I'm going to be serving in Sudan!

A great weight has been lifted from my shoulders! Today I received my placement from my mission agency, SIM. Next year I will be serving God in a small village in South Sudan. A mixture of emotions floods my mind and body, but the pervading emotion is joy. There have been so many years, so many steps, so many prayers and so much question about WHERE God would have me share His love, grace and the gifts He has given me. I am so thrilled to have that question answered and to be moving on toward that end.

In shrinking Sheila fashion I hoped that the decision would not be left up to me, and in truth, it wasn't. On the business side of things I was offered positions in both Sudan and Malawi and had to follow the vision God gave me to have the location settled. There were many practical and social reasons for going to Malawi, but in the end I felt I had no choice but to follow the vision God has given me of serving in a small village where I know and am known by the nationals I live in community with. I cannot wait to serve these people who are in such need of physical, economic, spiritual and emotional ministry as they work to rebuild their lives following the turmoil of over two decades of civil war.

Many of you expressed concern about my safety when you knew that Sudan was one of my possible placements. Well, let me share some information to put your mind at ease. With your prayers and God's grace I will be very safe. South Sudan is currently in a tentative state of peace because of a five year peace treaty with the North. When that ends in 2011 there may be the potential for trouble, but SIM has a contingency plan and keeps a close eye on the ground to know if teams should be evacuated.

I will be sharing more details via this blog, on email and in person, but I couldn't wait to get the news out to those of you who have been eagerly awaiting to know where I would be going. Thank you for your prayers.

Myths about the mission field

Motor vehicles accidents are the leading cause of death on the mission field. Not kidnapping and murder, not during violent crime of robbery, not illness, not snake bites or lion attacks, and not political or religious uprisings. MVAs! That might point our prayers in another direction. Hmmm.


Another common misconception about missionaries is that they return home because the work was too hard, they failed to acclimate to the culture, they experienced burnout, they lacked finances or they just didn't see the fruits of their labors. The primary reason American missionaries return home from the mission field before finishing their term is because they were unable to resolve problems with their fellow missionaries on the field. Interpersonal relation problems! This sounds like a silly thing to have such an impact on the work God called them to do--but interpersonal relationships are what the enemy seems to target most when he sees that God's people are being effective.

"I give you a new command: Love each other. You must love each other as I have loved you. All people will know that you are my followers if you love each other." John 13:34, 35