The Courage to Need

Not long ago, I was on a call with a group of cross-cultural workers from our organization when someone asked a striking question: “How aware do you think we are of our own needs?”. The response was swift, and the consensus was unanimous: “very little”.

That moment brought back something I wrote in my journal during my final months on the field: “To think about my innate needs feels selfish and self-centered.” That mindset runs deep in many workers, and as member care providers, we often see its impact long before it is spoken aloud.

This Easter, I found myself reflecting on one of Jesus’ final moments on the cross:

“Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, ‘I am thirsty.’ A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips. When he had received the drink, Jesus said, ‘It is finished.’”

- John 19:28-30

During the most profound act of sacrifice in human history, Jesus named a need. He was thirsty. He said it aloud. And then—perhaps most profoundly—he allowed others to meet that need.

This moment speaks volumes. It challenges the cultural myth of the self-sufficient hero—the one who never shows weakness or need; the one who demonstrates unmatched inner strength and grit. In contrast, Jesus shows us that expressing need is not a failure.

This is where our work as member care providers comes in. Many cross-cultural workers have internalized the belief that their needs are inconvenient or even disqualifying. But if we are going to help them thrive, we must create spaces where naming needs is allowed—and where support is accessible, tangible, and deeply rooted in grace.

That is the vision behind the Thrive Outcomes Project—an initiative focused on identifying what truly supports long-term sustainability and flourishing for workers in the field. But we cannot do it without you.

Your insight, your presence, and your unique vantage point as a care provider are essential. Together, as the Care & Development Community, we can shape a framework that offers freedom to be honest, to receive help, and to thrive.

We are not looking for heroes. We are looking to support faithful followers of Jesus who are called to love and serve across cultures.

Would you join us? Learn more about the Thrive Outcomes Project here.