The Questions That Shape Us
Introducing A New Series at Umbwella’s Stand
For the past year, the Umbwella’s Stand blog has told a story.
It has been a story of calling.
A story of obedience.
A story rooted in one simple, yet profound question:
“How have you seen God in your life?”
Through that question, I have had the privilege of sharing pieces of my journey—how God called me, how He met me in South Africa in 2024, and again in 2025, and how He continues to faithfully lead this ministry forward. Those stories have mattered. They have marked the beginning of Umbwella’s Stand and helped lay a foundation of remembrance and testimony.
But every foundation is meant to hold something more.
As we step into this next season, we are beginning to build.
A Shift That Isn’t Really a Shift
At first glance, this new series may feel like a departure.
Instead of personal stories, we are turning our attention to parenting.
Instead of asking how we have seen God, we are asking how God parents us—and what that means for how we raise the next generation.
But the truth is, this isn’t a shift away from the vision.
It is a deeper step into it.
From the very beginning, Umbwella’s Stand has carried two callings:
To support missionaries—spiritually, emotionally, physically, and financially
To raise up the next generation of missionaries
And not just those who go across the world…
but those who say “yes” to God right where they are.
Because the reality is this:
We are all missionaries.
A mother discipling her children at the breakfast table is a missionary.
A young woman serving faithfully overseas is a missionary.
A grandmother praying over her family is a missionary.
Austi is a missionary as she raises her sons.
Elias and Tanisha are missionaries in South Africa.
And I am a missionary wherever God sends me.
This series lives right at the heart of that truth.
The Questions God Asks
Over the month of May—fittingly encompassing Mother’s Day—my daughter, Austi, will be sharing a five-part series titled:
“The Questions God Asks”
In this series, she invites us into something both simple and profound:
to look at the way God parents His children.
Throughout Scripture, God does something unexpected.
Instead of leading only with instruction, He often leads with a question.
Not because He lacks understanding—
but because He is drawing us into it.
From the garden to the wilderness…
from moments of failure to moments of calling…
God uses questions to shape the hearts of His people.
Austi walks us through five of these moments:
“Why Is Your Face Downcast?” (Cain)
“Why Are You Here?” (Elijah)
“Where Are You?” (Adam & Eve)
“What Is in Your Hand?” (Moses)
“Is It Right for You to Be Angry?” (Jonah)
Each question reveals something about the heart of God as a Father.
He is not distant.
He is not reactive.
He is not harsh or hurried.
He observes.
He meets His children where they are.
He prioritizes relationship above all else.
He empowers growth.
And yes—He allows natural consequences, not to punish, but to teach and restore.
An Invitation to Parents… and All of Us
While this series speaks directly to parents and grandparents, its invitation is wider than that.
Because before we are ever called to lead others,
we are first children being parented by God.
These questions are not just tools for raising children—
they are mirrors for our own hearts.
They slow us down.
They shift our perspective.
They remind us that transformation doesn’t come through control, but through connection.
And in a world that often feels loud, reactive, and hurried,
this way of parenting—God’s way—is both countercultural and deeply needed.
The Next Generation Starts Here
If we are going to raise up the next generation of missionaries,
it will not begin on a plane to another country.
It will begin in our homes.
In our conversations.
In the way we respond instead of react.
In the questions we ask.
This series is an invitation to step into that calling with intention.
To partner with God not just in what we do,
but in how we disciple, guide, and love the people He has placed in front of us.
Prayer
As we begin this journey together, my prayer is simple:
That we would not only learn how God parents His children…
but that we would experience it more deeply ourselves.
Because when we are shaped by His heart,
we cannot help but reflect it to the world around us.