Neighbors & Nations January 2025

You prayed for and supported our multi-generational team that set off for Coff's Harbor Australia in December. The team spent the week serving missionary families at the Asia Pacific Area Conference. While the parents attended daily sessions on Emotionally Healthy Spirituality and Relationships, the kids were able to connect with one another, play games, participate in Bible lessons, and enjoy activities led by the Parkway team members.

You might wonder why our team went all the way across the world to work with missionary kids. Well, we're glad you asked! Missionary Kids (MKs) tend to feel like they don't fit in anywhere.  They aren't truly a part of their passport culture, and aren't fully a part of the culture where their parents are serving. For that reason, they can struggle emotionally with acceptance and are always having to say "goodbye" to friends and family.

It's of utmost importance for all members of missionary families to be spiritually and emotionally healthy, especially when they serve in very dark places with a lack a faith community. Please continue to pray for our global ministry partners as we seek ways to better care for them, including serving them on future missionary care trips!

ASIA AREA DIRECTOR
Ben has been a beloved parter with Parkway for over a decade, leading the work of Global Partners (Wesleyan Missions Agency) in Asia. His role involves overseeing missionaries, supporting national leaders, and fostering the growth of the church in one of the world's most unreached regions. It's a monumental task, and his wife Sharon shares his passion, actively working alongside him.

Ben grew up attending Parkway, and felt his calling to long term missions during a Missions Week service many years ago. Amid their ministry efforts, Ben and Sharon's family has faced significant challenges. Their oldest daughter has battled health issues over recent years, including overcoming cancer. She also suffers from severe seizures and underwent brain surgery a few weeks ago to seek relief. Thankfully, the surgery was successful, and she is currently in recovery.

We ask for your prayers- for their daughter's continued recovery, for their family's strength, and for the ministry in Asia. The work faces many obstacles, including persecution, wars, poverty, and political turmoil. Through the prayer and support, we trust the impact God will continue to make through their efforts!

The Parkway Men's Group is leading the way in serving! This group of guys gets excited about serving the community together! If you've ever read the "MAN CARD" in the back of the seat pockets in the Worship Center, you can see that there's a list of upcoming opportunities like picking up trash on the church property, delivering furniture to struggling families in partnership with local ministries, and joining an outreach trip to West Virginia in March.  Check out the Parkway Men site for more information: https://parkwayroanoke.com/men

Glen is a faithful volunteer at Immigrant Connection-Blue Ridge, a ministry that serves immigrant and refugee families by providing services in a welcoming environment to clients from over 100 different countries. Immigrant Connection is a network of over 20 offices nationwide authorized by the US Department of Justice to assist clients with pathways of immigration in accordance with United States Immigration law.

Glen is part of a team of staff and volunteers who put the Biblical lesson of the Good Samaritan into practice.  In Luke 10:36 Jesus asked the lawyer which of the three men in the story proved to be a good neighbor to the man who was from a very different culture and background than himself.  So the man answered:
"the one who showed mercy toward him." Then Jesus said to him, "Go and do the same."

Regardless of our political points of view, Jesus expects all of us to love our neighbors, no matter who they are. We are thankful for local ministries like Immigrant Connection and Friendship House, who are on the front lines sharing the love of Jesus with our neighbors from all nations.