By international office staff
Nancy and Herald Johnson (names changed for security) are Navigators in their 60s sharing the hope of the Gospel in Central Asia. They recently shared with Worldwide how the Lord has been working in their lives and ministry.
WW: How did you get involved in The Navigators, and what has you ministry looked like through the years?
N&H: We started with Navs through the CoMission Project in 1993. At the time, we were living in Santa Barbara, CA, with two kids, a big house, and two cars. Despite this, we found ourselves asking, "Is this it? Have we achieved our goals?"
We were leading the Missions Committee at our church and looking to go overseas. When we heard about serving with CoMission for a year, we jumped at the opportunity. After that year, we felt the Lord calling us to stay in Russia. We ultimately spent five years in Russia and then officially joined Navs in 1998. In 1999, we moved to Central Asia because our Russia team leader was leaving the country.
WW: What has your most recent ministry/life transition looked like, and how did the Lord lead you to this new path?
N&H: Two years ago, as we considered retirement, we pondered how to spend the rest of our lives. Financially, Herald could retire from his engineering job, so we thought about where to live based on affordability, community, and purpose.
Central Asia met these criteria, so we prayed for guidance. We had concerns about visas, renting our house, storage for Herald's car, his job prospects, and finding a community. Herald needed a real job, and Nancy could teach English at the school Herald used to run.
In September 2022, during a survey trip, our job and visa needs were met when friends offered Herald a job and a visa. After returning to the States to finish work, everything else fell into place, and we moved back to Central Asia in September 2023.
WW: What joys and challenges have you encountered
N&H: Our journey has been filled with both joys and challenges.
We find immense joy in simply being where we are and being used by God. One of the most rewarding experiences is Herald’s friendship with D, a local believer he’s known for 20 years. They meet monthly, and D, with an evangelistic heart, started a farm to share with people in a nearby village. His efforts have led to one man coming to faith, who is now sharing his newfound belief with his family and friends. Nancy, on the other hand, has a friend named K, who started her own English center in her hometown. Nancy has visited and taught lessons there, encouraging K and her 70 students. Another highlight was starting a community group inspired by our regional director’s vision. Nancy’s connection with former teachers led to forming a supportive and joyful group that plans to continue meeting.
However, challenges have also been part of our journey. We expected more fellowship with our believing friends, but their busy lives have led us to explore different approaches. Our leadership’s directive to focus on fostering communities rather than individual scripture reading has led us to form mixed groups, where fellowship is slowly taking shape. Herald faced a significant setback when a leg injury halted his language studies and social interactions for a couple of months. Nancy encountered a small challenge adjusting to the dynamics at the English school she was familiar with, needing time to rebuild trust and relationships with the current staff.
Through it all, we’ve experienced God’s guidance and provision, making every step of the journey worthwhile.
WW: What have you been learning about the Lord and His kingdom through your new context?
N&H: We’ve been spending more time in prayer and the Scriptures, both because of our flexible schedule and the necessity for the Kingdom to advance. We've faced stronger spiritual warfare, particularly negative thinking. Whenever we start a ministry endeavor, we’re often besieged by thoughts like “this will never work” or “you’ll never have an impact.” Recognizing these as attacks, we combat them through prayer, thanksgiving, and meditating on Scriptures.
Before we left, we were celebrated for going overseas “at our time of life.” To us, it’s an honor and privilege to participate in God’s heart for all peoples. We’re healthy, our kids are out of the house, we don’t have grandkids yet, and we’re financially stable. It wasn’t a hard decision—it’s a delight.
We recommend others consider going if they are healthy and mobile, enjoy learning new things, and can join and support a team through prayer, hospitality, or administration. We believe every Nav staff member in their 60s should pray about going.
