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Introduction

This is The Thread: AIRO’s monthly missions-focused newsletter.

The Thread has one main goal: to connect you to the missions field and encourage you in your Great Commission role! God is doing amazing things among the unreached through your faithfulness and generosity, and we don’t want you to miss it.

In this edition of The Thread: 

 đźĄś Story from the Field 

 đź’Ś Missionary Highlight

 đź—“️ AIRO Happenings


A day in the life of a missionary in Central Africa.

Central Africa is currently entering its rainy season. For local families, that means long days in the fields with hopes of a fruitful crop. In a good year, this season becomes an all-hands-on-deck harvest situation. 

Abigail, a missionary partner serving in Central Africa, found herself also in the fields. 

Increasingly, this is the characterization of this corner of North Africa where we live. It’s a microcosm of the growing fear, despair, and isolation people are experiencing globally.

On a rainy morning, Abigail was invited by her neighbor to work in their family’s peanut field. She accepted! Before she knew it, they were on a rickshaw ride to the fields. And having no idea how long she’d be out there, Abigail was hopeful for opportunities to talk with her neighbors. 

A day of peanut harvesting began. 

Before long, Abigail found herself side by side with her neighbor and conversation kicked off. They discussed life in America, the local family gossip, and what life looks like during the rainy season. As the day of work wound down, so did a day full of conversation. Another rickshaw ride and everyone was back in their homes.  

As Abigail cleaned up from the day, she was reminded of God’s goodness. She shared this with us: 

“What could have been a long and taxing day ended up being very relaxing and encouraging. The sun had stayed behind the clouds so I did not come back sunburnt (as I usually do after a day in the fields). We did not have to walk to the main road to find a rickshaw, and I had a pleasant conversation with a neighbor that I used to find bossy, demanding, and very frustrating.”

For many missionary partners serving in this part of the world, this is what a day in their life looks like.  Missionary life often brings missionaries to places like these fields; anywhere unreached people live their daily lives! Abigail took a big step by joining her neighbor in the fields, and that’s exactly what it takes to bring the gospel to unreached people. 

We hope with time, conversations that started in the field turn into gospel conversations between friends. 

As you go about your everyday life today, I hope that you’ll pray for Abigail and missionaries like her around the world. When we’re following the Lord, he uses the everyday moments and conversations with neighbors for his purposes, oftentimes ones we can’t understand the significance of in the moment!

For you, it may be in a coffee shop. For partners like Abigail, it’s in a peanut field.


Missionary Highlight – The Stark Family

Marcus and Liv Stark left for Southeast Asia just 2 years ago. They and their 4 children have been hard at work learning language and adjusting to the region’s culture. We reached out for an update on how things are going.

Here’s what they had to say:

How have you seen the Father show up in your work and life recently?

The Father has been faithful with each step. Nothing major yet, but in the everyday things, he continues to provide what we need. The biggest thing to give thanks for is the local friends we have here. We enjoy spending time with them, and we’re hoping for a day when we will have the opportunity to share with them!  

What is something that has been difficult or a barrier in your work lately? How are you overcoming that?

The thought and feeling that we will never learn this language! It has 6 tones and is nothing like English. We are on our knees for sure, but mainly just choosing to not get caught up in the future and long road ahead, rather, just the next faithful step we need to take.

How can faithful senders here in the states lift you up?

Our children are continuing to grow in confidence here. It is so easy to get caught in fear that our children are going to experience something too hard here. Ask that we will entrust them to the Father, yet act in wisdom on how to guide them in a still foreign land.


Happenings at AIRO.

đź’» Chat With a Missionary

The Patels will be joining us virtually from Central Asia as we talk about how social media is being used on the field to reach those without the gospel. 

Join the conversation by submitting your question as you register.

Wednesday, November 20th  |  6:00 – 7:00 PM (PT)

Register today and we’ll send you a the calendar invite!


Want to join a community of believers passionate about advancing the gospel to the unreached? Our Ropeholder Community is made up of people just like you: faithful believers eager to play their role in the Great Commission. You don’t need to leave to play your role, you can help send right from where you are. Joining this community puts you in the center of what we’re doing at AIRO. 

Become a Ropeholder today!

Luke Maynard

The Author

Luke comes from the illustrious city of Bakersfield, CA, and fully moved to Riverside after graduating from California Baptist University. He studied Entrepreneurship and Marketing while honing the discipline in personal business ventures. Combined with professional experience in public relations, marketing, and communications, Luke brings a new set of skills to AIRO’s digital presence. Growth in his faith during college increased his interest in missions and the importance of the work being done overseas. Now he aims to bring the conversation to new audiences across the world. You’ll usually find Luke sporting his favorite kicks while drinking an iced cappuccino and deal hunting.

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