The Innkeepers by Sanctuary Inn
By Steven Price
If you would like to financially support Sanctuary Inn and The Innkeepers Podcast please donate at sanctuaryinn.org/donate
The Innkeepers by Sanctuary InnMay 03, 2021
Parents of Missionaries
Cheryl Savageau talks with us about the needs and realities of Parents of Missionaries.
ABOUT CHERYL W. SAVAGEAU, EdD, LPC: After an early career as a secondary school teacher Cheryl dedicated her professional life to Christian counseling. For more than 35 years she counseled and taught families, teens, couples, individuals and groups in churches, colleges, private practice and in public agencies located in Ohio, SC, NC, the Philippines, and India. She considers her work with Parents of Missionaries a highlight of her service. Together with POM Diane Stortz, Cheryl co-authored the groundbreaking book, Parents of Missionaries. Today Cheryl volunteers as head of the Wellness Ministry at her church in North Carolina where she worships with her husband, daughter, son-in-law and three granddaughters. Her son, daughter-in-law and three grandsons live in Ohio. Her entire family shares faith in Jesus Christ and cheers for The Ohio State Buckeyes.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCE: • Parents of Missionaries: How to Thrive and Stay Connected When Your Children and Grandchildren Serve Cross-Culturally by Cheryl Savageau, Diane Stortz • Tip Sheets for Parents of Missionaries by Diane Stortz and Cheryl Savageau (PDF file)
Language of Lament
Ericka Lopez-Harris gives a Biblical and practical understanding of lament in the life of a global worker. ABOUT ERICKA LOPEZ-HARRIS: Ericka Lopez-Harris has been serving in cross-cultural ministries since 1992. In 2010, she joined Oasis Rest International (formally known as Life Impact Ministries) with a desire to further the Gospel by strengthening global Workers. Ericka Lopez-Harris also facilitates grief workshops for ministry leaders primarily living cross culturally. Providing coaching and caregiving retreats for countless leaders, she is honored that many find her “easy to talk to” including strangers in the grocery line. Her lamenting poem, "My Soul's Winter" received the “Author’s Pick” award and is published in Poetry in Winter. She studied Psychology at California State University Long Beach. Her expansive learning of loss and life transitions occurred while living in 12 different countries. Most recently, she, her hubby and two active sons lived in Costa Rica for eight years. Currently living in Bend, Oregon, she enjoys walking near the Deschutes River in the summer and being fireside with a good biography in the winter. Ericka Lopez-Harris gives a Biblical and practical understanding of lament in the life of a global worker. ABOUT ERICKA LOPEZ-HARRIS: Ericka Lopez-Harris has been serving in cross-cultural ministries since 1992. In 2010, she joined Oasis Rest International (formally known as Life Impact Ministries) with a desire to further the Gospel by strengthening global Workers. Ericka Lopez-Harris also facilitates grief workshops for ministry leaders primarily living cross culturally. Providing coaching and caregiving retreats for countless leaders, she is honored that many find her “easy to talk to” including strangers in the grocery line. Her lamenting poem, "My Soul's Winter" received the “Author’s Pick” award and is published in "Poetry in Winter". She studied Psychology at California State University Long Beach. Her expansive learning of loss and life transitions occurred while living in 12 different countries. Most recently, she, her hubby and two active sons lived in Costa Rica for eight years. Currently living in Bend, Oregon, she enjoys walking near the Deschutes River in the summer and being fireside with a good biography in the winter. Ericka is also nearing the publishing phase of a resource for teens/young adults TCKs. "Remembering: A creative memory journal about a special person in your life." This journal will use art, story, poems, nature and songs to create a very personal and treasured collection of memories. Find more information about her work at OasisRest.org ADDITIONAL RESOURCE: • Poetry in Winter by Christine Owens
• No More Faking Fine: Ending the Pretending by Esther Fleece Allen • Ericka will also be co-facilitating a 5-month cohort for ministry leaders who are actively processing loss(es), meeting virtually starting February 2024. “Journey through Grief: A Cohort for Leaders”
Soul Care
Dr. Herb Lamp unpacks the importance of holistic self-care.
ABOUT DR. HERB LAMP:
Dr. Herb and Debbie Lamp are Midwesterners at heart, even though they have lived for much of their adult lives in Europe—Serbia, Austria and Germany. Presently, the Lamps serve with Barnabas International and pastor the global workforce of mission personnel through word, prayer, counsel, and encouragement.
Herb holds a doctorate in spiritual formation from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and is the author of Journey With Me: Spiritual Formation for Global Workers (Wm. Carey Publishing, 2021) and co-author with Debbie of The Prodigal: A Spiritual Retreat (Snowfall Press, 2023). ADDITIONAL RESOURCE: • Spiritual Disciplines Handbook: Practices That Transform Us (Transforming Resources) by Adele Ahlberg Calhoun • Journey With Me: Spiritual Formation for Global Workers by Herbert F. Lamp Jr. • Soulful Spirituality: Becoming Fully Alive and Deeply Human by David G. Benner PhD. (Many of his books are helpful.) • Sacred Pathways: Nine Ways to Connect with God by Gary Thomas
Theology of Suffering
Dr. Steve Tracy speaks honestly from his ministry experience, personal life, and walk with God on a theology of suffering and its critical affect on our lives and ministry. ABOUT STEVE TRACY: Dr. Steve Tracy is the president and international director of Mending the Soul Ministries, a global ministry which creates abuse healing resources. Since 1995 Steve has taught theology and ethics at Phoenix Seminary and for almost 20 years he has been privileged to serve abuse trauma survivors around the world. While Steve has a Phd in New Testament, it has been but godly Congolese trauma survivors as well as his wife Celestia who have most helped him develop a theology of suffering. ADDITIONAL RESOURCE: • The Call to Joy and Pain: Embracing Suffering in Your Ministry by Ajith Fernando • Suffering and the Heart of God: How Trauma Destroys and Christ Restores by Diane Langberg • Walking with God through Pain and Suffering by Timothy Keller • Lament for a Son by Nicholas Wolterstorff • A Sacred Sorrow: Reaching Out to God in the Lost Language of Lament (Quiet Times for the Heart) by Michael Card • Hurting with God: Learning to Lament with the Psalms by Glenn Pemberton • Mending the Soul
A Missionary Daughter and Aging Parents
Dr. Mary Wilder, a pioneer missionary doctor, shares her story of leaving the field to care for her aging parents.
ABOUT DR. MARY WILDER
Dr. Mary Wilder obtained her B.S. from Portland State University and later her M.D. from University of Oregon Medical School. God then called her to serve as a medical doctor with CBInternational in Pakistan. She lived and worked in Pakistan from 1966 - 1983. Her years there were spent caring for women and children who otherwise would not have received medical care. After returning home to care for her aging mother God opened doors for her to teach in the Intercultural Studies Department at Western Seminary where she mentored and trained hundreds of students for 36 years. The book “Dust and Devotion: The Memoir of a Missionary Doctor in Pakistan” was published in 2021 to share her story and legacy with the world.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCE:
Sexual Brokenness and Healing
Jeremy Waldridge of Pure Life Alliance helps us understand the struggles of sexual brokenness and the hope for healing.
ABOUT JEREMY WALDRIDGE:
Jeremy Waldridge is the executive director of Pure Life Alliance and has over a decade of experience leading men out of the crippling effects of shame and addiction.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCE:
Books:
- Rethinking Sexuality: God’s Design and Why It Matters by Dr. Juli Slatterly
- Honest Talk: A New Perspective on Talking to Your Kids About Sex by John W Ford
Ministries:
Filters:
Thriving Missionaries
Dr. Rachel Heffied unpacks the significance of wellbeing and thriving in missionary life.
ABOUT DR RACHEL HEFFIELD: Dr. Rachel Heffield has been engaged with missionaries and called to international ministry most of her life. Growing up as a PK and headed to the mission field, she began studying counseling to meet people where they were at in their journeys, to bring hope of the gospel. She finds great joy, helping people navigate the highs and lows of life. She served in East Asia for eight years, where she learned firsthand with some of the challenges and joys of being a global worker. In her own life, as well as professional and academic research, she developed a passion for helping global workers thrive and grow in this important work. She currently serves as Assistant Professor and Chair of the Center for Personal and Spiritual Formation at Western Seminary and provides counseling through A New Day Counseling.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCE:
Articles & Books:
- 1997 - Caring for People in Missions: Just Surviving or Thriving? Optimal Care for the Long Haul by Lois Dodds, Ph. D. and Larry Dodds, M. D - Inspiration for Dr. Rachel Heffield’s doctoral dissertation
- Healthy, Resilient, and Effective in Cross Cultural Ministry by Dr. Laura Mae Gardner
- Expectations and Burnout: Women Surviving the Great Commission by Sue Eenigenburg and Robynn Bliss
Organizations providing Member Care & Tools:
- Global Trellis - Online webinars and trainings
- Velvet Ashes - Resources and community (for women)
- Valeo - Online counseling
- Thrive Worldwide Blog
- Ongoing Resilience Research
- Headington Institute - Individual and Organizational Resilience
Local Church Care
A Portland church pastor shares from his experience on how a church can tangibly care for their global workers.
Getting Started in Missionary Care
Steve and Kara, The Innkeeper hosts, share some tips, tools, and training opportunities for getting started in Missionary Care today.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCE:
Books:
- Too Valuable to Lose: Exploring the Causes and Cures of Missionary Attrition by William D. Taylor
- Enhancing Missionary Vitality: Mental Health Professions Serving Global Missions by John R. Powell, PhD, and Joyce M. Bowers, M.S.W.
- Worth Keeping: Global Perspectives on Best Practice in Missionary Retention by Rob Hay, Valerie Lim, Detlef Blocher, Jaap Ketelaar and Sarah Hay
- Doing Member Care Well: Perspectives and Practices from Around the World by Kelly O’Donnell
- Frontline Women: Negotiating Cross-Cultural Issues in Ministry by Marguerite G. Kraft
- Healthy, Resilient, and Effective in Cross-Cultural Ministry By Laura Mae Gardner, D.Min.
- Tender Care: The Heart and Soul of Caring for God’s Scattered Servants A Conversation with the Seabrook Seven
- Mind the Gaps: Engaging the Church in Missionary Care by David J. Wilson, DMin General Editor
- The Reentry Team: Caring for Your Returning Missionaries by Neal Pirolo
Conferences:
Good Mourning
Dr. Connie Befus helps us understand the significance and means of grieving the compounded losses of a cross-cultural life.
ABOUT CONNIE BEFUS, PHD.:
Connie Befus is a psychologist with 35 years of experience in providing for the mental and spiritual health needs of international cross-cultural workers. She grew up in Africa, the daughter of career international workers and served with her husband in Latin America for 17 years. She has also worked in private practice, as a psychological consultant for six sending organizations, and as Director of Member Care for sending organizations for 17 years. She has two adult Third Culture Kids. Her doctoral research explored effective helps for people in the midst of cross cultural adjustment. She is the author of Sojourner’s Workbook: A Guide to Thriving Cross-Culturally.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCE:
Healing for Adult TCKs
Minna Kayser shares with us about how God is using MK Ministries to bring healing and wholeness to adult TCKs.
ABOUT MINNA KAYSER:
Minna was born multi-cultural! Her father was German, her mother an American, and Minna was born and raised in Ethiopia. Having survived intense childhood trauma, she pursued a degree in psychology, but it wasn’t until she met Karen that her healing journey progressed. A portion of her testimony is recorded in her book Diamond Fractal. Today she has a passion for walking with people in their journey toward freedom using inner healing prayer.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCE:
Books:
- Diamond Fractal: A Story of a Shattered Mind Made Whole by Karen A. Keegan and Minna J. Kayser
- Joy Starts Here: the transformation zone by Dr E. James Wilder III, Rev Edward M. Khouri, Rev Chris M. Coursey, Ms Shelia D. Sutton
- Joyful Journey: Listening to Immanuel by Dr. E James Wilder III, Ms Anna Kang, Mr John Loppno, and Ms Sungshim Loppnow
- Journey Into The Divided Heart: Facing the Defense Mechanisms That Hinder True Emotional Healing by Steve Fair
- Third Culture Kids: Growing Up Among Worlds, Revised Edition by David C. Pollock and Ruth E. Van Reken
- Living From The Heart Jesus Gave You by James G. Friesen, E. James Wilder, Anne M. Bierling, Rick Koepcke, Maribeth Poole
Websites:
Missional Living
Clint & Valerie share their story of living missionally in two different countries. God’s call on their lives has not changed despite their location changing.
ABOUT CLINT & VALERIE:
Clint and Valerie and their family have pursued God's call on their lives to serve and work amongst cultures who have little to no access to the Gospel around the world. They've done this through starting a business in a limited access nation to serving in a more traditional role of missions among the Diaspora in North America. Their heart and hope is that everyone would have an opportunity to understand the possibility of reconciliation with God through Jesus. They have four children who keep them super busy. They currently live in Toronto ministering to others who are from among the Diaspora. They have a heart for seeing more people mobilized into the Great Commandment and Great Commission.
TCK Education
Nancy Elwood shares with us from her breadth of experience on TCK education issues and resources.
ABOUT NANCY ELWOOD:
Nancy and her husband, Mike, lived in eastern Europe for 35 years and recently returned to the U.S. to care for elderly parents. They started out in Croatia, then lived in Vienna where Nancy worked at Vienna Christian School. In 1994, they moved to Budapest where she helped found SHARE Education Services to provide resources and counsel to parents as they educated their children cross-culturally. She served as Acting Director and then became Executive Director, guiding the team of consultants from SHARE’s international office in Budapest. In addition, Nancy and a colleague co-founded PACE to train and mentor mission educators for consulting roles throughout the world. She also serves as MK Education International Coordinator for Greater Europe Mission. Nancy has been married to Mike for 47 years and they have two grown sons, Steve and Phil. Steve is married to Rachel and they have two children, Katie and Josh. Nancy enjoys hospitality, gardening, reading and playing with her grandchildren.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCE:
- SHARE - https://www.shareeducation.org
- SAFE - https://safeasia.org/welcome/
- ANCHOR - https://www.anchoreducation.org
- PACE - https://www.tckconsultant.org
The Globally Mobile Family's Guide to Educating Children Overseas by Karen A. Wrobbel
Dust & Devotion - Dr. Mary Wilder’s Missionary Story
This interview is a snapshot of Dr. Mary Wilder’s years of service as a medical doctor to women in Pakistan.
ABOUT DR. MARY WILDER
Dr. Mary Wilder obtained her B.S. from Portland State University and later her M.D. from University of Oregon Medical School. God then called her to serve as a medical doctor with CBInternational in Pakistan. She lived and worked in Pakistan from 1966 - 1983. Her years there were spent caring for women and children who otherwise would not have received medical care. After returning home to care for her aging mother God opened doors for her to teach in the Intercultural Studies Department at Western Seminary where she mentored and trained hundreds of students for 36 years. The book “Dust and Devotion: The Memoir of a Missionary Doctor in Pakistan” was published in 2021 to share her story and legacy with the world.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCE:
Business as Mission
Larry Sharp explains the realities and misunderstandings of the Business as Mission model.
ABOUT LARRY W. SHARP, PHD
Larry W. Sharp is the Founder and current consulting specialist with the consulting firm, International Business and Education Consultants (www.ibecventures.com). He served 21 years in Brazil and then 20 years as Crossworld VP of Operations and as Vice President of Business Partnerships. He is currently a VP Emeritus and consultant with Crossworld. Since 2007 he has devoted energies toward Business as Mission (BAM) and currently is a consultant on BAM and education themes.
He holds degrees in Bible (Prairie College), business (BA Seattle Pacific University), and education (MA Azusa Pacific University) and a PhD (University of Calgary, CANADA) in comparative sociology of education and administration. His career focus has been in business, education, and supervisory roles. While in Brazil he served as teacher and headmaster of the Amazon Valley Academy (15 years) and President of the Missao Crista Evangelica do Brasil (MICEB) for six years.
He travels within North America speaking and teaching in conferences, colleges and churches on themes related to Business As Mission (BAM, B4t). His travels abroad relate to BAM, crisis preparation, management, and team building. He writes a weekly blog on www.ibecventures.com/blog and blogs on other sites occasionally. He serves on four boards including the Freedom Business Alliance where he serves as chairperson; and is working with two university curriculum teams developing the integration of business with missional faith.
Larry and Vicki live in Washington state and have been married for 51 years and have four grown children and eight grandchildren.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCE:
Websites:
Books:
What is Missionary Care?
Dr. Laura Mae Gardner, a pioneer and expert in Missionary Care shares some of the key distinctives of effective care.
ABOUT DR. LAURA MAE GARDNER:
I have served in WBT and SIL International for 60+ years, most of that time with my husband, Dick. My contributions or roles included: translator, candidate assessment, trainer, counselor, developer and director of International Counseling Department, creator of Member Care for missions, International Vice President For Personnel, and International Personnel Consultant and Trainer. I have traveled, trained and consulted in 65 countries, done a lot of crisis work, interventions and debriefing. I am also an author including the book Healthy, Resilient and Effective in Cross Cultural Ministry which has now been translated into Indonesian, Korean, Chinese, Ukranian and Russian. I co-authored with Dr. Lois Dodds the three-volume series on Global Servants. Other writings include chapters in books, and probably 500 articles. I have a theological diploma, two undergraduate degrees and two advanced degrees, including a doctorate from Denver Seminary. I am an adjunct professor at Columbia International University. I have served on a number of boards. My husband, Dick, preceded me to heaven a few months ago thus I continue on alone reading, speaking, teaching, consulting, and serving as requested.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCE:
• Global Member Care Vol 1*: The Pearls and Perils of Good Practice by Kelly O'Donnell
• Healthy, Resilient, & Effective in Cross-Cultural Ministry: Electronic Version by Laura Mae Gardner
Young Adult MK/TCK Care
Tammy Sharp gives her perspective as an adult TCK and as an MK care specialist into the needs of young adult missionary kids.
ABOUT TAMMY SHARP:
Tammy was born and raised in Brazil where her parents served as teachers and administrators at Amazon Valley Academy. She attended Wheaton College to become a history teacher at a MK school somewhere in the world. She ended up teaching back in Brazil after 5 years at a school in Alaska. Tammy then finished her Master's in Education and planned to head back overseas, but instead worked at a missions agency for 17 years as the MK Coordinator serving MKs ages 0-80. In January 2018 Tammy joined Barnabas International as a TCK Consultant and Director of MuKappa. Tammy is excited to serve on the Board of Sanctuary Inn to continue caring for Global Workers and their families.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCE:
• MuKappa
• TCK Counseling Network
• Compass Ministries
MK Transition Seminars:
• Interaction International Overview
- https://interactionintl.org/transition-seminars/
- https://interactionintl.org/events/
• Barnabas MK Transition Seminar
• Narramore Christian Foundation holds MK ReEntry Seminar
• Classic ReBoot Canadian Re-entry Seminar
• TCK Snow Camp (for college-aged TCKs)
Books:
• Third Culture Kids 3rd Edition: Growing up among worlds by by Ruth E. Van Reken, Michael V. Pollock, David C. Pollock
• Raising Up a Generation of Healthy Third Culture Kids: A Practical Guide to Preventive Care by Lauren Wells
• Third Culture Kids: A Gift to Care For by Ulrika Ernvik
• With: Reimagining the Way You Relate to God by Skye Jethani
• "I Have to Be Perfect": (And Other Parsonage Heresies) by Timothy L. Sanford M.A.
• The Grief Tower: A Practical Guide to Processing Grief with Third Culture Kids by Lauren Well
• Unstacking Your Grief Tower: A Guide to Processing Grief as an Adult Third Culture Kid by Lauren Wells
Sabbath Rest
Scott Shaum from Barnabas International shares about God’s heart for Sabbath rest in our lives today.
ABOUT SCOTT SHAUM:
Scott Shaum, along with his wife Beth, have served with Barnabas International for 18 years, where he is currently Associate Director. They have lived in Asia and Scott has been a pastor at two local churches. They have 3 married sons and two granddaughters. Scott loves long conversations over well prepared meals, a stack of books, and long walks in the forests near their home in Colorado.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCE:
• Subversive Sabbath by A. J. Swobod
• Rest of God by Mark Buchanan
• Sabbath Keeping: Finding Freedom in the Rhythms of Rest by Lynne M. Baab
• Sabbath as Resistance: Saying No to the Culture of Now by Walter Brueggemann
How to Have Crisis Conversations
Rob Lloyd shares from his expertise the impact a Crisis Debrief can make in the life of someone who has experienced a powerful event.
ABOUT ROB LLOYD:
Rob Lloyd is the founder and CEO of the Responders Resource Center, a senior chaplain and the Lead pastor of Freedom Community Church. He created the vast majority of the courses in our chaplaincy training program and is a certified instructor of the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation (ICISF) through UMBC. He holds a certificate of specialized training in Schools & Children Crisis Response from ICISF and UMBC, is a member of the SMART team for public school incidents and leads the CISM ASSIST team for private school incidents. He is also the clinical director of the SW Washington CISM team and is trained in the FEMA Incident Command System and National Incident Management System. It is Rob’s passion to provide excellent training for those who have a desire to assist people who have experienced events that have the potential to overwhelm them.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCE:
• The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel van der Kolk M.D.
• Hope for the Heart Series by June Hunt
Support Raising Through Building Relationships
Dan Abbott, Development Director at Sanctuary Inn, shares what God has taught him on the journey of support raising.
ABOUT DAN ABBOTT:
Dan Abbott comes from a YWAM ministry background, enjoys teaching and preaching, and graduated from Western Seminary with a Masters in Biblical Studies and Theology. He has been working at Sanctuary Inn for the last five years and currently is the Development Director. Dan and his wife Anna are the parents of three young sons.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCE:
• A Spirituality of Fundraising (Henri Nouwen Spirituality) by Henri J.M. Nouwen
• The Treasure Principle Bible Study: Unlocking the Secret of Joyful Giving by Randy Alcorn
• The Sower: Redefining the Ministry of Raising Kingdom Resources by R. Scott Rodin and Gary G. Hoag
Singleness and Missions
Rebekah Strangarity shares with us some of the blessings and challenges of life as a single missionary.
ABOUT REBEKAH STRANGARITY:
Rebekah Strangarity grew up in Lancaster County, PA and attended Lancaster Bible College (B.S., in Bible and TESOL), Western Seminary (M.A. in Ministry Leadership-Pastoral Care to Women), and Tel Aviv University (M.A. in Trauma and Crisis Studies). She has been teaching at LBC since August 2020. Prior to that, she served for five years in Israel where she helped start and run a shelter for prostitutes, start a counseling center, and teach Bible studies. While living in Portland, Oregon, she helped direct a ministry for trafficked teenagers. Her passion is seeing women walk in wholeness, to find freedom and healing from abuse, and grow theologically strong. Rebekah has also been a champion of the ministry of Sanctuary Inn since it’s beginning; she now serves on the Sanctuary Inn Board.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCE:
Missionary Care On the Field
Karen DeGraaf shares from her life experience and perspective as a Counselor and Missionary Care provider in West Africa.
ABOUT KAREN DEGRAAF:
Karen (M.A., Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor (NC), SIL Africa Area Counseling Coordinator) joined Wycliffe Bible Translators when she was 22, and met her husband David as they were both training to do translation and linguistic research in French-speaking West Africa. They spent 11 years in Cote d’Ivoire, West Africa, and had 3 children there. They were forced to leave in 2002 when a civil war tore the country apart, and Karen made the not-so-obvious shift from language work to counseling and member care. In 2006 she received her MA in Counseling from Western Seminary in Portland, OR. She served as a counselor at the Wycliffe JAARS Center in North Carolina for 8 years, then relocated to Cameroon, Africa to take the assignment of Africa Area Counseling Coordinator. Karen’s areas of specialization include depression, anxiety, trauma recovery, stress/burnout, relationships, transitions, grief and loss. She is a facilitator for Strengthening Your Interpersonal Skills workshops, Trauma Healing workshops, and has training as a Life Coach. She works with adults, couples and adolescents. Karen loves to help both individuals and teams discover how to live and work with grace and resilience.
Bearing God’s Name Among the Nations
Dr. Carmen Imes unpacks material from her book “Bearing God’s Name” and helps us understand how our view of God impacts our life in ministry.
ABOUT DR. CARMEN IMES:
Carmen is Associate Professor of Old Testament at Biola University. A graduate of Wheaton College (PhD), Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary (MABS), and Multnomah University (BA),
Carmen has also taught at Prairie College in Alberta, Canada. She and her husband were missionaries with SIM for 15 years, having served in church planting in the Philippines and administration for a multi-country ministry called Sports Friends. Carmen is the author of Bearing God's Name: Why Sinai Still Matters and editor of Praying the Psalms with Augustine and Friends. She's passionate about equipping Christians to read the Old Testament well and embrace their identity and vocation as people who bear God's name.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCE:
Retirement Finances & Missions
This interview with seasoned missionaries Dennis Beck and Mark Downing explores how missionaries can prepare for their retirement years.
About Dennis Beck:
As an international missionary with Campus Crusade for Christ (branded as Cru in the USA) in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) for 38 years, Dennis was asked to move from student ministry to administrative roles as the 20 countries devolved in 1991. As Area Financial Manager his challenge was to bring order out of the post-communist chaos introducing financial systems, western style accounting and auditing skills across the 20 national ministries involving 800 staff. He introduced retirement savings plans for those same CEE staff, starting with Poland in 1994. He continues to teach retirement seminars and to facilitate individualized sessions with his missionary colleagues.
About Mark Downing:
He is currently enjoying retirement after serving 26 years in Brazil with the Baptist General Conference, now called Converge. After language school, he began teaching Greek and New Testament courses in a seminary in Campo Grande, near the middle of the country, training pastors and missionaries. After doing that for 10 years he did some retooling to help start a missions degree at the seminary. After directing the Missions Department and teaching missions for another five years, he then transferred to Rio de Janeiro to help launch the world missions training center of the Brazilian Baptist Convention where he served as one of the coordinators for another 10 years. He and his wife helped to train more than 350 Brazilian Baptist Convention world missionaries. Mark has been married to Helen for 54 years and they have three children and four grandchildren.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCE:
• Ron Blue “Mastering Your Money”
A Year in Review
Steve Price & Kara Githens discuss the first year of podcasts and highlight some of the episodes that have stood out. We encourage you to go back to any episodes you may have missed. Our podcasts are here to equip you!
Training Global Missionaries
Dr. Mark Hedinger, the Director of Culture Bound, shares some tools and skills that help missionaries worldwide to be effective in bridging the cross-cultural gap in order to share the good news of Jesus.
ABOUT MARK HEDINGER:
Mark Hedinger has served in cross cultural ministry and ministry training for over 30 years, with mission experience in Mexico, in the home office of a US sending agency, through international training networks, and in leading CultureBound, a training organization headquartered in Portland OR. Mark and the CultureBound team offer training to mission agencies, schools, churches and businesses around the world. He holds a Doctorate in Intercultural Studies and serves as Adjunct faculty with Western Seminary.
Mark is married to Karen Hedinger and they are blessed with four married children and 11 grandchildren.
You can learn more about the CultureBound ministry at culturebound.org
The Value of Missionary Care
Dan Sered, COO of Jews for Jesus, and his lovely wife Dinah share about the value and necessity of good care from their own experience in ministry. They also share practical ways in which their organization is striving to grow in effective care for their workers.
ABOUT DAN & DINAH SERED:
Dan Sered was born in Israel to a secular Jewish family and later relocated to the United States while he was in his teens. Dan attended Stony Brook University in New York where he met Dinah, a Jewish believer in Jesus who showed him how Yeshua (Jesus) fulfilled the prophecies of the Messiah. Dan’s eyes were opened and he committed his life to the Lord. In 1999, Dan & Dinah were married and soon after began serving as missionaries, joining Jews for Jesus and later moving to Israel. In 2006, Dan became the Israel Director of Jews for Jesus, which quickly became the largest branch of the ministry worldwide. In 2019, Dan was appointed as a Chief Operating Officer for the organization and specifically supervises the day-to-day efforts of the branches in Europe, South Africa, Israel, and Australia. Dan received his M.A. in Ministry and Leadership from Western Seminary and his D. Min. in Leadership from Dallas Theological Seminary. He is the President of the Lausanne Consultation on Jewish Evangelism and serves as Co-Catalyst for Jewish Evangelism in the Lausanne Movement. Dan is also an adjunct professor at Israel College of the Bible in Netanya and helped to pastor All Nations Church in Petah Tikvah, Israel for 17 years. He & Dinah have 3 children; Yael, Eithan, and Yoav.
Best Practices for Short-Term Missions
Brian Heerwagen, executive director of Standards of Excellence gives us much to consider on how we can maximize the impact of Short Term Missions.
ABOUT BRIAN HEERWAGEN:
Brian’s first short-term mission (STM) was in 1980. He has been the CEO of Standards of Excellence - SOE (formerly Delta Ministries) since 1985 and has been on countless short-term ministries and partnered with nationals and long-term missionaries in 29 countries. He has a degree in Business and Organizational Leadership. He is the lead author on the collaborative work for “The Next Mile” with more than 30,000 books sold and was part of the national leadership movement that wrote and established the Standards of Excellence in short-term missions. He has been the Missions Pastor at Montavilla Church in Portland, Oregon since 1997. Brian and Lorraine were married in 1986 and they have three grown and married children and five grandkids.
Cultural Humility
Dr. Karen Fancher, a professor at Multnomah University, with graduate degrees in counseling and missions brings a unique perspective on how we engage cross-culturally. Join us for a discussion on how our heart attitude affects our impact.
ABOUT KAREN FANCHER:
From a young age, Dr. Karen Fancher was fascinated by other cultures and contexts. She has served as a bilingual teacher, professional counselor, Dean of Students, and Professor. She also had the privilege to engage with churches in South Sudan, seeking to partner with them in providing community-based support for those impacted by the trauma of war.
Dr. Karen Fancher is currently an Assistant Professor in the Global Studies and Master of Arts in Global Development and Justice programs at Multnomah University. She integrates the disciplines of biblical studies, professional counseling, and intercultural studies, as she seeks to help students use their gifts and passions to invest in God’s redemptive purposes in this world. She is currently researching community-based approaches to promote support and healing for those impacted by the trauma of war. She desires to support church and community leaders to be catalysts of hope and healing at the grassroots level.
BOOK RESOURCE:
Millennials & Missions
Dr. Jolene Erlacher is an author and trainer in mobilizing millennials in missions and ministry. You don’t want to miss out on her wisdom and insights on how to engage and empower the next generation for the Kingdom.
ABOUT JOLENE ERLACHER:
Jolene worked for eight years at North Central University, specializing in leadership training, student development and personnel management. During that time, she identified the need for building awareness of generational differences as young leaders entered the workplace, especially in ministry contexts. This began an extended journey of researching the experiences and needs of Millennials in ministry positions. Her book, Millennials in Ministry (Judson Press) documents her findings. Jolene's new book, Daniel Generation: Godly Leadership in an Ungodly Culture, was released in August 2018.
Jolene specializes in providing training and consulting on team effectiveness and inter-generational leadership. She works with community organizations, government agencies, churches, missions agencies, and small businesses. Jolene teaches continuing education courses for Eduspire. She is also an adjunct faculty member and teaches graduate courses on Organizational Leadership at North Central University, and serves on the Boards of Directors for GoCorps and The Standards of Excellence in Short-Term Mission.
Jolene's education background includes degrees in Education and English, and a graduate certificate in International Leadership. Her doctorate is in Leadership from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, MN. She has also completed training on the StrengthsFinder assessment through Gallup Consulting and is a certified IPSAT (Identity Profile Self Awareness Tool) leadership coach. Jolene is also a Certified Church Consultant through CC.U (ChurchConsultation.University). Jolene is fluent in Spanish and has volunteered and studied in various countries including Mexico, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Jamaica, Kenya, and South Africa. She is actively involved in her local church and community. Jolene lives in central NC with her husband, twin daughters and their dog Rex. She enjoys reading, writing and drinking coffee.
Global Missions Training
Dr. Steve Hardy, a global missions trainer and consultant, talks with us about the challenges, needs, and realities of training missionaries around the world. You may be surprised to hear some of his stories from missions movements around the world.
ABOUT DR. STEVE HARDY:
Steve has served as SIM International's Advocate for Theological Education as well as a senior advisor to the International Council for Evangelical Theological Education (ICETE). He worked as a missionary educator primarily in Brazil, Mozambique and South Africa, although has traveled extensively as an educational consultant. He developed an Institute for Excellence in Theological Education for Overseas Council and directed the international scholar program for Langham Partnership (John Stott Ministries). His writings have focused on issues of quality in training and educational administration. He has been married for 48 years to LeAnne and has two grown daughters (Katie and Erika) and three grandkids.
Meet a Sanctuary Inn Guest
We’re excited about Season 3 beginning on September 13. Listen to hear what is in store for our next season. Also, in this brief bonus episode Tiana shares with us a little of her story and how Sanctuary Inn has been a part of her journey.
Self-Care in Missions
Amy Young of Global Trellis shares from her life as a cross-cultural worker and her experience on how missionaries can take steps to pursue care for themselves to be healthy and thriving despite the challenges of the missionary life.
ABOUT AMY YOUNG:
Amy Young, MA, LPC served in China for nearly 20 years, holding various leadership roles, including Member Care Director for 10 years. She co-founded Velvet Ashes, an online community for women working cross-culturally. She founded Global Trellis which develops the spiritual life of cross-cultural workers. You can find out more about it at globaltrellis.com. Amy is also the author of five books for cross-cultural workers. She lives in Colorado and is delighted not to have to get up in the middle of the night to cheer for the Denver Broncos and Kansas Jayhawks.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
• Azmera
What is Cross Cultural Stress?
The Innkeepers hosts, Steve Price & Kara Githens, discuss the reality of cross-cultural stress in the lives of missionaries and some tools to identify it and cope in healthy ways.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCE:
• Transition Curve by Marion Dicke from Mobile Member Care Team
Sending Church Care
Brian Heerwagen, the Missions Pastor of Montavilla Baptist Church for over two decades, shares his passion and practical tools for growing your church’s heart and connection to Global Missions and the missionaries your church supports.
ABOUT BRIAN HEERWAGEN:
Brian’s first short-term mission (STM) was in 1980. He has been the CEO of Standards of Excellence - SOE (formerly Delta Ministries) since 1985 and has been on countless short-term ministries and partnered with nationals and long-term missionaries in 29 countries. He has a degree in Business and Organizational Leadership. He is the lead author on the collaborative work for “The Next Mile” with more than 30,000 books sold and was part of the national leadership movement that wrote and established the Standards of Excellence in short-term missions. He has been the Missions Pastor at Montavilla Church in Portland, Oregon since 1997. Brian and Lorraine were married in 1986 and they have three grown and married children and five grandkids.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCE:
• Unoffendable: How Just One Change Can Make All of Life Better by Brant Hansen
Shepherding Missionaries
Perry Bradford, Director of Barnabas International, shares about his life and the work of Barnabas providing pastoral care for missionaries all across the globe.
ABOUT PERRY BRADFORD: Perry and Sandi Bradford began their missionary journey in 1980 with Wycliffe Bible Translators. In 1994, they returned to the United States after 10 years of service in Papua New Guinea to join Barnabas International. Perry currently serves as the Executive Director of Barnabas. For 17 years Sandi served as the Director of Women’s Ministries for Calvary Community Church in Williams Bay, WI. Together, Perry and Sandi have a heart to shepherd missionaries and national church leaders around the globe. They are the proud parents of 3 adult children and 7 grandchildren!
ADDITIONAL RESOURCE:
• Barnabas International - barnabas.org Providing pastoral care, missionary and MK care, and encouragement. Their focus is traveling to the missionary on the field. They also provide excellent conferences and retreats. Pastors to Missionaries; Equipping Women International, Debriefing Retreats etc.
• MuKappa International - mukappa.org Is a collegiate organization for students who have grown up in a cross-cultural setting (campus based and online for MK’s to meet other MK’s and share their experiences.)
The Significance of Forgiveness
Calvin & Julie Tadema of “Master’s Mind Ministry” share with us the power and significance of forgiveness in our lives. They share concrete steps we can take with God’s help to be set free.
ABOUT CALVIN & JULIE TADEMA:
Calvin & Julie Tadema are a full-time ministry team offering healing prayer for the spiritual, emotional and physical needs through Master’s Mind Ministry. Individual healing prayer sessions encourage insight and growth, particularly for overcoming trauma and abuse. In addition, they teach the principles of mind renewal and listening prayer in classes, workshops and retreats. The Tademas have been married for 43 years, love teaching together, and sharing their enthusiasm for the transforming work of the Lord in people’s lives. Additional resources: mastersmindministry.org
Marriage and Cross-Cultural Stress
John Leverington, a counselor with decades of experience working with Global Workers, helps us to understand the joys and challenges of marriage and life outside your home culture.
ABOUT JOHN LEVERINGTON:John Leverington has over 25 years of experience working as a therapist, consultant, trainer and supervisor. John was the founding director of Olive Tree Counseling Center in Antalya, Turkey and served as an SIL counselor in Papua New Guinea and Dallas, Texas. He has worked with numerous organizations responding to individual and group crisis situations in Eurasia, Africa, Asia and the Pacific. He has been married to Becky for 48 years and enjoys running, snow shoeing, hiking and photography.
RESOURCES:Marriage Resources mentioned in this Podcast with John Leverington:
- The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work by John Gottman
- Getting the Love You Want by Harville Hendrix & Helen LaKelly Hunt
- Created for Connection: The “Hold Me Tight” Guide for Christian Couples by Sue Johnson & Kenneth Sanderfer
Cross-Cultural Marriage:
- Love Across Latitudes: A Workbook on Cross-Cultural Marriage by Janet Fraser Smith
- In Love But Worlds Apart: Insights, questions, and tips for the intercultural couple by Grete Shelling
Marriage Betrayal:
Gottman Institute:
- Card Decks App for your phone or device to help guide you through meaningful conversations with your spouse.
Counseling Centers around the world for global workers:
- Olive Tree Counseling Center - Antalya, Turkey
- Cornerstone Counseling Foundation - Chiang Mai, Thailand
- Tumaini Counseling Center - Nairobi, Kenya
Places to get away as a couple:
- Life Impact Oasis - Retreat homes around the world.
Thriving in the First Missionary Term
Connie Befus shares from her lifelong cross-cultural experience, her research, and training as a Psychologist how missionaries can survive and thrive beyond the first-term of service.
ABOUT CONNIE BEFUS, PH.D.:
Connie Befus is a psychologist with 35 years of experience in providing for the mental and spiritual health needs of international cross-cultural workers. She grew up in Africa, the daughter of career international workers and served with her husband in Latin America for 17 years. She has also worked in private practice, as a psychological consultant for six sending organizations, and as a Director of Member Care for sending organizations for 17 years. She has two adult Third Culture Kids. Her doctoral research explored effective helps for people in the midst of cross cultural adjustment. She is the author of Sojourner’s Workbook: A Guide to Thriving Cross-Culturally.
TCK Training - Preventative Care for our Missionary Kids
Lauren Wells specializes in practical, preventative care for Third Culture Kids and their families. Lauren herself is a Missionary Kid who spent much of her developmental years in Tanzania, East Africa. In this podcast we hear some of her story and how God is using her experience and wisdom to help Third Culture Kids thrive.
ABOUT LAUREN WELLS:
Lauren Wells is the Founder and Director of TCK Training and author of Raising Up a Generation of Healthy Third Culture Kids: A Practical Guide to Preventive Care and The Grief Tower. She specializes in practical, preventive care for Third Culture Kids and their families. She has worked with over 1,000 parents and TCK caregivers and has trained staff from over 60 organizations. Lauren spent her developmental years in Tanzania, East Africa and now lives in South Carolina with her husband and two children.
Continuum of Care
Hosts Steve Price and Kara Githens discuss the different levels of missionary care that are needed in missions today. They share many resources for Missionary Care around the world.
Please visit sanctuaryinn.org/podcasts/continuum-of-care/ for the list of related resources.
Caring for Your Missionary Through Prayer
Doug Hazen gives practical tools and amazing insight into how we can effectively pray for missionaries around the world.
ABOUT DOUG HAZEN:
Doug Hazen is a devoted husband, and a proud parent of four adult children, and in addition to their four, later in life he and his wife Ruth adopted two more wonderful kids. Doug and Ruth are also doting and grandparents to 17 grandchildren.
Doug was born to missionary parents and then as an adult he and his wife and four young children served in Congo with WorldVenture. Doug served for 30 years with WorldVenture and the last role that he held was as the National Director of Mobilization Prayer for WorldVenture. He is now retired from WorldVenture and is faithfully serving in a pastoral capacity in a small church in Southern Oregon.
A Missionary Care Pioneer
Dr. Barney Davis shares a bit of his journey and lifework as a Psychiatrist and Missionary Care Provider for the last 30 years. He shares his insight on missions, mental illness, and how we can strive for health.
ABOUT DR. BARNEY DAVIS:
Dr. Barney Davis is a psychiatrist, who along with his wife, Karen, a registered nurse (deceased), served as founders of the Godspeed Resources team. Their passion for providing medical and counseling consultations on the field for intercultural workers took them to many locations around the world. A graduate of Texas-based undergraduate, medical, and postgraduate institutions, he practiced general psychiatry in Texas and Maryland before taking on the directorship of Godspeed from 1998 through 2009. Currently, Barney serves as a Clinical Associate at Godspeed Resources.
Click this link to learn more about Godspeed Resources [https://www.godspeedresources.org/]
A Conversation with a Counselor to Missionaries
Lynn Paulsen from CarePort Counseling shares some of her story and her passion for caring for missionaries through CarePort Counseling, an online counseling service.
About Lynn PaulsenLynn is the founder and service provider for Care Port. She has spent over 20 years working overseas in a variety of contexts – living in large cities as well as a small village, and being a traveling counselor. Though much of her work was in Asia, she has also traveled to Europe, Africa and the South Pacific. Having worked in a large organization for many years, she is now following a dream to broaden her services to those who have little access to counseling.
“I’ve lived in a village where tours of ‘white skins’ came through to see the ‘primitive’ people. And I’ve watched tanks roll down the street during a coup. My own journey included a time of crawling out of the pit of depression. I’ve learned so much by living in another culture and by walking with others on their personal journeys of growth. They’ve both contributed to who I am today.” - LynnPersonal Background – Lynn went to the University of California at San Diego as an engineering major. But after several variations on the engineering theme, ended up with a Psychology degree. After spending many years overseas as a linguist, she finally returned to her first career love – Psychology. Wheaton College provided both excellent academic training as well as exceptional mentoring in the field. She’s been a licensed counselor since 2002.
The Five Things Your Missionary Won’t Tell You
The Innkeepers hosts Steve Price and Kara Githens share some of what they’ve learned about missionaries and their unspoken needs and realities.
Click this link to view the article: Five Things your Missionary Won’t Tell You
Clinging to the Sovereignty of God
Meet Dennis and Kasia Beck and hear their incredible story. They are missionaries with a story full of loss, grief, and a beautiful picture of God’s faithfulness and goodness.
Click this link to view the PDF of the story mentioned in this podcast.
About Dennis and Kasia BeckDennis and Kasia Beck have served in Eastern Europe, with Campus Crusade for Christ (Cru in the US), for more than 40 years. They are currently overseeing the FamilyLife Ministry in Eastern Europe and Russia. Currently they live in Ohio and and split their time between developing FamilyLife ministry in Eastern Europe and reaching and discipling University professors in Ohio.
A Third Culture Kid (TCK) Story
Learn along with us from Tim Boettcher on what it has meant to grow up overseas as a missionary kid/third culture kid and then have the opportunity to raise his own kids cross-culturally. He has much wisdom and insight on the challenges and beauty of living life among worlds.
Do Missionaries Experience Trauma?
In this podcast we are privileged to speak with Dr. Steve Tracy, author of “Mending the Soul” and learn from him about the realities of trauma and missions. Do you ever wonder if you or a missionary you care about has experienced trauma and you're not quite sure what to do? We hope this podcast will help answer your questions and give you direction and hope.
The Innkeepers: Introducing Ourselves
In this brief introductory episode you will get a chance to meet "The Innkeepers" hosts Steve Price and Kara Githens. They share a bit of their life stories and how God brought each of them to serve and work at Sanctuary Inn and gave them a passion for Missionary Care.