68 CULTURE 68 Culture

Helen Sworn is the Founder and Executive Director of Chab Dai, a Cambodian non-government organization that seeks to end all forms of abuse and modern slavery globally by building a movement to empower communities, to strengthen systems, and to restore justice and well-being with survivors.

If you’ve ever felt impassioned about something but have lacked the follow through to turn that empathy into action, Helen shares equipping tools to take that next step.  She walks us through the 5 Core Values of the Chab Dai organization, which are really transferable pillars for any NGO to operate effectively.

We’re offered a unique look into Helen’s life.  Our journey takes us from her roots in northern England, into the corporate world and landing in the country of Cambodia – where in 1999 she launched an organization and movement that has changed (and continues to change) countless lives – the Chab Dai Coalition.  Helen shares impacting stories with us that are heartbreaking and heart restoring.  One cannot help but be both inspired and transformed from the power of her message.

The work of Chab Dai is both a noble and uphill task, fraught with many obstacles.  Human trafficking is complex, fueled by issues like social inequality, culture and history, gender inequality, poverty, and economic disempowerment. With so many obstacles, the response must be a collaborative one. Chab Dai literally means … Joining Hands - translated from the Khmer language.  Join hands with us today as we hear from a world leader in today’s abolitionist movement...  On today’s episode of the 68 Culture Podcast.

www.chabdai.org

Today’s guest is a global humanitarian, author, speaker, pastor, and visionary. Wearing many hats, he spends much of his time circling the globe speaking about the intersection of faith, justice, and leadership.

He is the current President/CEO of Bread for the World and Bread Institute, a prominent non-partisan Christian advocacy organization urging both national and global decision makers to help end hunger – both in the United States and around the world.

He is also the founder of One Day’s Wages (ODW) – a grassroots movement to alleviate extreme global poverty. ODW was initiated after he and his wife launched a Facebook group, Fight Global Poverty, and agreed to give $1 for every member who joined, up to $100,000. Within months more than 1,000,000 individuals joined. As a result in 2009, he ended up giving his entire annual salary, $68,000, when the US economy was in a significant downturn. Since its launch in October 2009, ODW has raised over $8 million dollars for projects worldwide.

Eugene is also the founder and former Senior Pastor of Quest Church – an urban, multi-cultural and multi-generational church in Seattle, Washington. While at Quest, he was also the founder and Executive Director of the Q Café, an innovative non-profit community café.

He’s been featured in multiple news outlets including Good Morning America, The New York Times, The Seattle Times, Relevant Magazine, NPR, ABC World News, Christianity Today, The Guardian and numerous other media outlets. For his entrepreneurial work and spirit, he was honored as one of 50 Everyday American Heroes and is a recipient of the Frederick Douglass 200—a list of 200 people around the world who best embody the spirit and work of Frederick Douglass, one of the most influential figures in history. A graduate of University of California and Princeton Theological Seminary, he was also the recipient of the 2017 Distinguished Alumni Award from Princeton Theological Seminary.

His first book, Overrated: Are We More in Love with the Idea of Changing the World Than Actually Changing the World?, was released in 2014.  His second book, Thou Shalt Not Be a Jerk: A Christian’s Guide to Engaging in Politics, was released in March 2020. A third has just been released entitled, “No Longer Strangers – Transforming Evangelism With Immigrant Communities”.  He and his wife have been married for 23 years and have three children. Together, they live in Seattle, Washington.

www.eugenecho.com

A question to consider as we listen to this episode: How would our lives be lived differently if today’s decisions were predicated retrospectively… from our death beds?

Duane Guthrie is a husband, father, pastor, and world sojourner.

In today’s episode, Duane takes us on a journey from being a business owner in Canada to a new life serving alongside the marginalized in Bolivia. From there, he takes us to the country of the Philippines – again beginning a new life in a new culture. Sharing transformative stories of life, including his providential encounter with senior leaders of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, Duane challenges us to both embrace and respond to the ‘disorienting dilemmas’ we all face in life.

Prepare to be challenged… and possibly reassessing your life’s trajectory - on today’s enlivening and reflective episode of the 68 Culture Podcast.

Note: Special thanks to Josh Snodgrass for his incredible acoustic guitar work in parts of this episode. More of his work can be found at www.joshsnodgrass.com

Terry Posthumus is a Canadian Singer/Songwriter/Author/Speaker.  Terry is known for lyrics that are introspective, inspirational and  insightful. His appealing voice and his command of his instrument has captivated audiences near and far - with performances that have been described as “rootsy”, engaging and delightful. His passion for life, love, family, faith and justice is woven into the very fabric of his songs and stories.

If you have ever been befallen by grief and loss or are facing them head on, this episode is for you.  Terry shares his journey with a raw vulnerability and inspiring transparency that offers unspoken comfort for times when there are no words.  He is a man well acquainted with sorrow.  One look at the painful events that are interwoven into his life and one would wonder and marvel at the idea that he would survive, let  alone thrive.  As a young boy, Terry's  father was killed instantly in an industrial accident. Terry’s story  includes the heart-wrenching loss of life of not one, but three of his  children and the death of his beloved first wife, Lorraine. Terry knows  loss, abandonment and brokenness, all too well. He has been, for all  intents and purposes, a childless father and a fatherless child.  And yet, the story doesn't end there.  

To quote Terry, "I can't ignore or cover up the tragedies. They are an intrinsic part of the story and the effect of these things has shaped me into the person that I am today. Pain is a part of this life. This I know. But without pain, there can be no healing. Without darkness, there would be no need for light. If we weren't lost, we wouldn't need to be found. If I wasn't blind, there would be no need for the restoration of my sight. I have to talk about the hard parts. I must reveal the cracks, blisters and dirt for without these things, there is no story of grace."  Terry's story, though at times painful and tragic is just that, a continuing story of grace... and one interlaced with hope and joy!  You can hear it in his voice and feel it in his passion.  Together, we share a common bond of loss but far more importantly... the hope that excessively transcends loss.  

Join us as we hear inspiring stories from a man who has faced the deepest of despair head on.  His music is shared as well as an inside look into his upcoming book, "Hope Unbroken".  His life story not only inspires hope but transforms lives... and continues to do so as he is a living testimony of what we would call - a 68 Culture life. 

http://www.terryposthumus.com/

We live in a culture of unprecedented anxiety.  1 in 5 Canadians have reported ongoing high to extreme levels of anxiety.  Where is the peace? Regardless of nationality, worldview, or socioeconomic status, we all share a common bond - a search for peace and to be anchored.  Whether your worldview is Atheist, Agnostic, Christian, Buddhist, Muslim, or a host of other faiths and worldviews, there is something we can all agree upon.  No one has been talked about more the past 2,000 years than Jesus Christ.  

Whatever your worldview, however long you have walked with or far from this Jesus, there are questions to be answered.  This episode isn't about the Jesus defined by what political tribe we claim, in what a celebrity leader, sociology professor, or fringe pastor defines Him to be, nor what our neighbor or family member claims.  When did you last stop... to eliminate the commentary, the politics, the noise and discover that maybe - our answer to peace is found beyond the external.

Today's guest, Steve Brown has devoted his life to equipping leaders around the world as President of Arrow Leadership.  He's the author of Eight Key Practices for a Christian Leader’s Most Important Assignment, Great Questions for Leading Well, and free monthly e-resources at www.sharpeningleaders.com. He has a book soon to be released entitled, “Jesus Centered”.  Where is the anchor in the storm?  What is the embodiment of Justice, Kindness, and Humility?  Stay tuned as we discover this and much more in today’s episode of the 68 Culture Podcast.

www.arrowleadership.org

Cara Contreras is the Founder & Director of Sutisana - all the way from El Alto, Bolivia. 

Ever wonder exactly what is being done to not only combat human trafficking but provide sustainable alternatives for women entrapped in trafficking and prostitution in the most impoverished regions in the world? Today we find out! You don't want to miss the transformative stories and work that Cara Contreras shares on today's episode of the 68 Culture Podcast! 

After arriving in Bolivia, Cara was quickly swept up by a vision for a therapeutic and vocational option for survivors of prostitution and trafficking. In 2010 she was part of the team that founded SUTISANA and has been committed to its success ever since. She’s worked in almost every part of the business and is now focusing on making SUTISANA a business that can grow and flourish in the future - independently of any one person. I had the privilege of spending a couple of days with SUTISANA back in 2017... discovering their work being a combination of noble, heroic, critical, and front lines - a story that must be told! 

Join us on a journey from Ethiopia to Bolivia and discover the real Bolivia - in all its majesty and challenges through the eyes of Cara Contreras and the incredible, life transforming organization of SUTISANA. 

www.sutisana.com