Project Red

Meet Our New Executive Director: Letty Vendrall on the Summit, the Team, and the Road Ahead

In this episode of Project Red, we sit with our new Executive Director, Letty Vendrall—a leader shaped by decades of serving vulnerable children and partnering with the Capital-C Church. From Compassion International to OneChild to Hands & Feet Project, her calling has always been the same: do ministry with people, never for them. Letty shares the moments that formed her, the weight of leading at altitude, and why she sees “the false summit” as a caution for all leaders—those moments when you think you’ve arrived but God invites you to fortify and keep climbing. She unpacks the three paradigms of justice (give a man a fish, teach a man to fish, fix the pond) and why lasting change requires restoring the environment that shapes a family’s future. She also speaks with conviction about where H&FP is heading next: building systems rooted in Ephesians 3 so communities can flourish, not just survive. And she names what gives her confidence in this team—“firefighters” who run toward broken places. For Letty, winning isn’t numbers, it’s staying in the fight, building sustainable families, and refusing to tap out before the story is fully told. Here’s what we explore together: 🔥 What first stirred Letty’s heart to serve vulnerable children 🔥 Why ministry with people, not for them, is the only way transformation lasts 🔥 The danger of the false summit—and why Summit is both a promise and a warning 🔥 Why fixing the pond is essential to breaking cycles of poverty 🔥 What gives Letty confidence in the Hands & Feet Project team 🔥 The next summit for H&FP—building systems as deep and wide as Ephesians 3 If you’re stepping into a new chapter, if you’re leading through uncertainty, or if you’re trying to stay faithful in the calling God placed on your shoulders—this conversation will strengthen your grip on the rope. It will remind you that the work is holy. The climb is worth it. And the God who called you is still leading upward. Lean in. Take a breath. And keep climbing. TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 Witnessing Poverty's Global Reality 04:50 "Life-Changing Encounter with Faith" 08:05 "Reflecting on Growth and Leadership" 12:25 "Climbing Mountains with Vision" 13:50 "Beware the False Summit" 16:40 "Preserving Families Through Pivots" 21:10 "Flourishing Through Depth and Growth" 23:54 "Winning Is Staying Resilient" 27:50 "Believing God's Truth About You" 30:25 "Pray for Unity and Strength" 34:20 "Hands and Feet: Sharing Jesus" 36:57 "Climbing Together for Children"

Finding God at the Crux: Michael Farren on Stillness, Surrender, and the Kingdom We Build

In this episode of Project Red, we sit with Michael Farren—Grammy-nominated songwriter, producer, and storyteller—whose life and craft orbit around a singular truth: if he had one “dying breath” left in him, he’d use it to write a song. Not for charts. Not for applause. But because creating is the place where his soul exhales, where obedience rises, and where God meets him in the quiet. Across decades of writing, Michael has known seasons when the climb felt brutal—where the crux of his journey nearly broke him. He speaks honestly about those moments, the ones that rattled his confidence and stripped things down to bone. And yet, it was in those valleys that God’s kindness gave him the courage to keep ascending. Not through spectacle, but through stillness. Not through noise, but through clarity. In this conversation, Michael unpacks the power of authenticity—why it wins every time, and why pretending never builds anything that lasts. He reflects on Peter, on the ways we all attempt to build kingdoms of our own making until God, in mercy, sets us straight. He reveals how that hard truth reshaped his prayer life and reminded him that God is writing a story for each of us—one far better than the scripts we try to control. We talk about Bourbon Gospel, his newest endeavor, and why he knows it’s the assignment for this season. It’s not a brand extension or a pivot. It’s overflow. It’s what happens when a man follows the thread of that “dying breath” moment all the way into the next room God invites him into. Here’s what we explore together: 🔥 What it means to create from listening  🔥 How the crux moments of life become the places God rebuilds us 🔥 Why authenticity outlasts talent, and why pretense collapses under its own weight 🔥 The tender rebuke of Peter’s story—and the freedom that follows 🔥 How stillness becomes a sanctuary where God speaks If you’ve ever found yourself at a breaking point, if you’ve ever questioned your purpose, or if you’re longing for clarity in the climb—this conversation will sit beside you and steady your hands. It will remind you that God is kind. That He is near. And that the story He’s writing in you is still unfolding. Lean in. Take a breath. And keep climbing. Follow Michael Farren Bourbon Gospel: https://resy.com/cities/columbia-tn/venues/the-bourbon-gospel Bourbon Gospel Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebourbongospel/?hl=en Michael Farren Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michaelfarren/ — 🎁 Give Gifts that Give. Shop Project Essentials: https://handsandfeetproject.org/projectessentials/ 🙏🏽 Pray with us and stay up-to-date on what's happening at H&FP: https://handsandfeetproject.org/#emailsignup 📩 Connect with Hands & Feet Project - connect@handsandfeetproject. 📱 Follow us on Instagram! - @projectred_podcast Subscribe to the Hands & Feet Project YouTube channel: / @hafproject   Visit Our Website: https://handsandfeetproject.org TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 "Michael Farin: An Epic Journey" 05:48 "Dying Breath Purpose" 09:27 "Listening to Serve Artists" 09:58 "Writing 250 Songs a Year" 13:21 "Graceful Presence of Believers" 16:24 Musical Journey Began Early 20:18 "Unexpected Band Competition Chaos" 23:38 Gift of Creative Collaboration 28:21 Faith, Doubt, and Rediscovery 29:16 "Peter's Courage and Jesus' Message" 34:43 "Overcoming Double-Mindedness" 36:35 "Living God's Written Story" 39:36 "God's Shaping Process" 43:54 "Advice for Aspiring Creatives" 47:17 Novice Writers and Inspir

When the Math Doesn’t Add Up: Darren Tyler on Radical Belief and Generosity

In this episode of Project Red, we sit with Darren Tyler—pastor, founder, and former music-industry executive—whose journey has traced a remarkable arc from green rooms and tour buses to the frontlines of global mission work. For two decades, Darren managed artists like Jars of Clay, Third Day, and Kutless. But when the applause faded, a deeper call emerged—to build something that could not be charted or sold. Out of that conviction came Conduit Mission and Conduit Church in Franklin, Tennessee: a community defined not by its seating capacity but by its sending capacity. Today, more than half of the church’s resources flow outward into global missions across Haiti, Africa, Asia, and beyond. In this conversation, Darren shares what it really means to believe—not in outcomes, but in obedience. He unpacks the quiet, costly trust it takes to keep giving when the numbers don’t add up, to keep sowing when the harvest feels far away, and to lead a church culture that believes generosity is not a sermon point but a spiritual posture. Here’s what we explore together: 🔥 The spark that ignited Conduit Mission and the faith that kept it burning 🔥 What happens when a church decides to believe God enough to give radically 🔥 How belief reshapes the metrics of success—from budgets and attendance to transformation and trust 🔥 In the Kingdom, you either go or send—doing nothing isn’t an option. If you’ve ever stood in a season where vision felt fragile, where the climb grew steep, and belief was the only thing between you and surrender—this conversation will remind you what it means to believe anyway. Lean in. Take a breath. And believe again. Follow Darren Tyler Check out Darren's Podcast: https://www.conduitchurch.com/podcast Conduit Church Website: https://www.conduitchurch.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/conduit.church Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/conduitchurch Conduit Mission Website: https://www.conduitmission.org — 🙌 Experience a night of worship and renewal—FOR KING + COUNTRY in concert, Tim Tebow with a word that will refuel your soul. https://handsandfeetproject.org/an-evening-with-tim-tebow/ 🙏🏽 Pray with us and stay up-to-date on what's happening at H&FP: https://handsandfeetproject.org/#emailsignup 📩 Connect with Hands & Feet Project - connect@handsandfeetproject. 📱 Follow us on Instagram! - @projectred_podcast Subscribe to the Hands & Feet Project YouTube channel: / @hafproject   Visit Our Website: https://handsandfeetproject.org TIMESTAMPS:  00:00 "Darren's Journey and Impact" 05:15 "Turning Outward to Help Others" 07:27 "Radical Generosity and Eternity" 11:31 Priorities of the Heart 14:14 "Uncertain Path Forward" 17:20 "Faith-Driven Courage" 19:49 Supporting Nepal's Persecuted Christians 22:57 "Freedom Through Savings Groups" 27:03 Heartbroken but Helping Friends 31:46 Steps, Breathers, and Blizzard 35:30 "Mark Jumping In and Digging" 38:10 Opportunities to Serve Others 42:23 "Finding Joy in Tough Places" 42:44 "Keep Going, Trust God" 46:54 Romans 8:28 Misunderstood Meaning 51:18 Supporting Haiti's Vulnerable Communities 53:44 Tebow & Music: Haiti Fundraiser

The Power of Yes: Andrea McGinniss on Pressing Through and Passing the Torch

In this episode of Project Red, we sit with Andrea McGinniss—Executive Director of Hands & Feet Project—at a pivotal moment in her journey. For nearly two decades, Andrea has pressed forward through turbulence and transformation: political unrest, pandemics, shifting strategies, and the daily weight of leading in the tension between brokenness and hope. What sets Andrea apart is not just her tenure, but her posture. She has carried Hands & Feet Project from infrastructure to intimacy, from programs to presence—never losing sight of the “one child perspective.” Her leadership has been as much about faithfulness as it has about strategy, marked by a relentless pursuit of relationship, dignity, and the God-given potential in every child and family. In this candid conversation, Andrea reflects on what it means to press—to strain forward when the load is heavy, to choose resilience when resignation tempts, and to trust that even pressing pain can yield pressing hope. She opens up about the moment she first encountered Haiti’s radical generosity, the lessons of pressing through trial, and the wisdom required to press pause as she steps away from the Executive Director role. Here’s what we explore together: 🔥 What lead to Andrea’s first “yes” in serving at Hands & Feet Project 🔥 How Hands & Feet Project is pressing forward and operating in our mission in 2025 🔥 Why the “one child perspective” must anchor every step in our mission, however large 🔥 How to press pause with integrity, gratitude, and hope for what’s next 🔥 The legacy Andrea hopes to leave—not in numbers, but in culture and care If you’re a leader carrying more than you think you can hold, if you’re in a season of big questions, or if you need to be reminded that pressing isn’t punishment but preparation—this conversation is for you. Lean in. Take a breath. And press on. — 📱 Follow H&FP on Instagram! - @hafproject 🍼 Shop Classroom Essentials - https://handsandfeetproject.org/projectessentials/ 🙏🏽 Pray with us! Sign up for our Newsletter to receive our 4 Weeks of Prayer Guide to join us in praying for the most vulnerable in Haiti - https://handsandfeetproject.org/#emailsignup 📩 Connect with Hands & Feet Project - connect@handsandfeetproject.org 🫱🏽‍🫲🏾 Visit Our Website: https://handsandfeetproject.org #ProjectRedPodcast #HandsAndFeetProject #Haiti #NonprofitLeadership #ChristianLeadership #OrphanCare #Resilience #FaithInAction

Re-Souled for the Climb — Brian Shun on Choosing Repair Over Retreat

In this quietly powerful episode of Project Red, we’re talking about what it means to re-soul—to stay in the story when everything in you wants to escape it. When the dream gets heavier than you expected. When the cost cuts deeper than you planned. When resolve means more than pressing on—it means rebuilding from the inside out. Our hosts, Patrick Austin and Will McGinniss, sit down with strategist, storyteller, and coach Brian Shun, whose journey from adoption to identity, from burnout to clarity, offers a deeply human portrait of what it takes to keep going—truthfully, wisely, and well. A man who’s worn many hats but always followed one throughline—people over product, depth over performance—Brian invites us into the heart-work of leadership, legacy, and choosing repair over retreat. From his own story of returning to Korea to meet his first foster family, to coaching high-capacity leaders through high-stakes moments, he speaks with clarity, candor, and a hard-won hope that doesn’t flinch at the mess. Here’s what we’re getting into: 🔥 What “resolve” really means—and what it costs 🔥 Living out adoption—and the ache of not seeing yourself in the mirror or those around you 🔥 The difference between grit and stubbornness 🔥 Why dysfunction can feel safer than transformation 🔥 The power of facing pain instead of analyzing it 🔥 Identity, faith, and the ground you grow from If you’re tired of pushing but don’t want to quit, or if you're trying to swing again without re-injuring your soul—this one’s for you. Listen in. Be willing to be wrong. Find out what’s still true. And if you’ve got to re-soul your shoes for the next climb—lace up. Follow Brian Shun Check out Brian's Podcast: Curiosity Continuum Website: https://brianshun.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brianshun/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ThinkifyAdvisors/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianshun/ Resource - How Korean adoptees can learn more about their Korean culture: meandkorea.org — 👕 Shop our Project Essentials to help us stock up—not just on supplies, but on hope. Help the children and young adults in our care continue to climb. https://handsandfeetproject.org/projectessentials/ 🙌 Read and be inspired by Rachelle's Testimony:  https://www.instagram.com/p/DKfeU6Bugah/?igsh=Z3MyMTJ2ODluMjNw  🙏🏽 Pray with us and stay up-to-date on what's happening at H&FP: https://handsandfeetproject.org/#emailsignup 📩 Connect with Hands & Feet Project - connect@handsandfeetproject. 📱 Follow us on Instagram! - @projectred_podcast Subscribe to the Hands & Feet Project YouTube channel: / @hafproject   Visit Our Website: https://handsandfeetproject.org