PMPod

Your Host

I interview normal cross-cultural kingdom workers about life on the field: transition, burnout, discipleship, raising families on the field, identity and purpose, the comparison trap, and team dynamics. Basically, everything every worker faces but no one really talks about. 

  1. Sep 9

    #107 Godly Grit: Unshakable Resilience & Grit For Life & Leadership

    It's easy to think that if I can just push through the problems and challenges I'm facing right now, everything will be better. But my guest today reminds us that, “Behind mountains are more mountains”. We need resilience and grit founded on drinking deeply from the well of God's goodness and character to make it through this life of difficulties. Today on the pod, my guest gives us the resources we need to build a life of godly grit.   Find out more at PMPod.org  Resources from Kyle Farran Overflowing: Ministry and Missions That Flow from the Heart Godly Grit: Unshakable Resilience & Grit For Life & Leadership Check out Kyle’s website: farran.abwe.org  Kyle has a fantastic podcast called “Missions Life“ Check out this YouTube video of Kyle talking about Godly Grit

  2. Aug 26

    #106 From 9/11 to Missions in the Middle East

    Today on the Pod, my guest talks about how the events of the 9/11 terror attacks in New York City were the seed that God used to send her into a lifelong pursuit of bringing the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ to Arab Muslims in the Middle East.  Read More at PMPod.org  Timeline  00:00 Intro 01:00 Longing for the 9/11 hijackers to be saved05:58 First Field Reality Check11:28 Breaking The Snare Of Compare16:07 Ministry Without Finish Lines19:33 Long-Distance Relationship While Serving Overseas 24:37 Returning As A Married Woman 29:43 Arab Women Friendships And Marriage Views35:24 Loneliness Ramadan Lows And Spiritual Habits40:30 Commitment To the Local Church On The Field

  3. Aug 12

    PMPod Mini Episode: A Jumble Sale of Thoughts

    Today on the Pod, I share a quote from one of my heroes, Martin Luther about his conversation, and also one from the Puritan Richard Baxter, about pressing into Scripture so we can treasure God more. I share four temptations cross-cultural workers might face, a few things I'm learning from my injury, and then we cap off this jumble sale of a podcast with a little comparison between our glorious Gospel and Islam.  • Luther’s struggle with Romans 1:17 and the discovery of righteousness as God’s gift through faith  • Baxter’s challenge to study deeper when Christ does not feel enough  • Four temptations for cross-cultural workers: sloth, self, silver, sex  • How legalism and burnout can hide behind “productivity” on the field  • Financial anxiety, support pressure and future fears under the pull of silver  • Why sexual temptation can derail ministry and why singleness can fuel idolatry  • What injury reveals about receiving love, hidden idols and judging others  • A hard look at impatience, harsh words and pride disguised as passion  • Christianity and Islam compared through outward rules versus heart transformation  it’s okay to be normal.

  4. Jul 30

    #105 How Being on the Field Rewrites your Identity

    Today on the Pod, we talk honestly about how long-term life overseas reshapes you until you feel like you belong in your host country and still do not fit back home. We trade stories from Africa and the Middle East about boundaries, health, spiritual life, and the daily pressure of need so you can last with joy and clarity.  To find out more, go to PMPod.org  We talk about • a conversion story that turns into a call to hard places  • falling in love with an African people group through friendship  • the real cost of selling your house and moving into a mud hut   • illness, decision fatigue, and learning to troubleshoot alone  • practical changes we would make for long-term health and sustainability  • why boundaries matter, including privacy and security  • outsider identity, belonging, and third culture life  • reverse culture shock, shifting politics, and painful misunderstandings  • responding to constant requests with wisdom, limits, and compassion  • syncretism, prosperity gospel pressures, and the need for clear teaching  • staying spiritually healthy through Scripture, prayer, and community  Timeline 00:00 Intro01:00 From first bible to a surrendered life04:08 Finding a people and moving5:40 Comfort shock and Lyme disease 10:43 Healthier rhythms for longevity 16:20 Boundaries that keep you healthy 19:06 Outsider forever and yet known24:37 Retuning home a different person31:58 Dealing with real needs everywhere 36:58 Syncretism and the need for Gospel clarity 39:51 Spiritual health and real community 42:26 Building staying power

  5. Jul 16

    #104 How Do You Do Church Planting If You Don’t Know What The Church Is?

    Today on the Pod, we work through a clear, biblical definition of the local church and why that clarity matters for missionaries and cross-cultural workers who have been shaped by unhealthy church experiences.  We connect church membership, baptism, the Lord’s Supper, and congregational authority to everyday discipleship. learn more at PMPod.org  Topics   • confusion created by saying “the church isn’t a building” while ignoring the need for a covenanted body  • the value of expositional preaching versus preacher-driven topical proof texting  • a practical definition of a church as a baptized, covenanted congregation that gathers weekly  • baptism and the Lord’s Supper as covenant signs that shape membership and accountability  • why leaving a church during conflict reveals a thin view of covenant commitment  • the “keys of the kingdom” and the church’s authority over doctrine, membership, discipline, and leadership  • moving from “what do I get?” to “how do I love and build up others?”  • what to do in frontline ministry with only a few believers and no established church  • the dividing line between a Bible study and a church gathered around the ordinances

  6. Jul 1

    (RePlay) #21 The Joy of Surrender

    Today on the Pod, we challenge the obsession with outward ministry metrics and argue that lasting fruit in missions depends on the inner life with God. We talk through discipleship in community, hard heart issues, and the spiritual disciplines that keep workers joyful, rested, and faithful.  Find out more at PMPod.org  • defining discipleship as the Holy Spirit revealing identity in Christ  • building community early by involving seekers with family and other believers  • shaping a simple house group rhythm of singing, Scripture, prayer, and sharing  • reading the Bible with purpose through Ephesians, Acts, and the whole redemption story  • addressing heart issues like addiction, pornography, fear, marriage, and parenting from the start  • practicing hospitality that models love, service, and a different kind of family life  • reclaiming Sabbath as wise rhythm rather than legalism  • naming screens, scrolling, and news as counterfeit rest for many of us  • describing fasting as embodied hunger for God’s will, often paired with solitude  • redefining solitude as being alone with God in private prayer  • rejecting “just do more” prayer and pointing to Christ praying in us  • making the case for scripture memorization for temptation, teaching, and witness  • reframing self-denial as total surrender to a good Father  It’s okay to be normal.

  7. Jun 17

    #103 The Power of Enduring Hope

    Today on the Pod, I talk to a woman who has raised her kids in war zones, discipled illiterate church leaders, and has shown the incredible power of having enduring hope on the field.  Read more at PMPod.org  Timeline 00:00 Intro 01:00 First Impressions and real Arab Women 02:52 The Joy and Stress of Lawlessness 04:53 Language, Culture, And Earned Respect 06:16 Marriage Kids And Social Authority08:32 Polygamy and the Real Struggles of Women 11:27 Women’s Power Inside Family Systems14:34 Discipleship That Changes Social Patterns16:56 Teaching Forgiveness In A No Forgiveness Culture19:27 Figuring out Education on the Field 27:44 Raising Third Culture Kids 32:35 Deciding Whether To Stay During War39:48 Crisis Creates Hunger And Open Doors42:15 Why Women Respond Powerfully To Jesus47:59 Discipling Illiterate Women 52:28 Barriers In Discipling Women Long Term56:45 The Power of Endurance

  8. Jun 3

    #102 What If Fruit Isn’t The Measure Of Faithfulness?

    On today's episode, we look at the effects of staying close to the Father, what real success on the field is, how to bolster both your effort for God and your rest in God, the power of weakness, what makes a good leader, and how understanding where we came from will help us deal with the challenges we face now.  For more information, go to PMPod.org  Timeline  00:00 Intro 01:00 At 16 years old asking God where to serve 06:12 Resting in God, and working hard are not opposites 9:44 Feeling weak and useless is the path to trusting God 14:00 How missions has changed since the 1990s21:28 What makes a trustworthy leader? 30:34 How to avoid cynicism 34:53 The History of Missions and Innovation Cycles 41:50 Understanding where we came from helps us address the the challenges we face now

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About

I interview normal cross-cultural kingdom workers about life on the field: transition, burnout, discipleship, raising families on the field, identity and purpose, the comparison trap, and team dynamics. Basically, everything every worker faces but no one really talks about. 

Information

  • Creator
    Your Host
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    117
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 PMPod
  • Show Website
    PMPod

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