Transformed & Transformational

Do you have a big life transition looming ahead? Is someone you know planning to move away? Lindsay Nimmon provides a Biblical framework for saying goodbye well, then gets practical, walking through the RAFT acronym and five tips for applying these transition principles.

• "When you're living overseas, you're bound to say more goodbyes and experience more grief as a result of those goodbyes than any monocultural or non-mobile peer."
• "People are eternal beings who are not meant for endings, so goodbyes hurt, but we hear God's call to us as Christians to go into all the world and make disciples, and so we trust that He can and does use this grief to shape mobile people into His likeness and give people full lives."
• Third Culture Kids: Growing Up Among Worlds by David Pollock
• Safe Passage by Douglas Ota
• "It is possible to form and help our families form healthy, Christ-centered life patterns surrounding transition, loss, grief, people, the world, and learning through the process of learning to say goodbye well."
• "Saying a good goodbye to a place and a community is part of cultivating personal health and recognizing that we are loved by God."
• Moving On: Beyond Forgive and Forget by Ruth Ann Batstone
• RAFT: Reconciliation, Affirmation, Farewell, Think Destination
• "Reconciling then, thereby fostering humility, reliance on God, and merciful attitudes, paves the way for a better exit from one community and a more open posture upon entering another community."
• "Be specific about what you see God doing in the lives of those around you, and take this moment to encourage their souls."
• "Tokens of the affirmation we want to give people during times of transition allow the affirmation to be revisited over and over again and help quiet the negativity that can come when people are feeling isolated."
• A Life Overseas Blog
• "Even as we are in the process of saying goodbye to one people and place, we can begin looking ahead to the people and place we are going."
• "It is good to begin to let your heart and the hearts of your children float on the RAFT across the ocean to the destination, trusting that Jesus is leading you there to love a different part of His creation and a different group of people for His name's sake."
• "Doing all of the right things doesn't necessarily guarantee the future outcome, but it doesn't mean that we give up either […] It does something to our own hearts even if it doesn't create the outcome we were hoping for."

What's changing our lives:

• Keane: Joining a church mentoring program
• Heather: Hair getting long
• Lindsay: Loneliness

Weekly Spotlight: Asunción Christian Academy

We'd love to hear from you! [email protected] Podcast Website: https://teachbeyond.org/podcast Learn about TeachBeyond: https://teachbeyond.org/

Pastor and author David Platt joins us for this Good Friday episode, where we focus on the Gospel and its centrality to missions. What makes the Gospel the good news, and how can we be part of sharing it with others? Listen in for an inspiring story about Gospel impact on a community and be challenged to take up our cross and follow Jesus.

• "We are made for life in relationship with God."
• "He rose from the grave, conquering sin and death, so that anybody anywhere in any nation, no matter who you are and what you've done, if you will repent and believe, turn from your sin and yourself, put your trust in Jesus as your Savior and Lord, then God will forgive you of all your sin and restore to relationship with Him forever. That is the greatest news in the world."
• "The beauty of the Gospel is that it's not based on what we do; it's based on believing, trusting in who Jesus is and what Jesus has done for us."
• "Gospel flows directly into mission: When you believe this Good News, you want to spread this Good News."
• "We all have a unique and significant part to play in the spread of the Gospel to all the nations."
• "It should be totally intolerable to us as followers of Jesus that there are thousands of people groups in the world that have little to no access to this Gospel."
• "This is actually what it means to be a follower of Jesus - not just to say a prayer or believe some truths, but to die to ourselves, pick up a cross, and to live with Him as Lord of our lives in every way."
• "He's called us to die to the dreams of this world in order to live for a much greater dream, a global dream, the spread of His glory to the ends of the earth."
• Philippians 3
• "In following Jesus, it may cost you everything, but He is worth it."
• Luke 9:23
• "If Jesus is Lord of my life and I'm living for the spread of the Gospel and His glory through my life, then what does that look like in my workplace? What does that look like in my home? What does that look like when I think about my future plans?"
• "We need followers of Jesus in every domain in the workplace, filled with the Holy Spirit of God working for the glory of God."
• "We're not going to over there what we're not doing right here where we live."
• Radical.net

What's changing our lives:

• Keane: Writing in his books
• Heather: Spending time with my nephews
• David: Communicating with his 2-year-old daughter

Weekly Spotlight: TeachBeyond Opportunity Board

We'd love to hear from you! [email protected] Podcast Website: https://teachbeyond.org/podcast Learn about TeachBeyond: https://teachbeyond.org/

Brian Delamont returns to the podcast to explore the Merriam-Webster Dictionary word of the year – "authentic" – through a Biblical lens. Heather draws a connection to her word of the year from 2023, and Keane shares a profound quote from C.S. Lewis.

• Holiness in Everyday Life by Raphael Haeuser
• The Truest Thing about You by David Lomas
• "It's crucial to ground identity in something proven and dependable, something that doesn't shift."
• Genesis 1:27
• "Humans are inescapably, for all eternity, created in God's image; it's inherent in us. Therefore we long for the characteristics that can only be satisfied in Him."
• Mark 8:35
• "Jesus is inviting us to find our identity in him, and in the presence of the Father and the Holy Spirit, to let this identity of being deeply loved by God shape our desires to align with what He knows will lead to our flourishing, to shalom."
• "If I find in myself desires which nothing in this world can satisfy, the only logical explanation is that I was made for another world." -C.S. Lewis
• Matthew 3:17
• 2 Peter 1:17
• Colossians 3:1-10
• 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
• "When I live in my identity as a person indwelt by God, who loves me, I let Him rule. This anchors me in my authentic identity."
• Spiritual Direction by Henri Nouwen
• 1 Corinthians 13:11
• 1 Peter 2:9-10
• "I'm not a solitary individual who chose to follow Jesus; I'm a part of the global community of Jesus followers alive today, and I'm a descendent of every Jesus follower before me. They are my people."
• Philippians 1:6
• "Until the day God returns to make everything declare His full glory once again, He will be at work in you. And you have work to do in this, as well. You answer the call; you respond by actively becoming who you authentically are."

March Reflection: As you look at yourself, who are you becoming? What will you do to experience this more fully?

What's changing our lives:

• Keane: Rediscovering Josh Garrels music
• Heather: Hosting a favorite things party
• Brian: Learning from these podcasts

Weekly Spotlight: International Academy of St. Petersburg

We'd love to hear from you! [email protected] Podcast Website: https://teachbeyond.org/podcast Learn about TeachBeyond: https://teachbeyond.org/

How does an Internet search lead to missions work? What is it like to provide literacy training amongst nomadic communities? Hear from Wangūi Maina about her experiences following the Lord to multiple different countries and what it's like to serve now in Northern Kenya.

• "I felt the Lord say, 'Forget all of the things you're trying to figure out. Just trust Me and go.'"
• "Northern Kenya in 2024, still has the highest illiteracy rates in the whole of East Africa."
• "One of the greatest impacts that I have seen is seeing children who were not interested in school because of the cultural practices that prevail in these communities take up an interest in going to school and staying in school."
• "Where Christ is preached fearlessly, transformation happens."
• "Whatever negativity or whatever darkness, it can't come against the light."
• "People think God's calling is some big voice up in the air or you'll hear some booming, but it's those impressions that the Lord puts in our hearts."
• "Start your day with the Lord; it really makes a difference."

What's changing our lives:

• Keane: Planting the garden
• Heather: Teaching at her alma mater
• Wangūi: Discovering new nearby routes

Weekly Spotlight: Creative Access Locations

We'd love to hear from you! [email protected] Podcast Website: https://teachbeyond.org/podcast Learn about TeachBeyond: https://teachbeyond.org/

Who says that learning can't be fun? Hear from seasoned educator Bastiaen Norel, along with several other TeachBeyond teachers, about what it can look like to make learning fun, encourage exploration, provide opportunities for creativity, and celebrate achievements.

• Cultivating a Culture of Love for Learning by Bastiaen Norel
• "We all have a bit of intrinsic motivation for things we love."
• Drive by Daniel Pink
• "I forget about time, and that's when 'flow' happens. You want to aim at getting children to come to a point where [...] they're unaware of what's going on, they're so intrigued by their subject and what they're doing."
• "Keep their interest by changing or mixing your learning styles. I think that is vitally important to get a good response."
• "If you teach the subject over two or three years, you will build up material that you can use again."
• "All children are placed in their class for a purpose; it's not by accident."
• "We are always on a transformation journey."

What's changing our lives:

• Keane: Everything Sad Is Untrue by Daniel Nayeri
• Heather: Getting a larger rug for my living room
• Bastiaen: Playing the flute with orchestral background tracks

Weekly Spotlight: Sparrow Project

We'd love to hear from you! [email protected] Podcast Website: https://teachbeyond.org/podcast Learn about TeachBeyond: https://teachbeyond.org/

Dr. Allen Yeh shares about generational distinctives and provides perspective on how this impacts views on faith, values, church, and global missions.

• "When we talk about culture, it's not just ethnicity and nationality or even gender, it's also age. So the different generations are different cultures, even if they come from the same country."
• "With Gen Zers, it's harder to reach them with the institutional church. It's not necessarily that they are less interested in Christianity; it's just that the traditional methods don't work as well."
• True Story: A Christianity Worth Believing In by James Choung
• "The four generations each have a gateway question in order to reach them. For Boomers, their gateway question is 'what is true?' For Gen Xers, our gateway question is 'what is real?' For Millennials, the gateway question is "what is good?' and for Gen Zers, the gateway question is 'what is beautiful?'"
• "If you look at Africa, Asia, and Latin America, the numbers of Christians continue to grow, and in the West, the number of Christians continues to decline."
• "If the Global Church is starting to look more like the first century church, I think this will attract Gen Zers."
• "We need to be much more sensitive about our language with Gen Z. Maybe a better word than 'mission' could be something like 'witness.' That is actually a Biblical word."
• "The chief verb of the Great Commission is not to evangelize; it is to make disciples."
• "Discipleship is a long obedience in the same direction." - Eugene Peterson
• "In the West, we often teach that people have to do believing, then behaving, then belonging. But, in the Bible, it's more belonging, then believing, then behaving."
• Jason Dorsey, The Center for Generational Kinetics
• "If the older generation always rolls their eyes at Gen Z and denigrates them, then Gen Z is not going to fulfill their potential; in fact, there's just going to be generational warfare."
• "Gen Z has such a huge potential for fulfilling mission in this world."

What's changing our lives:

• Keane: Taking a trip to the mountains in North Carolina to go sledding
• Heather: Unseasonably warm days to read outside on my balcony
• Allen: Job transition

Weekly Spotlight: Thinking Christian International School

We'd love to hear from you! [email protected] Podcast Website: https://teachbeyond.org/podcast Learn about TeachBeyond: https://teachbeyond.org/

What does it mean for us to co-labor with God? How can we partner well with others? This episode concludes a four-part series unpacking TeachBeyond's four core values – humility, excellence, love, and partnership – with Brian Delamont, TeachBeyond Executive Vice President.

• TeachBeyond's Core Value of Partnership: Understanding our role as co-laborers with God, we intentionally seek to partner with others to promote the work of transformation around the world. We commit to working together in unity and community as a family of faith.
• Genesis 2:15,19-20
• Courage and Calling by Gordon T. Smith
• "God invites us into His action of flourishing and fruitfulness as His creation… He invites us to join Him in his greater work, to see His Kingdom come."
• Genesis 12:1-3
• Luke 9:1-2
• John 20:19-21
• "As the Father has sent the Son, so the Son sends us! What a high elevation of the Gospel call. It's more than a task, or a mandate to travel and share good news, it is literally the giving of authority to be sent by the Son of God."
• Matthew 28:16-20
• Mark 9:37-40
• Acts 2:5-11
• Acts 1:8
• "It takes a lot of intentionality to partner well."
• Acts 15:7-9
• John 17:20-23
• "Partnership is not built on a foundation of similar likes or similar culture or similar views; it's built on the love of God."
• Episode 43: May They Be One with Brian Delamont
• 1 Corinthians 1:10-13
• "The cross is Christ's unifying action for His body, the Church. It is the work of Christ that is the central unifying factor, not this messenger or that messenger."
• "Koinonia"
• Acts 2:42
• 2 Corinthians 9:13
• 1 John 1:3,7
• "Missions exists because worship does not." - John Piper
• Revelation 7:9-10
• "That's the culmination of partnership - every tongue, tribe, nation, people [standing before the throne]."
• "We can't have a value without an action."

February Reflection: Who am I currently partnering with – or who is God prompting me to partner with – to see the Gospel have more influence?

What's changing our lives:

• Keane: Playing sports in the backyard
• Heather: Navigating time zone difference with Australia
• Brian: Making music and learning to record again

Weekly Spotlight: Puebla Christian School

We'd love to hear from you! [email protected] Podcast Website: https://teachbeyond.org/podcast Learn about TeachBeyond: https://teachbeyond.org/

From single young adults to parents of teenagers, Clarence and Anna share about their journey of serving with TeachBeyond in Germany in different seasons of life.

• "God brings a new opportunity; I just said yes." -Clarence
• "I've taken all of these spiritual gifts tests, and pastoring or shepherding has always been an underlying theme. My heart is for people. My heart is for people to love each other and love God." -Clarence
• "How can we come alongside people and guide them and help them thrive?' -Clarence
• "Being a missionary, it feels like everyone's supposed to be really good at pastoral ministry, like my husband is. I finally came to a place of realizing, of course I love people [...] but my gifting is more behind the scenes." -Anna
• "Don't be afraid to lean into your giftings, even if it's not what we think traditional missionary giftings are supposed to be." -Anna
• "You are capable of doing the hard things. Don't shy away from those things." -Clarence
• "Intentionally stepping away from the project and getting out of the surroundings here allows you to gain more perspective." -Clarence
• "Especially as our boys are getting older, I see people that genuinely care about them [...] That absolutely helps our longevity as a family, knowing that there are so many amazing people that are caring for our kids alongside us." -Anna
• "God knits this community together to continue His work over time, and we get to see it time and time again. It's a huge privilege to be able to serve the Kingdom in this way." -Clarence

What's changing our lives:

• Keane: Motion sensor lights
• Heather: Hobby nights with friends
• Clarence: Coaching middle school girls basketball
• Anna: The Emotional Lives of Teenagers by Lisa Damour

Weekly Spotlight: Administrative Assistant positions

We'd love to hear from you! [email protected] Podcast Website: https://teachbeyond.org/podcast Learn about TeachBeyond: https://teachbeyond.org/

This episode is for teachers, parents, and any caregivers of children! Hear from Kelly Crandall, TeachBeyond educator in the Philippines, about how to create environments, establish routines, and integrate strategies that foster emotional regulation.

• Equipping Students to Manage Strong Emotions article by Kelly Crandall
• "If kids are anxious or upset or angry, there's not a lot of learning that is getting into their brains. I see talking about emotions or helping students to regulate their emotions as an investment in the rest of their learning."
• "We do value academics as teachers, but we also recognize that our students are whole people."
• "As teachers, we have to stay regulated. It can be that when students' emotions get big, ours get big, too."

What's changing our lives:

• Keane: Glow-in-the-dark stars
• Heather: Partial meal prepping while cooking
• Kelly: Learning Calculus and being a learner

Weekly Spotlight: Faith Academy

We'd love to hear from you! [email protected] Podcast Website: https://teachbeyond.org/podcast Learn about TeachBeyond: https://teachbeyond.org/

Be aware and play it safe! Listen in for cybersecurity tips from Matt Johnson, who works in IT with TeachBeyond.

• "The best response to phishing is to be aware that it's out there."
• "It's better to be wrong and not send the information than to be wrong and send the information."
• "Hang up - you don't need to continue to engage with somebody if you feel like it's a voice phishing attack."
• "You always learn the most by 'getting got.' It's always better to 'get got' by your IT person than it is to 'get got' by someone that actually has malicious intentions."
• "The idea of just removing technology from our day-to-day lives is not a possibility, so you need to learn how to use it responsibly and how to prepare yourself and protect yourself the best way you can."

What's changing our lives:

• Keane: Boxcar Children book series
• Heather: 1000 Hours Outside app
• Matt: Feels Like Home by Lee Eclov

Weekly Spotlight: Dakar Academy

We'd love to hear from you! [email protected] Podcast Website: https://teachbeyond.org/podcast Learn about TeachBeyond: https://teachbeyond.org/