Modern Day Missionaries

What do you do when one of you is terrified of fundraising and the other one grew up doing it like it's second nature? Danny and Stephanie Gutierrez found out the hard way, over twelve years, two daughters, and one very memorable $666 support check. In this episode, Coach Ben sits down with them for a conversation about what they'd do differently , from how they divided the work, to what...

What does your body already know that your mind hasn't caught up to yet? What if the thing most burning you out on the mission field is not the workload, the culture shock, or the lack of support, but something else? And what if the very traits that made you say yes to the field are the same ones slowly wearing you down? In this episode, Stephanie sits down with Steve and Lisa Cuss , founders...

The missionaries burning out fastest are not the ones who stopped caring. They are the ones who cared the most. Mindy Caliguire, founder of SoulCare , joins the podcast to talk about what research with missionaries in the Global South revealed about soul health, the relational deficit nobody wants to touch, and what it actually takes to find your way back.   In This Episode, You'll Learn: Why...

Two-thirds of global missionaries are women. And most of them will tell you they have never heard an episode like this one. Denise Beck, Executive Director of Velvet Ashes, has spent years sitting with women in every season of missionary life, and she is not afraid to say what most people skip over. The single woman who wonders if anyone on her team actually values what she gave up. The married wo...

Your MK’s are watching everything . They see how you handle the hard seasons, how you hold it together when everything is falling apart, and how much space there is in your family for the hard stuff to be said out loud. But what are they actually holding inside? And what do they wish you would ask? In this episode, three young adults who grew up on the mission field sit down to share what that lif...

Have you ever been in a season where everything seemed to be working against you, and you could not tell if it was spiritual warfare, burnout, or just the hard reality of missionary life? When you can tell the difference, you know how to fight. In this episode, evangelist, World Harvest founder, and Modern Day missionary Jacob Ebersole shares what spiritual warfare actually looks like on the missi...

What do you do when everything falls apart on the field? When the team fractures, the funding dries up, or a decision you made starts unraveling in ways you never anticipated? What if the way you respond in the first few hours determines whether your ministry survives? In this episode, Stephanie sits down with Phil Cooke , filmmaker, media producer, PhD in theology, and one of the most sought-afte...

Have you ever caught yourself angling the camera just right, choosing the words that make your ministry sound a little more impressive than it actually is? What if the pressure to perform is actually the thing standing between you and the life God designed you for? What if joy is closer to your insecurity than you ever imagined? In this episode, Stephanie sits down with author, speaker, and former...

Are you preparing for your financial future, or are you hoping it takes care of itself? What does it actually look like to invest on a missionary income? And is it even possible when support fluctuates month to month? In this episode, Stephanie sits down with Elias Reyes , president of Modern Day Missions and a financial consultant with 25+ years of experience serving missionaries and nonprofit le...

In this episode, Stephanie sits down with Ben Ankarlo , fundraising coach at Modern Day Missions , to unpack what is really happening beneath the surface of support raising. Together, they explore how fear unknowingly shapes decisions, why some missionaries default to self-funding or scarcity, and how embarrassment and control can distort the way we invite others into partnership. Ben shares from...

Have you ever wondered what the Church really believes about Israel? Have you felt confused by replacement theology, one law teaching, or political noise around the Jewish people? And does any of this actually matter for missionaries today? In this episode, Modern Day Missions Executive Director Marvin Slaton II and Gateway Center for Israel Pastor & Director David Blease explore the three pre...

You didn’t move across the world to lose your family in the process. Mission life is full of purpose, but it can also pull at the very relationships we care about most. Jonathan and Elizabeth Trotter , missionary parents, writers, and trusted voices in cross-cultural life, open up about what it looks like to stay emotionally connected as a family in the middle of ministry, transition, and loss. We...

AI is changing everything—how we think, work, lead, create…How about how we hear from God? Without realizing it, are we letting it reshape our hearts, our habits, and our spiritual lives, too? Today, we talk with Carey Nieuwhof about the very real tension missionaries face when using AI for ministry. From sermon prep to leadership decisions, we explore how to use this tool with wisdom, where it ma...

Modern Day Missionaries is a podcast created specifically for missionaries navigating real life on the field. We talk honestly about the questions missionaries actually ask— How do I retain supporters? Am I burned out… or heading there? How do I stay connected to my spouse in the middle of ministry chaos? What does it look like to flourish as a single missionary? Our heart is simple: help you be w...

You're serving full-time. You're pouring yourself out. And yet, you still feel like it's not enough. Many missionaries live with an unnamed pressure, a constant inner drive to do more, be more, prove more. In this powerful conversation, Dr. Curt Thompson helps us uncover the role that shame plays in shaping our stories and how it may be calling the shots in your life and ministry wi...

Want to know how you can double your monthly donations this December? Statistics show that missionaries who take a few simple steps can significantly increase year-end giving—and in some cases, receive more in the final four days of the year than any other month.  In this episode, Modern Day   Missions president and financial consultant Elias Reyes shares how to make the most of this golden opport...

What’s really going on when you feel numb, irritable, or disconnected on the field—even when you’re doing what God has called you to do?  Why do high-functioning workers sometimes shut down emotionally, pull away from others, or lose the ability to feel God’s presence? How does long-term pressure affect your brain—and what can you do to move toward restoration?  If connection feels hard, there’s a...

What if the support you need is waiting on the other side of a bold conversation with the right person? Many missionaries feel unsure about how to connect with business leaders—and even more unsure about how to talk about money. But what if those very people are called to partner with you? In this encore episode, we revisit our conversation with Lee Domingue —entrepreneur, author, and founder of K...

What if the pushback you're getting from Gen Z missionaries isn’t rebellion—but an invitation to lead differently? Many leaders are navigating cross-generational tension in missions, unsure how to guide and motivate a generation that values autonomy, mental health, and meaning over traditional hierarchies and hustle culture. In this conversation, leadership expert Dr. Tim Elmore joins us to u...

What happens when your identity in Christ feels solid, but deep down, you’re still exhausted, fragmented, and unsure who you really are? Many missionaries live in a cycle of spiritual striving and internal disintegration—even while faithfully serving. The result? Burnout, weariness, and a haunting sense that something is off, even if they can’t name it. This conversation gently opens the door to a...

What are missionary kids really carrying—and what can adults do to help lighten the load? From the pressure to perform, to the fear of disappointing others, MKs often carry invisible expectations they didn’t choose and can’t always name. These burdens can shape everything from their identity to their view of God. In this conversation, we explore the emotional and spiritual weight many missionary k...

Ever hosted a short-term mission team and wondered, Was that really worth it? Or maybe you're gearing up for your next one and already feeling the weight of logistics, expectations, and exhaustion. In this episode, Jesse and Andrea Kroeze—leaders of Touch the World and seasoned missionaries—offer a fresh take on how short-term teams can become a strategic blessing instead of a draining burden...

Gen Z is stepping onto the mission field with big questions on their hearts. Is missions moral? Does the West still have a role to play? How do you navigate support raising in today’s world? And what does healthy emotional and spiritual sustainability really look like? In this conversation, Mark Matlock—author, Insight Lead at Barna , and Executive Director of Urbana —helps us understand the shift...

Are you frustrated by fundraising? Feeling stuck, under-supported, or embarrassed about the whole process? In this episode, Dr. Steve Shadrach, author of The God Ask and one of the leading voices in personal support raising, helps reframe fundraising not just as a financial task but as a deeply spiritual journey. With decades of experience mentoring and training missionaries, Steve shares the fear...

Do you ever struggle with knowing how to keep your team motivated? Especially when the work is hard, the stakes are high, and the pay is low (or non-existent)? How can you create a team culture of health from the top down? In this encore episode, we sit down with Nic and Rachael Billman, founders of Shores of Grace . They have spent over 14 years leading missionaries and staff in Brazil. They open...