"DO NOT DESPISE THESE SMALL BEGINNINGS."

When our IT team first gathered for morning devotion, Zechariah 4:10 spoke to us as a blueprint for the journey we’re on—a journey of long-term investment in people, relationships, and culture.

In 536 B.C., a group of 50,000 Jews returned to Jerusalem to rebuild their temple after years of exile. They were met with opposition and discouragement. Sixteen years passed before the prophets Zechariah and Haggai inspired them to resume the work. The new foundation was smaller, unimpressive, compared to the grandeur of Solomon’s Temple. Yet, God’s message was clear: “Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin.”

Much like the Israelites rebuilding their temple, our mission teams are laying foundations that may seem small but are part of something much greater. In 2017-2019, we sent teams to teach entrepreneurship. After the pandemic, a team of just five people set out to reignite our efforts. It felt modest, but God reminded us that missional impact is often about faithfulness in the long-term. And it’s not just about teaching skills or offering services—it’s about building lasting relationships that transform lives.

Anton’s story is a testament to this.

“You changed my life.”

When Ed led English programs to reach local students, Anton was a high schooler who spent two summers with him. That connection—between Ed’s passion for teaching and Anton’s desire to learn—became a bridge. Anton’s English skills opened doors for him: first an exchange program in the U.S., then a university scholarship in Europe, and later a leadership role in his country’s top coding school. Anton’s success wasn’t the result of a single interaction but of years of relationship, trust, and investment.

That’s how missional work moves—through careers, skills, passions, and opportunities coming together to build bridges across cultures and industries. The rising generation craves authenticity, and the power of our witness lies in the vulnerability of sharing who we are while adapting to the environments we step into. We are the bridge-makers, connecting faith with the world through culture—whether it’s sport, music, gaming, or technology. Like Anton, there are those waiting to see how our integration of careers, passion, and purpose can create a space for them to thrive.

“Your teams impacted so many of us.”

The impact doesn’t stop at one life. Starting in 2003, we sent teams to serve a youth center in the same town as the university our IT team visited. Though the program ended in 2010, Ruslan, the youth center’s director, still remembers those teams. When he sat with KP, our coordinator, Ruslan pulled out an album of photos from the summer teams that served alongside him. “Many of the young people we served are now scattered across Europe and beyond,” he said. “But when they come back, we always talk about what we learned from your teams. Your teams impacted so many of us.”

Bridge-making--The Long Game

What we see here is more than just outreach—it’s the long game of investing in people. As missional professionals, we’re called to give freely, not only of our time and skills but of our networks, our capital, and our hospitality. We do this generously, believing that when we give freely in the Spirit of God, He multiplies it.

We are bridges—bridging culture, careers, and faith. We move in and out of spaces with adaptability, understanding the power of neutrality and context. Like Ed, we may not see the full fruit of our work for years, but we know that faithfulness in small beginnings leads to transformation in God’s timing. This is why we pray together, laying down our agendas, and seeking what is good to the Holy Spirit and to us (Acts 15:28).

At the heart of missional work is the long-term investment in relationships. We don’t know where all the Ruslans and Antons will end up, but we are confident that by living generously and authentically, we can build bridges that transcend culture, time, and place. Our task is to be faithful to the call, to bridge into culture, and trust that God is working even in the smallest beginnings.