I think 2025 has unfolded at Mach speed. Like you, I’m scrambling to keep up with school runs, meals, laundry, and work.

But today, I had to stop running around and write reports. If this is your first time reading a newsletter from me (thanks to all the newbies), you might not know that I (with my husband) am a lifelong missionary. We plant churches, start schools, run feeding programs, and most recently, we are starting an outreach to the elderly and handicapped.

Much of what I write is inspired by my life on the continent. Today, writing quarterly reports for one of our feeding centers moved me.

A testimony that brings perspective

I have a testimony of a little boy named Aligane before me. He is four years old and lives with his parents and five siblings. He is blessed to live with them because many families in his situation in Burundi (where this site is located) are broken. His father is a fisherman, and while they are all together, none of the children attend school.

Aligane and his family sleep in a tent. They have no furniture and only one mattress to share to sleep on. When I saw his picture (see below), I showed it to my husband. He noticed the writing on the shirt, “When I grow up, I want to be a…” His testimony form said that if he gets an education, he wants to be a teacher when he grows up.

This puts life into perspective, doesn’t it?
Jesus, please help us to be thankful.

Not bothered today

With this perspective, I’m tackling other responsibilities on my desk today. There are accounts that need my attention and visits to possible church sites that need to be made. In the middle of the frustration, I remember Aligane and his family.

No, I won’t be bothered by little things today. I will live on purpose, enjoy every moment as a gift, and live honoring those who have less. I’ll honor them by being thankful and by giving my best to those in need.

Perhaps the little that I have, which is big to them, will be a blessing.

Still filling the shoes of a misfit

While I changed the blog’s name from “Cultural Misfit” to “A Cultural Shift,” I still fit the shoes of a misfit. As a missionary from the USA (whose parents hail from Finland) who has lived in Africa longer than in America, the footprints I leave don’t quite fit anywhere.

My work with Aligane and others like him reveals things I might not have noticed otherwise. Sometimes, I’m tempted to think another life would have been easier. Living away from witnessing all the pain I have witnessed surely would have been nicer, right?

But that’s not how it has happened to me. Life has placed me in a position where I’ve been privileged to see what others haven’t. I’m compelled by the calling that God has given me to share what I’ve witnessed with the world. Perhaps it won’t resonate with many, but it might resonate with one. It might resonate with you.

Practically speaking

So what does all that mean, practically? Does God care for the poor more than He cares for the wealthy? Of course He doesn’t. His love is the same for everyone; He loves the world (see John 3:16). It simply means that what I’ve been able to see and communicate to others will hopefully inspire a perspective in their hearts. A perspective of God’s great love for the world and a perspective of gratitude. If that little bit gets done in the hearts of a few, I daresay it’s been worth it.

I’ve recently had the privilege of being invited to write regularly for A Cup of Faith. I encourage you to check it out; it’s a fantastic source of inspiration and perspective! Another site, which I won’t mention until it’s official, has also invited me to join their writing team. It’s exciting to think that this worldwide, misfit perspective I have is now traversing the globe via the internet.

More perspective

In the coming weeks, I invite you to follow me on A Cultural Shift where I will include a more in-depth perspective on how I (we with hubs) have worked and lived. If you’re curious and want to join me, stay tuned. It might turn out to be something pretty cool.

This story originally appeared in Lea’s blog. If you would like to see more of her writing you can find her blog on: www.aculturalshift.com