Brio and Sisterhood magazines) and testimonies in a celebratory setting that allows the students to interact with...

Not long ago, I featured this popular review of Morning Moments with God by Grace Fox along with a contest to win my review copy. Today, I’m interviewing the author as part of my Words with Friends blog feature. So far, Grace is a virtual friend in that we’re both members of both AWSA (Advanced Writers and Speakers Association) and CAN (Christian Authors Network) but have yet to meet in person. I enjoyed getting to know her better and hope you will, too. Make sure you read all the way to the bottom for the BONUS below! Welcome, Grace! How did your writing career begin? My husband and I served as missionaries in Nepal for three years in the 80s, and our sending agency asked us to write monthly newsletters to our supporters. I enjoyed finding creative ways to write these letters, and our readers made comments such as, “Your descriptions make us feel as though we’re right there with you.” Their enthusiasm lit a spark within me to seriously consider writing something other than missionary newsletters when we returned to North America. In 1998, I decided to try publishing a line of greeting cards. I attended the Florida Christian Writers Conference and showed my cards to a Dayspring editor. She politely rejected them, but that only pointed me in a different direction on my writing journey. I attended several workshops about writing for magazines, and several months later mustered the courage to put into practice what I’d learned. That’s so interesting, especially since I’ll serve on faculty at that same conference next week. But I know you speak as well as write. Can you tell us about your speaking ministry? I speak regularly at women’s retreats and conferences in North America and mostly Eastern Europe. My passion is to connect the dots between faith and real life for my audiences – to help them understand how Scripture is relevant to everyday life. My audiences are ages 19-80 – singles and marrieds alike. I address universal issues such as how to overcome fear and how to develop an intimate relationship with Jesus amidst a busy life. Your readers can learn more here: http://www.gracefox.com/speaking-events/ Because of my own interest in missions, my blog often has an international focus. Please share with our readers a little about the global aspect of your work. My husband and I co-direct International Messengers Canada, a non-profit mission that offers creative short-term and career ministry opportunities. We have 180 career missionaries now, working in 14 countries. The bulk happens in Eastern Europe because that’s the work began more than 30 years ago. Our philosophy is, “How has God hard-wired you? What are your passions? How can...

You’ve made the commitment. You’ve obeyed God’s calling and signed up for a mission trip. Maybe you even paid a deposit. And now, the work begins. You have what looks like a ton of money to raise. Maybe you have a schedule with challenging goals to meet. So what to do? First, you pray (you’ve been doing that already, right?). And then, you get to work! Tuesday’s blog listed some real-life fundraising ideas from Never the Same Peru 2013 missionaries, and I’m including a few more below. I hope some of these will work for you or that you’ll adapt them for your own use. Remember: God owns it all and can move His resources to send you where He wants. Just make sure to stay faithful with your part. He’s more than capable of taking care of His (which also includes empowering you for yours). Photo Bomb: Shelagh, 22, combined her love of photography with missions-trip fundraising. She offered photo shoots to friends and family on a donation basis and put all the funds toward her missions trip. But Shelagh also had the most unusual fundraising story I heard this past year. A woman who bumped Shelagh’s car in a parking lot insisted on sending her a $500 check (although Shelagh told her she owed nothing since she drives an older car). That $500 was the same as Shelagh’s final payment toward the Peru trip. [Note: Neither Shelagh nor I advocate putting your car in harm’s path as a means of fundraising. But God often works in unusual ways!] Group Effort: Sisters Hannah (17), Emily (16), and Ella (14); along with friends Lauren (16) and Molly (14) conquered their fundraising by working together. Calling themselves “Passion for Peru,” the five girls made a fundraising Facebook page, did group babysitting at their church, did housecleaning, waxed boats, and held two benefit concerts at which they gave presentations about their upcoming missions trip. All in all, their passion brought in more than $25,000 and sent them all to Peru, in awe at God’s provision. Sales Team: Garage sales or rummage sales can often help raise large amounts of money in short amount of time. One group of Never the Same missionaries from San Antonio led by a wonderful leader named Jill (read more about her here) hosts a huge garage sale every year. As part of their sales promotion, they post pictures and descriptions of large or unusual items n social media and even offer to ship some items. This group also has monthly Bible studies and spends time praying for and encouraging one another as they move toward the field. No wonder Jill brings more missionaries to the Never the...

 “I’d love to go on a mission trip, but it costs so much.” “How can I ever raise that much money?” “I hate asking for anything, especially money.” Does that sound like something you’ve heard, or maybe something you’ve said? If so, stay tuned. This week, I’ll share a few fundraising tips from the 2013 Never the Same Peru missionaries. Thanks to all those who shared their ideas with me! Before the ideas, a personal note about fundraising: God owns it all. And He’s perfectly capable of moving resources around to meet needs. Believe it or not, a mission trip is not only about you getting to go somewhere and do something. It’s also about the needs of the people you’ll serve. How much does each of them matter? A lot. So if they matter to Him, He is willing and able to provide. And if they matter to you, and if He has called you to go, you should be willing to work as hard as you can to add to your funds. In our years of fundraising (my family members and I have taken close to 50 short-term mission trips), I’ve noticed that the more we work, the more God surprises us with special gifts. Two years ago, a student told me she sent out letters offering to work for people to help raise money for her trip—not an unusual idea in itself. But because she was willing to work, many people donated money. In fact, her letters alone brought in almost the exact amount of money she needed. God doesn’t work the same way in every situation, so don’t expect a few letters to bring in all the funds for your trip. Pray about these ideas, and ask God to give you some of your own. Most of all, be willing to do whatever it takes to go—even if that means scrubbing bathrooms, selling something you hold dear (NOTE: auctioning off your little brother is not an option), or asking for help from others who believe in the importance of missions. Chili Today: Rebekah, 16, held a missions chili lunch at her mother’s workplace, charging $5 a plate. The generous employees tipped well enough that the luncheon raised more than either Rebekah or her mother anticipated! Not-So-Small Change: Joy, 18, took advantage of a church barbecue to raise money for her trip. She labeled a container “Pocket Change for Peru” and gave people who attended the barbecue the opportunity to share their change or other donations. This simple method brought in more than $300 for her trip. Wrap It Up: Alicia, 18, used her mad Christmas-wrapping skills to raise money for her mission trip. She offered lots of options...

Young men are often in short supply on mission trips. Because some of the publicity for the Never the Same trips comes from a teen girls’ magazine (Sisterhood), teen guys may not think they belong. And (sad but true) adult men have often given the idea that missions and mission trips are for girls. Nothing could be further from the truth. Because of this, I’m always grateful for the young men who do come along on our trips. We need them for the different parts of the drama, for carrying some of our heavier items, for protection, and especially to serve as role models for younger students. We need them because our trip and our teams provide a picture of the body of Christ, which is made up of all different sorts of members—male and female included. Ian was probably the young man I was most looking forward to meeting before our 2013 trip to Peru. I knew his older sister, Leah, from previous mission trips. And I was so excited when I heard he was joining us this time around. Leah is petite and beautiful with a tender, caring heart (since the Peru trip, she’s traveled again with Never the Same on a Christmas break trip to Panama). Ian is tall, with the broad shoulders and chest of a grown man. But his tender heart reminds me of his sister’s—and of another Man whose strength and gentleness changed the world. I hugged Ian when I first met him during training. I watched him interact with his fellow students, noticing his quiet, observant attitude along with his broad smile. But it was on our first day of ministry that I got to see him in action. He served on the same team as Grace (read her story here) and also taught me a lesson. Ian’s approach was more quiet and gentle than Grace’s. But, like her, he engaged with nationals and with his teammates in a way that showed the love of Christ. I watched as he spoke to teammate after teammate to encourage them in their first day of real ministry. I smiled as he lowered his bulk to the ground to speak to the small children clustered around him. I marveled as he lifted first one, then another, with care. He made the little boys feel like men and the little girls like princesses. But like all of us, there is more to Ian’s story than what shows on the outside. In 2012, Ian’s father, Maj. Robert Marchanti, was one of two National Guardsmen killed in a shooting inside the Afghan Interior Ministry in Kabul. Beyond the pain of the tragic loss, his family had to wait...

Grace. We don’t always understand it, but we all need it. We Christ-followers often use the word more casually than it deserves. Grace comes from our Father. It enriches our lives. It makes the impossible possible, the unforgiveable forgiven. And its presence and power serve to remind us of His. Perhaps the parents of one of the students I met this summer on our Never the Same missions trip had some of these things in mind when they named their daughter. I know the Father sent her, and I know her presence reminded me of His. I may have met this young woman during our training in Florida, but my first real memories of her come from our first day on the mission field in Lima. The team I traveled with that day had an assignment in one of the poorest communities I’ve ever seen. Ramshackle houses—some of pressed board, some of tin—covered the hillsides. No home had electricity or running water. Dust blanketed the graveled streets, the houses, even the people. Before we left our bus, the team leader explained the plans for the day. As a way of serving the people, some team members would knock on doors and ask if anyone wanted their hair washed. Others would prayerwalk the community, seeking those who would share their needs and receive prayer. Still others would remain on the nearby soccer field and play with the children who inevitably appear at the first hint of a game. After lunch, the team would perform the Spellbound drama used to present the gospel. But other ministry came first. I know that one of the rules of missionary work is to engage the culture. As an introvert, I have to relearn this lesson often. Talking to strangers, especially when they don’t speak my language, is a challenge for me. So this past summer, the Lord sent me a teacher, whose name—by no coincidence—was Grace. Ever the observer, I waited with my writer’s notebook and watched different groups. Slowly, the Lord allowed me to speak a word here and pray a prayer there. My job was to tell the story of the trip, but I was more faithful with my note-taking than my people-engaging. And then God gave me the opportunity to watch Grace, who took just the opposite approach. Grace didn’t wait for people to respond to her. Instead, her enthusiasm and love drew people her way. On the soccer field, she raced, kicked, blocked, and laughed—a trail of children soon following behind. In conversations, I never saw her wait for a translator. She said what she could with her words. But her hugs, genuine smiles, and willingness to interact communicated far...