Stories from the Mission Field — Ministry Feature
Unforgettable Experiences
Q: Briefly describe a typical week in the harvest field.
A: On Sundays, the team worships together, either listening online or hearing a message from the team leader. Afterward, we share our thoughts and enjoy fellowship meals. Monday is a day of rest. Tuesday through Friday, we go to the team office in the morning for prayer, meetings, Bible study, training, and handling official business. In the afternoon, each person arranges to visit friends, do prayer walks, or study the local language. On Saturdays, everyone serves on different platforms, generally teaching English classes, but also selling local specialty products or engaging in sports and fellowship with local friends.
Q: What are some unforgettable scenes you've experienced?
A: At the end of Ramadan, early in the morning, I saw tens of thousands of Muslims—men holding the hands of little boys—going to the mosque to pray. The main roads and small alleys in front of the grand mosque were packed with crowds. These people worshiped with blank expressions what they believed to be the true God, which was heartbreaking to witness.
Eid al-Adha, also known as Qurban or the Festival of Sacrifice, is when Muslims sacrifice cattle and sheep as offerings. The origin of this festival commemorates the prophet Ibrahim (Abraham in the Bible) offering his son as a sacrifice, thus making animal sacrifice the symbol of the holiday. We were invited to visit Muslim friends' homes during this festival, and after the meal, we shared that Jesus is the true sacrificial Lamb of redemption.
I still remember a few months after first arriving in the harvest field, I suddenly received a call from local police. A neighbor had reported that we were tutoring students in English at home. The police threatened that if reported again, serious action might be taken. So we moved and started fresh elsewhere. Thankfully, the police never came to inspect our home in person, and we weren't reported again in the following years.
But there were also joyful moments. Local friends proactively invited us to their homes; took us to weddings to meet relatives and friends; took us on mountain excursions (outdoor picnics); and voluntarily asked us about matters of faith.
When local friends agreed to come to their home for a meal, the couple brought out their best skills from hosting VIP newcomers in "Happy Groups," preparing food and sharing stories. On Christmas 2023, they invited two parents of students to their home for dinner. After the meal, they watched a Christmas special produced by *The Chosen* team, followed by discussion.
Q: Have you experienced any sad or painful situations?
A: Our first student in the harvest field was Freddie, a lively and lovable sixth-grade Muslim child at the time. Because the English textbook contained the words "Easter" and "Christmas," we had opportunities for deep conversations about faith. Unfortunately, a year later he lost his young life to leukemia.
During his hospitalization, we frequently visited him and whispered in his ear: "When it hurts badly, call out in your heart, 'Jesus, save me!'"
Through Freddie's illness, we developed a deeper bond with his parents. We once embraced and wept together with Freddie's mother in the hospital corridor, and prayed together downstairs at Freddie's home. We didn't understand God's will—why did He let Freddie get this disease, why didn't He heal him, why, why... And all we could do was weep with those who weep.
Freddie's innocent smile when I first met him, and his pale face lying in the hospital bed afterward, are two images I will never forget for the rest of my life.
What do you feel was left undone?
A: There are two things in the harvest field that no one wants to see: one is being forced to leave long-term due to illness; the other is being forced to leave the country due to being reported. And both of these things I wish had not happened occurred around me.
About two years after arriving at our first harvest field, my husband suddenly experienced difficulty breathing—a spontaneous pneumothorax caused by ruptured alveoli—and was rushed to the hospital. The doctor said surgery was necessary immediately. Thankfully, in that small highland city we encountered an experienced doctor and the crisis was averted. Because of this, after treatment we had to leave the high-altitude area and move to another city.
Another worker who had been in the harvest field for many years and was older suddenly suffered from cerebral hypoxia and was eventually evacuated from the highland city by medical aircraft. There was also a worker who was reported by the family of a Muslim friend and was forced to leave the harvest field where they had served for 15 years.
Although we are to trust God and know that He is in control of everything, when these things happen without any psychological preparation, it's hard not to feel that certain things in the harvest field were left undone.
Unforgettable Feelings
Q: What was the biggest challenge you faced?
A: Before coming to the harvest field, I had heard that one of the biggest factors causing workers to leave the field was conflict with teammates.
When I first arrived at the harvest field, I sometimes had opinions about my teammates. I thought to myself: Shouldn't teammates who share the same work and calling be close comrades-in-arms, utterly sincere with each other, able to say anything? Why were they always so "coldly" polite?
You cannot fight alone in the harvest field. How to maintain healthy boundaries with teammates—not too "warm" but also not too "cold"—was my biggest challenge. It turned out they weren't targeting me; rather, it was due to differences in upbringing, personality, and age, as well as different expectations and approaches. Respecting and accepting each other's differences is an area where every harvest field worker must learn and grow.
Q: What has been your greatest gain and deepest emotion over these years?
A: I've met workers from North and South America, Europe, and Asia, and witnessed firsthand their lives shaped by 10, 20, 30 years of experience. They persisted in one city, persisted in their commitment to an unreached people group, persisted in learning the local language, persisted in building local churches—until various factors forced them to leave.
From missionary to mission work to becoming a mission-minded person—this is a lifelong calling. After experiencing the harvest field firsthand, I am even more motivated to seize every opportunity to share and pass on the mission of cross-cultural evangelism, hoping to mobilize more workers.
Q: What qualities do you think a qualified cross-cultural worker should have?
A: Every missionary, from receiving the call, to training and equipping, to setting foot in the harvest field, has experienced tremendous difficulties. Workers don't share a common personality or type—some are bold and outgoing, others are quiet and cautious; some excel at building connections, others enjoy teaching. God can use them all.
In addition to a solid foundation in biblical truth, the following points are helpful: maintaining spiritual disciplines; having curiosity and empathy toward people and things; being willing to enjoy (unfamiliar) foods; being hospitable and learning the local culture; using resources creatively; earning trust through integrity and goodness of character; being humble and loving while maintaining healthy physical, mental, and spiritual well-being at all times.
Q: What practical advice would you give to those preparing to serve as cross-cultural workers in the future?
A: From observation and experience, I've summarized the following points:
Regarding theological education:Be thoroughly familiar with the Bible; have a basic understanding of apologetics and missiology; read many missionary biographies. It's not about how much you've learned, but about how you live it out. In the harvest field, the reality of people, events, and circumstances is far more complex than theory.
Regarding mental health:Psychological strategies and techniques are indeed helpful, but when it comes to a worker's own emotional struggles, it seems no one but God can truly help. I recommend having a spiritual mentor—someone you can confide in when facing difficulties and a trustworthy person who can help answer your questions.
Regarding spiritual growth:Spiritual life is the key to everything. Workers are branches that need to remain constantly connected to the vine, Jesus Christ, holding firm to their original calling and "abiding in Him." Teammates or local friends will certainly have unlovable moments—so focus on Abba Father. Only when your relationship with God is right can you have proper relationships with yourself and others, and only then will there be true "peace."
Regarding daily life:God gives each of His children different gifts. If you can combine your gifts, interests, and service, that's even better. For example: if you love coffee, you can invite local friends to taste it; if you enjoy gardening, you can exchange tips with local friends; if you like sports, you can invite friends to exercise together or become a coach for children's teams. Those skilled in counseling or who enjoy crafts can hold seminars or teach classes. Personally, I love reading children's picture books and have early childhood education experience, so I volunteered at a community kindergarten as a platform to connect with parents.
Q: Looking back over the four years, are there any stories of God's provision?
A: In the spring of 2021, before departure, in just two months we raised the funds needed for two years—beyond all we asked or imagined. Among the donors were several friends I wasn't familiar with who, moved by the Holy Spirit, were willing to give and financially support our ministry.
In the fall of 2022, we celebrated our first Thanksgiving in the harvest field. I really wanted to eat meat—due to the pandemic, we had been restricted from going out to shop for over a month. On Thanksgiving Day, we received notice that we could order beef through a group purchase. That was the most delicious beef I've ever eaten.
In the winter of 2023, one day I reached out in friendship to a Muslim friend but was rejected. On the bus ride back, looking out at the gray scenery, I heard the hymn "Live Out Love" playing. How was this possible? This was a hymn, not a pop song! How could it be openly played on a city bus? Was I hallucinating? I knew God was using this hymn to comfort me. When I got off, I nodded to the bus driver, thanking her for playing the song.
Looking Back Again
Becoming a cross-cultural missionary, the ultimate vision is to establish indigenous churches so that all nations and peoples may come to know and worship the one true God, as described in Revelation 7:9-10. But I know this mission cannot be accomplished by a few people in a few years—it requires generation after generation of workers carrying on the legacy.
Due to my husband's health situation, we left the harvest field earlier than planned. The journey may seem to have ended, but the story of the Great Commission continues.
Looking back again, nothing is more moving than the sincerity displayed when sharing perspectives on faith. Because He is a faithful God who keeps His covenant and shows steadfast love, He has a plan for both those who serve and those who receive service.
Looking back again, I feel I haven't found the key to unlock evangelism to Muslims, but I can sense that my emotions have grown stronger for the land I walked and the people I met. I hope not only to reach out to them, but to truly feel for them and love them.
Looking back again, this has been a journey of relationships—with God, with my spouse, with myself, and with Muslims. It has been a journey of worship, trust, and obedience in action, and a journey of grace where we tasted the goodness of the Lord. My husband and I do not regret the decision we made at the end of 2020 to "go out." Through our actions, we brought forth growth in life, combining the gospel with living out that life, walking alongside the Lord according to His calling—this is the true purpose of our coming here!
Dear pilgrim, taking the first step is the most difficult decision. However, when God opens the way, go forward boldly!
He is the God worthy of honor and glory!
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Xiao Bai was born in Taiwan in the 1960s and established her family and career in New Jersey, USA. An early participant in KRC's writing camp, she has been a long-term contributing writer for *Kingdom of God* magazine. A graduate of China Evangelical Seminary North America, she and her husband both retired early at age 56 and served as missionaries in a Muslim region of East Asia for nearly four years. They currently reside in East Asia. Her life motto: "Action is the answer."