Have Hope; Will Travel

Ana Maria Tromp is an overcomer who’s lived in three different countries and speaks four languages. She’s a recovering perfectionist willing to share what she’s learned from burning out and now becoming a women’s empowerment coach. Topics Addressed: Growing up in a dysfunctional household Living in Venezuela, the Netherlands, and Aruba Learning to speak four ... Read More a...

Kelsey Pfleiderer was in her twenties when she was (eventually) diagnosed with a spinal tumor. Now she uses authentic storytelling to talk about chronic illness, grief, and motherhood in hopes that others find their own story in hers. Topics Addressed: Kelsey’s story of being diagnosed with a spinal tumor in her twenties How to find ... Read More about {77} Authentic Storytelling Meets Spina...

This is the first of a two-part conversation with Marla Taviano of White Girl Learning. In this episode, we’re going to talk about her life as a missionary in Cambodia, her divorce, and her deconstruction journey. Later this fall we’ll share the other part of the conversation about being white women learning about race–why it ... Read More about {76} Deconstruction and Divorce [M...

Conversations at Have Hope; Will Travel can get deep and heavy. It’s fun to end the conversation on a light note: an abstract question that unites us all: If you could be any inanimate object, what would you be and why? As with the guests, there’s so much diversity and creativity in the answers. It ... Read More about {75} If You Could Be Any Inanimate Object [Recap]

There are a lot of complex perceptions behind the terms “foster care” and “foster youth.” Today our guest Tori Hope Petersen is a foster care survivor, foster care advocate, foster parent. Listen as she shares her story as a former youth in foster care and how faith, hope, and advocacy have taken root from her ... Read More about {74} Faith, Hope, and Foster Care [Tori Hope...

We have a very special guest I’m excited to introduce to you all today! It’s my dad. My dad (Dennis) is a husband, father (duh), executive coach, and he is on the board of multiple non-profit organizations. I invited him on the podcast not just to share embarrassing stories from my childhood but to share ... Read More about {73} Story Time and Leadership Lessons with Dad [Dennis Axelso...

Today I get to introduce you to my real life friend, Laura Quam. While a missionary, Laura was inspired to step into the foster care gap with the goal of seeing biological families reunited. She is currently in the process of becoming a licensed foster parent, and she’s pursuing that as a single woman. Laura ... Read More about {72} Becoming a Single Foster Mom [Laura Quam]

This week I have the pleasure to share with you a conversation with Mabel Ninan. Mabel grew up in a minority Christian community in India and is now a non-fiction writer, speaker, wife, and mother living in the United States. Today we discuss how God has woven her story as an immigrant into the larger ... Read More about {71} Finding Our True Home [Mabel Ninan]

Today we get to hear from Hillary Walsh, a military spouse, mother of four kids, immigration lawyer, law professor, business-owner, author, and speaker. Seriously, what doesn’t she do? Hillary shares her story about growing up in rural Kansas, becoming an immigration lawyer, and finding commonality with her clients. Topics Addressed: Hillary’s childhood in rural Kansas ... Read More ab...

This week we’re talking about toxic relationships. Our guest is Katina Horton, who has many areas of expertise as an author, speaker, podcaster, Christian life coach, voice creator, and computer technician. Katina runs a ministry called Valley of Grace, where she helps women in toxic relationships break unhealthy relationship patterns and reclaim their power and ... Read More about {69} Heal...

Today we have the opportunity to talk with Angela Alexander, who is retired from the Air Force and now works as an author, speaker, and grief coach. Angela shares her story of losing her two youngest sons in a car accident while she was on active duty across the world. We discuss loss, grief, and ... Read More about {68} Turning Pain into Power and Grief into Peace [Angela Alexander]

Well friend, this week it’s just you and me! On this episode of Have Hope; Will Travel, we’re talking about my recent experience with jury duty. Did you just groan a little inside? Let’s talk about why we have that negative reaction and what we can do about it. Join us today as we talk ... Read More about {67} Being Called for Jury Duty [Katie Axelson]

This week we’re traveling to Jamaica to hear Crystal Daye’s story of growing up in inner city Kingston. In the episode, we’re taking on hard topics including poverty, molestation, abortion, and murder. Crystal also shares her story of redemption and her passion for empowering women. Topics Addressed The religious and social culture of Jamaica How ... Read More about {66} Redempti...

Ezelis Sanderson is a CODA, a Child of Deaf Adults, and from an early age felt that God has given her a purpose to be a bridge between the Deaf and hearing communities. Today she is an American Sign Language interpreter, wife, and mother of two kids—one who is Deaf and one who is a ... Read More about {65} CODA: A Bridge Between the Deaf and Hearing Communities [Ezelis Sanderson]

Apple | Google | Amazon | Spotify | Transcript The stories we tell ourselves are powerful. Sometimes those stories even have to compete with negative narratives coming our way from the people around us. Today we’re talking with Paul Forchione, who has spent his life rewriting the script set before him and now he helps others do the...

Apple | Google | Amazon | Spotify | Transcript It was a totally normal day. Until it wasn’t. This week on Have Hope; Will Travel we’re journeying to and across Europe hearing Anastasia Vladychynska’s story of evacuating Kyiv, Ukraine, less than a month ago. Topics Addressed How did you decide it was time to leave ... Read More about {63} One Woman’s Stor...

It’s officially March, which means we’re getting hints of spring here in Minnesota, and it’s also Women’s History Month in the United States. I think my conversation with Chris Bhadra is a great way to kick off Women’s History Month. Chris has her PhD, is a trained Indian contemporary dancer, writer, podcaster, and a self-admittedly ... Read More about {62} Tensions i...

How often do you get the chance to talk to someone different than you about race, religion, vaccinations, and defunding the police? In my conversation with Leonard this week, he models what a charitable discussion can look like on even the most controversial of topics. I learned so much from him, and I think you ... Read More about {61} The Questions About Race You Feel Like You Can’t Ask [L...

This week’s podcast guest has the most peaceful voice you will ever hear. Oly grew up in Kenya, moving to the United States for college. In this week’s episode, we cover a lot of ground from her trans-Atlantic move, being a woman of color, being queer, her career changes, religion, and so much more. Some ... Read More about {60} Being a Queer Black Person of Color [Oly]

This week’s podcast episode guest has a story of a hard childhood, rape, and child loss as a teen. Lena Cebula shares about drug addiction and how she got sold in human trafficking and was trafficked to a new continent. In the midst of all of that, she had encounters with Jesus and moments of ... Read More about {59} Love and Be Loved [Lena Cebula]

January is National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month. At Have Hope; Will Travel we’re spreading awareness by hearing the story of Sariah Hastings, an overcomer of human trafficking. In this episode Sariah shares her story of being trafficked, trafficking others, and getting out. She talks about how and where she met Jesus. She offers ... Read More about {58} Overcoming Human Tr...

There are rhythms to December. Both shopping and coming up with our own wishlist. Decorating the tree, the house, the yard. The first snowfall. The bitter cold. The lighting of the Advent candles. Why do we celebrate Advent? Like where did the tradition come from? Why purple/blue candles with one pink? Why a wreath? Why ... Read More about {56} The Advent of Advent [Katie Axelson]

This week podcast guest and I had no shortage of things to talk about. You may be aware Chanukah is happening now (November 28-December 6) but did you know December 1 is World AIDS Day? Lisa Waldman is Jewish. Her wife is a Quaker living with HIV. Yes, we talk about it all. Some questions ... Read More about {55} World AIDS Day [Lisa Waldman]

Tanya and her husband were living outside of Atlanta with their two children when they began to dream about a different life. They sold their house, left their stationary jobs, and moved their [then] four children onto a boat to set sail on a new adventure. They’ve been sailing ever since 2008–raising and homeschooling now ... Read More about {54} Leaving the Safe Harbor [Tanya Hackney...

I love getting to travel and this week on the podcast we’re traveling to Singapore by way of Mexico. Crunch Ranjani is from Singapore, currently living in Mexico, and joining us to talk about the Hindu festival Deepavali. Maybe you’ve heard it called Diwali? It’s the festival of light. In this episode, Crunch educates us ... Read More about {53} The Festival of Light [Crunch Ranj...