Bridging Cultures

Goodness, hope, love. It's meant to be passed on. In this episode see how story of these 3 joys in life are received and passed on, and the world is better for it. 

7.0 magnitude earthquake hits Haiti. A forgotten community in Uganda. A supernatural experience and a group of people gathered for the purpose of sharing hope and opportunity. All this and more in episode 3 of the Bridging Cultures Podcast Season 5. 

In the most unlikely places and in the middle of chaos we at times find the most generous people. Meet Oleg and Yulia from war torn Ukraine. 2 people who have chosen to remain in the danger to love, serve, and give hope to those around them. They may in fact be angels. 

Welcome to season 5 of the Bridging Cultures Podcast. Ever been curious about supernatural things? Things that can't be explained? Or maybe how an ordinary person was in the right place at the right time with the right resource for you? In season 5, as we usher in the Christmas Spirit, we are going to talk about Angels. But perhaps not in a way you might not expect. In this episode we kick off S5 with a conversation as we are joined by Pastor Scott Chrostek of Resurrection Church in a primer for all things angels and how this season matters to you right now where you are. 

In this final episode of season 4 we look at the stories shared throughout the season. A surprising realization comes forward as we find some common threads that tie these incredible immigration stories together. 

In this episode journey with a 10-year-old boy, his mom, and his siblings as they risk everything to walk out of the Congo, away from threats of violence, and toward freedom and safety. 

There's immigrating from one country to another...and there's fitting in culturally to that new country. Assimilating is the shadow challenge of immigration. Most talk centers around getting from where they are to where they are going. But very few immigration conversations touch on what it's like when you actually get there.  In this episode you will hear first-hand what it is like and the challenges faced to "fit in". 

It's hard to imagine a place in the world right now more brutal and chaotic than the Congo. In this episode encounter one woman’s struggle to stay alive through deeply traumatic experiences, being chased by gang leaders, and feeding the mouths of her children and family. Truly against all odds, Fabiana is alive to tell the story and putting one foot in front of the other day after day. 

You leave it all behind to come to a new country only to find the "camp" you signed up to be a part of is a scam! How do you keep going? How do find hope? In this episode you'll hear an amazing story about Lika, who is from Colombia, and found herself in this situation. Her story...is inspiring to say the least. 

Gangs are overtaking Haiti and the scene from today's story is all too common. A gang rolls into a neighborhood, takes it hostage, kills, rapes, and destroys whatever it wants whenever it wants. What do you do? Where do you go? Find out what one brave man who was caught in this chaos has done for his family. 

Fleeing from Taliban terrorists, leaving everything she owned behind, and not seeing her family for almost 2 years, this story of Marwa is harrowing and all too common. Imagine if you got a call today from your best friend that you had to leave your house, your town, immediately and get out of the US. Bouncing from country to country for the next 9 months and landing on the other side of the world for the next 2 years...indefinitely. This...is the human reality of migration.

What happens when you get two people with opposite political parties talking about immigration? Well you're about to find out. 

Bovine midwives, triathlons, camping, and psychotic animals are all a part of this episode's family meeting.  Get to know the podcasters behind Bridging Cultures and get a glimpse into Season 4.  A season that will be thought-provoking, challenging, yet filled with tenacious people focusing on a future filled with hope.

Meet two young adults that have overcome seemingly insurmountable odds to become successful business owners!  Faith from Kenya and Alex from Honduras share their stories on how they went from vulnerable youth to be able to care for themselves, their families and are already giving back by helping others do the same.

When parents are too busy trying to make ends meet and feel the weight of the world on their shoulders, it's often difficult to have mental, physical and emotional bandwidth their children may need.  Escuchar con Amor, in Costa Rica, offers counseling and spiritual guidance to give parents the confidence they need as well as nutritional food for their families.  Costa Rica Mission Projects, through Escuchar con Amor, continue to make a difference in the lives of families in Costa Rica!

Before a child can even begin to learn anything, they must feel safe and they must feel loved.  Oftentimes, we focus on teaching when a child isn't in a position to learn anything.  In today's episode, we'll hear from Lisa Holliday who has spent the past 30 years working with families and children that have experienced trauma in a variety of ways.  Learn from her personal and professional insights into attachment theory.  Investing in children in a variety of ways can overcome some of life's biggest challenges.

When you have hope, you can dream the impossible and actually make it a reality!  Meet Reegan, the CEO of the global south for Zoe Empowers.  Since 2007, Reegan has led the way for thousands of orphan and vulnerable children to not only survive, but to thrive.  You'll hear the story of Rahab and how she not only has become a successful business woman, but she cares for her siblings and is helping other children become successful.

Everyone loves change!  (said no one ever) In today's episode, you'll hear more from Nabs & Olivia on how they were able to get everyone on board to transition the orphanage into family-based care.  Their success has allowed them to continue reaching out to more street children and helping them reintegrate into family.  Where at one time they were limited by their orphanage capacity, they are now limitless.  Time & money will allow them to reach as many children as possible.  Other organizations and other countries have taken note and are now asking Helping Children Worldwide to help them transition their orphanages to family-based care also.

Meet Nabs and Olivia, two survivors from the Sierra Leon Civil War. Nabs was a homeless child and Olivia was a local leader that wanted to help the many street children.  This is the first in a 2-part series on how the civil war in Sierra Leon created thousands of orphans.  In an effort to care for all of these children, orphanages began.  You'll hear their stories on how they experienced the war 

In Episode 2 you'll hear from Amanda, a local leader in Ciudad España, Honduras that spends hours helping vulnerable families.  Amanda leads a sponsorship program at the Juan Wesley School in an economically poor area of Honduras.  Many single parent families that can barely make ends meet can't afford school for their children.  Sponsors help close the gap between what the families can pay and what it actually costs to run a school giving children in the community an opportunity for a strong future.  The families volunteer some of their time to give back and the children must work hard in school to remain in the program.