By Marci Jones
NAB Missionary to Brazil
Three and a half years ago, I began pursuing a degree through Kairos University, wondering how to prepare for the next season of life as I approached the transition to becoming an empty nester. As I look back now, I am overwhelmed with gratitude for the many ways God has met me along the way. I began this program by prayerfully discerning what might lie ahead. What I wasn’t prepared for was how deeply healing this journey would become.
If I’m honest, I began this degree with a mixture of hope and fear. I have always loved discipling, teaching, and caring for people pastorally. Yet I also carried years of internal struggles, wrestling quietly with doubts about whether my gifts truly had a place to flourish. Those doubts became the starting point of this journey, and what unfolded was not just academic growth, but deep healing.
Through Scripture, thoughtful scholarship, rich conversations, and the steady guidance of mentors and professors, God began to untangle fears and reshape my understanding of who God created me to be. I was reminded again and again that my identity is first and foremost rooted in Christ — deeply loved, fully accepted, and empowered by the Holy Spirit to serve wherever he leads.
Even though the program was online, I never walked alone. God provided a community of faithful men and women who encouraged me, challenged me, and prayed with me. A small group of women from my Church History courses formed a WhatsApp group we affectionately call “HerStory,” where we continue to cheer one another on. Professors offered wisdom at just the right moments. My mentor team listened deeply and asked the kinds of questions that shaped not just my thinking, but my soul. And through it all, my husband faithfully supported me, especially during the many moments when I felt overwhelmed and ready to quit. . . .
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Spring Missions Sunday is March 29.
We invite every NAB church to join in by praying intentionally for the nations and by giving generously to the Global Missions Fund as part of the 2026 Spring Missions Offering.
Even as God continues to work powerfully through the faithfulness of NAB missionaries and partners, there remain large portions of the world with little or no access to the Gospel. The kind of mission work to build this access does not happen quickly, and it cannot happen alone. It requires patient discernment, deep dependence on prayer, and long term commitment through the local church. That is why the NAB’s Global Missions Fund remains essential. While individual missionaries are supported through partnering churches and personal networks, the Global Missions Fund provides the shared foundation that allows NAB International Missions to send, support, and care for workers with wisdom and faithfulness for the long haul.
To find out more about the 2026 Spring Missions Offering, you can visit SpringMissions.com or follow the links below.
As we enter in the final weeks of Lent, we trust those who have chosen to journey together with us through these series of devotionals centered around Philippians 2:5–11 have been meaningfully impacted.
The final two weeks of devotionals are now available to download to share with your Bible study, small group, or whomever.
If you are looking for a devotional series to undertake in the weeks beyond Easter, the Missional Initiatives Team has created a 21-day Eastertide devotional series that runs April 8 through May 24.
This series will walk through the aftermath of the resurrection and how the disciples were forever changed by it – not merely an event, but an ongoing transformational life that is shaped and powered by the Holy Spirit for the sake of the Kingdom, one that must be practiced every single day.
If you are interested in receiving these devotionals, simply sign up for the MIT Monthly newsletter below and select the box for the devotionals. (If you already receive the MIT Monthly, you can still use the form below to sign up for the Eastertide devotionals.)
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A few weeks back, we held our ninth Fit Assessment. These few days together with potential church planters, church revitalizers, and international missionaries are intended to help each candidate and couple discern together their best next step in ministry. Our February Fit Assessment was in Roseville, California, hosted by Grace Collective Church – a church whose pastor went through Fit Assessment exactly one year prior.
Already we are looking ahead to the next Fit Assessment in Edmonton, Alberta, at the end of May. If you are or know anyone interested in even just dipping a toe in what it would mean to plant or revitalize a church or serve as an international missionary, we guarantee these few days will provide you a clear picture of your strengths are and what skills you will need to sharpen, as well as tangible steps to take as you follow God where he is leading.
To learn more or apply, follow the link below.