What does it take to transform from a shy person who "couldn't speak to people" into a missionary who serves for decades in challenging environments? Sue's remarkable 40-year journey provides powerful insights for anyone considering cross-cultural ministry or seeking to persevere through difficult seasons.

Sue's adventure began at a small church with a global vision, where stories from missionaries returning from Africa sparked a desire that would shape her life's direction. After her first outreach to Swaziland—where she witnessed healing and spiritual transformation—she returned changed, with newfound boldness replacing her natural shyness. This marked the beginning of a path that would eventually lead her and her husband to 27 years of service in Mozambique.

With refreshing honesty, Sue shares the mistakes and challenges that shaped her understanding of effective ministry. "We were just like gung-ho cowboys," she admits, describing their early years teaching Bible school without language skills or cultural understanding. Through cultural misunderstandings, family decisions like sending children to boarding school, and the ever-present spiritual warfare embedded in local beliefs, Sue discovered that effectiveness comes not from having all the answers but from positioning oneself as a learner.

The conversation explores significant shifts in global missions—from predominantly Western workers to diverse multicultural teams, from organizational silos to collaborative partnerships, and from limited roles for women to greater recognition of their gifts and calling. Sue's perspective on these changes comes with hard-earned wisdom about sustaining ministry for the long haul: maintaining your relationship with Jesus as your top priority, taking regular breaks, understanding cultural differences rather than judging them, and balancing day-to-day faithfulness with long-term planning.

Have you considered how God might use your unique gifts in cross-cultural ministry? Sue's story reminds us that the most powerful qualification isn't expertise but willingness to follow where Jesus leads, learning and growing along the way.

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