Items May Have Shifted

Same God. Same mission. New assignment.

Many missionary biographies tell the stories of men and women who persevered for decades in a single context. Today, though, God seems to be moving His workforce around the globe with growing frequency. Items May Have Shifted: When Missionaries Get Rerouted is a collection of stories of missionaries who left everything and moved across the world to serve among the unreached—and then were rerouted, often without much warning or explanation.

Their experiences illustrate an inherent tension missionaries must maintain in our chaotic world: the commitment to go deep in difficult contexts as if it’s forever and the openhandedness to accept that plans may change at any time.

Why read this book?

You (or missionaries you care about) may be on the move by necessity or by choice. Either way, these stories remind us all that God’s people are called to a flexible, responsive faithfulness, tenaciously clinging to the God of the unexpected.

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You can also read the book online through our books website. For free!

Want to discuss this book over a bowl of soup? Get contributor Lisa Walker’s recipe in Dill Pickle Soup & Ways to Pray for Displaced People.

About the author

Maxine MacDonald (pseudonym) has served with Pioneers since 2013 and has had the privilege of participating in global missions in five countries. She now writes and edits books for adults and children. Maxine enjoys telling the stories of how God is using His people to build His Church among all the world’s many peoples.