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!

 

ByDiane Fietje on Tuesday, February 27, 2024

5 Ways to Pray for MORE Network in 2024

Diane Fietje By Diane Fietje on Tuesday, February 27, 2024

 

“Together is my favourite place to be”

A sign on the wall in our dining room above my desk says, “together is my favourite place to be.” Since we have lived in many different places, location doesn’t define what home is. For us, home is not a place but where we are together. Being together with our family is my favourite place to be.

This sign also has significance to me because being together with Jesus is my absolute favourite place to be. Since the time when I trusted Jesus to take the penalty of my sin upon Himself, He has been present with me because His Spirit lives within me. The fact that He is an Omnipresent God, also means He is with me anywhere I am. There is nowhere I can go from His presence and for me that is a great comfort.

However, there are times when I am more aware of His presence.

  • Worshipping together with the body of Christ or alone: in prayer, singing, immersed in the Word of God, or serving
  • Marvelling at His beautiful creation while enjoying the outdoors
  • Experiencing God’s gentle love in my repentance, His comfort when I am hurting, His peace when I am unsettled, His assurance in the waiting, and His power in my weakness
  • In my surrender and trust in Him

MORE Network 2024 Theme: Immanuel, God with us

The MORE Network has chosen, “Immanuel, God with us” as our theme for 2024.

For some of us, this may make us think of Christmas, since we have just celebrated God sending His Son, Jesus, to come to earth to take on human flesh and die for our sins. God with us means that and so much more.

In the MORE Network, God is with us…

… in the joy

… in our brokenness, pain, grief, and loss

… in the changes in our lives

… in the waiting

… in our victories

… in the unknown

… in our weakness

… in our challenges and frustrations

… in celebration

… as we walk with others

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.

5 Areas of Prayer for the MORE Network in 2024

We invite you to join with us in prayer for God’s presence in these five distinct areas:

1. Direction

Pray for God to give each of us vision of what He is calling us into, so that we may live and serve purposefully for His glory. Pray that we may be constantly aware of God, walking with Him each day in that calling, humbly drawing near to God and into His presence so that He will draw near to us. (James 4:8a NKJV)

2. Spirit Empowerment

At the MORE Network, pray that we would be empowered by the Holy Spirit to do the work He calls us to in 2024, (Acts 1:8) depending on Jesus as we abide in Him and in His love, knowing that apart from Him we can do nothing. (John 15:4-5; 1 John 4:16)

3. Beholding God

Pray that God would reveal Himself in all His Holiness to us at the MORE Network as we shift our focus to fix our eyes on Him with fear, reverence and wonder at who He is, beholding His beauty! (Ps 27:4 NKJV)

4. Intimacy with God

At the MORE Network we want to increasingly love, know, and trust God deeply. Pray for intimacy in our relationship with the Lord, that our souls would hunger and thirst for Jesus, long for His presence, know Him, and look to be satisfied only by Him. (Ps 63) Pray that we will be changed by being in His presence and spending time with Him.

5. God’s Rest

At MORE Network, we also want to receive the rest God offers us. Pray for us to enter into His rest to be refreshed by His Presence in 2024. (Matt 11:28 NIV)

May you enjoy God’s presence today!

But as for me, how good it is to be near God! I have made the Sovereign LORD my shelter, and I will tell everyone about the wonderful things you do. (Ps 73:28)


We invite you to continue praying with MORE Network! There are lots of opportunities to get involved in praying with & for MORE Network. Visit Praise & Prayer for the most recent prayer update from MORE Network, or subscribe to a monthly prayer update from MORE by visiting Subscribe to MORE Email Lists and selecting "Praise & Prayer Updates".  

Or to read more articles from the MORE Network team, please visit MORE Network, where we regularly share articles on topics such as: transtions for missionaries and their families, TKCs & MKs, and member care resources & opportunities!


Diane Fietje serves with the MORE Network as a part-time administrator and full-time MK champion. Diane, along with her husband Mike and their children, spent 20 years in Peru with a mission organization serving children at risk. Having experienced transition back to Canada, first Mike after growing up as a missionary kid in SE Asia, and then as a whole family returning from Peru, they know how hard it can be to readjust to life in North America and are delighted to be able to help others in similar circumstances.



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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)...

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 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! 

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) & 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...

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 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!

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 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."

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 news. Does the Bible encourage us to compete with fellow believers? Is there such a thing as a competitor church?

Read more...

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...
Read more...