An Interview with a Missionary

Name: Sharon Carderelli

Mission Board: INTERSERVE

Wednesday, February 11, 2016 3:00 p.m. Demoss Grand Lobby

1. How did you get started in missionary work?

“My husband and I were both open to missions since we were teenagers. We both graduated from Liberty, but didn’t fully feel our call to missions until our 40s after we had our four children. Once we joined the committee at our church, our yearn for missions grew. We really got involved when an Iraqi family moved to our community. We then became interested in the persecuted church and after three years of working locally with this family, my husband finally agreed to go to England and serve (mostly Iranian people).”

2. Is anyone else in your family missionaries?

“I left for England with three out of my four children and my husband. We decided to leave right after our first son decided to attend Liberty.”

3. What made you choose the places you’ve lived at?

“The first family I worked with locally made me really want to continue working with Iraqi/Iranian people.”

4. What is your favorite food from where you’ve lived?

“My favorite food is an Iranian dish called Gourmet Sabsi which is a dish with green herbs and rice.”

5. What are some major culture differences from the countries you’ve lived in and the United States?

“If an Iranian or Afghan invites you to come to their house, you do not say yes, you say “I’ sure you’re too busy.” You must reject them a second time if they ask again. Then if they ask a third time, that means they really want you to come. Another one for women is that in order to show modesty they must be quiet and not talk or laugh loudly in public. “

6. What countries have you served in?

“I served in England, Afghanistan and Turkey.”

7. How much time did you spend in each country?

“Four years in England, 6 years in Afghanistan, and two years un Turkey. My favorite place was Afghanistan.”

8. What specific type of work/what specific type of people do you work with?

“In Afghanistan I did community development, specifically with new mothers. We held a birth class which taught birth life saving skills and how to teach women and their families how to care for themselves during pregnancy and after birth. In Turkey I worked with many mother/daughter refugees.”

9. How has being a missionary impacted your spiritual walk?

“Being a missionary has definitely deepened my faith and has solidified my understanding of the theology of suffering. My second eldest son was killed in Afghanistan and it was especially after his death that I really grew closer to Christ because I knew that my son would not want me to shut my life down because of losing him.”

10. What advice do you have for anyone thinking of pursuing being a missionary?

“It is highly important to understand the people you are going to and to know their culture. Most importantly, you really need to know what you believe and know the theology of suffering.”