I wake up to the Muslim call to prayer and shortly after, the Hindu temple bells reverberating through the air. As the sun peaks over the hazy horizon, I make chai tea and warm up some rice and dal for breakfast. South Asia is so diverse, often called the ‘nation of nations’ because the styles of temples, dress, food, and customs vary so drastically depending on the region. But here, it feels like home. Here, I know the Lord has called me. 

The heart of the SLICE program is to assist cross-cultural workers as they navigate their first term on the field and equip them for long-term effectiveness as they serve in the unreached areas of South Asia. Life is often unpredictable as a missionary in South Asia, but each week looks something like this:

We gather together - all the SLICE staff and participants - in one of our homes. We rotate who leads the discussion, but we always start by debriefing the previous week. We talk about what we learned, any encouraging interactions we had, or any issues or discouragements we’re facing (especially with language or cultural mishaps). After that, we spend time in praise and worship, followed by time in the Word, DBS (discovery Bible study) style. It feels like a home church. 

Afterwards, we all go home for lunch. Since SLICE is usually a mix of singles and families, I live in an apartment on my own, with my landlord living on the floor below me. In the afternoon, one of the SLICE leaders comes over to my house for one-on-one discipleship. This time is always both practical and personal - they help me develop business ideas, navigate cultural adjustments, and walk me through what it looks like to be a missionary in South Asia. These conversations are always tailored to each participant and I’m so grateful for the intentionality and care from the SLICE staff.

After being jolted awake by the bells again and brewing my hot chai, I take a rickshaw (similar to a bicycle) to get to class, bouncing through the colorful and chaotic side streets to arrive at the SLICE office. From 9:30am - 1:30pm, we’re in learning language class through the Growing Participator Approach (GPA), learning either Hindi, Bangla, Nepali, or Urdu. The goal is to be understandable and knowledgeable - both of the language and the host culture - so we can help introduce others to Jesus in their native language. We are welcomed into the GRPA process by our language nurturers who are mother-tongue speakers we hire to help us speak and interact with the host culture in a way to share His love and truth with people at-large. Language class looks different depending on which phase (of six) you’re in, but it’s always interactive and fruitful in building meaningful relationships with our nurturer and fellow classmates. A few of us have even had the chance to share the love of Jesus with our language instructors! 

After that, we’ll go home for a break; immersive language learning can be exhausting on the brain. In the evening, we’ll gather again for teachings on one of the main SLICE topics, then go home with homework in hand to complete before our next SLICE class on Thursday.

We gather again for language class, but afterwards, we have the freedom to go minister in the community. One of the current SLICE students is a doctor, so he goes into the villages and helps with pediatric care at a few different church plant congregations. Though his language is still improving, he’s had the chance to assist pastors with meeting practical and spiritual needs. Once he graduates from SLICE (which can take anywhere from 6 months to 2 years), he’s going to be working at a medical clinic in one of the more remote villages - one that’s so isolated, you have to cross a river to get there, which proves difficult during monsoon season. With the connections that SLICE has in South Asia, participants are able to use God-given gifts and passions to serve and bless people here.

Tuesdays and Thursdays, we have SLICE class (after language class) and rotate different trainings on the SLICE topics - strategy, language, identity, culture, and exalting Jesus. 

We review the homework from Tuesday and then either continue the discussion or go practice what we learned with hands-on experience in the community. We could be prayer walking, going to the market to find a particular item, or learning how to cook healthy here. We may spend the afternoon learning how to get the necessary documents for living long-term and starting businesses here, how to ride scootys, or how to work well with nationals. One of our times, we got to learn how to find a home and set it up for a new participant - and it was in a neighborhood that no foreigner has ever lived in! We felt led to this specific house after prayer walking, and the SLICE leaders helped us prepare the home for the new missionaries arriving.

We don’t have afternoon class these days, so our time is open for whatever people want or need. Often, we’ll go into the community to continue practicing everything we have learned (it’s a lot!). We might get to share the Gospel with our neighbors, work with local ministries, or hang out with the street kids. If we don’t know where to start, our SLICE leaders introduce us to someone they trust and we jump in from there. 

I got connected with a cafe run by missionaries that hires local girls. Because alcoholism and abuse run rampant here, the missionaries work with the girls to give them a hirable skill and a glimpse of hope. The cafe owner said, “We really care about them. They’re like our daughters.” Some of them even join the women’s Bible study!

Ah, Sabbath! We don’t schedule anything on Sundays. 

Living in South Asia can be difficult, but it’s worth it. It’s hot, language learning is hard, and there are some systemic issues we can’t change. But, we can try to offer a glimmer of love, truth, and Jesus to those who may never have heard His name before, and it’s all worth it.

Join us in prayer for our SLICE program:

Pray for our fall class - our biggest yet! - that we would guide them well, leading and encouraging them in Christ. Pray for the Lord of the Harvest to send more workers to SLICE, so more people can know about Jesus and His worth might be exalted here. And, pray for one of our ministry partners who is currently in jail - may the Lord shield him from harm, grant him courage and endurance, and supernatural favor in his circumstances.

Are you interested in on-the-field training in South Asia? Applications are open for Fall 2024! goGFM.org/slice-program/

Written by: Global Frontier Missions

Published on: June 23, 2023