The last time we were in the U.S. on home assignment, I was talking to a friend about his sister, who had recently become a field worker in East Asia. Wanting to get my perspective as a field worker, he asked, “Besides giving to her financially, what can I do to support her?” I was really moved by his question, both because it came from a place of genuine concern and love for his sister, and because it was so humble. He didn’t assume he knew the best way to help.

His question also made me stop and think—what do we really want and need from our supporters? The answer isn’t always about finances, and it varies depending on our season of life, and whether we are in our passport country or on the field. Sometimes our needs are tangible, like a vehicle or a place to stay, and sometimes they’re intangible, like encouragement or counseling.

I also appreciated that he was trying to anticipate her needs instead of waiting for her to ask for something. Of course, part of life as a field worker is learning to depend both on the Lord alone to provide what we need at times, and on the Lord through our supporters at other times. Still, it can feel daunting to send out a newsletter or head into home assignment with a list of requests.

If you’re wondering how you can bless a field worker, here are some things you might be able to offer to show them your love and support—before they even ask.

When They Are on Home Assignment

Housing or vehicles: Our biggest needs when we’re on home assignment are transportation and places to stay. If you have a reliable vehicle you can spare for a few weeks, consider loaning it to a field worker. If your house will be empty for a week while you’re on vacation, you might let a field worker family stay in it.

Even though we’re able to stay with family for most of our time in the U.S., some of our dear friends gifted us a week in a lake house during our last visit to the U.S. Some of my best memories from that home assignment are from that house! It was so refreshing to have a week in our own space.

A place to gather: We try to get face time with as many of our supporters as possible when we’re on home assignment. It’s a chance to share our stories from the field, to cast vision for the future of our ministry, and to find out what’s happening in their lives. While we prefer to meet with people one-on-one, there’s not always time for that. Hosting medium-sized gatherings is a great solution, but it requires space and time for planning— two things we usually don’t have! I’m thankful for the people in our support community who have the gift of hospitality and have taken on this task for us. It’s such a blessing to just show up somewhere with our slide show and prayer cards, knowing things like invitations, food, and parking have been taken care of!

Thoughtful questions: A question I dread when we’re on home assignment is some variation of, “So how are things going over there?” It’s such a broad question It sends my mind scrambling: Do I talk about the kids, team, language learning, identity work, ministry? Where do I even begin? A more thoughtful approach to learning about a field worker’s life is to ask specific questions, like “How is your friend Amel? I loved the story you shared about her in your last newsletter,” or “How are your kids adjusting to your new city? We’ve been praying for them to make new friends at school!” Even just narrowing your inquiries to one category is helpful. As I mentioned before, topics like language learning, team life, and raising kids on the field are great places to start.

A listening ear: For me, one of the most valuable parts of home assignment is the opportunity to share stories with our supporters. Not only do our supporters get a more detailed picture of our life overseas, but also, as we share, we often experience a re-ignition of our passion that we carry into our next season on the field. This experience is magnified if our audience is truly listening well. What do I mean by that?

Our tendency as people—and I’m including myself in this—is to listen so we can respond. We listen just enough to formulate a reply in our own minds. But listening well—often referred to as being an “active listener”—means listening to understand. A good way to ensure you’re listening to understand is to repeat back to the speaker what you heard. Then, give them the chance to clarify anything you might have missed.

As you listen, resist the urge to offer advice or to try to relate. Personally, I have shelves of books full of ministry advice, not to mention regular training courses, workshops and conferences. I have more advice than I can take! And oftentimes, you can’t relate, and that’s okay. If a field worker shares that one of their daily challenges is that the government shuts their electricity off for half of every day, resist the urge to tell a story about the time your power got cut off for a couple days in a snowstorm. Responses like this—no matter how well-meaning—have left me feeling alone, misunderstood, and even like the person I’m talking to is making light of my struggle.

What you can do when a field worker tells you a story about their struggles is affirm and empathize. “Wow, it sounds like your daily life on the field can be physically draining. I imagine having the power cut off is especially hard in the hot months.” This sounds so simple, but trust me, the impact is profound!

When They Are on the Field

Care packages: Care packages are a fun way to show your field workers you’re thinking of them. Most field workers have a list of items they miss from home or that are difficult to find overseas. For us, the list always includes chili powder, good coffee, and holiday-themed candy.

If you can visit field workers, or you know someone who will, you might consider sacrificing a little bit of luggage space to bring them treats or things they might need but not have access to in their countries, like medicine, electronics, or ministry materials. When we have visitors coming from the U.S., we ask our relatives to send birthday cards and letters. We can’t receive mail, so getting a handwritten note or piece of artwork from our niece and nephews is really special!

Support services: We’re blessed to be sent by an organization that offers myriad of support services that help workers stay healthy, such as counseling, spiritual direction, life coaching, and education consulting. They’re usually free or low-cost. When my son was struggling to integrate into our local preschool, I was able to get on a Zoom call with an education specialist who gave me practical advice for how to help him ease his way in. If you’re someone who provides this kind of service, consider volunteering with your local sending organization or church. Your service could be the difference between a field worker being able to thrive on the field or needing to return home early.

Two-way communication: At the end of every newsletter, we ask our supporters to tell us what’s new with them and how we can be praying for them. And we really do want to know! We long to have a two-way relationship with our supporters.

When we moved overseas, we chose to delete most of our social media accounts. We did this both for security reasons and to help us stay focused on adapting to our new country. But now, what that means is we miss out on most of our friends’ job updates, birth announcements, first day of school photos, etc. That’s why I’m so grateful for the people who write back (and send us updates on WhatsApp)! I read every word, sometimes twice. It helps me feel connected to our community in the U.S. It also helps me feel less like a stranger when we come back for home assignment!

We also love to hear when people are praying for us. In Ramadan, we encourage our supporters to sign up for our sending organization’s daily prayer email. I have no idea how many people actually do this, but a handful of people tell me that they did, and I really appreciate it! It helps me feel like we’re in it together. One of our supporters uses an app to remind her to pray for us everyday. I can’t tell you how many times, particularly when I’ve had a hard day or season, the thought that this sweet woman and others are praying for us and believe in us, has given me the encouragement I needed to keep going.

If God has placed a desire in your heart to support a global field worker, try thinking outside the box. Finances are important, of course, but other things are needed to ensure that field workers thrive in their life and work. What resource might you be able to share with field workers on home assignment? How might you be uniquely gifted to care for those God has called to serve overseas?