Relentless Pursuit Podcast: Recent Episodes
Pioneers-USA
You love God.
You want to do His will. But life, fear and uncertainty all get in the way. You’re not alone in that struggle.
The Relentless Pursuit podcast features stories from Christians who have served in other cultural contexts and wrestled through tough seasons in their pursuit of God’s glory among all nations. These raw and real stories will help you learn what it looks like to pursue the Lord in your life.
Come grow and be stretched.
The Relentless Pursuit Podcast is created and produced by Pioneers-USA.
From an early age, Jane had felt a call to missions. Life got in the way, however, and she married and had two children. Grief hit their family in 2011, and Jane’s desire to serve overseas was reawakened. Now, she serves in Southeast Asia among a Muslim minority group, and her loss has given Jane a unique perspective on ministry and empathy for those who have suffered as she has.
Bonus Story: Jane meets a Muslim-background believer who has never read the Bible. The connection provides a language-learning partner for Jane, and the young woman she discipled is now bringing the light of the gospel into places Jane could never go.
Pioneers is committed to serving TCKs (Third Culture Kids) like Jane’s children. Find out more about the challenges TCKs face, and listen to our season three interview with Taylor, a TCK who is now in graduate school to be a counselor and shares her story with us.
Check out our photo essay “Life in a Fishing Village in Southeast Asia” to get a sense of what it’s like to serve in Jane’s context.
Ready to take the next step, but not sure what it looks like? Schedule a call with our team at Pioneers.org/Start or chat today.
Have you enjoyed this season of the Relentless Pursuit Podcast? Be sure to give us a five-star rating and leave a review.
What does ministry look like when you only have a few months, weeks or even days to build relationships and share the gospel refugees from war-torn countries, before they are moved to their next destination? Eileen and her family are doing just that in strategic location in Southern Europe. Join us to hear some of the creative ways they are serving people in desperate circumstances—and unexpected lessons they are learning along the way.
Bonus Story: Even when everything has been torn away from them, Eileen discovers that refugees often have an insatiable appetite for stories from the word of God.
You can read more of Eileen’s story—and those of others like her—in our book, Items May Have Shifted: When Missionaries Get Rerouted.
When serving refugees, time is often at a premium. The same goes for members of Pioneers’ Edge teams as they seek to pack as much learning and ministry into 8- to 12-week mission experiences. Check out our destinations for 2025.
Refugees are often uniquely receptive to the gospel. Watch our brief videos telling the story of Mahdi—a Sudanese refugee who encountered Jesus in Egypt and now lives in France. Watch part 1 and part 2—each is less than 4 minutes.
Ready to take the next step, but not sure what it looks like? Schedule a call with our team at Pioneers.org/Start or chat today.
Have you enjoyed this season of the Relentless Pursuit Podcast? Be sure to give us a five-star rating and leave a review.
With a background in community health, it’s easy for Kelly to find ways to integrate sharing the gospel with caring for the many needs of people in her host country in Southeast Asia. In this episode, Kelly shares some of the many ways God is already at work in the place he called her and what she has learned from her team’s local partners.
Bonus Story: It was the middle of the night before Kelly, her family and a short-term medical team were headed to a new community to launch a water bottling business. Armed pirates broke into their home in the sea-side village, tied them up and ransacked their home. What the enemy intended for evil, however, God used for good.
Church-planting can take many forms and models. Check out Pioneers’ Multiply videos for some examples.
Prayer is an integral part of church-planting among the unreached. Many Pioneers leaders have benefited from Lead With Prayer: The Spiritual Habits of World-Changing Leaders, by Ryan Skoog, Peter Greer and Cameron Doolittle.
Ready to take the next step, but not sure what it looks like? Schedule a call with our team at Pioneers.org/Start or chat today.
Have you enjoyed this season of the Relentless Pursuit Podcast? Be sure to give us a five-star rating and leave a review.
When Dusty Thompson planted Redeemer Lubbock 17 years ago, the church made missions part of its DNA. In this episode of the podcast, Dusty explains how the church balances global and local outreach, the joy (and pain) of sending people to the nations and what churches should look for in people who are discerning God’s calling to the unreached.
Bonus Content: When one of the elders and his wife at Redeemer Lubbock befriended a couple from India, they had no idea how they would be invited into an important life event.
“Why do I need a sending church?” Our quick explainer video answers this question.
Pioneers’ Church Partnerships Team stands ready to help your church become more intentionally engaged with the unreached—through coaching, Church Partner Forums and the GreenHouse online resources.
Check out the book Dusty recommended at the end of the podcast: Dominion: How the Christian Revolution Remade the World, by Tom Holland.
Ready to take the next step, but not sure what it looks like? Schedule a call with our team at Pioneers.org/Start or chat today.
Have you enjoyed this season of the Relentless Pursuit Podcast? Be sure to give us a five-star rating and leave a review.
Elyse is a medical practitioner and runs a business in South Asia that employs vulnerable women. She also has some of the craziest stories we’ve heard on the podcast. This episode includes a miraculous healing, a glass of holy water and a talking Hindu shrine.
Bonus Story: After a women’s Bible study, the women head to the street, asking the Holy Spirit to lead them to people who are open to prayer and spiritual conversation. This leads to an encounter with a desperate woman that only God could orchestrate.
Check out our first conversation with Elyse in season 2 of the Relentless Pursuit podcast.
Hinduism in a nutshell, from Pioneers’ WorldViews curriculum.
Elyse recommends Eugene Peterson’s The Pastor.
Ready to take the next step, but not sure what it looks like? Schedule a call with our team at Pioneers.org/Start or chat today.
Have you enjoyed this season of the Relentless Pursuit Podcast? Be sure to give us a five-star rating and leave a review.
Drew and his family were forced to leave the country where they were serving in the Middle East. Taking a new role as pastor of an international church in a neighboring country, Drew wondered whether he was still on the cutting edge of what God was doing among the unreached. Then an unexpected DM popped up in the church’s Facebook inbox which led to an encounter with a spiritual seeker in real life (aka IRL).
Bonus Content: One day, Drew was invited to an unusual soccer match: Muslims versus Christians. Even more unusual were the stakes: If the Christians won, the Muslims had to hear a gospel presentation from Drew.
Like Drew and his family, many cross-cultural workers end up having to leave the places God initially called them. Although these situations can feel like the death of a dream, they can lead them to places of unexpected fruitfulness. Read four stories from displaced missionaries in Items May Have Shifted: When Missionaries Get Rerouted—free to read online and available in Kindle and paperback.
Pioneers Media connects spiritual seekers like Rashid with local believers who can help them take the next steps in finding Jesus.
Drew serves as VP of Church Partnerships at Pioneers. Find out how his team can help your church become more engaged with the Great Commission and check out the book he recommended: Pipeline: Engaging the Church in Missionary Mobilization.
Ready to take the next step, but not sure what it looks like? Schedule a call with our team at Pioneers.org/Start or chat today.
Are you enjoying this season of the Relentless Pursuit Podcast? Be sure to give us a five-star rating and leave a review.
Iceland is ranked #3 in the United Nations’ HDI (Human Development Index), behind Switzerland and Norway. In other words, from the standpoint of life expectancy, education and standard of living, it’s at the top of the pack. But is there more to the story? In this episode we talk to Elliot and Hildur, who are part of a multicultural church-planting ministry in Iceland. They share the unique challenges and opportunities of making disciples in “the land of fire and ice.”
BONUS CONTENT Elliot and American TCK (Third Culture Kid) and Hildur (a native Icelander) tell us the funny (if unpredictable) story of their meeting and marriage.
For more on ministry and opportunities in Europe, check out the story of Lindsey, who shares the gospel—and her passion for baking—with French seekers.
Elliot and Hildur dropped some recommendations at the end of the interview, including John Mark Comer’s Practicing the Way and Leah Roberts’ songs, which put the book of Philippians to music, aiding in memorization.
Ready to take the next step, but not sure what it looks like? Schedule a call with our team at Pioneers.org/Start, or chat today.Enjoying this season of the Relentless Pursuit Podcast? Be sure to give us a five-star rating and leave a review.
There’s a lot of talk around the importance of “building relationships” when it comes to taking the gospel to unreached people and places. But what does that look like? For Chris, who leads a team in the UK focused on serving immigrants and refugees, building relationships is about sharing his interest in cycling, surfing, hiking, camping and all manner of outdoor activities.
BONUS CONTENT A messenger appears in a vision to an imam (a Muslim religious teacher) and tells him, “The Truth you’re seeking you will find in New York.” Soon after, the imam ran into Chris … in New York.
Chris isn’t the only one in Pioneers whose love of the outdoors has given him opportunities to share the gospel. Check out A Canyon, A Cathedral, our video documenting what happens when a group of Christians and Muslims hike 50 miles into a canyon.
Pioneers partners with International Project to provide internships for those preparing for long-term ministry among the unreached overseas.
Check out our article “What is Church Planting?” to find out more about the concept of “persons of peace.”
Ready to take the next step, but not sure what it looks like? Schedule a call with our team at Pioneers.org/Start, or chat today.
Enjoying this season of the Relentless Pursuit Podcast? Be sure to give us a five-star rating and leave a review.
Bonnie and her husband had been on the field for five years, and they were expecting their second child. When prenatal testing revealed her daughter would be born with Down syndrome, Bonnie’s theology was shaken. After all, she and her family had given their lives to missions. Why did this feel like a death sentence for their calling? Listen in to find out how God used their daughter’s diagnosis to transform their lives and ministry in Southeast Asia.
BONUS Content Bonnie shares a story of how her experience as a mother of special needs children prepared her for an encounter with a local woman and built a bridge of understanding between them.
Bonnie wrote a chapter in the book Disability in Mission: The Church’s Hidden Treasure, a book that explores how God uses weakness to accomplish great things in His kingdom.
Check out Enabled, a Pioneers ministry that serves disabled people in South Asia. You can find out more about that team and even give to support ministry that seamlessly integrates gospel proclamation with meeting physical needs.
Also, we want to give a shout-out to Joni and Friends, an amazing ministry led by Joni Erickson Tada that brings practical help and gospel hope to people with disabilities around the world. Bonnie wrote an article on the story of how their daughter Anna was able to get a visa in their host country once she turned 18.
The book Bonnie recommends in this episode is In the Name of Jesus: Reflections on Christian Leadership, by Henri Nouwen.
Ready to take the next step, but not sure what it looks like? Schedule a call with our team at Pioneers.org/Start or chat today.
Are you enjoying this season of the Relentless Pursuit Podcast? Be sure to give us a five-star rating and leave a review.
With only about 1,000 words, the Book of Jonah is one of the shortest books in the Bible. Its account of a wayward prophet chased down by a merciful God can seem outlandish to modern ears. In this episode of the podcast, we talk with Pioneers president Steve Richardson about how Jonah’s world wasn’t too far removed from ours and what his story teaches us about God’s love for the unreached.
Bonus Content Steve tells the story of how a mugging in Cape Town, South Africa, opened up an unexpected opportunity to share the gospel.
If you enjoyed this conversation with Steve, we encourage you to get a copy of his new book, Not on Board: Jonah’s Plunge Into God’s Plan. You can read the book for free at Pioneers.org/Books, but it’s also available in print and ebook formats on Amazon and Apple iBooks.
Also, check out Steve’s other book, Is the Commission Still Great: 8 Myths about Missions and What They Mean for the Church. Peace Child, by Steve’s father, Don Richardson, tells the story of the Sawis' encounter with the gospel.
During his interview, Steve mentioned several other books, including Slow Productivity: The Lost Art of Accomplishment Without Burnout, by Cal Newport, and Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals,* by Oliver Burkeman.
Ready to take the next step, but not sure what it looks like? Schedule a call with our team at Pioneers.org/Start or chat today.
Are you enjoying this season of the Relentless Pursuit Podcast? Be sure to give us a five-star rating and leave a review.
Josh was detained by authorities in his host country, and he had no idea if and when he would be released. Josh shares his harrowing experience—and the unexpected lessons it taught him about the importance of Scripture memory. He’s back on the field now, and he’s also building a community of people who share his passion for memorizing the Bible.
BONUS Content When they left their host country, Josh and his family had no idea what would become of the community they had been discipling. That was until someone sent Josh a cryptic message, followed by a surprising photo.
When you’re forced to leave your host country, it can feel like the death of a dream. In our book Items May Have Shifted tells the stories of missionaries who unexpectedly changed course and how God brought them to new places of fruitfulness.
Find out more about Josh and his methods for Bible memorization on the Memorize What Matters podcast. His recommended apps for Scripture memory include Bible Memory App and Verse Locker.
Ready to take the next step, but not sure what it looks like? Schedule a call with our team at Pioneers.org/Start, or chat today.
Have you enjoyed this season of the Relentless Pursuit Podcast? Be sure to give us a five-star rating and leave a review.
What happens when the gospel first comes to an isolated tribe whose culture in which violence and treachery are considered virtues? In this bonus episode, produced by our friends at the Compelled Podcast, Pioneers president Steve Richardson tells the story of being raised by missionary parents in the jungles of Papua, Indonesia (formerly Irian Jaya) and seeing firsthand how the gospel transformed the Sawi culture. Be sure to check out other episodes of Compelled for more stories of transformation.
Fifty years after arriving in the jungle as a baby, Steve returns, with his father and two brothers. Never the Same is a short film Pioneers produced that documents their trip, including firsthand accounts from people who were alive when they arrived.
The missions classic Peace Child tells the story from the perspective of Don Richardson (Steve’s father). An edition for younger readers was recently released titled Treachery on the Twisted River.
Ready to take the next step, but not sure what it looks like? Schedule a call with our team at Pioneers.org/Start, or chat today.
Do you have to take a test? Should you be fluent in a foreign language? Are you too old? Too young? In a nutshell, what does it look like to join Pioneers? In this bonus episode of the podcast, we talk with Kim, one of our Mission Mentors, about the process of joining a mission organization. Kim shares a bit about her personal story of being a “high maintenance” missionary serving refugees in Western Europe—as well as a bit about her current role, as she helps people discern whether God is calling them to serve among the unreached.
BONUS Content Who stole baby Jesus? That’s what everyone was asking when a doll disappeared after a ministry outreach Kim was leading. You’re not going to believe where the doll reappeared, and how God used the incident to bring an entire family to faith in Jesus.
Check out our president, Steve Richardson’s book, Is the Commission Still Great? Steve’s book addresses many of the misconceptions people have about what missions is all about. We’ve got a free small-group curriculum and links to purchase the book at Pioneers.org/myths.
Explore is the first orientation in the process of finding out whether Pioneers is a good fit. You can find out more about what the week looks like here.
Ready to chat with Kim or one of our other Mission Mentors? Go to Pioneers.org/Start to schedule a call.
The Arabian Peninsula is a land of contrasts. Starbucks coffee shops may be ubiquitous, but ancient traditions are hard to overcome. Still, God is at work, and local gatherings of believers are growing. Our guest in this episode has loads of encouraging stories about discipling Arab seekers, and he gives us a glimpse of what church planting looks like in this challenging but rewarding part of the world.
BONUS Content Local authorities in our guest’s host city began investigating them, and they had to leave the country in the middle of the night. Less than a year later, they were back on the field in a nearby country. Our guest reflects on how God showed Himself faithful in this unexpected redirection. Getting redirected—either before you go to the field or while you’re there—is a common occurrence for missionaries.
Check out Pioneers’ new book, Items May Have Shifted: When Missionaries Get Rerouted, for five stories of divine disruption.
Check out this article that answers the question, “What does it take to go to the hard places?”
Our Multiply video series gives a glimpse of what church planting looks like in different locations and cultures around the world.
Ready to take the next step, but not sure what it looks like? Schedule a call with our team at Pioneers.org/Start, or chat today.
Have you enjoyed this season of the Relentless Pursuit Podcast? Be sure to give us a five-star rating and leave a review. Also, stay tuned for a few bonus episodes, dropping in the weeks to come.
If you were a missionary starting ministry in a new community, how would you identify people open to spiritual conversations? In the past, it may have taken years to find and cultivate such relationships. In this episode we talk with Amber, who leads a team that coaches missionaries on using social media and the web to engage with people in unreached parts of the world who are using these same tools to find answers to their spiritual questions.
BONUS Content Nadia was praying at Islam’s holiest site when she had a realization that the God she was praying to was not alive and could not actually hear her prayers.
For as little as $30, you can fund the ads that allow six spiritual seekers to make contact with one of our missionaries and their partners on the ground.
From a Forest Temple is a video that tells the story of Tom, a South Asian man who came to faith through media (albeit one of the oldest forms of it) and now uses digital technology to make disciples.
Also, don’t miss Googling Jesus, nine stories of spiritual seekers coming to faith through digital media outreach.
Ready to take the next step, but not sure what it looks like? Schedule a call with our team at Pioneers.org/Start, or chat today.
We’re living in a time at which the nations are coming to our doorstep as immigrants, refugees and international students—an unprecedented opportunity for people from unreached parts of the world to be exposed to the gospel. It also means we can partner with Christians from other cultures who have come to make the United States their new home. In this episode, we talk to Paul, a leader in Pioneers’ “diaspora” ministry who served for many years in East Asia and is now working in Austin, Texas. Paul opens our eyes to the amazing new ways anyone can get involved in engaging the unreached, whether you live in a big city or in small-town America.
BONUS Content When Paul was looking for mission agencies to join, he had a simple criterion: How quickly can they get me to the field? Find out what happened when Paul asked Pioneers that question.
Download a free ebook (epub and PDF) of Unreached Peoples, Least-Reached Places, by J.D. Payne, which is chock-full of statistics and practical insight on reaching diaspora peoples.
What happens with Muslims and Christians go on a 50-mile hike through a desert canyon? Watch our video, A Canyon, a Cathedral, to find out.
Also, diaspora people can be found in other countries. In From Albania to Greece, a team in Athens is planting a church among Albanian immigrants.
Want to get some real-world, on-site experience and training making disciples among unreached peoples? Check out Pioneers’ partner International Project and their residential program, Equip Missionary Training in New York City.
Ready to take the next step, but not sure what it looks like? Schedule a call with our team at Pioneers.org/Start, or chat today.
Cynthia didn’t fit the “missions mold”—if there is one anymore. She was single, in her 40s and had worked in the business world. But God had given her a vision of helping young girls in South Asian villages avoid being trafficked. And she was convinced that making disciples and planting churches in their communities was at the heart of the solution. Now, ten years later, she has seen God bring her vision to reality.
BONUS Content When Cynthia began telling Bible stories every night to a group of children from the neighborhood, she couldn’t have imagined what one young boy would do with his newfound knowledge.
Pioneers’ media partner, CommNet, produced a video about Cynthia’s ministry in South Asia.
Ready to take the next step, but not sure what it looks like? Schedule a call with our team at Pioneers.org/Start, or chat today.
Some things are just meant to go together. Salted caramel and chocolate. Peanut butter and jelly. Agriculture and church planting. Maybe you didn’t see the last one coming, but this episode may change your mind. Dave has served in Peru for more than 15 years and seen the challenges of taking the gospel to remote areas where finding food and water is the equivalent of a full-time job. Now, he’s training local church planters to use sustainable agricultural practices to provide for their families and improve the lives of unreached people groups living in the jungle.
BONUS Content Rats with an apparent salt deficiency. Coffee filtered through a sock. Eating fish—bones and all. Dave tells the story of a three-day hike through the jungle to visit an unreached tribe.
Here are some examples of other Pioneers workers combining a passion for church planting with agriculture.
In part 4 of our Middle Ground video series, Rob visits an orchard in Central Asia, where agriculture provides livelihoods of local gospel workers.
Echo is a ministry that trains missionaries (and local believers around the world) to apply sustainable agriculture practices in the communities they serve.
Ready to take the next step, but not sure what it looks like? Schedule a call with our team at Pioneers.org/Start, or chat today.
The physical beauty, cultural sophistication and culinary delights of of France can sometimes conceal the spiritual challenges faced by believers in that country—and the missionaries who go there to share the gospel. A native of the secular Pacific Northwest, Lindsey moved to France more than a decade ago with eyes wide open to this reality. Since then, God has given her unique opportunities to build relationships and share the gospel—often through the unlikely connection of a baking class she teaches.
BONUS Content Don’t go to the mission field looking for a spouse, but don’t put it past God to provide one for you.
Check out Starting from Scratch, our video documenting Lindsey’s ministry in France. (Warning: Don’t watch if you’re hungry!)
Still not convinced Europe is a legitimate mission field? Read our article and photo essay, “Is Europe Unreached?”
Ready to take the next step, but not sure what it looks like? Schedule a call with our team at Pioneers.org/Start, or chat today.
Do you believe in miracles? Muslims do. Rafik is a Pioneers area leader who is responsible for teams in North Africa, one of the most challenging and volatile parts of the world. On this episode of the podcast, Rafik regales us with amazing stories of Muslim seekers coming to faith—stories that sound like they were pulled from the Book of Acts.
Bonus Content Gedo’s persecutors thought their efforts would keep him quiet. They were sorely mistaken.
For more stories like the ones Rafik told in this episode, check out our free online book, Googling Jesus, which includes nine accounts from around the world of people coming to faith through online evangelism and discipleship.
Check out the Maverick podcast, a story of an emerging movement of multiplying disciples in Central Africa.
Social media gets a bad rap as a waste a time at best and an intrusive tool for advertisers and political agitators. But in some parts of the world, it’s where people go to get answers to their spiritual questions in an anonymous environment. Find out how media outreach works with our brief explainer video.
Ready to take the next step, but not sure what it looks like? Schedule a call with our team or chat today.
Hannah is a missionary from Finland who works in a country in Europe that has a Muslim majority. She is part of a team that helps vulnerable pregnant women who are considering whether or not to keep their babies. The relationships they build and the care they provide are building a foundation for making disciples and planting a church in their corner of the world.
Bonus Content Don't miss Hannah's story about how God provided (in advance) a way for a pregnant woman to provide an income for herself so she could keep her baby.
Check out our article and photo essay, “Is Europe Unreached?” Also, our video “From Albania to Greece” gives a good picture of what ministry in Southern Europe looks like.
Pioneers offers summer Edge opportunities in Europe, serving non-religious people groups, as well as immigrants and refugees from around the world.
Ready to take the next step, but not sure what it looks like? Schedule a call with our team at Pioneers.org/Start, or chat today.
Just before Koko and her family moved to Southeast Asia, she was diagnosed with medical condition that she was told would eventually cost her the ability to speak. As someone with a calling to teach, this news upended her expectations of what ministry overseas would look like, and it drove her to explore how suffering can shape our perspective on God.
Prefer to watch the discussion? Check it out on YouTube and don't forget to subscribe and ring that bell!
Bonus Content When Koko’s family needed to renew their visas, it included both navigating a treacherous flood and the equally challenging cultural and bureaucratic pitfalls of getting their documents signed during Ramadan. Sometimes it pays to play dumb.
The Spiritual Survival Handbook for Cross-Cultural Workers is a book Pioneers published that has been used by countless missionaries to prepare themselves spiritually for the challenges of cross-cultural ministry.
Sojourner’s Workbook: A Guide to Thriving Cross-Culturally is a book Pioneers developed for missionaries during their first year of ministry.
Check out our Multiply video series, which gives a glimpse of what church-planting ministry around the Pioneers world looks like.
Ready to take the next step, but not sure what it looks like? Schedule a call with our team at https://pioneers.org/start, or chat today at https://pioneers.org/contact.
Aron served in church leadership for 13 years before God called him and his family to serve in Peru. In this episode, Aron tells us about their transition to life on the edge of the Amazon jungle, where they led a Launch team for missionaries learning language and culture before heading out to unreached people groups throughout Peru. Find out what the Launch team journey looks like, and the qualities that make it possible for someone to take the gospel to isolated tribes.
Bonus Content Don’t miss Aron’s tips on how to make a tree grub taste like bacon.
Want more info on the weird foods missionaries sometimes eat? Here’s a list of possibilities: Would You Eat These 10 Foods for the Gospel?
See how a father and son team have taken more than 50,000 radios with audio Bibles into the rugged mountains of Bolivia in our Little Red Radios video series. Prefer photos? See the weathered faces and ancient traditions of the Quechua in our photo essay from the same trip.
Peru isn’t the only place with a Launch Team. Check out this article that explains how Pioneers Launch Teams prepare new missionaries for success in their new areas of ministry.
Ready to take the next step, but not sure what it looks like? Schedule a call with our team or chat today.
Taylor Murray is a TCK—a “third culture kid”—who lived in Japan from the age of nine until when she graduated high school. Although she lived in a loving family, she struggled with anxiety and an eating disorder that came to a head when she spent a gap year in Germany. While in rehab, she came to the realization that it was OK not to be OK, and she is committed to being vulnerable and transparent about her struggles—and helping others to do the same.
Taylor wrote her first book about life as a missionary kid when she was 14 years old. Hidden in My Heart is available on Amazon in paperback and Kindle versions.
More recently, she wrote Stop Saying I’m Fine: Finding Stillness When Anxiety Screams, available in paperback and Kindle on Amazon.
You can follow Taylor on Instagram to keep up with everything she doing.
Taylor’s family was featured in our video Of Donuts and Atom Bombs. Hear how her parents respond to Japanese who are still hurting from being bombed in World War II. Also, Takuma shares his story of coming to faith through a relationship with a Pioneers worker.
Check out a photo essay, The Streets of Japan.
Read an article about How Pioneers supports TCKs.
Ready to take the next step, but not sure what it looks like? Schedule a call with our team or chat with us today.
Summer has served in two countries in East Africa and now lives in Central Asia, where she is seeking to reach a nomadic people group. In this episode, she explains the unique challenges of building relationships with people who are on the move, as well as the lessons she’s learned about God and herself in the process.
BONUS Content Summer tells about how she was surrounded by an angry mob, taken away at gunpoint and then encountered a special woman on her way to jail, in Ethiopia. Get the bonus story!
Get a glimpse of what life and ministry in Central Asia is like, from slaughtering a lamb with a local family to jam sessions with local musicians: Watch the Middle Ground video series
Also, check out an article that explains more about the characteristics of the 200 million people who are in nomadic people groups.
Summer is part of a network called the Nomadic Peoples Network, which offers resources and training on reaching nomads.
Ready to take the next step, but not sure what it looks like? Schedule a call with our team or chat today.
We had the privilege of having Emily host The Relentless Pursuit Podcast for the last 2 seasons. She and her husband have joined a multi-ethnic church planting effort in Kansas, so she is passing the baton to our new hosts Jess and Matt.
Season 3 of the Relentless Pursuit Podcast drops Tuesday October 3rd!
Jess was a missionary for several years in Japan and now works at the Pioneers-USA base helping people do partnership development (See what this means on Episode 11 of Season 2). Matt leads the Marketing team for Pioneers-USA and has had a wealth of travel experiences and interactions with missionaries on the field.
Check out Jess' story when she was a guest on Relentless Pursuit, to hear more about how she went from a short term trip in Guatemala to a long-term missionary in Japan.
Ready to take the next step, but not sure what it looks like? Schedule a call with our team or chat today.
Raising support is one of the biggest obstacles to new missionaries heading to the field. How do we cultivate a godly perspective on this important task? Listen in as Andrew shares about the deep spiritual and relational blessings of partner development.
In this episode, we discuss:
- What partner development is
- Is asking for money unspiritual?
- The biblical foundation for raising support
- The obstacle of awkwardness
- Andrew’s personal story
Books that Andrew recommends on support raising are:
The God Ask by Steve Shadrach
Funding Your Ministry by Scott Morton
You can learn more about the training program Radius International here.
You can learn about our other training program partners International Project and Global Frontier Missions too.
Want to know more about missions and what going might look like? Come to Encounter 22.
You can take our survey here.
Content warning: violence, death, and infant loss
Am I willing to lay down the American dream and embrace suffering for God’s glory and the sake of others? There is a cost to taking the gospel to the nations and God is worthy of that cost. Elijah relates how God repeatedly brought this truth home to him and his wife as they served in two north African countries.
In this episode, we discuss:
- The precious process God uses to move our hearts to where He wants us to go
- Stories of the challenges Elijah and Emma faced and how neighbors got to see the beauty of the gospel through those situations
- What it is like to serve among Muslims
Listen to Maverick podcast here: https://pioneers.org/maverick
Take our survey here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PHQQRL7
Register for Encounter Conference: https://encounter.pioneers.org
John and Pat Hazelwood currently serve as marriage coaches on Pioneers-USA pre-field ministry team. Before that, they served in southeast Asia as marriage coaches.
In this episode we discuss:
- Common issues in marriage
- How to protect against common issues in marriage
- Advice on how to have your marriage thrive on the mission field
Resources:
Check out the Hazelwood's marriage ministry https://www.yesmarriageworks.com/ and the book The Prodigal Marriage.
You can learn more about Encounter 22 at encounter.pioneers.org Take our survey to let us know what you want to hear more about here.
Our God is the God who sees! Listen in as Elyse shares a beautiful story of Jesus healing and delivering a young woman in South Asia. There are so many amazing layers to God’s work in and through this young woman’s life – all in the middle of an intense Covid-19 lockdown. God's power is unmatched.
In this episode, we discuss:
- Storytelling as an effective means of sharing the gospel cross-culturally
- Particulars of sharing the good news in the South Asian cultural context
- Encouraging and releasing new believers to follow the Holy Spirit’s guidance
You can get involved by filling out a start form at www.pioneers.org/start
In what ways has God gifted you? Have you ever thought about how you might offer those gifts back to Him? Today, Jaden shares how God has used his love of photography to bring the faces of the unreached to the Church’s attention. He challenges us with the truth that our infinitely creative God has a place to use each of us with our unique experiences, gifts, and skillsets to expand his kingdom among the nations.
In this episode, we discuss:
- How the camera can be a bridge
- Amazing stories of how God led Jaden in what seemed like a hopeless search for people of a certain persecuted minority group
- How traveling in difficult places and taking photos has furthered the Kingdom
You can take the Next Steps Quiz at https://nextsteps.pioneers.org/
What is it like to trust that feelings will follow obedience? Listen in to how a three-minute conversation over a satellite phone drastically changed Jake and his high school sweetheart, Melissa’s, lives. Hear how God wove together relationships and experiences, giving them a holy discontentment that led them to an amazing and challenging season in south Asia.
In this episode, we discuss:
- Discerning God’s voice
- Impact of a short-term Edge mission trip
- How to reach south Asians with the good news
Resources:
Jake talks about the impact of his short-term Edge trip with Pioneers. You can find out more about Edge here!
The truth that married couples represent Christ and the Church is popular. But is there a special truth about Christ that singles display to the world? In today’s episode, Junia shares her insights into the beauty of singleness on the mission field.
In this episode, we discuss:
- Opportunities and advantages of being single on the mission field
- Safety concerns of living as a single in a foreign country
- Challenges of being a single missionary
- Theology of singleness
Resources:
Junia describes how taking a Perspectives class gave her a vision for missions and exhorted her to take a role in advancing God’s kingdom. Find out more about Perspectives class here.
Junia mentions that short-term mission trips were really instrumental in her journey of going overseas long-term. Emily also discusses how a short-term trip helped her envision long-term service. If you’re interested in tasting what missions is like by going on a short-term trip check out our Edge trips here.
How do we adjust our expectations and redirect our hearts when a long-time passion doesn’t fit our giftings? What if God doesn’t call me to be miserable? Patrick lets us in on his and his wife Jessica’s winding journey toward ministry in Japan.
In this episode, we discuss:
Journey to long-term call Planting an international church Contextualizing the gospel for honor and shame cultures Team culture in Pioneers
Resources:
Operation World: The Definitive Prayer Guide to Every Nation by Jason Mandryk
Ministering in Honor-Shame Cultures: Biblical Foundations and Practical Principals by Jayson Georges and Mark Barke
Our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/pioneersusa
What if God has bigger dreams for us than we have for ourselves? God calls each of us on an exciting journey with Him. Listen in as the president of Pioneers and "peace child" Steve Richardson, shares how God led him and his wife Arlene to South East Asia and back to the US.
In this episode, we discuss:
- Impact of a short term trip
- History of Pioneers
- Strategy for reaching Muslims
- What mobilization is
Resources:
Threads by Arlene Richardson. In this book, Arlene describes how God used a textile business she founded in their outreach to their SE Asian neighbors.
When God Comes Calling by Ted Fletcher. In this book, Ted Fletcher describes in detail how God led him and his wife Peggy to start Pioneers. It is available for free download here.
God used his vision trip in leading Steve to SE Asia. Pioneers offers short-term Edge trips where you can get your feet wet in cross-cultural missions with our long-term missionaries. Explore Edge trips here.
What does it look like to defy the cost of bringing the gospel to the ends of the earth? Jason grew up with his parents serving among the indigenous people on the Amazon. In this episode, he shares some of the amazing adventures and intense challenges of living in such a remote place.
In this episode, we discuss:
Persistence in sharing the good news with unreached people Strategy for reaching those hostile to the gospel Mobilizing indigenous peoples to reach their neighbors Crisis of faith due to intense suffering
Resources:
- Watch a video about how tribal people tend to perceive the world—part of our WorldViews curriculum for kids.
- Explore stories from South America.
- Read a story about a missionary's experience in the Amazon jungle.
- Fill out a START form at www.pioneers.org/start or chat with us there!
- Text us at 407-917-8729
What if my calling doesn’t come as a lightning bolt? How will I recognize that I’m called? What does ‘following the cloud’ look like today? In this episode, Jessica shares how God led her to Japan through small steps of obedience. We also get a peek into what evangelism and discipleship looks like in Japanese culture.
In this episode, we discuss:
Impact of short-term missions Walking daily with God Preparing the soil
Resources:
Jessica was deeply impacted by watching long-term missionaries when she went to Guatemala on a short-term trip. Pioneers's short-term Edge trips similarly give you the opportunity to work alongside long-term missionaries.
Learn more about Japan:
Watch a video about ministry in Hiroshima, Of Donuts and Atom Bombs.
Check out this infographic on the state of ministry in Japan from missionaries with a like-minded organization, TEAM.
Journey through a Japanese city through this photo essay.
Do you wrestle with where to serve? How do you follow God and hear His voice? Are you passionate about sharing the gospel with those who have never heard? In this episode, Andrew shares how God led him to serve in Chad.
Andrew’s passion for evangelism shines throughout the conversation as we discuss his passion for Chad’s nomadic peoples. Andrew challenges us to redirect our perspective. It is such a joy to serve God and share His good news, even through hard times. Listen in to hear stories of God’s faithfulness in drawing nomadic Muslim people to Himself.
Andrew was born to missionary parents in Senegal, West Africa, but spent most of his growing up years in the US. At a young age, he was inspired to give his life to reaching the unreached. Andrew is a grad of Moody Bible Institute, where he studied intercultural studies. He served with Operation Mobilization for two years before joining Pioneers in 2014. He now leads a church-planting team focused on reaching Arab nomads.
In this episode, we discuss: * Andrew’s desire, from a young age, to go to the mission field * The way God led him from aviation ministry to evangelism * God’s leading to serve in Chad * The Sahel area of Africa * The need for workers in Africa * Andrew’s heart for evangelism * Stories of Arab nomads coming to faith * Discouragement and perseverance on the field
Links from the episode Missionary biographies impacted Andrew at a young age. Here are some of our recommendations.
Sign up for email updates on how to pray for Chad. You can also adopt a people group in Chad to pray for them.
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Connect with us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/relentlesspursuitpodcast/
Episode notes: http://relentlesspursuitpodcast.org/2021/03/episode-9-where-should-i-go/
Is God calling me into missions? Where should I go? What should I do while I wait for the right timing? Kim’s story gives a faithful example of what it looks like to wrestle with these questions, serve where we are and see God take us places we couldn’t imagine.
God planted a curiosity in Kim’s life to explore missions through short-term trips. She traveled all over the world, learning from missionaries and serving. From this time, God grew her heart in alignment with His heart for the nations.
Because of her Latina roots, Kim thought the Lord might lead her to serve in a Spanish-speaking country, but over time God directed her to the Middle East. This led her to spend three years intentionally learning the Arabic language so she could share the gospel with others in their heart language. She is heading back soon to serve in a neighboring country through partnering with a local church.
In this episode, Kim shares her journey of taking the next step in global missions. Through accountability, the local church and much prayer, God led Kim to make His name known in the Middle East.
In this episode, we discuss: * Kim’s journey into missions * Role of short-term trips in launching her into long-term ministry * How Kim prepared to go overseas when God said to wait * The role of church leadership in going to the field * Language and culture learning * Loneliness and transition * Life in the Middle East
Resources:
Kim shares how her experience on short-term trips helped direct her into long-term service. If you are interested in going on a short-term trip, check out Pioneers Edge trips.
A Perspectives class helped prepare Kim to pursue living among unreached peoples. Check out the Perspectives website to find a class near you.
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Connect with us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/relentlesspursuitpodcast/
Episode notes: http://relentlesspursuitpodcast.org/2021/03/episode-8-how-do-I-prepare-to-go/
Are you willing to obey God to go wherever He takes you? Do you wrestle with what it practically means to walk with God in obedience? In this episode, Summer shares her journey of obedience. Summer doesn’t see obedience to God as a burden but as the fruit of a loving relationship with God. Taking the next small step of obedience has led her to places and situations she never imagined. God has used Summer as a part of His larger plan to see churches formed among unreached peoples worldwide.
Through challenging circumstances and difficult living conditions, Summer shares stories of God’s protection over her, ways He led her into a deeper relationship with Him and churches forming in unreached areas.
Summer is a storyteller, teacher and follower of Christ, devoted to following God where He leads her. She has spent time teaching at a school in Ethiopia, church planting in tribal Uganda, and is now going to work among the unreached in Central Asia.
The faithfulness of God is throughout Summer’s story from her call to follow Jesus to her global adventures. Listen in to learn about obedience in the context of global missions and saying yes to big things.
In this episode, we discuss: * Obedience to God in the context of global missions * How small steps of obedience lead to the next step * Teaching at an international school * Stories of living in a semi-nomadic warrior community in Uganda * The blessings that come from obeying God even when things don't seem to make sense * God’s protection over our lives * The impact of Bible storying * God’s glory displayed in our obedience * The faith it takes to leave
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Connect with us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/relentlesspursuitpodcast/
Episode notes: http://relentlesspursuitpodcast.org/2021/02/episode-7-how-do-I-obey-when-it-doesnt-make-sense
Sara discusses her understanding of resiliency, ways she has seen it, and how to model resilient living for your family and those around you.
Sara is a mother of two daughters, poet, author, songwriter and teacher making God known throughout Europe. Growing up as a pastor’s kid, she knew what it was like to work in Christian service and strive after holiness. Through serving on the field and living with chronic illness, she is learning what it means to rest in God alone. Sara has spent time in many countries, from Mercy Ships ministry traveling throughout Europe and down the coast of Africa to church planting in Senegal and living in picturesque France. She currently resides in Germany.
Through Sara’s 22 years of field experience, she has learned it takes a daily submission to God to build resiliency. We must approach our problems with humility, open hands and an open heart to what God may bring. Dealing with the chronic illness in her daughter’s life and her own has brought an understanding of what it means to find rest in God.
We can’t bear the burdens of these things, but God can, and we can rest in Him. We can glean from Sara’s experience and wisdom as we apply it to our journey of walking with God and pursuing His calling.
Sara's song: https://youtu.be/wEkRlHoANRI
What we discuss in this episode:
- What is resilience?
- Paul’s model for resilience
- A posture of humility and dependence on God
- Resilience vs. resistance
- How Sara prepared for trials on the mission field
- Struggles with physical health
- Modeling a lifestyle of resilience
- Resting in God
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Connect with us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/relentlesspursuitpodcast/
Episode notes: http://relentlesspursuitpodcast.org/2021/02/episode-6-how-do-i-become-resilient
I think God is calling me to go. I want to be sent to serve among those with little access to the gospel. What do I need? In this episode, we talk with Steve about how mobilization is the work of missions. Luke 10 calls us to pray for more laborers; this is a call to mobilization. Pioneers is passionate about teams displaying God’s glory together. We can’t be passionate about teams if we aren’t passionate about mobilizing people to the teams.
Steve has been serving with Pioneers since 1998. He started his journey in missions working in the Caribbean and Haiti. He then set sail on a medical missions ship traveling across Europe and the African Coast, where he met his wife, Sara. Together they planted their home in Senegal, working among the Wolof people. When his daughter was born needing special medical attention, they transitioned to working in France. After immigrating to France, they spent 15 years there leading a church planting team. He now oversees a few regions within Pioneers including Europe. He currently lives with his wife and two daughters in Germany.
Steve shares his story of how God guided and moved him worldwide to serve His purposes. Because of Steve’s role in mobilization, he interacts with many potential missionaries and team leaders.
Steve gives tips for those preparing to go and insight into what teams are looking for in new teammates. Steve helps us look critically at whether our view of spiritual need is connected to physical poverty. He argues that even wealthy countries in Europe have a tremendous spiritual need.
In this episode, we discuss: * What mobilization is * How leaving Senegal taught Steve a lesson in mobilization * Qualities teams look for in potential candidates * The importance of teachability * Why we need a passion for Christ, love for people, and flexibility * Impoverished countries versus the spiritual need * The need for workers in Europe * Rethinking the 10/40 window * Creating a mentality of home, where ever God has you * Being all in where God has you
Book recommendations from Steve: Conversations on When Everything is Missions: Recovering the Mission of the Church by Denny Spitters and Matthew Ellison Pipeline – Engaging the Church in Missionary Mobilization by David and Lorene Wilson Mission in Motion by Jay Matenga
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Connect with us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/relentlesspursuitpodcast/
Episode notes: http://relentlesspursuitpodcast.org/2021/01/episode-5-what-makes-a-good-missionary
You want to leverage your life for God’s mission, but fear and questions pop up. Where will God take me? Will I hate it? Will it be harmful to me? Will I get sick and never recover? What will others say? Is this really what God wants from me?
What do we do with this fear that follows when we decide to live as a world Christian?
We chat with Joe who was a missionary to Central Asia.
Joe shares about his struggle to discern a calling and choosing from two really good paths in life: academia or missions. What if he could be used better in a university? What if he showed up overseas and was completely useless?
Listen in to hear how God gave everything and more back to Joe when he decided to simply take the next step.
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Connect with us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/relentlesspursuitpodcast/
Episode notes: http://relentlesspursuitpodcast.org/2020/10/episode-1-what-i…od-doesnt-use-me
Content Warning: depictions of violence and trauma. When Ann left for the field, she expected life to be hard.
She knew the Christian life included suffering, but she didn’t expect it to come to her.
We get the privilege of looking back with Ann, seeing the way God has woven His grace, provision, and presence throughout Ann’s life.
As a new missionary, Ann was adjusting to Central Asian culture and learning the language. Suddenly, an event dramatically changed her life. Listen in to hear her story of a home break-in and attack just nine months after arriving in her new country. She shares the effects on her faith, relationship with locals, and how God used it.
“Suffering can mean many different things, but biblical suffering is to bear or tolerate pain or loss that has not been of my own doing, to bear what God brings for His sake and to accomplish His purposes.”
The Bible tells us we will suffer. But God also says He will walk with us in the suffering. It is not without purpose or hope. Join us as we discuss questions like these: Should we expect suffering in the Christian life and kingdom work? How does this fit with our faith? How does God meet us in the struggle? Can it be used for His glory? We can learn so much from Ann’s humility, strength and dependence on God in hard times. She is an encouragement to press forward in dependence on God as we seek to pursue His calling in our lives.
What we discuss in this episode: * How to we define biblical suffering * Expectations before going to the field * Ann’s story of a home break-in while serving in Central Asia * God’s provision of peace in moments of crisis * God’s presence with us * Perseverance in suffering * Ways God can use our suffering for His good. * How God can redeem our mistakes for His glory. * How Ann’s story of suffering paved the way for the gospel.
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Show notes: http://relentlesspursuitpodcast.org/2021/01/episode-what-if-i-suffer
Do we need to hear a direct voice from God to participate in His global purpose? Does God use our strengths and desires when directing us where to go? Maybe you are asking yourself these same questions. Listen to hear Rachel share how God led her to take part in His kingdom work while living in Paris.
Rachel didn’t grow up wanting to be a missionary, but over her college years and beyond, she began to see that the Church is the means God uses to accomplish His global purpose in the world. She spent her first three years post-college with The Traveling Team, mobilizing college students and churches to serve among the world’s unreached peoples. She now leads a team in Paris working alongside a local church and mobilizes new workers to serve in Europe.
At first, she felt missions was not for her. After learning about God’s heart for the nations, Rachel began to ask herself, "What can I do to work towards this mission?"
We hear how she views calling and God’s many small steps to lead her to serve in France. We discuss how God can use our strengths and desires to direct us where to serve within His will. There is a balance between being willing with open hands for God to use us anywhere for anything and looking to see where our gifts may play a part in that leading. We hear stories of struggle from Rachel’s first years living cross-culturally and the joys she experienced through intimacy with God during those hard times.
We talk about singleness on the field: the blessings it brings and how it draws us to trust the Lord. Rachel brings us clarity and perspective as we daily surrender our lives in small steps towards discovering God’s calling for our lives.
In this episode, we discuss: * Rachel’s story of God leading her into cross-cultural ministry * What does a calling from God look like? * Surrendering the image of what life “should” look like to follow God’s calling * Short-term mission trips like Pioneers Edge trips * Calling through moving in a general direction and trusting God for the details * Is there a connection between our strengths and desires and God’s calling? * Rachel shares about dependency on God and intimacy with God * Is calling a one-time thing? * Calling as a daily surrender * Singleness on the field
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Show notes: http://relentlesspursuitpodcast.org/2021/01/how-do-i-know-im…lled-to-missions
What if we were meant to be transformed? What if following Jesus means taking steps seen as risky, but what follows is our transformation?
Listen in as we talk with Chris about risk, how it transforms us, and how we can shift our attitude to see the benefits we gain in saying yes. Chris shares stories of transformation in his own life and beauty in seeing others’ lives transformed by the gospel’s power.
Chris served in Central Asia for 14 years as a physician with his family. He has seen how God uses our yes to change us as He works toward His mission in the world.
Throughout this episode, we hear Chris talk about risk, suffering and the joy found in the sacrifice.
Chris starts by defining risk as the choices we make. He also talks about how the arc of scripture opens our eyes to see a more remarkable story. Even the Bible talks about risk. When we see our neediness in our sin and the grandness of Christ’s sacrifice, the risk of our sacrifice seems small in comparison. Chris's story explores how the call to missions involves risk and suffering, but the things given up pale compared to the things we gain from joining God’s purpose. Christian life transforms and changes us.
Chris shares his early years’ struggling on the field battling culture shock, sickness, and disagreements with his wife. Through this, he learned a deeper dependency on God and the importance of hearing and knowing God’s will. In his 14 years on the field, God gave him great joy in seeing people’s hearts transformed by the power of the gospel. Listen to hear stories and encouragement from Chris as we seek to be transformed together through obeying God.
Together let’s stop and ask ourselves, “What would happen if I said no to the risk God gives me? Would I be denying other people or denying myself of the transformation to come?”
In this episode, we discuss: * What is risk, and how does it affect the choices we make? * How risk is woven throughout God’s story * What we may see as a sacrifice, ultimately is us gaining so much more * Joy in sacrifice * Struggle in the early years on the field * Transformation and power of the gospel * Discipleship, risk, obedience, transformation and following Jesus
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Show notes: http://relentlesspursuitpodcast.org/2021/01/episode-2-what-if-its-too-risky
Welcome to the Relentless Pursuit Podcast.
You love God, and you want to do His will for your life. However, fear and uncertainty get in the way.
In this podcast, we hear stories from missionaries who have struggled with those exact things. They've wrestled through tough seasons in pursuit of God's glory among the nations.
Their raw stories will inspire you in your walk with God.
So, grab a cup of coffee and lean in to grow and be stretched.
Produced and created by Pioneers-USA.