Start Moving Forward

Written by Rebekah

This summer, I’m saying goodbye to Durham (my home for 8 years) and moving to join my fiancé on the other side of the world. There, I’ll be partnering with him in his ministry to the growing local church and joining an NGO that is supporting the local government as they build a foster care system to divert kiddos from orphanages to family homes.

When I agreed to a short trip to the Middle East over Thanksgiving 2023, I thought I was just going to spend a week serving in a refugee camp. But from the first day, I felt an unexpected sense of home—from the mountains of the city to the people I met. And then came the clearest answer I’ve ever received to my usual “God, is it time for me to move overseas?” prayer: start moving forward. It was unexpected and unsettling, especially since God’s answer had always been “no” in every other place I’d asked before. Two days later, I met the man who is now my fiancé. He pursued me with faithfulness and patience, and after much prayer and wrestling during our time dating, I said yes to marrying him later this year!

As you read this, I’ve already said goodbye to Durham as my home (though I’ll be back for a few visits before leaving the U.S. for good in August). In my new city, I’ll be joining the work of a church-planting team, encouraging and discipling new believers alongside my fiancé. I’ll also be working as a social worker for an NGO that is partnering with the local government in their foster care initiative. My job will shift based on needs, but I’ll predominantly be helping train social workers, supporting foster families navigating behavioral challenges, and working on procedures and policies that protect vulnerable children.

In this new season, I’ll also be continuing Kurdish language learning and adapting to a challenging and beautiful culture. Kurdish is a warm, expressive language—sometimes a little imprecise (like how the same word is used for hand, wrist, and arm!)—but full of personality (with a sprinkle of drama). There are some fun adjustments, like learning the correct way to eat sunflower seeds or greeting with cheek kisses. And there are harder things, too: dressing culturally appropriately, learning how to host well (fitting into high cultural expectations), and simply not always knowing what I’m doing. But I’m confident that this call—to marriage, to this city, to this ministry—is from the Lord, and He will go with me through every step, every cultural faux pas, and every challenge. These steps of faith feel a bit overwhelming at times, but I know they are the best place I could possibly be.