Born As A Refugee - But I Didn’t Know That Until I Was 9 Years Old | Javad Bakhtiari

Born As A Refugee - But I Didn’t Know That Until I Was 9 Years Old | Javad Bakhtiari

In an interview, Javad (born in Iran to Afghan parents, later living in Norway, Germany, Afghanistan, and now Austria) describes how his family fled Afghanistan during the Soviet war, and how at age nine he first learned he was a refugee when UNICEF aid was distributed at school, leading him to hide his identity and resent his parents’ choice of Iran. As an adult and Christian, he later understood his father’s decision as a practical move to provide quickly due to shared language and culture. Javad recounts discovering Christianity after watching The Passion of the Christ, being welcomed by churches in Norway and Germany, and then being deported to Afghanistan due to lack of documentation, where he secretly followed Jesus, connected with an underground church, and faced Taliban violence, including the killing of a YWAM teacher and his children. He escaped via Iran–Turkey–Greece and gained asylum in Austria, where he married and serves refugees, emphasizing Jesus as his true identity, the prodigal son’s themes of shame and restoration, and the need for “hamyar” companionship in church, while acknowledging the cost of putting Jesus first, including separation from family. 01:06 Where Is Home 02:05 Family Flees To Iran 02:46 Languages Of Afghanistan 03:51 Finding Out He's A Refugee 05:46 Second Class In Iran 07:30 Faith Reframes His Past 11:05 Dreams For Afghanistan 11:54 First Trip Back 14:02 Discovering Jesus 19:21 Asylum Struggles In Europe 21:39 Deported to Afghanistan 22:07 Secret Faith and Shame 23:01 Underground Church Connections 24:33 Taliban Threat and India Escape 25:49 Back to Europe as Refugee 27:23 Dangerous Border Crossing 29:16 Asylum and New Purpose 31:08 Norwegian Pastor Hospitality 33:53 Prodigal Son Through Honor 37:33 Identity Found in Jesus 39:29 Hamyar Companions for Life 41:55 Cost of Following Christ 42:59 True Belonging Conclusion

How Do We Prevent Suicide Among Your Teenage Friends? | Geordon Rendle

Geordon Rendle is a Canadian raised in Colombia whose parents served with Prison Fellowship International and who has lived mostly in Latin America (including Argentina, Venezuela, and Costa Rica) while serving with Youth for Christ (YFC). Rendle describes Venezuela’s danger, diaspora, and natural beauty, then argues YFC’s answer is to reset a generation through integrity/holiness, the fear of God, and giving teenagers agency and mission. He recounts being sent at age 12 to share the gospel with “sicarios” in a Medellín prison, and explains YFC’s juvenile justice work, including being called to sit with youth offenders. Rendle advocates “upstream leadership,” applied listening, and equipping, endorsing, and entrusting youth, sharing examples like an eight-year-old leading a church in prayer and his daughter leading YFC social media. He also discusses five Ironmans, two cerebral aneurysms and surgeries, and his message that there is always hope in Jesus, with an ultimate hope that two billion teenagers know God loves them. 01:11 Reconnecting With Geordon 02:26 A Global Citizen Story 03:36 Life Across Latin America 04:17 Venezuela Under Chávez 05:23 Why Venezuela Captivates 07:33 Integrity Holiness And Youth 08:24 Agency For Teenagers 09:57 Meeting Marilyn On Mission 11:33 Integris People And Imago Dei 15:08 Medellín Prison Ministry Origins 16:32 Sharing The Gospel At 12 18:47 Juvenile Justice Ministry 20:51 Advocating Teen Leadership 22:02 Kids Leading in Prayer 24:34 Upstream Listening on Suicide 26:35 Passing the Baton Well 30:07 Applied Listening to Leaders 32:30 Equipping and Entrusting Teens 34:59 Scripture Fueled Mission 36:35 Ironman and Body Stewardship 37:26 Aneurysm Scare and Recovery 41:32 Always Hope in Jesus

Life Jacket: A Filmmaker's Journey Into the Refugee Crisis | Faten Alfaraj

In this episode, host Gordon Showell-Rogers speaks with Jordanian-Canadian filmmaker Faten Alfaraj, the producer and director of the award-winning documentary Life Jacket. Faten shares her journey from Jordan to Canada — a leap of faith that left her well-established life behind — and how that experience of chosen displacement gave her unexpected empathy for those who had no choice. She takes us to the island of Lesbos, Greece, where she spent two weeks filming inside the notorious Moria refugee camp, one of the most overcrowded camps on earth. Through conversations with Syrian, Iraqi, and Afghan refugees, she encountered stories of unimaginable loss, extraordinary resilience, and a deep, cross-cultural trust in God as the ultimate "life jacket." We hear about the film's three-layered title, a woman who witnessed her entire village massacred by ISIS, children who smiled despite trauma, and the missionaries and organisations quietly sharing hope on the ground. Faten also reflects on what fifteen years in Canada have taught her about belonging, identity, and the citizenship that matters most.

There is Hope for Kenya | Bp. Dr. David Oginde

What does it take to lead with integrity in a culture where leadership is often viewed as a pathway to power, status, and personal gain? In this episode, we sit down with Bishop Dr David Oginde—former bishop, leadership scholar, consultant, and now Chairperson of Kenya's Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission. David shares his remarkable journey from studying architecture to spending decades in student ministry, church leadership, leadership development, and eventually stepping into one of the most challenging public roles in Kenya. We explore why leadership begins with self-awareness, how identity shapes integrity, and what happens when leaders pursue influence for what they can get rather than what they can give. David also offers practical insights from his leadership training work, including his powerful framework: Know Yourself. Accept Yourself. Appreciate Yourself. The conversation then turns to corruption, ethics, and public service. David reflects on the realities of combating corruption, the risks involved, and why he still believes transformation is possible. 01:01 Introduction and Background 01:23 From Architecture to Ministry 02:31 Eleven Years with FOCUS 03:01 Becoming a Bishop 03:25 Transition During the Pandemic 04:12 Academic Journey in Leadership 05:18 Life Lessons in Leadership 06:54 Training the Next Generation 08:07 The Catalead Consultancy 08:50 High Impact Leader Program 10:13 Building Leadership Muscles 10:29 Growing Leadership Capital 11:28 Leadership Without a Title 12:39 Changing the Tide in Africa 13:38 Leadership for Impact Not Gain 14:27 Sacrificing Status for Service 16:55 Leadership Crisis in the Church 18:13 Empowering Through Self Confidence 19:01 Biblical Foundation of Leadership 19:40 Know Accept Appreciate Yourself 22:21 Identity and Material Possessions 23:02 Corruption and Self-Worth 24:13 Leading the Anti-Corruption Commission 26:09 From Leadership Studies to Government 27:59 The Appointment Process 29:14 Parliamentary Vetting on Live TV 29:35 Inside the Fight Against Corruption 30:28 Global Corruption Networks 31:28 Dangers of the Role 32:15 Recent Attack on Staff 33:25 Why Take This Risk 34:22 Life with Bodyguards 35:02 Committed Young Investigators 37:43 Hope for Kenya's Future 38:13 Prayer and Divine Intervention 39:39 The Jericho Strategy 40:34 David Facing Goliath 41:00 Closing Prayers and Gratitude

Living With Grief in Everyday Life | Adrian Blenkinsop

Gordon interviews Adrian Blenkinsop of Access the Story in Adelaide, which runs the Junction cafe op shop and supports scripture engagement and youth mental health, and also houses Converge Oceania. Adrian describes the “Your Story” nationwide Australian research (439 respondents aged 16–20 connected to Christian contexts) exploring influences shaping young people’s experience of God, highlighting that faith is complex and non-linear. He reports churches help most when they welcome young people, respect their agency, and allow doubts and questions, and harm when they misuse power or act coercively; he shares examples including a same-sex attracted young person welcomed by a small church. Reports are free at convergeoceania.com, with schools and churches applying findings (e.g., longer home groups, mapping relational ecosystems, and eight faith trajectories). Adrian also recounts his daughter Imogen’s death from brain cancer at 13, his anger and lament toward God, grief as waves where joy and sorrow coexist, and his critique of Christians offering simplistic “God’s plan” answers instead of presence and practical support. 00:40 Reconnecting in Goa 01:42 What Access the Story Does 02:33 Junction Cafe Op Shop 03:10 Converge Oceania Overview 03:52 Your Story Research Origins 05:38 Church at Its Best 09:08 Beyond In or Out Faith 10:14 Young People Stepping Away 13:47 Who Was Surveyed 15:20 Negative Influences Power 19:21 Reports Without Prescriptions 20:29 Early Responses in Schools 21:00 Home Groups After Lunch 22:29 Faith Grows Relationally 23:04 Eight Faith Trajectories 24:00 Discipling With Small Teams 25:08 Imogen’s Cancer Story 27:54 Anger Lament and Faith 30:44 Grief and Joy Together 33:43 When Christians Get It Wrong 37:36 Jesus the Alongsider 40:50 Staggering Forward