The Rest is Just Geography

Chesed Dent, Liberty University Pastoral Counseling and Care
  • 5.0 (11)
  • Christianity
  • Updated Weekly

Navigating cross-cultural life and living on mission for Jesus as an emerging adult can be both exciting and scary. Listen to those who’ve gone before you as they share some things they’ve learned along the way; and hear stories of the way God has been faithful. This podcast is for the goer, the sender, the receiver, the returner, the TCK, and everyone in between. Together we’ll explore what it takes to be successful in the journey, remembering that at the end of the day God calls us to Himself, the rest is just geography.

  1. 2d ago

    S3 Ep6: The Next Yes: Chaplaincy, Obedience, and Military TCKs

    In this episode, Chesed sits down with Mike Kayle, an Army chaplain, to hear the story of how God led him into a life of ministry, military service, and crossing cultures. Rather than having the whole path mapped out, Mike learned to walk in obedience, always looking for the next yes he and his family could say to God. Mike shares how serving as an Army chaplain can be a form of missionary work and how military kids often have much in common with missionary kids. While their story looks different from that of traditional MKs, many of the same TCK themes of transition, belonging, and identity are there. Together, they explore the unique experiences of military TCKs and why military families can benefit from greater awareness of TCK resources and support. This episode was produced by Chesed Anne Dent Fitzsimons. Podcast editing: Chesed Anne Dent Fitzsimons, Noah Wilkes, Emily Alvarado Music: Endless Bliss - written by Sander Kalmeijer, performed and produced by Sounds Like Sander. Podcast cover image: Photography and design by Jonathan Brown. Please note that guests of this podcast may use pseudonyms

  2. Sep 24

    S3 Ep5: Cultural Chameleons and the Long Road to Knowing Yourself

    In this episode, Chesed sits down with her high school friend, Liz, an adult TCK and licensed therapist, to talk about the idea of being a “cultural chameleon.” For many TCKs, the ability to adjust to different people, places, and cultures can be a tremendous strength. But when adaptability goes too far, it can leave you wondering who you really are beneath all the adjustments. Liz shares her own story of entering emerging adulthood and realizing that, despite years of successfully navigating different environments, she did not actually know herself as well as she thought. Through a journey that began with hopes of returning overseas long-term with her family, God brought her face-to-face with questions about identity, belonging, and what it means to live from a secure sense of self. Looking back years later, Liz reflects on what she learned through that season and offers insights for TCKs, emerging adults, and anyone who has ever felt caught between fitting in and knowing who they truly are. For her, learning not to see her struggles as a deficit, but instead as something that deepened her dependence on the Lord, has transformed the way she now understands her childhood overseas and her identity today. https://charistraumacounseling.com/ This episode was produced by Chesed Anne Dent Fitzsimons. Podcast editing: Chesed Anne Dent Fitzsimons, Noah Wilkes, Emily Alvarado Music: Endless Bliss - written by Sander Kalmeijer, performed and produced by Sounds Like Sander. Podcast cover image: Photography and design by Jonathan Brown. Please note that guests of this podcast may use pseudonyms

  3. Sep 17

    S3 Ep4: Living in the Last Two Feet

    In this episode, Chesed sits down with friend and longtime missionary with WorldVenture, Rodger Schmidt, to reflect on God's faithfulness through decades of ministry, cross-cultural living, and following God into places that were often uncomfortable, costly, and unexpected. From a shy young man who never thought he could be a missionary to more than twenty years serving in Mozambique, Rodger shares how God used risk, loneliness, failure, and ordinary relationships to shape his life. At the center of the conversation is a lesson Rodger has coined over years of ministry: The Law of the Last Two Feet. Together, Chesed and Rodger talk about the temptation to do the hard work of getting to the place God has called you then never fully investing ourselves in the people and culture that are there. They explore why obedience doesn't always lead to easy love and how some of the most powerful work God does in us happens in those last two feet of the journey. Whether you're crossing cultures or simply learning to love the neighbor you already have, this episode is an invitation to step into the last two feet and trust that God is already there. https://www.last2feet.com/ This episode was produced by Chesed Anne Dent Fitzsimons. Podcast editing: Chesed Anne Dent Fitzsimons, Peyton Rice Music: Endless Bliss - written by Sander Kalmeijer, performed and produced by Sounds Like Sander. Podcast cover image: Photography and design by Jonathan Brown. Please note that guests of this podcast may use pseudonyms

  4. Sep 10

    S3 Ep3: Fitness & The Field

    In this episode, Chesed sits down with fitness instructor and global worker Brandy Gainor to talk about the role of physical health in a life of faithful cross-cultural service. Having lived in multiple countries, Brandy has used fitness both as a ministry tool and as a practical resource for workers navigating everything from limited access to gyms and equipment to safety concerns and demanding seasons of life. Through social media and YouTube, she has also helped provide encouragement and fitness resources to workers around the world. Together they explore how to pursue health without making fitness an idol, how to adapt when limitations change what is possible, and why caring for our bodies is about more than appearance or performance. Offering a refreshing perspective on what actually sustains long-term health, Brandy encourages listeners to pursue fitness from a place of stewardship rather than shame or guilt. She challenges us to see our bodies as vessels of service, asking not simply how we can become healthier, but how we can glorify God and better serve others through the care of our bodies. From body image to aging, from discipline to grace, this episode offers practical wisdom for pursuing health in a way that supports a fruitful life with Jesus and a love for others. Fitness For the Field Website: https://www.fitnessforthefield.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@brandygainor118 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brandygainor/ This episode was produced by Chesed Anne Dent Fitzsimons. Podcast editing: Chesed Anne Dent Fitzsimons, Peyton Rice Music: Endless Bliss - written by Sander Kalmeijer, performed and produced by Sounds Like Sander. Podcast cover image: Photography and design by Jonathan Brown. Please note that guests of this podcast may use pseudonyms

  5. Sep 3

    S3 Ep2: Sent. Single. Content.

    In this episode, Chesed reconnects with an old friend, Joanna. Chesed was Joanna's RA in college, and years later they were roommates in graduate school. Now, after decades of friendship, Chesed invites Joanna to share her story, one that began on a farm outside a small American town where the expected path was simple: stay close to home, get married, and build a life where you started. But God had something different in mind. Joanna shares how early experiences of God's presence laid the foundation for a life of adventure and trusting Him wherever He would lead. That trust eventually took her far from everything familiar and, though it took longer than she thought it would, brought her to Africa where she now serves and lives. Joanna and Chesed talk honestly about singleness, contentment, and the ways God provides community in unexpected places. Joanna reflects on both the joys and the challenges of a life that has looked very different from the one she once imagined. The conversation begins and ends in the same place: the assurance that God is with us. For Joanna, that truth has become the source of contentment, purpose, and the confidence to follow Him wherever He leads. This episode was produced by Chesed Anne Dent Fitzsimons. Podcast editing: Chesed Anne Dent Fitzsimons, Peyton Rice Music: Endless Bliss - written by Sander Kalmeijer, performed and produced by Sounds Like Sander. Podcast cover image: Photography and design by Jonathan Brown. Please note that guests of this podcast may use pseudonyms

  6. Aug 27

    S3 Ep1: Adequacy From God

    In the first episode of Season 3, Chesed sits down with Todd Lafferty, Executive Vice President of the International Mission Board, though to her he will always be "Uncle Todd." Todd shares the story of how he came to know Jesus and how God quickly led him into a life of ministry and missions. Looking back across decades of service, he reflects on a recurring theme in his journey: God often called him into responsibilities and leadership roles before he felt prepared for them. Again and again, he found himself saying yes to opportunities that seemed bigger than his experience. As the conversation unfolds, Todd brings the listeners into his present day and speaks candidly about the many days he feels inadequate for the role he fills. But he is regularly reminded that ministry was never meant to be carried by human strength alone. Together, Chesed and Todd reflect on the truth of 2 Corinthians 3:5: "Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God." This episode was produced by Chesed Anne Dent Fitzsimons. Podcast editing: Chesed Anne Dent Fitzsimons & Peyton Rice Podcast music: Endless Bliss — written by Sander Kalmeijer, performed and produced by Sounds Like Sander. Podcast cover image: Photography and design by Jonathan Brown. Please note that guests of this podcast may use pseudonyms.

  7. May 7

    S2 Ep15: From Food to People: Why Curiosity - and Really Seeing - Matters

    In this final episode of Season 2, Chesed sits down with her former dorm dad, Mark, who reflects on a life shaped by curiosity and intentionality. Having spent more than 40 years living internationally - first as a TCK and later as a missionary - he shares how a willingness to be curious opened doors he didn’t expect. The conversation begins around food: the dishes the cultures he was living among highly valued, and the meals he learned to say yes to. Those simple yeses became doors to forging relationships in new places with new people. From there, Mark moves beyond what’s on the table to who is across from us. He speaks about curiosity and intentionality as a posture—one that invites us to really see people and be interested in who they are. This episode is an invitation to consider how being curious and learning to see intentionally can transform the way we live our lives and open doors to deep relationships and Gospel witness. This episode was produced by Chesed Anne Dent Fitzsimons. Podcast editing: Chesed Anne Dent Fitzsimons Podcast Music: Endless Bliss - written by Sander Kalmeijer, performed and produced by Sounds Like Sander. Podcast cover image: Photography and design by Jonathan Brown. Please note that guests of this podcast may use pseudonyms

  8. Apr 30

    S2 Ep14: Caring For Those God Sends

    In this episode of The Rest is Just Geography, Chesed sits down with Mark and Linda, who spent many years serving in Japan before returning to the United States. They share their story of life and ministry overseas, and how those experiences eventually shaped Mark’s work building and later directing a Member Care department with the International Mission Board, as well as Linda’s role in training and equipping workers for cross‑cultural service. From there, the conversation widens to the importance of intentional member care within mission‑sending organizations. Together, they reflect on the role of counseling and training - both for those preparing to go overseas and for those already serving on the field - and why caring for the emotional and spiritual well‑being of missionaries is not optional, but essential. As God sends His people out to invest in the nations, this episode reminds us that He is just as committed to caring for those He sends. This episode was produced by Chesed Anne Dent Fitzsimons. Podcast editing: Chesed Anne Dent Fitzsimons, Cohen Kern & Peyton Rice Podcast music: Endless Bliss - written by Sander Kalmeijer, performed and produced by Sounds Like Sander. Podcast cover image: Photography and design by Jonathan Brown. Please note that guests of this podcast may use pseudonyms.

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5
out of 5
11 Ratings

About

Navigating cross-cultural life and living on mission for Jesus as an emerging adult can be both exciting and scary. Listen to those who’ve gone before you as they share some things they’ve learned along the way; and hear stories of the way God has been faithful. This podcast is for the goer, the sender, the receiver, the returner, the TCK, and everyone in between. Together we’ll explore what it takes to be successful in the journey, remembering that at the end of the day God calls us to Himself, the rest is just geography.

Information

  • Creator
    Chesed Dent, Liberty University Pastoral Counseling and Care
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    38
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Chesed Dent, Liberty University Pastoral Counseling and Care
  • Show Website
    The Rest is Just Geography

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