Compass Asia

06/30/2026

Who cares for the shepherd?

It's a question the Church rarely stops to ask.

Pastors walk beside grieving families, counsel struggling marriages, carry concerns for their congregations that most people never see.

Missionaries navigate language barriers, security concerns, repeated goodbyes, and the loneliness of living far from everyone who knows them well.

Many of them don't have a safe place to tell the full truth about how they're doing.

We've written about this, honestly, and with some research behind it. Because we think it matters.

New article on the Compass Asia blog: Who Cares for the Shepherd?

Link in Comments

06/09/2026

Every June, at the international school my children attended in Penang, Malaysia, something happens after the graduation ceremony ends.

After the diplomas. After the photos. After the parents go home.
The students stay.

They sit together into the early hours of the morning, holding on to the last hours of a community about to scatter to different continents. And the goodbyes that follow are unlike anything most people back home will ever fully understand.

I wrote about it this week because I believe every church and every missionary family needs to understand what TCK kids are actually carrying, and how to truly show up for them when they come home.

They are not just an extension of their parents' ministry. They are remarkable young people who deserve to be seen.

Link in the comments.

06/03/2026

If you know someone who is on furlough, in transition, or just quietly running on empty, this might be exactly what they need. Spaces fill fast.

We have a few spaces remaining for our Exchange at the Cross™ Debriefing Retreat in Odessa, Florida.

August 16–21, 2026

Five days. A trained debriefer. All meals and accommodation included. Scholarships available based on need.

If you're wondering whether this is the right fit, just send me a message. Happy to chat.

Explore upcoming retreats with Compass Asia. Join our workshops for soul care, resilience, and fellowship tailored for Christian global workers.

05/17/2026

Forgiveness sounds simple. But anyone who has truly done it knows it is anything but. Most of us know we should forgive. Actually doing it is a different story.

In our debriefing work with missionaries and global workers across Asia, forgiveness comes up again and again. It is often the turning point. The place where something finally shifts. And it is almost never easy.

Team conflict. Broken trust. Injustice. Wounds that have been buried for years under the weight of ministry. The enemy knows that unforgiveness is one of his most effective tools for keeping global workers stuck, and he uses it well.

But God's grace meets us right there. As we release others, He heals us.

If you or someone you know is carrying something that hasn't fully been released, this is for you.

👉 Read: Forgiveness — God's Master Key for Missionaries

Buried pain keeps missionaries stuck — and tied to the people who hurt them. Discover why forgiveness is God's master key to true freedom in the field.

05/04/2026

The mask is more dangerous than the grief.
Most missionaries carry grief the way everyone expects them to, underneath the capable face, the still-serving face, the I'm okay face.
But grief doesn't disappear because we refuse to look at it.
It waits.
I've written a new blog, and one I believe every global worker needs to hear.

Missionary Grief: Why the Mask We Wear Is More Dangerous Than the Grief Itself GRIEF AND TRAUMA PROCESSINGMEMBER CARE BEST PRACTICES May 1 Written By Rachel Chand "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, you are with me." — Psalm 23:4What You Will Learn•       Why mis...

03/19/2026

What you’re looking at is years of someone’s life — laid out, named, and surrendered to God. 🕊️

Most missionaries never get this. They keep going, serve others, tell themselves they’re fine… until they can’t anymore.

Our first April retreat filled so fast a waitlist formed. So we opened a second one.

Two spaces remain. April 22–27. Penang, Malaysia.

“I came just hoping to rest. I didn’t even realize what I was carrying. The burden on my shoulders got lighter.”
This could be your week — or someone you know.

Link to apply in comments.

03/09/2026

Registration Now Open: Debriefing Retreat in Penang | April 22–27

Many Christian global workers carry years of experiences that never get processed. Ministry pressures, cultural stress, grief, conflict, loss, and transition often get pushed aside in order to keep serving, and over time, what is unprocessed can quietly affect our health, relationships, and calling.

Debriefing creates space to pause, reflect, and bring those experiences before the Lord.

Due to the encouraging response to our first retreat, we are opening a second retreat in Penang using the Exchange at the Cross model, facilitated by Le Rucher-trained and certified debriefers. This retreat provides a guided, prayerful environment to help global workers process their experiences, recognize where God has been at work, and move forward with renewed clarity and strength.

If you have been serving cross-culturally and sense the need to reflect, process, and reset, this retreat may be the right next step.

📅 April 22–27 | 📍 Penang, Malaysia

Spots are limited. Submit your application soon to hold your place.

👉 https://compassasia.org/form-debriefing

Questions? Reach out by DM or comment below and I'll get you the details.

01/06/2026

I made a mistake for many years while serving in cross cultural missions.

My kids could see I was struggling, but I didn’t know how to show them what healthy processing looks like.

So they watched me hurt without seeing how to find healing.

It’s not about hiding struggles. It’s about modeling the right way to deal with them.

I just published what I wish I’d known sooner:

Why Vulnerability Matters in Missionary Families: Breaking the Silence for Healing

For missionary parents, sending churches, and anyone who cares about sustainable missions.

Why Vulnerability Matters in Missionary Families: Breaking the Silence for Healing MARRIAGE AND FAMILY SUPPORTMEMBER CARE BEST PRACTICES Jan 7 Written By Rachel Chand "But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies u...

11/06/2025

Standing at an unexpected intersection?
I'm a planner. I tend to want every angle mapped out. But God's been teaching me something freeing about surrender and trust in these unknown intersections of life.

For missionaries running from crossroads to crossroads, the ones carrying unprocessed losses, this is your invitation to stop, breathe, and look back.
Proverbs 3:5-6 💙

Life's Intersections: When Plans Change and God Meets Us at the Crossroads MEMBER CARE BEST PRACTICESCROSS-CULTURAL STRESS AND ADAPTATION Nov 6 Written By Rachel Chand "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your...