Mission Ideas

Loving Others: Our Healthcare Workers

Being any type of healthcare worker is hard right now and with the continuing and rising numbers of Covid cases (at least locally) our healthcare professionals are exhausted and worn down and so are their families. I’ve seen it in their social media posts. I’ve read it in article after article. A few of my healthcare friends have even told me directly.

So, How can we love them and serve them well through this time? How can we love their families too?

Here are a few simple ways to love and serve our healthcare friends and their families:

1. Pray for them by name and let them know! Many are feeling isolated and frustrated and a simple text reminding them that they are prayed for, could be the boost that they need as they begin their shift or end out a hard day. What about their spouse? Pray for them too and text and let them know! Thank them for the wonderful job they are doing.

2. Leave a surprise for them! Bake cookies or a yummy treat that you know they will love. Grab a gift card to a fun restaurant or coffee shop and have your kiddos draw them a picture or write them a card. Drop it off at their home or leave it for them at their office, if allowed. A little “sursy” goes a long way to lift spirits and bring a smile.

3. Love and serve their family too. Grab a restaurant gift card big enough to serve their family. Prepare a meal that they can enjoy together. Put together a fun game night box or movie night box for their family to enjoy. Families of our healthcare workers are so loved too!

4. Do your part to stay healthy! If we all do our part, many of our friends in healthcare will feel valued and loved and seen. I’m pretty sure that they don’t want to see us in their ER or their exam room right now, so let’s work hard on our end to not make that happen.

What ideas do you have to say thank you to your healthcare friends and family? How can you share the love of Jesus with some of our favorite people?

Mission Ideas, On Mission

Prayer Meal Idea: Lebanon

We’ve seen this beautiful country all over the news lately after a catastrophic explosion in Beirut. I honestly did not know much about this place before this happened, other than the food was yummy and the Lebanese people were so very resilient and strong. As the news has been coming out, it’s truly heartbreaking at the loss of life and the devastation that is so evident in Beirut and all across the country. This month, our family will be learning as much as we can about this beautiful country and praying for them as they continue to rebuild and recover.

To learn more about the country we have been reading the following books:
Lebanon 1, 2, 3
The Olive Tree
Lebanon

As we prepare a meal, read books, and learn, we will also be enjoying a yummy meal and spend time praying for the devastation in that land. There are a LOT of recipes over on Pinterest for making Lebanese food. Be sure to follow our On Mission Moms Pinterest Page for Lebanese Recipe ideas. We also have a yummy restaurant that serves great middle eastern food near by which we hope to support as well. Do you have a local restaurant that you can support during this time?

Lebanese Prayer Meal Ideas:
Hummus & Pita Bread
Falafel
Shish Taouk
Kafta Kababs

A prayer meal is simply that – an opportunity to pray for a country or place as you eat a yummy meal that is from that land. It’s also an opportunity to eat some things that may not necessarily be something you eat all the time or maybe you’ve never tried before. This helps our little ones learn about how places are different and cultures have different foods and while they are different than what we are used to, it’s not “bad”. This is a simple way to help our little ones see that there is value and importance in other cultures around the world.

There are also several great non-profits currently on the ground there that are working to help those in need. If you would like to learn more about what is happening and how we can support financially during this time, be sure to follow: Preemptive Love and Heart for Lebanon.

Mission Ideas

Praying the ABC’s over our Teachers

This year is going to be so very different. We’ve all been hearing and talking about it and many of us have had to make really hard decisions for this coming year, especially our education friends. Many are learning day to day of the changes that they are having to make to their classrooms and the way they teach. Many are moving from in person teaching to virtual teaching. Many are parents themselves and are having to figure it all out for their children too. So much is being placed upon their shoulders right now and I’m so very thankful for the great work that they are doing!

One of the most important thing that we can do for our teachers and administrators this upcoming year is to pray for them. A simple way that we can pray for them is praying straight thought the alphabet, a tool many of them use in their classrooms daily! As you pray, let each letter and word guide your prayers for them. You could pray each of the letters each day over your child’s teacher or take a letter a day or week, whatever pace you want to take. But the most important thing is that we are intentional with our prayers for those in education this year! And maybe even more important and special, would be to actually let them know that you are praying for them.

Regardless of the decision that we each make for school this year, we all have friends and family who will walk into our schools daily or teach from their computer. Let’s be faithful to pray for them, encourage and cheer them on!

Praying the ABC’s :

Ability to adapt

Boldness

Confidence

Discernment

Enthusiasm

Family

Gladness

Health

Insecurities

Joy

Kindness

Love

Money

New ideas

Obstacles

Perseverance

Quality

Refreshment

Strength

Technology

Unity

Victory

Weariness

Xcellence

Yay (ability to celebrate!)

Zealous – to be the best teacher they can be!

What words would you add to this list or change out?

For a fun printable that you can print at home and hang up to remind you throughout this school year to pray for teachers, download here!

Mission Ideas

Summer Serve Fun Ideas 2020

The summer is shaping up to be super different this year, but that shouldn’t distract us from serving and loving others with our little ones. There are so many fun ways that we can still serve this summer despite the restrictions in place due to Covid-19 and all that is going on our world and in our own hometowns.

Here are some fun and simple ideas that you could use and adjust for your family as needed to love and care for your neighbors at the same time:

1. Host a Sunday Sundae Party! Invite a few neighbors over to your front yard, serve ice cream or make homemade ice cream and have lots of fun toppings to go along with all the yumminess. You can also do this socially distanced by inviting your friends to bring their own chairs and ice cream yumminess and just provide a fun evening spread apart yet hanging out together!

2. Showing Love to Healthcare workers! Most of the media has sadly moved on from highlighting those serving in this capacity in our region; however, our numbers are higher than ever and they are working more and more! Spend an afternoon baking cookies, making cards or posters, praying for those that are sick and serving the sick, and drop off at your local hospitals and doctor offices to offer encouragement and a little joy!

3. Love missionary friends well! Several of our missionary families from our local church have had to make the difficult decision to come back to the states because of virus related issues in their countries. They need our support and love and encouragement during these weird days! If you know a missionary family who is back, drop off a gift card to a favorite store, invite them over for dinner (if you can safely do so), text or call and just say hey! Include them into your friend groups and hangouts and welcome them back “home” during this season.

4. A little Happy Fri-yay Gift! Do you have a friend who just needs a little encouragement and happy? Take a few minutes to grab their favorite little goodie and drop it off to remind them they aren’t alone and you are praying for them! Ask your little ones to pick a friend that they are missing or just want to love a little extra and let them do the same! Take some time out of your Friday to make it extra special for someone else. Don’t forget to remind your little friends that Jesus loves them big!

5. Go on a Summer Fun Prayerwalk/Scavenger Hunt! Look for summer fun things like pool floats, bicycles, sidewalk chalk and beach balls and point out simple ways to pray around those items! Here’s a simple printable to guide you along the way!

Now more than ever is the time to show love and kindness to those we meet along the way and friends and neighbors who need encouragement! Have a blast this summer being creative as we love Jesus and serve others! Be sure to share your fun ideas with us too, by tagging us over at Instagram!

Mission Ideas, On Mission

Prayer Meal Idea: Your Own City

Typically for our Prayer Meal, I choose a different country around the world or city here in the states where I have friends serving and sharing Jesus. The first reason is to pray for those specific countries, peoples, cultures, and missionaries. The second reason is to expose our children (and maybe even us) to different foods and cultures with the thought that the more exposure that one has, the most excitement and passion one may have for that particular place, etc.

But this month, I couldn’t seem to shake the desire to simply pray for our very own cities, right where you are. It has been quite a “weird” few months as we have all dealt with the Coronavirus and the effects it has had on our own families, churches, and towns where we live. Many people are without jobs. Some are so very sick. Restaurants and local businesses may be struggling greatly because of this time. Our very own cities need our prayers and they need our financial support. This month, will you set aside a meal time to pray for your city and support it by purchasing a meal from your favorite restaurant?


Some Prayer Ideas:

Pray for your mayor and town leadership. They have such hard decisions to make in the days ahead as they figure out how to reopen their cities. Whether we agree or disagree with them, they need our prayers!

Pray for your pastor and church leadership. The same applies to them! The decision of how and when to open is daunting and many people will have lots of thoughts and opinions. Pray for wisdom and grace.

Pray for restaurants and small business owners. The stress that they feel is huge. Ask the Lord to expand their businesses and to bless them during this time.


I’m thankful for Spartanburg, SC the county where I live and I know that I will have a super hard time choosing my favorite restaurant to support but now more than ever, I want to support my city in simple fun ways like eating and praying!


How are you praying and supporting your city during this time?
Hop over to our Instagram @onmissionmoms or our Facebook Group and share what your family will be doing to love and support your very own city!

For another fun little way to support your city, go on a prayer walk with the kiddos around your city. Our city has fun lightbulbs all around and it’s fun to use those as prayer points all around the city. Does your city have a fun way to prayerwalk around it?