MORE NETWORK BLOG

Thank you for visiting us! Please find our latest blog right below and the rest of them at the bottom of the page, organized chronologically. Enjoy!

 

ByPaul Dyck on Tuesday, April 26, 2022

The Joy of Transitions

Paul Dyck By Paul Dyck on Tuesday, April 26, 2022

 

I love being in transition. I love the thrill of change. I look forward to a new paradigm…

Really?

More like … “I’m SO done with this!” (A statement we’re hearing provincial premiers make, and one that echoes across our country.)

God calls us to follow Him in obedience. Almost always it means change. Leaving our comfort zone, we move into unknown territory, feeling anxious, fearful, and sometimes terrified. Yet we can journey through transitions with confidence, fearlessly, and with anticipation.

As Christ Followers, Rest Assured God Knows What He’s Doing.

We view transitions from various perspectives.

Life. Work. Home. Childhood. Marriage. Education. Friendships. Aging. Children. Grandchildren. Loss of a loved one. Moving to a foreign country. Language acquisition. Culture acquisition. Repatriating to our passport country.

We view transitions through our circumstances.

Sometimes the transition is our choice or to our liking. We may experience joy, happiness and satisfaction with a promotion, a raise, the birth of a child, or a new home.

Sometimes transition is not our choice. We may experience fear, frustration, anger, depression through the death of a loved one, a demotion, being fired or kicked out of the country we’re serving in.

As Christ followers, transitions always have a good side! Guaranteed!

My Story

Allow me to share my story for context.

From the perspective of a child:

By age 21, I had moved nineteen times, attended eight different schools on two continents.

From the perspective of an adult:

After Carol and I married, we moved nine times in 22 years changing jobs even more times, experienced seven pregnancies, with one living son. Our second son passed away when he was 4 months old. Carol miscarried five times.

Then, there’s the perspective of the workplace:

I’ve filled 20+ various positions, most of them with different organizations.

Yet, from the rear-view mirror perspective:

I’ve seen God carry us through each and every transition. We’ve experienced God continually setting us up for good.

God is not impressed with our accomplishments. He wants to shape us, mould us, and conform us into the image of His dear Son! And He uses highly creative ways to accomplish that.

As Christ followers we are to be content, grounded in Christ, trusting His every move.

God uses Transitions for Good.

Every transition we face means God is leading us through the unknown and unclear.

We’re out of our depth. We don’t know what’s coming next. Don’t you wish there was a biblical version of “Transitions for Dummies”? (There actually is!)

Voluntary transitions we love, as they bring opportunities to improve ourselves and our standing. We pray towards hoped for outcomes, manoeuvring, and positioning ourselves. Sometimes we even take the credit.

Involuntary transitions are difficult. We’re told something will happen, something we are not in favor of … we’re reassigned, or fired, or someone we love dearly dies, or our home is destroyed catastrophically, or a war starts! It’s not something we desire, nor hope for. We wonder WHY?

We can either fight, become bitter, hold grudges, and blame God OR we can anticipate God to use our circumstances for good. As Christ followers we see the decision as allowed by God or (not a popular statement here) even caused by God.

We expect God to use it all for good.

What Does Transitioning God’s Way Look Like?

Choose to see things in the light of Christ. With God there are no accidents, no oops.

“Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.” -James 1:16-18

Our attitude towards all of our circumstances makes all the difference.

“I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. And so, it is with us! We are in charge of our attitudes.” -Charles Swindoll

How to Exit Well - EXIT ON A RAFT

  1. Reconcile relationships. Exit well. Leaving is not the time to tell your boss off after winning the $5 million lottery.
  2. Affirm relationships. Let them know how much they mean to you. (Mark 12:29-31)
  3. Farewell to people. Take the time to call, visit, and/or write people. Let them know how much you’ll miss them. It’s good to grieve. Weep together.
  4. Think Ahead with hope and expectation. What will God do? Anticipate.

How to Enter Well – ENTER WITH CARE

  1. Check in - communicate with team/family often.
  2. Accept and look for help. Approach people with a humble posture. (Phil. 2:5-8)
  3. Refresh your soul spiritually through praise, prayer & worship; physically by staying active; and emotionally with an attitude of gratitude (1 Thess. 5:16-18).
  4. Evaluate expectations. Is your posture open and accepting?

Remember, it’s always about God’s reputation. How well you transition says a lot about your faith and your trust in the Almighty.

Learning through Transitions

Carol and I have learned much through life’s transitions …

  • Don’t be so hard on ourselves. Most of us are WAY TOO hard on ourselves.
  • Hardships and mistakes are usually our best teachers. Especially when we own them.
  • Rely on each other, and on God. Grow deeper in love.
  • Listen and wait on God. (Isaiah 64:4)
  • Immerse ourselves in our new reality leaving behind the old.
  • The best time to make changes is when we are in transition. Initiate new healthy habits. Drop those not so healthy habits.

A Gift for You

We’d like to share a gift with you.

The book “Dark Night Experience” is available as a free download. John and Vivian Moy now in their seventies have lived in numerous countries church planting, serving as pastors, missionaries, superintendents, and counselors.

Download "Dark Night Experience"


“The amazing grace of the Master, Jesus Christ, the extravagant love of God, the intimate friendship of the Holy Spirit, be with all of you.” 2 Cor. 13:14 MSG


Paul Dyck is the former National Team Leader and now an Ambassador for the MORE Network - a Canada-wide collaborative supporting cross-cultural workers & MKs in transition. Paul fills the role of Ministry Ambassador and Champion across Canada, working with church & mission leaders involved with caring for cross-cultural workers & MKs. Paul is an MK and has experience in Member Care, Pastoring, Banking and Business Leadership. Paul & his wife Carol life in Abbotsford, BC.

 



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Did you miss our past blogs? Check them out below!

 

Returning Home for the First Time

It was the 17th of November 2023. Our Biman Bangladesh Airlines evening flight began its somewhat rocky decent into Dhaka, Bangladesh. The city sprawled for miles with concrete apartment buildings as far as the eye could see. I was travelling with my wife, Reaghan, and our friends, Emma and Mitchell. This was the first time I’d be setting foot in the city and country I spent the first 12 years of my life in as an MK (Missionary Kid)...

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5 Ways to Pray for MORE Network in 2024

At the MORE Network, the key verse we’ve chosen for 2024 is Exodus 33:14: “The Lord replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” Exodus 33:14 (NIV)

Prior to this verse, God had told Moses to lead the Israelites to a land flowing with milk and honey but that He would not go with them. In response Moses says in verse 15, “If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here.”

Just as Moses did not want to go forward without God, neither do we in the MORE Network. Not only do we want God to direct us in the way we should go in 2024, but we also want His presence to go with us.

Here are 5 Areas of Prayer for the MORE Network in 2024! 

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Lament of a Returning Missionary

Loosely based on Psalm 13, here is a prayer of lament of a returning missionary. 

How long, Lord, will I miss our former HOME where I sobbed in frustration and prayed, pounding on heaven’s door to learn language(s) & culture, and how to buy food and learn to survive, let alone thrive? ...

 

Read more...

Christmas Memories from Around the World

Watermelon, Handprints and Fireworks ... What do they all have in common? They are all elements of favourite Christmas memories and traditions from our MORE Network staff, from around the world! 

Read more...

Deeply Rooted

We invite you to join us during this season of generosity so that, together, we can give Missionary Kids and their families the opportunities to experience a richer soil in Christ and broader branches in community. 

Read more...

The Eternal Benefits of Debriefing

I recently returned from RE-VIEW, a week-long family debriefing retreat, where I served as an adult facilitator and debriefer.

While there, I had the honour of hearing the stories of missionaries who have worked in the overseas ministry context for many years. And boy, did I feel inadequate for the task as some of them had faithfully served a lifetime, having much more cross-cultural experience than I have and the wisdom that accompanies such incredible life experiences.

But what struck me the most and motivated me all the more to listen, was that many of these seasoned missionaries never had the opportunity to actually share their full stories with anyone – that is their deeply personal and valuable stories, the good, the bad and the ugly. And that’s really a reflection and a limitation of our modern missionary movement; missionaries often feel obligated to share only the positive experiences and their successes, lest they be judged or misunderstood, or worse, lose vital financial or personal support...

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Bonds Beyond Borders: The Impact of ReBoot on MKs

There is something so beautiful about the quick bonds that form between MKs (Missionary Kids), who understand each other despite having drastically different life experiences. It’s like a breath of fresh air to be surrounded by people who have gone through similar life experiences. It helps you to share on a more honest and intimate level.

Each year, the MORE Network runs Classic ReBoot, a re-entry retreat for missionaries’ kids (MKs) aged 17-20 returning to life in Canada. This is a crucial time in the lives of these young adults, many of whom are not only adjusting to a new culture, but also to new schools, jobs, relationships, and living situations.

In this article, Malik, shares about his own experience at Classic ReBoot, as well as an inside scoop from attendees of the most recent Classic ReBoot!

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Adult Third Culture Kid Research: The Heart Behind the Research

This summer, we had the privilege of connecting with Shelly Lyons about her research on Adult Third Culture Kids. Listen in to hear more about the “heart” behind the research and her big picture dreams for how it will be used! 

Adult Third Culture Kids (ATCK) are adults whose lives were shaped by mobility and cross-cultural experiences during their childhood. According to Merriam Webster, a “Third Culture Kid (TCK)” refers to "a child who grows up in a culture different from the one in which his or her parents grew up ... The 'third culture' to which the term refers is the mixed identity that a child assumes, influenced both by their parents' culture and the culture in which they are raised."

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Is Competition a Biblical Value?

One Sunday morning in the church where I pastored, a family came to me and shared how some of their friends had left our church to go to another church: a "competitor church". They were completely distracted by their news. Does the Bible encourage us to compete with fellow believers? Is there such a thing as a competitor church?

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Returning Home for the First Time
It was the 17 th of November 2023. Our Biman Bangladesh Airlines evening flight began its somewhat rocky decent into Dhaka, Bangladesh. The city sprawled for miles with concrete apartment buildings as far as the eye co...
Read more...
5 Ways to Pray for MORE Network in 2024
At the MORE Network, the key verse we’ve chosen for 2024 is Exodus 33:14: “The Lord replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” Exodus 33:14 (NIV) Prior to this verse, God had told Moses to l...
Read more...
Lament of a Returning Missionary
Loosely based on Psalm 13, here is a prayer of lament of a returning missionary.  How long, Lord, will I miss our former HOME where I sobbed in frustration and prayed, pounding on heaven’s door to learn language(s...
Read more...
Christmas Memories from Around the World
Watermelon, Handprints and Fireworks ... What do they all have in common? They are all elements of favourite Christmas memories and traditions from our MORE Network staff, from around the world! 
Read more...
Deeply Rooted
We invite you to join us during this season of generosity so that, together, we can give Missionary Kids and their families the opportunities to experience a richer soil in Christ and broader branches in community. 
Read more...
The Eternal Benefits of Debriefing
I recently returned from RE-VIEW, a week-long family debriefing retreat, where I served as an adult facilitator and debriefer. While there, I had the honour of hearing the stories of missionaries who have worked in...
Read more...
Bonds Beyond Borders: The Impact of ReBoot on MKs
There is something so beautiful about the quick bonds that form between MKs (Missionary Kids), who understand each other despite having drastically different life experiences. It’s like a breath of fresh air to be surro...
Read more...
Adult Third Culture Kid Research: The Heart Behind the Research
This summer, we had the privilege of connecting with Shelly Lyons about her research on Adult Third Culture Kids. Listen in to hear more about the “heart” behind the research and her big picture dreams for how it will b...
Read more...
Is Competition a Biblical Value?
One Sunday morning in the church where I pastored, a family came to me and shared how some of their friends had left our church to go to another church: a "competitor church". They were completely distracted by their ne...
Read more...
Deny Yourself: My Story of Self-Denial & Abundant Life
“Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” -Mark 8:34 I still remember the moment I heard the words of Mark 8, grasping their significance for the first time. Si...
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