Sept. 17, 2025
What Is The Great Commission?

Season 5
Prodigal Children
Deep Dives Into Problematic Religious Beliefs
Faith During Trials
Healing & Deliverance
Prayer & Bible Study
How To Deal With Others As A Christian
Music And Other Creative Forms
Parenting And Family
Time Management
Apologetics
New Books To Read
Ministry
Teens And Young Adults
Personal Growth
Travel isn't just about seeing new places—it can transform how we live out our faith. Kari Hunnicutt joins us to share how her adventurous spirit has shaped her family's global explorations and approach to fulfilling the Great Commission.
KARI'S WEBSITE: http://devotedexplorer.com/
SEND FANMAIL IF YOU WANT A SHOUT-OUT ON THE PODCAST!
RESOURCES FOR YOU
Leave a Review for the Podcast
ARE YOU A PODCASTER?
00:00 - Introduction to Carrie Honeycutt
04:20 - Carrie's Faith Journey and Family Background
09:13 - College Years and Finding Personal Faith
17:20 - The Challenge of Sharing Our Faith
25:43 - Family Travel Adventures and Life Lessons
34:53 - Parenting, Independence and Faith Struggles
38:28 - Closing Thoughts and Resources
WEBVTT
00:00:00.059 --> 00:00:03.388
Hi friends, welcome back to Honest Christian Conversations.
00:00:03.388 --> 00:00:04.892
I'm your host, anna Murby.
00:00:04.892 --> 00:00:08.686
I am so excited for today's guest, carrie Honeycutt.
00:00:08.686 --> 00:00:14.689
She has been a world traveler, but she's also been a student of the faith.
00:00:14.689 --> 00:00:18.179
She has traveled a lot, even with kids, okay.
00:00:18.179 --> 00:00:27.375
So that in and of itself is a mind blow for me, because I have five kids and I can't even imagine going overseas with five kids.
00:00:27.375 --> 00:00:37.012
But she has done that a few times and her reasonings as to why are very beautiful and the life lessons that have come out of that are also very beautiful.
00:00:37.012 --> 00:00:48.948
You're going to love hearing what she has to say about that, but she reminds us about the significance of a little mustard seed of faith, which is the key part of this conversation.
00:00:48.948 --> 00:01:00.289
Overall, this is an amazing conversation, full of so much faith and desire to see people strengthened in the Great Commission, and if you aren't sure what that is, you should look it up.
00:01:00.289 --> 00:01:06.618
But we do get into it more, we do discuss it more, and her book, dormant Faith also discusses it, so you're definitely going to want to pick that up.
00:01:06.618 --> 00:01:09.974
But we do get into it more, we do discuss it more, and her book, dormant Faith also discusses it, so you're definitely going to want to pick that up too.
00:01:10.635 --> 00:01:12.496
Let's get into today's episode.
00:01:12.496 --> 00:01:36.805
Before the episode starts, make sure you follow the show so you never miss another episode.
00:01:36.805 --> 00:01:39.129
Hi Keri, thank you so much for coming on the podcast today.
00:01:39.129 --> 00:01:41.114
I'm very excited to talk to you.
00:01:41.114 --> 00:01:43.403
I think it's interesting.
00:01:43.623 --> 00:02:09.360
I read through your Podmatch profile and it said that you have traveled a lot, and when I think of travel at least the way it is now, because I have five children and traveling is not really a thing I can do other than back and forth through school it's encouraging to see that there are people who are still able to travel, even if they do have families, or that they just make time for it because it's such a beautiful experience.
00:02:09.360 --> 00:02:23.774
I myself, when I was 16, went to Europe and got to visit Italy, austria and Germany, and that was an experience that I would love to relive at some point, but I don't know when that'll be.
00:02:23.774 --> 00:02:28.741
At some point, but I don't know when that'll be.
00:02:28.741 --> 00:02:32.149
But I just found that very interesting and exciting when I saw that you are a traveler and that you love to travel.
00:02:32.149 --> 00:02:35.263
So I'm very excited to talk to you about that.
00:02:35.263 --> 00:02:39.453
But before we do, why don't you share with us your testimony.
00:02:40.039 --> 00:02:42.245
Thank you so much for having me on your show.
00:02:42.245 --> 00:03:00.502
I would say, growing up just speaking to the traveling piece my parents were both in the educational system and so we did have a lot of our Christmases and summers, often that they even had those times off, but I wouldn't say we traveled very far.
00:03:00.502 --> 00:03:21.522
We lived in Washington State and we did a lot of camping, excursions and adventures and we had family in Southern California so we would often travel to see our family in Southern California so we'd spend a lot of time there and in that area, kind of traveling around too, but definitely like budget conscious.
00:03:21.522 --> 00:03:44.026
I think it put kind of an adventure spirit in my bones and just like as we would see new places and explore and be active, go on different hikes or camp in nature, really sealed something inside of me and grew something that I wanted to also share with my kids and my family and continue some of those traditions.
00:03:44.026 --> 00:03:46.513
So, yeah, so my family growing up was.
00:03:46.513 --> 00:03:51.149
I can say that I am so blessed with an amazing set of parents.
00:03:51.149 --> 00:04:07.103
They're still married today, they have modeled a beautiful marriage for me and I have an older sister and a younger brother and we were all pretty close growing up, I would say we attended church when we were younger.
00:04:07.503 --> 00:04:09.405
You know God was definitely taught.
00:04:09.405 --> 00:04:19.774
My mom was probably the primary person in teaching us about God and she would pray for us and we would sing songs and different things around the house.
00:04:19.774 --> 00:04:21.694
Listening to our record player.
00:04:21.694 --> 00:04:23.456
That dates me back.
00:04:23.456 --> 00:04:30.062
Listening to our record player.
00:04:30.062 --> 00:04:30.483
That dates me back.
00:04:30.502 --> 00:04:45.569
But yeah, we went to church and my dad was pretty quiet about his faith initially and I would say he probably, if we talked to him about it he would say, yeah, it's probably more just a philosophical idea to help people just be better people and so kind of just had different exposure that way.
00:04:45.569 --> 00:04:54.601
But then as we got older and more involved in school and sports and all the things, church kind of was put on the back burner.
00:04:54.601 --> 00:05:05.314
I would say it definitely wasn't still something that we tried to figure out amongst the busyness and everything that we did to make sure that we were attending and staying really connected.
00:05:05.314 --> 00:05:07.925
I think that I always knew God.
00:05:07.925 --> 00:05:15.642
You know, when I accepted, I probably raised my hand to the sinner's prayer like a million times growing up like yeah, I'm going to pray it again, I'm going to pray it again.
00:05:15.642 --> 00:05:20.500
And that was just me like always feeling like I don't know, am I really there?
00:05:20.622 --> 00:05:24.007
Yeah, I know that was always like a journey for me.
00:05:24.007 --> 00:05:40.293
But I was baptized when I was in grade school and then in sixth grade I decided on my own to pursue it further and went through a confirmation type class with a mentor who mentored me through that to really get more in depth in the word.
00:05:40.293 --> 00:05:48.889
And then even in high school, when we weren't really involved in church too much, I was involved in a program called Young Life.
00:05:48.889 --> 00:05:52.598
That really is kind of just like a fun.
00:05:52.598 --> 00:06:06.942
They have clubs and they take kids to summer camp, really kind of trying to reach that furthest kid out that probably would never find themselves in church, but just a different environment to learn about God and grow in your relationship.
00:06:06.942 --> 00:06:10.891
And then when I got to college I really started.
00:06:10.891 --> 00:06:14.625
I think that's when my faith really became my own.
00:06:14.846 --> 00:06:46.134
When I was really searching, I went through a period where I was still I was finding churches in the area where my university was and I was attending different small groups and Bible studies and then kind of came across this church and this group of people who really befriended me and we were going through Bible studies but they were pretty much telling me that I wasn't saved and that my baptism as a child really wasn't a true baptism and that I needed to be baptized again.
00:06:47.980 --> 00:07:01.199
And there were just certain things in this, in these conversations, that were not sitting right with me and it kind of sent me in a spiral like, just well, what is all of this and what do I believe then, and what is true?
00:07:01.199 --> 00:07:11.593
And then I even started searching other religions and researching, like thinking just because I grew up here, what makes Christianity the right religion?
00:07:11.593 --> 00:07:41.341
And so I spent a lot of time just researching and digging deep and praying and ultimately Jesus brought me right back to seeking Him and His faith and His truth, like, yes, this is the truth, I am the truth, I am the way, and yeah, so from there I've just continued to grow and see where he wants to lead me, doing my best through this life to keep transforming more and more into His likeness and growing.
00:07:41.341 --> 00:07:49.305
So I think it's an ongoing evolving journey that we're on in this journey of faith and drawing closer and closer to Him.
00:07:49.305 --> 00:07:50.947
Nice.
00:07:51.127 --> 00:07:58.653
It's wonderful that you were able to have all the revelations that I had at 30 years old, but you had them while you were still younger.
00:07:58.653 --> 00:08:07.742
I wish that I had had that mindset of wanting to ask questions and find out how to make my relationship my own.
00:08:07.742 --> 00:08:17.134
I just wrote on what my parents told me, what the church told me, never questioned anything, and if I did feel like I was questioning, I felt like it was wrong to do.
00:08:17.134 --> 00:08:23.488
Maybe I'm doing something wrong, Maybe I'm doubting, and that's bad, and you just kind of went with it.
00:08:23.930 --> 00:08:41.903
I heard a lot of you saying journey, and you've always had a love for travel and I think God used that and he took you on a spiritual journey to find Him, the right Him, the truth, the way that you were meant to be in a relationship with Him.
00:08:41.962 --> 00:08:54.024
So I think that's really beautiful and I also find it interesting that you went to college and you found your faith, rather than what a lot of people do, which is they lose it.
00:08:54.024 --> 00:09:05.774
Some people that you were starting to talk to kind of made you shake your faith up and like maybe there's something wrong, maybe I am in the wrong, but you went and looked into it further.
00:09:05.774 --> 00:09:16.629
You had that mindset of wanting to actually know what truth is, rather than some people who would just be like, well, if I'm not saved, then what am I doing all this for?
00:09:16.629 --> 00:09:20.322
And just crumble and let go and just completely walk away.
00:09:20.322 --> 00:09:24.471
But you were like, no, maybe I need to check something, maybe I've got it wrong.
00:09:24.471 --> 00:09:26.604
And it led you back to the truth.
00:09:26.604 --> 00:09:31.964
And I think that's amazing, because it's not usually the stories you hear coming out of college students.
00:09:31.964 --> 00:09:33.547
It's usually the opposite.
00:09:33.547 --> 00:09:37.003
So I find that very interesting that God was able to do that.
00:09:37.724 --> 00:09:42.120
Yeah you're right, I feel really blessed that he kind of took me on that journey.
00:09:42.120 --> 00:09:54.980
And it is, I think, at any time in our spiritual walk like we can feel discouraged and I think a common response to that is to kind of then just get stuck.
00:09:54.980 --> 00:10:36.672
And I think, through some of my journey and also just my, I think it's just in me, some of my personality, like yeah, I just's, I think, why I have such a heart for other believers and sharing some of my story and my journey, because I want to encourage other people that there is so much more to this walk and to our faith and to our relationship with God than sometimes we get to, because we get frustrated or discouraged and we give up and then when that happens, like we're stuck and we can't keep transforming and that's not like the beauty and the transformation that God wants for us.
00:10:36.672 --> 00:10:56.986
So, yeah, I just want to pray that we have persevering hearts through it all and that we keep asking the questions, we keep persevering and, you know, we keep seeking His face and the truth and I think that if we truly do that, we truly lay our heart out there for Him.
00:10:56.986 --> 00:11:02.004
You know he says give me your whole heart, give me your mind, your soul.
00:11:02.225 --> 00:11:05.230
Sometimes that can feel like, ouch, is that possible?
00:11:05.230 --> 00:11:06.173
How do I do that?
00:11:06.173 --> 00:11:08.345
Like that's everything you know.
00:11:08.345 --> 00:11:23.727
But if we are doing that and we're truly like, yes, god, take it all and help me, keep fighting through this, help me find the truth, help me find you, help me hear you, he will, he will show up and he will show us.
00:11:23.727 --> 00:11:36.482
So, yeah, that's what, more than anything, that I hope people can hear and understand and that will encourage them to keep persevering through it all and keep seeking those.
00:11:36.482 --> 00:11:40.832
I think, yeah, not living in any of that guilt, or what am I doing?
00:11:40.832 --> 00:11:43.711
You know like, yeah, you're fighting the good fight.
00:11:43.711 --> 00:11:44.898
That's what you're doing.
00:11:44.898 --> 00:11:45.198
What am I doing?
00:11:45.198 --> 00:11:46.783
You know like, yeah, you're you're fighting the good fight.
00:11:46.803 --> 00:11:47.966
That's what you're doing.
00:11:47.966 --> 00:11:48.268
Yeah, yeah.
00:11:48.268 --> 00:11:51.999
So how long after college was it that you wrote your book Dormant?
00:11:52.078 --> 00:11:53.042
Faith Gosh.
00:11:53.042 --> 00:11:58.133
Well, I just released it in November, so just a few months ago.
00:11:58.133 --> 00:12:00.120
What?
00:12:00.120 --> 00:12:03.888
Nearly two decades after college.
00:12:03.888 --> 00:12:11.792
I've written this book because, yeah, I've continued on in my journey and I studied for speech language pathology.
00:12:11.792 --> 00:12:37.191
So I did speech therapy, was active in that for probably two decades, and then we moved to Northwest Arkansas from Washington State and really just felt like I needed to focus on getting my family settled and my husband in his new job, and so I have kind of stepped back from my profession as a speech pathologist, which was really really hard, because I love that profession.
00:12:37.191 --> 00:12:40.942
It's very challenging and fulfilling and helps people.
00:12:40.961 --> 00:12:51.568
I have a major respect for people who do that, because two of my kids have needed a speech pathologist and, by God's grace, their school.
00:12:51.568 --> 00:13:05.378
They were able to get one for free for a school year and I saw tremendous change in both of them in that one year and, yeah, it's amazing what you do.
00:13:06.260 --> 00:13:06.601
I love that.
00:13:06.601 --> 00:13:09.248
It's pretty incredible work to be a part of.
00:13:09.248 --> 00:13:41.691
So it has been really hard to step away from that, but I do feel like in just how it's come about, like my husband just keeps saying you're where you're supposed to be right now, you're doing what you're supposed to be doing, and so it has freed me up to do some of these other things and pursue some of these other passions, like write my book Dormant Faith, and be able to share some of my faith journey in living out the Great Commission and encouraging other believers to also live out the Great Commission more effectively.
00:13:41.691 --> 00:13:44.503
In today's world it's challenging.
00:13:44.703 --> 00:14:20.889
So, yeah, I think that some of this time and some of my experience through the nonprofit that I'm a board member of and that my family and I have been involved in developing a Christian church in a remote area of West Africa, and just through all of those experiences and witnessing what God is doing all around the world and His power and His Holy Spirit, and there's just so much there that I just wanted to share it.
00:14:20.889 --> 00:14:34.609
Everybody has their own passions and skills and avenues that God has placed in front of us and in us to use for His glory, and ultimately that is our purpose.
00:14:34.609 --> 00:14:53.232
That's why we're here, and so I just hope to encourage other believers, too, to see that in themselves and to see God in them and what he's planted in them and what he wants them to do with that in themselves, and to see God in them and what he's planted in them and what he wants them to do with that in sharing the Great Commission in our world today, beautiful.
00:14:53.639 --> 00:15:01.466
It's identity, and knowing what direction to take is definitely something a lot of people have a hard time with.
00:15:01.466 --> 00:15:02.349
Right now.
00:15:02.860 --> 00:15:12.027
I can imagine being in college, being thrown different ways on what to believe, being told you matter, being told you don't matter.
00:15:12.027 --> 00:15:15.702
You just popped here one day and then you're gone and poof.
00:15:15.702 --> 00:15:17.486
What is there to live for?
00:15:17.486 --> 00:15:20.660
There's just so many things being thrown at everybody.
00:15:20.741 --> 00:15:34.503
We don't understand that we were here for a purpose, and that's to give God glory, and he's given us skills, he's given us gifts, things that we know how to do, that no one else can do like we can, and he has a plan for you.
00:15:34.503 --> 00:15:43.932
And so, yeah, your book is timely for sure, and I do believe your husband was right when he said you're right where you need to be.
00:15:43.932 --> 00:16:03.913
This is the correct place that God has you right now, and it was hard for you to get out of the prior season because you saw the fruit of what you were doing there, but God is doing something big through what you're doing now, and more people need to come alive in the faith and to remember what the Great Commission is.
00:16:03.913 --> 00:16:09.072
We are here to glorify God and we are here to share the gospel throughout the world.
00:16:09.072 --> 00:16:16.351
And maybe you can't go travel across the globe, but you can travel across the street and talk to somebody there.
00:16:17.461 --> 00:16:42.423
Yes, and I think that's huge and what people need to hear and see and truly soak in, because our enemy is alive and working too and he gets in our heads and I think you know some of this is our the biggest lies that we continue to believe is well, this, I'm not really doing anything, this isn't really much, or this isn't doing much and whatever, I might as well not do it, you know.
00:16:42.423 --> 00:16:44.726
Or I might as well not speak.
00:16:44.726 --> 00:16:53.865
Or we get afraid even to go across the street where we're afraid and we don't know what that conversation will hold, and so we don't.
00:16:53.865 --> 00:17:03.307
Or we're so busy in our every day like, yeah, I probably should go over there and talk to that person, but when am I going to do that?
00:17:03.307 --> 00:17:04.926
I don't have time, you know.
00:17:04.926 --> 00:17:30.006
Or you just feel ill-equipped, and that's where your book would come in handy.
00:17:30.026 --> 00:17:31.128
Believers just in my circle alone, you know.
00:17:31.128 --> 00:17:33.676
I put out there like, how effectively do you feel you're living out the Great Commission in your every day?
00:17:33.676 --> 00:17:33.917
And it was.
00:17:33.917 --> 00:17:35.823
And then I also in there in this survey.
00:17:35.823 --> 00:17:43.567
In addition to that question, I asked and what are some of the possible reasons for holding back in sharing?
00:17:43.567 --> 00:17:55.682
And so probably about half of the believers who took this survey admitted that they don't feel like they're effective in living out the Great Commission in their everyday lives.
00:17:55.682 --> 00:18:10.154
And then, when I had just kind of given some possible reasons why, fear was the number one of the ones that I gave, and that was about again 50% that said they struggle with fear.
00:18:10.154 --> 00:18:27.174
Feeling unprepared was the next one, and that was about 35% of believers who felt like they wouldn't share because they felt unprepared, Inconvenienced 30% feeling like their faith is just a private matter.
00:18:27.174 --> 00:18:35.252
How much of that lie is prominent in our society today Like no it's just, it's fine, you do you, I'll do me.
00:18:36.279 --> 00:18:50.586
Which, yeah, there's still an element to that, but that doesn't mean that we're released from still sharing his good news, that there is a private element to our faith but there is also a public element to our faith.
00:18:50.586 --> 00:18:58.367
So about 14% said yeah, I feel like my faith is more of a private matter and that's why I don't want to share.
00:18:58.367 --> 00:19:03.001
Several also indicated feeling ashamed.
00:19:03.001 --> 00:19:12.994
So whether it's ashamed of what we believe, because some of it kind of sounds crazy, so feeling ashamed in that and like how to get over that.
00:19:12.994 --> 00:19:32.476
But probably more than that ashamed was indicating, you know, their own self feeling of shame because they've fallen short and so feel like they're not the best representative of who God is and what he can do, because they're too stuck in their own shame of it all.
00:19:32.877 --> 00:19:48.942
And then a state of despair is another one, like probably 10% said, because they're in a state of despair either in their circumstances, like they're so just wrapped up in the despair of their circumstances, or in spiritual despair.
00:19:48.942 --> 00:20:06.554
And then another category that I talk about is just being disengaged, like you know, just admitting that you're just kind of disengaged from your faith, so then from that you're not going to share your faith too much when you yourself are disengaged from it.
00:20:06.554 --> 00:20:32.259
So yeah, I kind of talk about all those different categories but then, in the last chapter of that section, really encourage people to think about other lies or stumbling blocks that maybe weren't discussed and weren't mentioned, for them to really dig into their own and in their own time, to really dig into their own and in their own time.
00:20:32.920 --> 00:20:35.849
Hey friends, have you joined the Honest Christian Conversations online group yet?
00:20:35.849 --> 00:20:42.769
If you haven't, you're missing out on a perfect opportunity to grow your relationship with Jesus Christ.
00:20:42.769 --> 00:20:47.622
This is a community for those who want to go deeper in their relationship.
00:20:47.622 --> 00:20:59.500
You can do Bible studies together, ask the questions you have biblically and get the answers that you might need or maybe you're somebody who has answers to somebody else's questions.
00:20:59.500 --> 00:21:01.586
You can leave your prayer requests.
00:21:01.586 --> 00:21:03.569
You can leave your praise reports.
00:21:03.569 --> 00:21:06.215
This is a community.
00:21:06.215 --> 00:21:16.064
This is what church is supposed to be, and I am so glad that I finally took that step to make this group so that people's lives can flourish in Jesus name.
00:21:16.064 --> 00:21:22.965
Also, if you haven't signed up for the mailing list, you're missing out on an opportunity there as well.
00:21:22.965 --> 00:21:31.148
I send out a weekly email chocked full of so much awesome content that I don't have time right now to share it all with you.
00:21:31.148 --> 00:21:40.560
But when you do sign up for that mailing list, you get my seven-day free devotional that I created just for those who sign up for the mailing list.
00:21:40.560 --> 00:21:52.172
If you haven't joined either of these, you can go to my website, honestchristianconversationscom and sign up there, or you can use the links for it in the show notes.
00:21:53.741 --> 00:21:54.683
Yeah, we definitely.
00:21:54.683 --> 00:21:58.393
We need to step up our game, believers.
00:21:58.393 --> 00:22:02.250
We have not been sharing the Great Commission the way we should have.
00:22:02.250 --> 00:22:07.781
We have not been giving God the glory by sharing our testimonies.
00:22:07.862 --> 00:22:22.611
The Bible talks about how powerful our testimonies are, and this is something I'm feeling convicted onto, because I feel ill-equipped sometimes and I don't want to discuss anything because maybe they're going to ask me a question and I don't know the answer to it.
00:22:22.611 --> 00:22:31.875
There's problems that I have as well, but we can't let our fears and anxieties keep us from doing what God has asked us to do.
00:22:31.875 --> 00:22:37.429
His Great Commission does not say do this, except if you have these problems.
00:22:37.429 --> 00:22:44.290
It just says do this, which means he's going to equip us to handle it, to be able to do it.
00:22:44.290 --> 00:22:53.313
He's not going to leave us or forsake us, and His Holy Spirit is inside of us, helping us, giving us the words that we can't come up with ourselves.
00:22:53.313 --> 00:23:01.013
So I know I definitely need to work harder on being a better example of the Great Commission.
00:23:01.013 --> 00:23:06.652
Yeah, you were naming off all those things and I was like, yeah, I've thought that before and that.
00:23:07.843 --> 00:23:09.548
And I was like yeah yeah.
00:23:10.820 --> 00:23:14.691
Yeah, I think we've all been there in at least one of those areas.
00:23:16.344 --> 00:23:18.569
I'm glad you wrote this, thank you.
00:23:18.569 --> 00:23:19.172
Thank you.
00:23:19.172 --> 00:23:33.881
You know it is a hard area to really tackle and process and, again, didn't want to put it out there for people to shrink and be like, oh yeah, and it'd be another reason to just throw up our hands, right, but no.
00:23:33.881 --> 00:23:44.588
So then the rest of the book gets into exactly what you just said, like, okay, yes, all of these are challenges and we have our own sin that takes us down.
00:23:44.588 --> 00:24:01.160
We have Satan still in the picture too, but our God has overcome all of that, you know, and so I think we sometimes lose sight of that that how big our God is and how powerful our God is and he's already overcome.
00:24:01.160 --> 00:24:31.971
So if we truly believe that, we need to truly believe that he will help us overcome all of these things and that he has given us the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit has I don't know if you can see this, but in that heart that's like a tiny, tiny little mustard seed, you know.
00:24:32.391 --> 00:24:37.125
And in Matthew 17, 20, Jesus talks about just having faith.
00:24:37.125 --> 00:24:40.673
As small as a mustard seed is all he needs.
00:24:40.673 --> 00:24:42.384
You know, he will, he will grow it.
00:24:42.384 --> 00:24:45.070
If we give him this much, he'll grow our faith.
00:24:45.070 --> 00:24:46.976
But ultimately, you know, he will grow it.
00:24:46.976 --> 00:24:48.160
If we give Him this much, he'll grow our faith.
00:24:48.160 --> 00:24:59.613
But ultimately it's not about our faith and what we believe we can do or can't do, because it's about Him and it's about what he can do with our tiny mustard seed of faith and that he will move those mountains.
00:24:59.613 --> 00:25:18.586
And so we just need to believe that and believe that, tap into that Holy Spirit inside of us and go and trust that he's going to give us the opportunities and the words and actions and everything that we need to effectively share in this time.
00:25:18.866 --> 00:25:22.233
Amen, yeah, I completely agree with that.
00:25:22.233 --> 00:25:27.813
Well, how did you get into traveling, and where exactly have you been?
00:25:27.813 --> 00:25:37.169
Did you start when you were in college, or was that something you just because I know you said you wanted to pass that tradition on to your children.
00:25:37.169 --> 00:25:43.548
So did you wait until you had kids and then you started doing some traveling, or were you doing it before you got married?
00:25:43.748 --> 00:25:49.646
Yeah, I would say it's always been again like a desire in my heart.
00:25:49.646 --> 00:25:54.768
And my husband and I did do some traveling here and there before kids.
00:25:54.768 --> 00:26:02.779
We were high school sweethearts and we were young and then we were each going through school and doing our different journeys there with education.
00:26:02.779 --> 00:26:15.343
So we didn't travel like long distance trips during that time, we still took like little weekend trips or did different things, did a lot of hiking and outdoor adventures.
00:26:15.343 --> 00:26:30.385
But then, yeah, as we started having kids, I did want to introduce it to them early on, thinking if they get used to this, hopefully they'll be better travelers if we can slowly work into it.
00:26:30.886 --> 00:26:34.292
Yeah, smart Did it work.
00:26:34.413 --> 00:26:47.492
In theory right Doesn't mean that it like takes away all the challenges, especially traveling with four kids with a big age span, like our oldest is 18 and our youngest is 11.
00:26:47.960 --> 00:27:10.736
So, you know, we still have to be, I guess, thoughtful in the places that we go and where we want to take them, and have started off with areas that we thought wouldn't be as far away but still slowly increase the distance or be good engaging places for kids too.
00:27:10.736 --> 00:27:34.671
So we what younger, I went to like Mexico and I went on a few cruises, caribbean did things like that and then, when we had kids, we've gone to Costa Rica and we've taken them to Finland and Iceland, and so a lot of like outdoor, you know, activities where we could still enjoy nature and and the culture.
00:27:34.931 --> 00:27:42.114
They really like cold, like I love the beach and they're like take us to Antarctica, mom.
00:27:43.759 --> 00:28:02.191
Exactly, they're like we love the ice and the cold and the glaciers, but I feel like, while it's challenging, yeah, it's hard to put it as a priority and to budget for it, and especially with four kids and six plane tickets for these places far away.
00:28:02.412 --> 00:28:03.012
It's a lot.
00:28:03.012 --> 00:28:23.623
And even our last trip when we went to Finland, that was quite a long travel and our youngest was 10 then and by probably the second leg he was literally delirious, like kind of fumbling around, wasn't able to respond to us, and we were at first like come on, dude, what's up?
00:28:23.623 --> 00:28:26.587
And we're almost like getting a little angry with him.
00:28:26.587 --> 00:29:01.402
And then we realized like he's like literally delirious right now, like he is not comprehending what is happening and you know so then we tried to get him to take a nap and we had one more little flight to make it through and made it through that and then, as my husband's in line to get the rental car, I just have this picture it's hilarious of him like between a bench and a suitcase that's spread out and he's somehow perched like between that suitcase and the bench with this gap in between, but he is out.
00:29:01.823 --> 00:29:10.006
So you know, it's not that we're again devoid of all the problems and things that can come with it or the sicknesses We've.
00:29:10.006 --> 00:29:19.452
We've had had one of our kids that got an ear infection, you know, through the flights and had to go to a doctor's office that didn't speak English.
00:29:19.452 --> 00:29:25.326
So we're using Google Translate and trying to do all the things to communicate what was wrong with him.
00:29:25.326 --> 00:29:35.645
And this was in Portugal, which was another trip, so definitely different things to navigate, but I think that it's they get excited for it.
00:29:35.645 --> 00:29:38.732
It's a great time for us to connect as a family.
00:29:38.732 --> 00:29:49.887
You know, it brings us outside of our normal busy routine, draws them out of their bedrooms and off of their technology when we're in these different places exploring.
00:29:49.907 --> 00:29:51.132
You're making memories too.
00:29:51.940 --> 00:29:59.721
Exactly yeah, and helping them see more of the world and meeting different people and different cultures.
00:29:59.721 --> 00:30:18.701
And so even our oldest she graduated from high school a year early and she wanted to go into culinary school and just on her own came to us and was like I found this school in Rome had no connection otherwise to it.
00:30:18.701 --> 00:30:27.713
So part of me is like great, here we go, my first off to college, and it's like Rome.
00:30:28.996 --> 00:30:34.423
To Rome, but I mean just the fact that she had the confidence to do that.
00:30:34.423 --> 00:30:46.440
I went to a university like an hour away from my family because I wanted to make sure I could go home every weekend and was still like scared to leave the nest.
00:30:46.440 --> 00:30:57.451
And my kids are so independent and while there's some challenges with that too, it's like they're feeling confident and they're ready to go tackle the world.
00:30:57.491 --> 00:30:58.694
So, yeah, she went.
00:30:58.694 --> 00:31:06.278
She just was there from September to the end of December doing pastry school and an internship and fighting through all of that in a different culture, in a different language.
00:31:06.278 --> 00:31:10.711
Nobody she worked with at her internship, fighting through all of that in a different culture, in a different language.
00:31:10.711 --> 00:31:20.721
Nobody she worked with at her internship at the bakery she was in spoke English and so she said they would get home and they would message each other so that they could translate.
00:31:20.849 --> 00:31:25.862
And that's how they would try to get to know each other and just all the different pieces of it.
00:31:25.862 --> 00:31:47.012
But it's still really neat to see how that continues to unfold in their lives too, and just the confidence and life experience that it gives them in meeting new people and going to new foreign what could be seem like scary places, and they're feeling more equipped to do that.
00:31:47.012 --> 00:31:47.755
That's definitely helpful for the.
00:31:47.775 --> 00:31:49.319
Great Commission as well, because they're feeling more equipped to do that.
00:31:49.319 --> 00:31:57.611
That's definitely helpful for the Great Commission as well, because they're not going to be afraid to go up to someone and just start talking to them about it.
00:31:57.611 --> 00:32:02.403
That's a lesson everybody listening and watching this.
00:32:02.403 --> 00:32:03.688
You should do more.
00:32:03.688 --> 00:32:09.400
You don't have to go traveling, but just be more outgoing.
00:32:09.400 --> 00:32:11.183
Get them used to it when they're younger.
00:32:12.711 --> 00:32:17.141
I feel like more parents should have done that kind of stuff just to have us talking.
00:32:17.141 --> 00:32:24.951
And I get it that there's the whole stranger danger stuff as well, that there's certain people you shouldn't talk to or you got to be careful.
00:32:24.951 --> 00:32:36.039
But I think sometimes we hold on as parents too tightly to our children and we forget that they belong to God and sometimes he has different plans for them.
00:32:36.039 --> 00:32:54.816
A couple of times my eight-year-old she hasn't said it recently, but she said it before a few times is that she wants to go to China and I'm like, oh really, really I'm trying to not burst her bubble and say, hey, they aren't going to like you because you're Christian.
00:32:54.816 --> 00:32:57.541
It's like I don't want to squash her desire for that.
00:32:57.602 --> 00:33:00.894
I mean, I love Russia and one of these days I hope to be able to go.
00:33:00.894 --> 00:33:02.358
I'm learning the language.
00:33:02.358 --> 00:33:04.958
It's always been on my heart ever since high school.
00:33:04.958 --> 00:33:06.766
I've always wanted to learn the language.
00:33:06.766 --> 00:33:15.169
There's something about Russia I just can't get it off my heart and I talked to some people in Russian and I'm learning it all the time.
00:33:15.169 --> 00:33:23.079
I don't know if I'm ever going to get to visit, but so that's one of the reasons why I'm like okay, I'm not going to be so quick to shut her down.
00:33:23.079 --> 00:33:27.391
Maybe God's putting that in her heart and maybe she is going to go at some point.
00:33:27.451 --> 00:33:31.054
She's bold enough to talk to anybody about anything.
00:33:31.054 --> 00:33:34.757
She does not hold back on what she's thinking at all.
00:33:34.757 --> 00:33:39.079
It can be bad sometimes, but I do appreciate that.
00:33:39.079 --> 00:33:54.883
All my kids for the most part maybe one of my sons is a little shy, but for the most part they don't have problems going and talking to people and making friends, which is something that I kind of do, which sounds funny because I'm hosting a podcast.
00:33:54.883 --> 00:33:56.836
But this is the only time.
00:33:56.836 --> 00:34:04.218
This is why I started the podcast is because it's hard for me to go up to one random person and just start talking to them about the gospel.
00:34:04.218 --> 00:34:06.917
But I can do it on here, no problem.
00:00:00.059 --> 00:00:03.388
00:00:03.388 --> 00:00:04.892
00:00:04.892 --> 00:00:08.686
00:00:08.686 --> 00:00:14.689
00:00:14.689 --> 00:00:18.179
00:00:18.179 --> 00:00:27.375
00:00:27.375 --> 00:00:37.012
00:00:37.012 --> 00:00:48.948
00:00:48.948 --> 00:01:00.289
00:01:00.289 --> 00:01:06.618
00:01:06.618 --> 00:01:09.974
00:01:10.635 --> 00:01:12.496
00:01:12.496 --> 00:01:36.805
00:01:36.805 --> 00:01:39.129
00:01:39.129 --> 00:01:41.114
00:01:41.114 --> 00:01:43.403
00:01:43.623 --> 00:02:09.360
00:02:09.360 --> 00:02:23.774
00:02:23.774 --> 00:02:28.741
00:02:28.741 --> 00:02:32.149
00:02:32.149 --> 00:02:35.263
00:02:35.263 --> 00:02:39.453
00:02:40.039 --> 00:02:42.245
00:02:42.245 --> 00:03:00.502
00:03:00.502 --> 00:03:21.522
00:03:21.522 --> 00:03:44.026
00:03:44.026 --> 00:03:46.513
00:03:46.513 --> 00:03:51.149
00:03:51.149 --> 00:04:07.103
00:04:07.503 --> 00:04:09.405
00:04:09.405 --> 00:04:19.774
00:04:19.774 --> 00:04:21.694
00:04:21.694 --> 00:04:23.456
00:04:23.456 --> 00:04:30.062
00:04:30.062 --> 00:04:30.483
00:04:30.502 --> 00:04:45.569
00:04:45.569 --> 00:04:54.601
00:04:54.601 --> 00:05:05.314
00:05:05.314 --> 00:05:07.925
00:05:07.925 --> 00:05:15.642
00:05:15.642 --> 00:05:20.500
00:05:20.622 --> 00:05:24.007
00:05:24.007 --> 00:05:40.293
00:05:40.293 --> 00:05:48.889
00:05:48.889 --> 00:05:52.598
00:05:52.598 --> 00:06:06.942
00:06:06.942 --> 00:06:10.891
00:06:10.891 --> 00:06:14.625
00:06:14.846 --> 00:06:46.134
00:06:47.980 --> 00:07:01.199
00:07:01.199 --> 00:07:11.593
00:07:11.593 --> 00:07:41.341
00:07:41.341 --> 00:07:49.305
00:07:49.305 --> 00:07:50.947
00:07:51.127 --> 00:07:58.653
00:07:58.653 --> 00:08:07.742
00:08:07.742 --> 00:08:17.134
00:08:17.134 --> 00:08:23.488
00:08:23.930 --> 00:08:41.903
00:08:41.962 --> 00:08:54.024
00:08:54.024 --> 00:09:05.774
00:09:05.774 --> 00:09:16.629
00:09:16.629 --> 00:09:20.322
00:09:20.322 --> 00:09:24.471
00:09:24.471 --> 00:09:26.604
00:09:26.604 --> 00:09:31.964
00:09:31.964 --> 00:09:33.547
00:09:33.547 --> 00:09:37.003
00:09:37.724 --> 00:09:42.120
00:09:42.120 --> 00:09:54.980
00:09:54.980 --> 00:10:36.672
00:10:36.672 --> 00:10:56.986
00:10:56.986 --> 00:11:02.004
00:11:02.225 --> 00:11:05.230
00:11:05.230 --> 00:11:06.173
00:11:06.173 --> 00:11:08.345
00:11:08.345 --> 00:11:23.727
00:11:23.727 --> 00:11:36.482
00:11:36.482 --> 00:11:40.832
00:11:40.832 --> 00:11:43.711
00:11:43.711 --> 00:11:44.898
00:11:44.898 --> 00:11:45.198
00:11:45.198 --> 00:11:46.783
00:11:46.803 --> 00:11:47.966
00:11:47.966 --> 00:11:48.268
00:11:48.268 --> 00:11:51.999
00:11:52.078 --> 00:11:53.042
00:11:53.042 --> 00:11:58.133
00:11:58.133 --> 00:12:00.120
00:12:00.120 --> 00:12:03.888
00:12:03.888 --> 00:12:11.792
00:12:11.792 --> 00:12:37.191
00:12:37.191 --> 00:12:40.942
00:12:40.961 --> 00:12:51.568
00:12:51.568 --> 00:13:05.378
00:13:06.260 --> 00:13:06.601
00:13:06.601 --> 00:13:09.248
00:13:09.248 --> 00:13:41.691
00:13:41.691 --> 00:13:44.503
00:13:44.703 --> 00:14:20.889
00:14:20.889 --> 00:14:34.609
00:14:34.609 --> 00:14:53.232
00:14:53.639 --> 00:15:01.466
00:15:01.466 --> 00:15:02.349
00:15:02.860 --> 00:15:12.027
00:15:12.027 --> 00:15:15.702
00:15:15.702 --> 00:15:17.486
00:15:17.486 --> 00:15:20.660
00:15:20.741 --> 00:15:34.503
00:15:34.503 --> 00:15:43.932
00:15:43.932 --> 00:16:03.913
00:16:03.913 --> 00:16:09.072
00:16:09.072 --> 00:16:16.351
00:16:17.461 --> 00:16:42.423
00:16:42.423 --> 00:16:44.726
00:16:44.726 --> 00:16:53.865
00:16:53.865 --> 00:17:03.307
00:17:03.307 --> 00:17:04.926
00:17:04.926 --> 00:17:30.006
00:17:30.026 --> 00:17:31.128
00:17:31.128 --> 00:17:33.676
00:17:33.676 --> 00:17:33.917
00:17:33.917 --> 00:17:35.823
00:17:35.823 --> 00:17:43.567
00:17:43.567 --> 00:17:55.682
00:17:55.682 --> 00:18:10.154
00:18:10.154 --> 00:18:27.174
00:18:27.174 --> 00:18:35.252
00:18:36.279 --> 00:18:50.586
00:18:50.586 --> 00:18:58.367
00:18:58.367 --> 00:19:03.001
00:19:03.001 --> 00:19:12.994
00:19:12.994 --> 00:19:32.476
00:19:32.877 --> 00:19:48.942
00:19:48.942 --> 00:20:06.554
00:20:06.554 --> 00:20:32.259
00:20:32.920 --> 00:20:35.849
00:20:35.849 --> 00:20:42.769
00:20:42.769 --> 00:20:47.622
00:20:47.622 --> 00:20:59.500
00:20:59.500 --> 00:21:01.586
00:21:01.586 --> 00:21:03.569
00:21:03.569 --> 00:21:06.215
00:21:06.215 --> 00:21:16.064
00:21:16.064 --> 00:21:22.965
00:21:22.965 --> 00:21:31.148
00:21:31.148 --> 00:21:40.560
00:21:40.560 --> 00:21:52.172
00:21:53.741 --> 00:21:54.683
00:21:54.683 --> 00:21:58.393
00:21:58.393 --> 00:22:02.250
00:22:02.250 --> 00:22:07.781
00:22:07.862 --> 00:22:22.611
00:22:22.611 --> 00:22:31.875
00:22:31.875 --> 00:22:37.429
00:22:37.429 --> 00:22:44.290
00:22:44.290 --> 00:22:53.313
00:22:53.313 --> 00:23:01.013
00:23:01.013 --> 00:23:06.652
00:23:07.843 --> 00:23:09.548
00:23:10.820 --> 00:23:14.691
00:23:16.344 --> 00:23:18.569
00:23:18.569 --> 00:23:19.172
00:23:19.172 --> 00:23:33.881
00:23:33.881 --> 00:23:44.588
00:23:44.588 --> 00:24:01.160
00:24:01.160 --> 00:24:31.971
00:24:32.391 --> 00:24:37.125
00:24:37.125 --> 00:24:40.673
00:24:40.673 --> 00:24:42.384
00:24:42.384 --> 00:24:45.070
00:24:45.070 --> 00:24:46.976
00:24:46.976 --> 00:24:48.160
00:24:48.160 --> 00:24:59.613
00:24:59.613 --> 00:25:18.586
00:25:18.866 --> 00:25:22.233
00:25:22.233 --> 00:25:27.813
00:25:27.813 --> 00:25:37.169
00:25:37.169 --> 00:25:43.548
00:25:43.748 --> 00:25:49.646
00:25:49.646 --> 00:25:54.768
00:25:54.768 --> 00:26:02.779
00:26:02.779 --> 00:26:15.343
00:26:15.343 --> 00:26:30.385
00:26:30.886 --> 00:26:34.292
00:26:34.413 --> 00:26:47.492
00:26:47.960 --> 00:27:10.736
00:27:10.736 --> 00:27:34.671
00:27:34.931 --> 00:27:42.114
00:27:43.759 --> 00:28:02.191
00:28:02.412 --> 00:28:03.012
00:28:03.012 --> 00:28:23.623
00:28:23.623 --> 00:28:26.587
00:28:26.587 --> 00:29:01.402
00:29:01.823 --> 00:29:10.006
00:29:10.006 --> 00:29:19.452
00:29:19.452 --> 00:29:25.326
00:29:25.326 --> 00:29:35.645
00:29:35.645 --> 00:29:38.732
00:29:38.732 --> 00:29:49.887
00:29:49.907 --> 00:29:51.132
00:29:51.940 --> 00:29:59.721
00:29:59.721 --> 00:30:18.701
00:30:18.701 --> 00:30:27.713
00:30:28.996 --> 00:30:34.423
00:30:34.423 --> 00:30:46.440
00:30:46.440 --> 00:30:57.451
00:30:57.491 --> 00:30:58.694
00:30:58.694 --> 00:31:06.278
00:31:06.278 --> 00:31:10.711
00:31:10.711 --> 00:31:20.721
00:31:20.849 --> 00:31:25.862
00:31:25.862 --> 00:31:47.012
00:31:47.012 --> 00:31:47.755
00:31:47.775 --> 00:31:49.319
00:31:49.319 --> 00:31:57.611
00:31:57.611 --> 00:32:02.403
00:32:02.403 --> 00:32:03.688
00:32:03.688 --> 00:32:09.400
00:32:09.400 --> 00:32:11.183
00:32:12.711 --> 00:32:17.141
00:32:17.141 --> 00:32:24.951
00:32:24.951 --> 00:32:36.039
00:32:36.039 --> 00:32:54.816
00:32:54.816 --> 00:32:57.541
00:32:57.602 --> 00:33:00.894
00:33:00.894 --> 00:33:02.358
00:33:02.358 --> 00:33:04.958
00:33:04.958 --> 00:33:06.766
00:33:06.766 --> 00:33:15.169
00:33:15.169 --> 00:33:23.079
00:33:23.079 --> 00:33:27.391
00:33:27.451 --> 00:33:31.054
00:33:31.054 --> 00:33:34.757
00:33:34.757 --> 00:33:39.079
00:33:39.079 --> 00:33:54.883
00:33:54.883 --> 00:33:56.836
00:33:56.836 --> 00:34:04.218
00:34:04.218 --> 00:34:06.917