Called Sister - Women of Faith

In this powerful and honest episode of Called Sister , Sarah sits down with Sister Jonie Hakes to talk about her unexpected journey to serving a mission—and how it completely transformed her life. Jonie shares what it was like growing up in different spiritual environments, walking away from faith, and eventually finding her way back through deeply personal experiences with God. From feeling like...

In this beautiful and deeply honest episode of Called Sister , Sarah sits down with returned missionary Makenna Waters to talk about what missions are really like for women. From battling perfectionism… to finding emotional safe havens during difficult moments… to learning self-compassion after coming home, this episode is filled with wisdom every sister missionary needs to hear. Makenna shares po...

In this episode of Called Sister , Sarah interviews Sister Stone , currently serving in the Tampa Florida Mission —right in the middle of her experience. At just 4 months in, she shares a raw and honest look at what missionary life is really like: The constant mental and emotional stretch Why teaching becomes the most joyful part How she handles hard days and physical exhaustion The difference bet...

This episode of Called Sister is one of the most real and vulnerable yet. Sister Lemon, currently serving her mission, opens up about: Chronic headaches and physical challenges Anxiety and depression on the mission Feeling like a burden instead of a blessing Wondering if she’s even making a difference But through it all, she shares powerful truth: 👉 You are still called.👉 You still matter.👉 And...

In this episode of Called Sister , Sarah Verhoef talks with Kandyce Christensen , who served in the Morristown, New Jersey Mission from November 2016 to April 2018 . Kandyce shares how she went from not wanting to serve a mission at all to building a testimony that changed her life. She opens up about what surprised her most on the mission, the challenges of coming home, the pain of leaving loved...

In this very special episode of Called Sister , Sarah Verhoef interviews her daughter, Sœur Kora Verhoef , who is currently serving in the Paris France Mission . Kora shares what it’s really like to be a missionary right now: the long wait to turn in her mission papers, the challenge of making her mission her own, the surprise of realizing that missionaries are still just regular people, and the d...

In this episode of Called Sister , Sarah sits down with her dear friend McKenna “Davis” Davis , who served in the New Jersey Morristown Mission from December 2018 to March 2020 . Davis shares her honest story of not wanting to serve a mission , learning to choose it for herself, and discovering that missionary success is about far more than numbers. Together, they talk about agency, service, compa...

In this powerful episode of Called Sister , I’m joined by Sara Ahlstrom , who served in the Cherry Hill, New Jersey Mission (June 2000–December 2001) — including during the events of September 11, 2001. Sara shares what it was like to be a missionary while the world stood still. From knocking doors the morning of 9/11, to shifting from formal lessons to hymns and prayer, to witnessing communities...

In this episode of Called Sister , Sarah sits down with return missionary Kayleah Morris , who served in the Colorado Denver South Mission (2024–2025) . Kayleah opens up about: Being asked to wait a full year before submitting mission papers Struggling with mental health before her mission Coming home earlier than expected Learning how to feel the Spirit again after returning Discovering who Jesus...

In this tender, sacred conversation, Sarah is joined by her dear friend Shannon Cox and Shannon’s niece Jessee Allred , who served in the Sweden Stockholm Mission (2008–2009) . Jessee shares how mission scriptures about vision, perseverance, and “holding on” became anchors throughout her life—from major life decisions, to waiting years to meet her husband in the Air Force, to navigating motherhood...

Vanessa McCloud Hunt didn’t grow up planning to serve a mission—her patriarchal blessing didn’t even mention it. But when life felt stuck and directionless, the Lord found a way to speak to her so personally, she couldn’t ignore it. In this episode of Called Sister , Sarah sits down with Vanessa, a returned sister missionary who served in the Mexico Cancún Mission (Oct 2022–Apr 2024) . Vanessa sha...

Welcome to Called Sister. Today I’m sitting down with Stella Simpson, who served in the New Zealand Wellington Mission. Stella shares her powerful story of falling away as a teenager, crying out to God for help, and eventually saying yes to a mission she never thought she’d serve. This episode is about conversion, courage, and trusting Jesus when His invitation doesn’t look like your plan. What if...

Welcome to Called Sister. In today’s episode, Sarah sits down with her dear friend Amency Loftin for a heartfelt, honest conversation about what it really means to serve — especially when you don’t feel ready, knowledgeable, or “enough.” This episode is a sacred reminder that desire matters more than perfection, and that God works powerfully through willing hearts. What if you don’t feel ready to...

What happens when memorization gives way to revelation? In this episode of Called Sister , Sarah sits down with her dear friend (also Sahra) to reflect honestly on missionary life — from memorized discussions and strict scripts to the sacred moments when the Spirit took over. Together, they explore what it truly means to teach by the Spirit: When knowing the lesson isn’t enough When agency breaks...

In the very first episode of Called Sister, Sarah sits down with her longtime friend Shannon to talk honestly about what led them each to serve as sister missionaries—and how different those paths looked. Together, they reflect on the cultural expectations surrounding sister missionaries, the question-based way God sometimes calls us forward, and the deep personal knowing that comes before clarity...

Called Sister is a podcast for future and returned sister missionaries of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This trailer shares the moment that inspired this podcast—the visceral, sacred, and often unspoken experience of having the name tag come off. Called Sister exists to hold space for the women who served, came home changed, and are still learning what it means to feel called, c...