Facing a Task Unfinished

We check in with OMF Taiwan missionary, Kat Tang. Along with her husband and two children, Kat is briefly in the U.S. before returning to Taiwan. 

We talk about what it’s like to serve in an area where her family is the only Christians in their community, the challenge of sharing the gospel where they are, and what missionaries really wish they could tell their supporters.

To see and learn more about Kat and her husband, Putao’s, ministry in Meishan, Taiwan, visit:

https://partnerhub.omf.org/KT1

Kat has also shared in the past on our blog:

https://omf.org/us/partnership-two-way-street/

https://omf.org/us/rural-church-planting/

(Guest: Kat Tang; Host: Mike Klassen)

Global Frontier Mission’s Marketing Manager, Katherine, joins the podcast to talk again with Lauren. Lauren has been sharing her journey that took her through the Train & Go Apprenticeship program, a partnership between GFM and OMF.

Today, Lauren shares her surprising experience in a coffeehouse reminds us that God moves powerfully beyond the limits we put on Him. He uses us for his purposes, often in the most unexpected ways.

You can also read Lauren’s story on our blog which includes links to her other stories in this series:

https://omf.org/us/a-buddhist-monk-asked-how-to-share-the-gospel/

To learn more about the Train & Go Apprenticeship, visit:

https://omf.org/us/apprenticeship-program/

Our thanks to Global Frontier Missions for making this episode possible!

Thanks to rapid advancements in communications technology, we now have some incredible tools to accelerate cross-cultural evangelism and discipleship. Social media is one of those tools.

Discover how OMF's Media for Movements has been using social media to evangelize and disciple the Shan people.

Written/Read by: Christopher Lane

Blog version of this story:

https://omf.org/us/shan-social-media/

October 2023 Prayer Powerlines:

https://omf.org/us/october-2023-prayer-powerlines/

Get involved with Media for Movements:

[email protected]

Have you ever struggled with how to pray on a deeper level for mission workers? If so, you’re not alone. In this episode, we highlight 7 areas to cover in prayer, one for each day of the week.

For quick reference, feel free to take a screenshot of the 7 days below to keep on your mobile device, computer, or to print:

Day 1 – Relationship with God

Day 2 – Physical and Emotional Needs

Day 3 – Family Relationships

Day 4 – Ability to Communicate

Day 5 – Ministry Effectiveness

Day 6 – Team Relationships

Day 7 – Country of Service

Written by Bill Wilson

Read by Mike Klassen

OMF Thailand missionaries Bekah and Brian Farber share a conversation about... hairy feet.

A seemingly odd topic, but one with a wonderful spiritual lesson that can apply to all of us.

(To see the “hairy feet” photo that inspired this episode, visit our blog at: https://omf.org/us/i-love-your-hairy-feet/)

As a new missionary, what do you do when you feel led to serve in a particular country, but then see the door slammed shut?

That was the situation facing Brian and Esther Newton.

Hear how God leads in ways that don't always make sense at the time, and how the health of their one-year-old son had a significant impact on where they eventually ended up.

Written by: Brian Newton

Read by: Mike Klassen

(Original article link: https://omf.org/us/the-door-to-japanshut/)

“Does anyone actually read our prayer updates?”⁠ 

That's a question that's been asked by many missionaries over the years.

What's special is when that question leads to the creation of a team to ensure people are reading those updates and communicating on a regular basis with missionaries. ⁠

Jan Thompson, who heads the OMF (U.S.) Prayer and Care Correspondence team, and her husband Bryan, were missionaries who did wonder who was reading their updates.

That experience informs how her team works today. And it’s a wonderful reminder of how easily we can encourage missionaries we know.

(Original article link: https://omf.org/us/prayer-and-care-for-omf-missionaries/)

If you know missionaries, you may have heard the term Home Assignment. It's a time when missionaries return to their home country for a period of time before returning to their country of service. But there is so much more to it than that!

OMF Japan missionary Wendy Marshall walks us through what's involved in Home Assignment, something she is going through with her family right now as they prepare to return to Australia.

Wendy is joined by OMF Japan missionary Kesia Pain. You'll be blessed by their honesty in the struggles that come with Home Assignment, and you'll be better-equipped to pray for missionaries who go through this period of transition. 

To read the blog series that's a companion with this episode, visit: https://omf.org/us/what-home-assignment-means-for-a-missionary-part1

About Wendy: Wendy Marshall is an Australian serving with OMF. She has been in Japan with her husband David since 2000; they have three young adult sons. Wendy is a writer and editor. She’s the managing editor of a magazine for and by missionaries in Japan called Japan Harvest. She’s also the editor for OMF Japan’s social media and blog.

About Kesia: Kesia has been a missionary with OMF International since 2007, sent out by the UK. She currently lives in Tokyo, Japan with her husband Chris and 2 daughters. They also have 2 sons, one in India and one in the UK. She is part of the Field Leadership Team with Chris, the Field Director, and is also involved in supporting TCKs.

It’s not often we look in the book of Numbers to see how it applies to our lives today. But Thailand missionary Bekah Farber has found great peace in how God uses that book to show just how much he cares for us, both then and now.

To read the print version of this story, visit: https://omf.org/us/every-sink-my-toothbrush-rested-on/

Last year, Lauren shared part of her journey through the Train & Go Apprenticeship, a partnership between OMF and Global Frontier Missions (GFM). Today, Katie, GFM’s Marketing Manager, welcomes us to hear directly from Lauren as she shares the power of what God can do, even when we think it’s going to be an uneventful and unproductive day.

To read the written version of this story, visit: https://omf.org/us/god-uses-our-words-more-powerfully-than-we-could-ever-imagine

To learn more about the Train & Go Apprenticeship that Lauren talks about, visit: ⁠https://omf.org/us/apprenticeship-program/