Seeing God Podcast

Laura Moore works with refugees in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, as a missionary with SEND International. She talks to us about what ministry to refugees looks like in Lancaster - helping refugee or recently immigrated families adjust to the ins and outs of life in their new home. Her concern for refugees is greatly informed by her own experiences as a foreigner living and working as a missionary in Ukraine over the course of 20 years. Ultimately, though, her love for refugees comes from God. She talks to us about God's character and how she has seen him faithfully comfort and provide for her in her times of need, and for the people she works with in their needs.

Mark Osborne pastors Mountain View Baptist Church in Somerset West, Cape Town, South Africa. In this interview, he talks to us how God has been revealing himself during the past year+ of COVID lockdowns. As with many of our interviews, this one covers a variety of topics, but Mark keeps coming back to a central theme: philosophies that appeal to us vs. what we see in the Bible. As a young adult, meditation and new age philosophy appealed to Mark, but God used a verse in Galatians to change his mind. Now, Mark says, they are seeing local Christians drawn back to the Bible as well. Instead of seeking new revelation from modern-day prophets, people are realizing that they already have access to the truth about God, and it can be found in the Bible. Mark also shares some of his favorite moments with God, how the church supported him personally in a frightening moment, how God has worked through "Family Fun Nights", and his growing understanding of how God's various characteristics work together.

Podcast host Emma Moore is the interviewee in this conversation between Jan and Emma about seeing God in the midst of potty training, child birth, and more moments in parenting. There is a surprising amount of poop talk on this episode, but as Emma says, "God is not afraid of our bodies." See www.seeinggodpodcast.wordpress.com/episodes for more information on this episode.

Cindi Syvertson is a stay-at-home mom to biological, adopted and foster children. She and her husband were living nominally Christian lives but lacking a healthy personal relationship with God. A health scare at the time of Cindi's first pregnancy drew her to seek God for herself, and after experiencing him, she says there was no going back. Over the years, God nudged the Syvertsons toward foster care. In this episode, Cindi tells us about their decision to become foster parents, what their foster care experience has looked like, how God has provided for them, how she deals with the anxieties that accompany parenting generally and specifically foster care, and much more.

Harry Gebert - Emma's dad and Jan's husband - is on the podcast this time, talking about how he has seen God recently. He's been isolated with Jan for the past year, by her side during surgeries and recoveries as well as working remotely throughout that time. He reflects on: seeing God better through what is revealed in the Scriptures; disciplines that have fueled his hope; having COVID; his favorite characteristic of God, and more.

Lamar King is a Financial Advisor and Vice President of Relationship Development at Bare Wealth Advisors. Bare Wealth is a financial planning and investment management group that focuses on advising clients to intentionally manage wealth in alignment with their God-given purposes. Lamar talks to us about what 2020 looked like in regards to personal finance, and specifically how COVID-19 impacted individuals' financial situations in a variety of ways. He tells us how he saw God in the midst of that, from Christian advising firms gathering and praying for wisdom to best advise their clients to clients showing generosity in the midst of uncertainty. He also responds to the difficult question of God's work in an environment of increasing wealth inequality.

Warning: This episode contains a brief description of a dream that may be frightening to very young children. Kayte and Luke Abaffy live in a tiny house in a field in Ohio. He's a freelance journalist, she takes care of the kids, and they make documentaries together. They believe that Jesus' death and resurrection have saved them from their sin and made them righteous before God. They also follow the Old Testament Law. In this episode, Kayte and Luke talk to us about how they came to live according to the Law, how their lives look different now, and what they have seen of God in the process. This episode is an interesting discussion for anyone who may have wondered what value the Law has for Christians, and why many Christians don't live the way Jesus actually lived. These questions are also explored in more depth in Luke and Kayte's documentary "The Way" and in their subsequent documentary "The Christmas Question".

Katie Maynard is a missionary with Chosen People Ministries in New Zealand with her husband, Brendan, and her two boys. She talks to us about 2020 and how God pulled the rug out from under their well-laid ministry plans when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. She voices the emotions that many of us had in a situation like this: "If we had just ______ , we would have been safe and we wouldn't have had to deal with any of this." But she doesn't stop there, and we get to hear about how God has been sanctifying her, their team, and the local church as they have faced the curveballs He has thrown them.

We're kicking off Season 2 of the Seeing God podcast! In this introduction, Jan and Emma chat about what they thought about Season 1 and what to expect in Season 2. Bonus: cameos from Emma's son Finn and a pregnancy announcement!

George Haines is a college student, about to finish his last semester at Lancaster Bible College. He volunteered to work on this podcast under a misconception of what he would be doing, and has been our sound engineer since. Not only that, but through his involvement with the podcast, God provided his first opportunity for overseas missions. In this interview, he tells us about how God (and COVID) have changed his college experience, how the podcast misunderstanding provided a great opportunity, and how he has personally experienced God in some favorite moments - including a period of nightmares.

In certain areas of the Philippines, coral reefs have been killed by years of destructive fishing practices. This has damaged local livelihoods and food supply and made coastal communities more vulnerable to typhoons. Meagan Landis works as a marine biologist and missionary to share the Gospel, share God's love for his world, and restore coral reefs in the Philippines. In this episode, she talks about the coral restoration project, the crazy underwater world, and how we often put God in a box when it comes to missions.

Emma gives an update on Jan's surgeries since May 2020, and on Jan's current medical status. She also talks about how she's seeing God right now, as she watches her mom go through this difficult experience.

When Mark-Anthony told Erica that he thought God wanted them to move to Cuba, she thought he was "off his rocker". Several months later, they quit their jobs and committed to a year in Cuba as missionaries. In this episode, they tell us about how God directed them to evangelism and equipping the local church in Cuba, volunteering full-time with COVID relief efforts in NYC, and moving to Spain to work with refugees and other vulnerable people groups. Erica is also a music artist under the name Erica Alcover. She writes and records music in English and Spanish. You can find her music on Spotify, iTunes, Amazon and YouTube.

"You feel like you're on trial and that God's on trial, because if this baby doesn't make it, they're going to say, 'Well, you're telling me all about God, but He didn't save my baby.'" What is like to have what you say about God scrutinized so closely, in life and death situations, every day? This episode is about difficult ministry, transformation and some specific stories of what God is doing in South Asia. Heather is a missionary doctor in South Asia. She tells stories of God meeting patients' great physical needs and also, sometimes, meeting their great spiritual needs while they are at the hospital. She also talks about why she is still there after 19 years of difficult work, and what it's like to face patients' deaths.

Warning: This episode includes mentions of violence, and may not be suitable for children. A series of stories about what God is doing in a neighborhood in Washington, D.C. Welton Bonner is the preaching pastor at Greater Love Church. He and his wife, Kacie, both work at the church of just 22 members, and despite their size, they are seeing God open doors for them to serve and love their community in big ways. They are seeing that God really does care about the afflicted, the widow and the fatherless, and that He is letting them participate in His provision for them. Welton shares stories about a 29-year-old widow whose husband was shot a block from their church, an encounter with a young drug dealer who pointed them to a mourning family, and some strategic ministries addressing recidivism, fatherlessness, and violence.

Hilary Yancey, PhD, author of "Forgiving God", talks about personhood and what it's like to interact with God in real time in a stimulating interview stemming from the birth of her son with craniofacial microsomia. If you'd like to know more about Hilary's story, "Forgiving God" is available from Amazon, Audible, Barnes Noble, and many other booksellers.

Ryan Keith tells us about how God is working through the local church around the world to care for widows, orphans and vulnerable children, whether we personally see it or not. Ryan is the Pastor of Strategic Initiatives at West Shore Free Church in Mechanicsburg, PA. Before serving there, he founded and served as the President of Forgotten Voices. Forgotten Voices partners with local churches in Southern Africa to empower families and caregivers to meet the spiritual, emotional and physical needs of orphaned and vulnerable children in their communities. Ryan has also served, and continues to do so, in a variety of other initiatives, including World Without Orphans and the World Health Organization's INSPIRE Program, which provides strategies for ending violence against children. In this episode, we get to hear about how God has directed Ryan's life and caused him to care about things he never cared about before. We also hear about what the local church is doing to love its neighbors, and why we sometimes don't realize all the ways God might be at work. Ryan challenges some subtle but pervasive perspectives on poverty and how we may misunderstand our role in the kingdom of God.

Harold and Shawne have been working together to share the good news of Jesus for over 30 years. For most of that time, they were in South Asia doing Bible translation, literature development, teaching and training. They saw God do lots of amazing things. They're now in what they call a win-win situation, but it may not appear that way to others. Harold has lymphoma. In this interview, they share what it's like when God dangles you out over the edge and you can't see the bottom. Harold and Shawne have gained wisdom throughout their years of knowing and serving God, and in this episode they share some wisdom on God's character, knowing God's will, and exercising faith.

When Lewis and Clark finally saw the Rocky Mountains, they were expecting something like the Appalachians. Allison imagines that they must have been amazed at how much bigger the Rockies were than they had expected them to be. That's what she says it was like to see God for herself. Allison was raised in a Christian home, but didn't see God in her church. She decided that God wasn't real, but constantly wondered what her purpose was. What was she doing here? When she was invited by a friend to serve some homeless individuals, she began to see God for herself, and it changed her whole life.

Ely, a missionary nurse in South Asia, tells us the story of a patient who showed up at the hospital with a severe infection. Ely also tells us about local Christians who are passionate about sharing the story of Jesus, despite severe persecution. Please note: This episode includes topics that are not suitable for all audiences. The statements made in this episode about religious groups do not refer to those religious groups as a whole, but rather to the individuals involved directly in the events in this episode. Definitions of some of the terms in this episode can be found on the episode page of our website.

"I love to see tangible results of what I've done, and you don't always get that with children. You're just putting food on the table and cleaning up messes for much of the day, and I struggle to feel like I'm doing what I should be doing with my life sometimes." Bo and Kandra Miller talk to us about where they are seeing God in their daily routines of parenting and teaching. They talk about surprising phone calls and bedtime prayers, seeking validation in the wrong places, the sweetness of memorizing Bible verses, and learning to pray together.

Jan had lung surgery this week, so instead of a regular episode we have a brief update on how she's doing. We should be back to regular interviews next time!

Warning: This episode contains descriptions of medical procedures and physical experiences that may be difficult for some listeners. Emma interviews Jan (her mom) about a serious illness that she experienced in 2010. Jan does most of our interviews, but in this episode she gets to talk about a time when God made it very clear that he was at work in her circumstances. In the spring of 2010, Jan had necrotizing pneumonia and nearly died, but instead made a remarkable recovery. She tells us about why she got sick, what God wanted her to do while she was sick, what Willie the respiratory therapist read to her one Sunday, and what aspects of God she held onto most tightly. We also hear briefly about her current lung condition and upcoming treatment. Clarification: The passages that Willie read to Jan were from the book of Job, but were chapters 1 and 12, not chapters 38 and 39 as Jan says in the interview. By the way, if you hear this episode and want to contact Jan, you can email her at seeinggodpodcast@gmail.com. Put "For Jan" in the subject line, and those emails will be forwarded directly to her.

Last time, we heard from our family member and COVID survivor Anna Kober. This time, we hear from her husband, Erik Kober. Anna was isolated in her bedroom from March 16-April 1. During that time, Erik, cared for their four children while also being quarantined to the house. Erik recently retired as a Lt. Colonel from the US Army after 23 years of service. He talks to us about how he faced this challenge like he did his five deployments: by jumping into action. But he also talks about his concern for Anna, the necessity of prayer, and how he saw his kids growing during this challenge. He traces God's faithfulness over his whole life, through a near-death experience in Afghanistan and up to this present moment.

Anna Kober is Jan's daughter and Emma's sister. She was diagnosed with the coronavirus on March 19. Anna spent 16 days in isolation in her bedroom, while her husband, Erik, cared for their four children while also being quarantined to the house. You can hear his side of the story in the next episode. In this episode, Anna graciously tells us what her quarantine was like, how they decided she was well enough to come out, what she did when she was afraid she wouldn't be able to breathe, and what she learned about God while alone with him for 16 days.

"The snapshot of what God has in the coming years [for us] is empowering young people not just in America, but all across the world, in some of the poorest nations and in some of the richest, to say, 'ALL of us, as believers, have a call to be the light of the world, and have a call to go and to share the gospel.' So really, to see a missions movement of young people out of all of the nations." Yasmin Pierce is a missionary with Circuit Riders, which is a branch of YWAM (Youth with a Mission). In college, Yasmin's passion for God was impossible to miss. Now, she works with college students to equip them for evangelism on their campuses. She tells us about what God is doing in colleges across America, and she also shares some very personal experiences with God: getting to know him, figuring out how to respond to him when her father passed away, and how God challenges her black-and-white view of the world.

This episode features Les and Deb, missionaries in South Asia. Before going into missions about ten years ago, they had careers in home-building and a law office. They talk to us about saying, "Yes," to each new thing that God asks, even when it seems like it may be something beyond their abilities. We'll hear about selling their brand-new, custom-built house, preaching with a translator who wasn't actually translating, how that preaching ministry has expanded, and several stories of individual women participating in an artisan ministry.

In this episode, Emma Moore interviews Brad and Stella Reed. They pastor a church called the New York Dream Center, and talk to us about how they ended up in New York City and how they recognize God at work there. They'll also talk about God's surprising kindness, dropping out of college to go where God told them to, and the miraculous church. If you'd like to know more about the Dream Center, you can visit their website at www.dreamcenter.nyc.

This is Part Two of our interview with Deb Newsome, a missionary to the Gambia. In Part One we heard about her journey into missions and what life has been like for her on the field. She talks about her experience with cancer, her bucket list, and one of her favorite moments with God. We recorded this interview in September, 2018, and we've included an update from Deb at the end of the episode.

Warning: This episode contains a description of spiritual oppression (between 25:30 and 31:30) that may be disturbing or otherwise unsuitable for children. This is part one of a two-part interview with Deb Newsome. Deb has been a missionary in the Gambia for 30 years. In this first part, we hear about some of the key milestones on her path to becoming a missionary, and what she's been seeing God do in both her and other people in the Gambia. She talks specifically about discerning God's will for her, daily disciplines to know God better, depression, spiritual warfare, and the slow growth of the Gambian church. In Part Two, we will hear about what has been happening with her more recently - specifically, kidney cancer, being back in the States, her bucket list, and some favorite moments with God.

This is the episode where we tell you what Seeing God is about and why we're doing it. So if you're wondering, "What is this podcast?" then this is the episode for you.