I decided that missions was definitely not for me. There was no way I was going to rely on others (or God) for my complete well-being. God had other plans.

Throughout this month I have been learning that God works in His own time, and that whether or not I see a tangible impact, I should trust Him who called me and work with all my heart as working for the Lord.

Traditionally, international missions has been organized through a church, but social entrepreneurship seeks to impact people through small businesses.

We still want to encourage our teams to be part of something bigger than ourselves. And we still want to be loyal to an organization and have that organization be loyal to us.

A small group crossed the border into Ukraine on February 27. What we didn’t know at the time was that this would be the first trip of many.

When I came to help out in Hungary with refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine I thought I would be really helpful because I speak Russian. I didn’t expect to have such a close and personal experience.

Kevin and Debbie Nelson are long-term OMS missionaries based out of Kyiv, Ukraine. When the Russians launched a mass invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the Nelsons were in Budapest, as they had - like many other internationals - been evacuated a month beforehand.

If there is one thing I will remember from all of this, it is that these people are exactly like us.

As tears fell down my new friend’s cheeks, I stepped forward and hugged her. Her heart broke with grief over the war in Ukraine and its impact on her family and community.

When your vision is clear, your culture is strong, and your strategies are effective, alignment is the outcome.

Instead of listening to each other and trying to understand, we just talk about ourselves and what we think is right

As we begin 2023, our hearts and our bodies feel heavy and tired. And yet, many of us carry a great deal of hope for change ahead after a hard few years.