As the attendees head back to their families and current life situations, the volunteers have gathered to debrief, discussing what we have heard, the emotions we experienced while listening, how to process them, and how that has changed our lives and how we view global workers.

This was a hard year for the global workers. We have all been affected by COVID and the ways it restricted us, some of us that live in the US have even experienced loss of loved ones. Global workers experienced the same on a different level. Some had just days to pack and leave the country, not knowing if they would be returning. Others were already on home assignment when their stateside time was extended. And many have lost support due to church closures or budget cuts. These women feel called to go and forced to stay. This broke our hearts to hear and we shared the sadness of these stories. We now have a clearer understanding of how to pray for our sisters going forward as well as feeling the need to challenge our churches to better care for our global workers.

As we served these women, we recognized that we have some of the same joys and struggles; raising children, caring for elderly parents, desiring to serve God well, struggling in marriage, dealing with difficult co-workers, desiring girl time, and loving chocolate. These women are our sisters and are not defined by what they do, but by who they are in our Daddy’s eyes.

Next Sunday one of these sisters may be sitting next to you at church. Will you love on her? Will you cherish her? Will you treat her like a sister, allowing her to step off the pedestal and be real? Will you hold her story and commit to praying for her? We will!