Tag Archives: Missions

5 Reasons to Consider Teaching English Overseas

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Christi Childs

Christi Childs

Why TESL?
Here are 5 reasons why I think teaching abroad is awesome:

TESL, TEFL, or ESL are all different terms for teaching English as a second language. Don’t have a degree in teaching? That’s okay. Many countries and organizations accept any accredited bachelors degree from an English speaking country!

TESL (Teaching English as a Second Language)
TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language)
ESL (English as a Second Language)

Could you imagine living in China?

1.) International Travel
I love to travel and many other people do too. TESL provides an opportunity to travel and to live in a foreign country that doesn’t require you to raise support (like a traditional missions trip) or live extremely rural, like the Peace Corps (and it’s easier to get into than the Peace Corps).

2.) Financial Support
On the note of not needing to raise support, TESL actually provides opportunity to save money while traveling. Depending on the country, the income will vary. South American countries pay much less, though expenses are still covered, while Middle Eastern countries pay much more. We were particularly drawn or South Korea because the cost of living is low, and on top of airfare, transportation, food and lodging, beginning teachers make around $1800 a month!

3.) Reduces Debt Strain
For those who went to college, but feel the strain of loans, planning on spending a year teaching after school as a sure-fire was to pay off loans will help you enjoy college more. Better yet, if time allows, try to get on a 3 year fast-track program, then use the 4th “college” year teaching.

4). Resumé Building
Having a whole year of teaching under your belt is always good on the resume. Teaching overseas is even better. It shows cross cultural adaptability, willingness to work, flexibility and that you have a broad worldview. Experience in “real” jobs as a young person is valuable, and especially for those who are wanting to go into missions or anything non-profit. Many overseas missions organizations require a degree and 1 year post-college, overseas experience.

5.) Time to Build a “Support Team”
A year teaching overseas provides opportunity to begin to raise missions support. If you’re wanting to go into missions, teaching overseas provides an opportunity to get involved in a local church, and do missions, while giving you time to send letters and updates, and get people on board with your vision, so that after the year is over, you can maybe go into more full-time missions.

A Word About Loneliness
On a side note, as a single girl, often it can feel intimidating to travel, and it is. If you want to TESL as a single woman, I recommend trying to find an English immersion school, so that you don’t end up teaching all alone in some village somewhere. It’s nice to have some friends and other English speakers around, and defuses the isolation factor that sometimes accompanies TESL.

Good site for general information about
Teaching English Overseas: Adventure Teaching < < <

Website for the English immersion school
where my husband and I will be teaching in South Korea < < <

Helping Hundreds of Kids in Niger, West Africa

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These beautiful Nigerienne kids need your help to get to camp this year!

Just $20 each provides 4 days of awesomeness. It includes transportation to and from villages, plenty of food, crafts, prizes and most importantly the keys to guard their hearts.

‘Guard Your Heart’ is this year’s theme.

It’s life-changing for the children and something they anticipate every year. Capital Life Church in Virginia is sending a team to us for the 6th year in a row.

Proud Niger kids sitting on their craft projects from camp — wooden benches!

We are expecting 600 children this year. We need to raise $10,000 in the next 10 days. Can you pray with us for God to meet this need?

Fun CAPS for all the kids!

Sharing the Gospel and Bible teachings with dramas. The kids love it!

Outdoor activities . . . and T-shirts.

If you want to invest something into the lives of 1 or 5 or 50 or even 600 of these children, here’s a SECURE LINK < < < :
Be sure to designate “Niger Team” (for Missionaries, Neal and Danette Childs).

Thank you!! (Feel free to message me for more info.)
Danette

Whining vs. Serving

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I’m a missionary. I’ve lived in Niger, Africa with my family since 1998. I’ve learned a lot over the last 15 years, sometimes learning the hard way. One of the hard things I’ve learned is that serving is better than whining.

Something that has always amazed our family is the change that takes place in the American culture during the time we’re away. To the average American, those things just happen gradually until suddenly you look around and wonder when 70’s style clothing was back in. And when did it become normal or even expected for people to live together before they were married? And what does “I need some ME-time” mean? And the stuff that’s “okay” for T.V. these days? Well that’s worth its own article… It’s kind of like not noticing the 10 or 15 pounds that your friend put on over a year because you’re with her all the time, as opposed to not seeing her for a year and trying not to stare because of the change.

We’ve been traveling in the U.S. for the past 3 months and are excited to be returning home to Niger in just a few days. During this time in the States one of the glaring things that I’ve noticed is an increase in self-centeredness. It’s all about me. What I want, when I want it, how I want it. And I want it now.

At the same time, I’ve noticed some patterns in contemporary Christian music. Which, by the way, I love. Always have. I was a big Amy Grant / Michael W. Smith fan back in the day. Way back. Anyway, I’ve been taking note of the music that is popular now, and linking that to the self focus that has become so prevalent in our culture.

I’m hearing lines in songs like:

• Here I am, what’s left of me
• Part of me has died, I fall into your arms
• My whole world is caving in
• I find you when I fall apart
• Struggling, feeling like it’s hopeless
• I lose my way
• You lift me up when I’m weak
• Winter came back – it won’t end
• Hold on to me, don’t let me lose my way
• Life doesn’t make sense – knocked down
• He might let you bend but He won’t let you break
• Worrying what you’re going through
• I’ve lost my faith in so many things

Now please, don’t get me wrong. I understand that we all have challenges and struggles in life. And sometimes songs like these are what we need to find encouragement. We’re not alone. God has got this. Our hope is in Him and He promises in His word that if we cry out to him He will hear and answer us. Every time.

However, rather than pleading with God and bringing all that’s gone wrong to Him (He already knows), I’d like to suggest something different. Something unconventional.


Serving.

I know. Doesn’t make much sense. But Jesus himself didn’t always sound sensible. Remember first shall be last, last, first? And what about this one – if someone slaps you, turn and offer your other cheek. And have you ever washed the feet of your servant (employee, child, least of these)? Jesus said to do that too.

Several years ago – not too long after moving to Niger – I was in my house and was having a pity party, all by myself. I remember it well. It was hot. I was hot. I was wondering what in the world I was thinking when I answered the call to serve in Niger.

Hadn’t I served long enough? Hadn’t I suffered long enough?

That day my husband Neal and I had made plans to go to a village in the afternoon. It was still morning and my whine was already in full swing. I felt like going to a hot, sandy village to speak a language I didn’t know as much as I felt like jumping into a lake of fire.

I reasoned that I had nothing to offer in the state I was in. But the plan was already in place. I had already told the ladies I would be there. The least I could do was keep my commitment. So off we went.

We arrived and I joined the ladies. I still remember sitting on mats on the ground outside the mud brick church. (It was too hot to go inside). I could see the well in the distance where the evening water was being pulled up by hard-working women. As I sat there practicing my Hausa language skills with those gracious ladies something amazing happened. I began to enjoy myself. The heat didn’t feel so hot. The dirt didn’t seem so dirty. We sat around and laughed together – well, they were mostly laughing at me and my attempts at Hausa. We were having fun. We didn’t have a 3 hour church service, didn’t do any dramas or even sing any songs. That simple act of me chatting with these ladies may have blessed them, but it did far more for me. It taught me something profound.

I arrived home feeling so rejuvenated it amazed me. Then the Lord directed me to John 4 and the revelation hit me. Jesus has just finished talking with the woman at the well. The disciples show up and figure He must be hungry so they tell him to eat. Jesus tells them that He has food that they don’t know about. They start wondering who is secretly bringing food to Jesus. Then He says to them,

“My food is to do what my Father sent me to do. My food is to finish his work.” John 4:34


It’s as simple as that. I began to think about it. Food. I need it. I enjoy it – a lot. It gives me strength. And Jesus just said His food is to do His Father’s will. In other words, He finds strength in doing God’s will. He finds pleasure when he’s doing what His Father told him to do – when He’s serving. His needs are met when He does His Father’s will. Wow.

That revelation completely changed my outlook. If I get the focus of myself and my pity party and on to what God has called me to do – problem solved! That may sound too elementary but I really do think it’s that simple.

Since then, whenever I feel discouraged I know that if I will go out and serve, doing what God has called me to do, my strength and joy returns.

We like to say that we’ll be ready and able to serve others after our own problems are taken care of.

I dare you to be unconventional.
Start small.
Worship God. For who He is.

Spend time focusing on Him and not on your problems. That’s one way you can serve Him. Then step out and serve someone else. You could even support a missionary =)!

While some Christian music seemed focused on me and my problems, I found some great songs that focused on Jesus and worshiping him with lines like:

• We are here for you
• Our hearts are open – nothing is hidden
• You are our desire
• You alone are holy/worthy
• We welcome you with praise
• Let the people of the world stand in awe
• We are waiting here for you with our hands lifted high in praise
• Desperate for your presence, Waiting for your presence

I understand that during those times of discouragement the last thing we feel like doing is serving or even worshiping God. And unfortunately I can’t say that I successfully make that decision 100% of the time. But I can tell you from my experience that when I do, my entire outlook changes and my joy returns. One-hundred percent of the time.

Daring Daughters . . . in India!

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Come see highlights from this month’s mission outreach to SE India. This video shares a glimpse of what the trip was like and the awesome things God did. Highlights included orphan ministry at Aasha (Hope) Children’s Home, ministry at two GPI Bible schools, remote village ministry, and a water baptism service. (See more at Gospel Projects International.)

On the team: Josh & Anna Dunagan. Trae & Christi Childs.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSdfrEb9Ezk?rel=0&w=588&h=441]

Meet Tara: Wife, Mom, YWAM’er

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In the words of Tara Riley, Missionary with YWAM (Youth With A Mission):

I remember the day clearly. I was homeschooling my 5 year old with a 2 year old on my lap, yearning to impart the passion that I felt in my heart about living a life for Jesus. What does it look like to truly live for the One who adopted me so I could have an eternal inheritance? I knew I was trying to teach my children about kingdom living but at the same time feeling like I was saying one thing and doing another.

My husband was an in-house employment attorney for Tyson Foods (and previously Walmart). His hours were long and travel was frequent. The more he embraced work, the more I embraced motherhood, and, in spite of the fact we both desired to embrace more of our relationship with the Lord, the more we found ourselves being wooed by our culture rather than by the Kingdom and the further and further we drifted apart.

My heart ached and I begged the Lord to make our marriage whole again.

I heard the Lord ask me this question, “Tara, can you leave this house and the job (as a pediatric occupational therapist) that you love?”
I said, “Yes, Lord, whatever it takes to restore our family.”

Even though I had never had an experience like this with the Lord before, I felt that it was significant. But, I had no idea how our world was going to change! I don’t know when the transformation began after that discussion with the Lord, but I know He was preparing my heart for all that was about to happen.

It was the beginning of July 2006. I was at my sister’s house several hours away when I received THE CALL.

My husband said, “I quit my job today.”
After a brief silence I said, “Well, good.”

And that was the beginning of the journey we are still on. We made a drastic change in every aspect of our lives, from a 6 digit income to living by faith for each meal, from the corporate world of suits and cocktail parties to ministry in the Smoky Mountain Trash dump in the Philippines. We lived on 4 different continents in 4 years, beginning when our children were ages 2, 5, and 7. We founded a non-profit ministry called FJ Ministries and became missionaries with Youth With A Mission.

Our God-given mission as a family is F.A.I.T.H. – Families reaching families, as Avenues to the nations, Inspiring passion for God and compassion for people, through Teaching and Training in God’s word, with open Hearts and Hands.

This year we are pioneering the Family Discipleship Training School (Family DTS) in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, at the University of the Nations Kona YWAM base. On April 4 we will welcome 8 families from 5 countries, including 21 children from ages 6 months to 15 years, and begin a 5-month long adventure training them in missions and ministry as a family. There will be 11 weeks of discipleship in Kona with international speakers each week, followed by 9 weeks of outreach in the Philippines, living love out loud.

Family DTS topics will include the Father Heart of God, God’s nature and character, the biblical foundations of marriage, family, and parenting, spiritual warfare, evangelism, relationships, missions, and the mission-minded family. It is time set apart to focus on who God is, His purpose for your family and how to live out His calling as a family.

We would love for you to join us on this life changing journey! We will be running this school at the same time next year. If you would like to step out of the boat and join us for 2 weeks or more this summer in the Philippines, then contact us!

Little Dresses, from Pillowcases!

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These young Daring Daughters have already made a big impact for world missions through simple creative projects. Becoming “Granola Girls”! Breeding Bunnies for Bibles! Raising “Sister-Starts” (organic vegetables)! Even sewing Little Dresses for Africa . . .from pillowcases!

What an inspiration. What will they think of next?
(And what do you think YOU could do for world missions?)

Be sure to read the full article:
You’ve Never too Young to Make a Difference

Philippines Medical Missions (video)

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“Let’s CREATE Good News!” —

During this week’s church service, our congregation heard an exciting testimony from a medical missions team that had just returned home from The Philippines. As two of my friends, Shannon and Alice, shared about their experiences, an “idea” came into my head for Daring Daughters.

The thought was about how “cool” it could be for women to share current testimonies here on Daring Daughters, while their personal mission experiences were still new and fresh. Specifically, the idea was to create super-easy video testimonies. To simply grab my iPhone and do instant Daring Daughter mission reports, add a few iMovie texts, and to upload these testimonies to YouTube as quickly as possible.

As the service continued (and yes, I was paying attention), other discouraging thoughts argued in my brain: “Oh, you can’t do that. You don’t have enough media expertise. It’ll be too difficult. You should wait until you can do it better… yada yada…”

But then, as our pastor began to minister from the Word of God, guess what his message was about? He preached about stepping out in obedience with that God-given creativity He’s put in us and to respond to those little “promptings” in our hearts to do new things for His purposes. Our pastor talked about how as Christians, we’re called not only to “preach” the Good News of Jesus, but also to “create” Good News for Jesus.

God’s love is not just a historical message. God’s love a living and current message that we preach, both through our words and through our actions. As we DO what God puts in our heart and what He shows us to do — like reaching out in love to help others and to extend God’s love to a lost and hurting world — it “creates” Good News.

Then, our pastor mentioned how FEAR keeps us small, silent, and stationary, but FAITH and PURPOSE allow us to move forward to help expand God’s kingdom.

He was encouraging us, as a congregation and as individuals, to begin to step out and to be more creative for God . . . and to not be stopped or hindered by FEAR.

Along with many biblical illustrations, our pastor used the example of our church’s missions team, explaining how the team took creative action (they had a good idea and they did something about it) — to love people in Jesus’ Name, physically and spiritually, in a very needy area in The Philippines.

As God’s ambassadors, the team brought the eternal Good News of the Gospel message — PLUS, they also helping to “create” more Good News for those people by expressing specific love in Jesus’ Name through the medical mission work.

Through the Gospel and by grace, God helped this team to bring Good News of Jesus’ love. And then, as they came home and shared about their trip, they created even more current Good News, for us to hear and to praise God for.

These thoughts about “creating” Good News were so simple and so encouraging. And as I listened to the preaching, my own thoughts about creating a little mission-testimony-video continued to stir in my heart.

As the service was coming to a close, I knew what I wanted to do.

After Jon and I finished praying for a few people at the end of the service (on our church’s prayer team), I quickly found my two friends, Shannon and Alice, and shared this idea to “create” more Good News by sharing their missions testimony here on Daring Daughters through a quick and instant video. The second church service was about to begin (and our family was heading home), so we only had a few short minutes to make this happen.

I felt really excited in my heart and my friends were more-than-happy to help. We responded to the idea quickly and very spontaneously . . . and here is the result:

A Daring Daughters Medical Missions Testimony from The Philippines:

Daring Daughters, as you watch this little video, I want to encourage you in two ways.

1. First of all, I want you to be encouraged by the testimonies of my friends as you listen to them share their heart for the mission needs they saw in The Philippines.

2. Secondly, I want to encourage you to be willing to step out with INSTANT faith and obedience in the ideas that God puts in your heart. Let’s not make things too difficult. Let’s obey those little “promptings” in our hearts and minds and simply step out to DO those good things that God gives us ideas to do. Let’s love God, let’s love others, and let’s step out to CREATE Good News for Him.

Also, here’s The Philippines Medical Missions team video update that team showed to our church. It was such an exciting update (and the team was so gracious to allow me to share this with you here on Daring Daughters, to encourage YOU for world missions)! As you watch this video, be sure to notice the look of JOY on all of the faces (including the faces of the team, which included our missionary leaders, John & Katy Ricards, along with Shannon Roberts, Alice Wilson, and Alice’s husband, Ryan Wilson)!

Philippines Medical Mission — 2013

As Alice said, “As we give of ourselves to others . . . it’s such a joy!”

Daring Daughters, let’s not be afraid to step out and to be creative for God’s purposes. Let’s “Create” Good News!

Did I always want to be a missionary?

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danette-2It’s hard to believe it’s been almost 15 years! I’ve been a missionary in the West African country of Niger since since July, 1998. There are two questions I am often asked: Did I always know I wanted to be a missionary? Did I always know God wanted me to be a missionary?

No, and no. But God knew. Here’s my story.



The Seed is in You

“Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you. Before you were born, I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.”
Jeremiah 1:5

The seed was in me – as a 7 year old.

I was saved at the age of seven and was raised in a Christian home by wonderful Christian parents. I’ve walked closely with the Lord ever since, but it wasn’t until adulthood that I became acutely aware of God’s grace.

I used to think that I didn’t really have a ‘story’. But a revelation while singing ‘Amazing Grace’ changed my mind. I did have an amazing story. It was the grace of God that saved me. He not only saved me from my sins, but He saved me from the powers of darkness of this world and kept me walking in His light all these years. It wasn’t my personality or my own determination or discipline that spared me from all the world had to ‘offer.’ Simply put, it was God’s amazing grace. Now, the older I get, the more I see… and the more I see, the more thankful I am for that grace that saved me.

But I wasn’t just saved to be saved, I was called. So are you. My calling was to be a missionary, reaching the unreached. But fulfillment of that calling wasn’t going to just drop in my lap. I had some responsibility.

The Bible is full of instruction for our lives. There are a multitude of passages that talk about the blessings that follow us and our children when we walk in the way of the Lord.
We see in 1 Kings 2 where King David is at the end of his life and is giving instructions to his son Solomon. Solomon was called to succeed David on the throne.

“Now the days of David drew near that he should die, and he charged Solomon his son, saying: 2 “I go the way of all the earth; be strong, therefore, and prove yourself a man. 3 And keep the charge of the Lord your God: to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, His commandments, His judgments, and His testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn; 4 that the Lord may fulfill His word which He spoke concerning me…”

Solomon’s calling came with requirements:

Keep the charge of the Lord, walk in His ways, keep his commandments… Then you will prosper and the Lord will fulfill His word concerning you. For God’s will and plan to be fulfilled in our lives, we must walk in His ways.

After high school, I attended ORU, a Christian university in Tulsa, Oklahoma. My sophomore year I met Neal. I was a chaplain and he was a freshman on my brother wing. He came straight from Nigeria, where he was raised as a missionary kid. He intrigued me. He was, as I like to describe him, ‘bush’. He spoke with a Nigerian accent and he thought downtown Tulsa was a huge metropolis. As the girls’ chaplain I had the responsibility of pairing the brother and sister wings with prayer partners. I did this by drawing names from a hat, but not before first pairing myself with Neal. Sneaky, I know.

A friendship began to develop into something more and on our second official date Neal informed me that he was going to be a missionary. My thought? “Whatever. He’s a business major. Once he gets going in his field, he’ll get over the missions thing.” It’s not that I was opposed to full-time missions, I just wasn’t awakened yet to my calling. I had a natural trust in God and a desire to do exactly what He had planned for me.

The seed was there, but it remained dormant.

Our relationship progressed as did Neal’s intensity for missions. I continued to trust God and prayed that if this was the man for me, that an actual desire to do missions would surface. As an upperclassman I would get frustrated when I would hear my friends talking specifically about their careers, how many children they would have, the type of home they would live in – all the way down to paint color! I didn’t have specifics on any of those things – and I didn’t really care about a white picket fence. All I knew for sure was that I wanted to do what God wanted me to do.

I later realized that if I had predetermined my exact job and house color, it would not have lined up with Neal, and I may have assumed he wasn’t the one.

Here we are at ORU, the seed in both of us. Any guesses to the year? (Hint: Big hair.)

Our love grew and in 1989 we married. I graduated with a degree in Social Work and Neal in Management Information Systems. We both got jobs in our fields, while still pursuing ministry. We found a church home and were asked to be youth pastors. It wasn’t missions, but it was something that our hands found to do and we were determined to do it with all our might. It was preparation time. During our 5 years as youth leaders we sent kids on more than 30 summer mission trips, while patiently (sometimes) waiting our turn.


Our family in 1998, just before moving to the 10/40 nation of Niger, Africa
Trae, Danette, Tanika, Neal

God continued to lead us and 8 years of marriage and 2 great kids later, the Lord directed us to attend Bible School to officially prepare for the field. During Bible School we received confirmation that the country of Niger would be our field. We spent 10 months raising our support and during that time an amazing thing happened. I was sharing in my mom and dad’s church about how I had recently come across some of my elementary school papers and discovered that I had written a report on the country of Nigeria the same year Neal moved there. Coincidence? I think not. It was a germinating seed.

I was told also of a report I had written in junior high titled ‘Understanding Africa’ where I wrote that I wanted to be a missionary in Africa. I don’t even remember writing it, but my name was on it. The seed was there. Later that evening my mom questioned me, “Don’t you remember the prophecy spoken to you when you were 12? That you would be a rose, blooming in the desert?” It wasn’t until she said that that the memory came back. Mom continued, “What about the time I found you crying because you couldn’t understand why everyone couldn’t know Jesus?” I was 7. The seed.


Our family in 2001 with Tobi, our new addition.

The amazing thing about a spiritual seed is that it won’t die. It’s in you. Even if you haven’t been pursuing God as you should or are new in your walk with Him, it’s not too late! God’s seed, His plan for you – it’s in you. Even if it’s dormant. Wake it up! Begin germinating it by pursuing hard after Jesus and by walking in His ways.

In Jeremiah 2:21 God said to the Israelite’s, “Yet I had planted you a noble vine, a seed of highest quality.”

You are full of high quality seed!


It was my privilege to be a part of discipling these Gourmantche ladies.


One of our greatest joys (and responsibilities) are the children