Inside Missions
by Maranatha Volunteers International
Latest episode
Episode 49 - Critiques of Short-term Missions - Savior complexes…
Episode 49 - Critiques of Short-term Missions - Savior complexes…
About this podcast
An in-depth look at the people, cultures, and countries where Maranatha is working.
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Episodes
The newest 20 of 49 episodes
- Episode 49 - Critiques of Short-term Missions - Savior complexes, spiritual tourism, and economic effects: a transparent discussion on the history of short-term missions, its evolution, and how we can continue improving our impact responsibly. · 1 h 31 minAre short-term missions genuinely helping host communities, or could they be causing unintentional harm? Maranatha’s VP of Marketing, Julie Lee, leads a transparent discussion…
- Episode 48: High Schoolers Share Raw Mission Trip Experiences in the DR · 42 minWhat is it really like to go on a mission trip for high schoolers? Hear from teens Audrey Welty, Ezri Emmanuel, and Jonah Cicle as they give an unfiltered look at Ultimate…
- Episode 47 - Three Decades in India Comes to a Close · 1 h 4 minWe reflect on Maranatha’s 28-year history in India as we prepare to close our effort there. Since opening a field office in 1998, Maranatha has completed approximately 3,600…
- Episode 46 - Young adult project at 12,500 feet in Peru: Catalyst 2026 · 1 h 3 minMaranatha’s re-launched mission project designed specifically for young adults aged 18–28 landed in the high-altitude landscape of southern Peru in July 2026, where 40 volunteers…
- Episode 45 - Ultimate Workout 36 - Dominican Republic - Maranatha’s mission trip for high schoolers · 1 h 2 minWe dive into the heart of Ultimate Workout (UW), Maranatha’s mission project for teens, fresh off the 36th iteration of the longstanding project. For more than three decades, UW…
- Episode 44 - Decades in the DR - Maranatha’s long history of working in the Dominican Republic · 1 h 9 minExplore Maranatha’s profound, decades-long history in the Dominican Republic. Tracing the journey from early post-Hurricane David relief in the 1980s to the pivotal "Santo…
- Episode 43 - Origins of Ultimate Workout - How Maranatha’s annual high school mission trip began · 1 h 7 minIn this episode we uncover the origin story of one of Maranatha’s most iconic mission trips: our annual high school project, Ultimate Workout (UW). Long-time UW leader Steve Case…
- Episode 42 - A Decade in Kenya - Unique challenges, ethical questions when cultures collide, geographic diversity, strong tribal traditions, and a deeply welcoming culture. Why it’s been a favorite destination for volunteers for the past ten years. · 1 h 7 minJoin us for a special episode of Inside Missions as we celebrate a significant milestone: 10 years of Maranatha Volunteers International’s work in Kenya. With more than 1,200…
- Episode 41 - Maranatha Mythbusters - Volunteering - Does Maranatha only use volunteer labor? Do short term missions yield sustainable results? Are there any limits on who can volunteer? Do you have to live in rough conditions for a mission trip to count? · 56 minStaff from our volunteer department dismantle common misconceptions about volunteering with Maranatha, including four major myths. Does Maranatha only use volunteer labor? Do…
- Episode 40 - Miracles in the Mission Field - Skepticism, supernatural stories, and how western minds process the supernatural compared to global counterparts · 1 h 9 minLong-time Maranatha leader and adjunct professor at Andrews University, Dr. Steve Case, joins the show for a discussion on one of the most compelling and confounding topics about…
- Episode 39 - Maranatha Mythbusters - Is Maranatha an Adventist Church entity or receive funding from the Church? Does Maranatha pick where we work? Do we only work overseas? Do we do disaster relief like ADRA or ACS? · 1 h 0 minFour vice presidents of Maranatha get together to talk about some of the most common myths they hear about the organization. They tackle some common general questions like “Is…
- Episode 38 - Mission Trip Leaders’ Playbook - Behind the scenes of short-term mission trip organization. From pre-trip planning, to the daily schedule, to the unseen challenges of a leader, this conversation reveals how mission trip coordinators do their · 1 h 8 minVolunteer leader Jennifer Trujillo joins the crew to share her experience leading short-term mission trips with Maranatha, fresh off a project in India. They talk about what…
- Episode 37 - The Art of Storytelling in the Mission Field - Having a detailed plan but staying open to God’s lead, building rapport with interview subjects, how pre-trip preparation pays off, and one woman’s tearful reaction to visualizing her new church · 1 h 20 minJulie Lee and Sidney Needles share details of their recent trips to India and the Dominican Republic, and the stories they were sent to capture. Julie describes what travel is…
- Episode 36 - Don and Laura Noble - Our most difficult projects ever, including a remote desert in Kenya and Communist Cuba, and Don’s first Maranatha project involving a plane crash, circumventing a war, and breaking down in the middle of the ocean. · 1 h 7 minDon and Laura Noble join the show to talk about some of the most problematic projects, countries, and situations we’ve had to deal with over the years, and why Maranatha chooses…
- Episode 35 - Teen Transformation on Ultimate Workout - Josue Quispe - Life change for youth, quitting his job for missions, and finding his wife on a mission trip · 56 minWhat started as a one-time translation job for a Maranatha volunteer project turned into a lifelong passion of service, and bringing others along for the ride. Josue got his…
- Episode 34 - Making Responsible Impact - Monty Jacobs - Ethical gift giving, serving on Maranatha’s board, and the importance of partnerships in local communities · 58 minMaranatha board member and Executive Director of Global Missions at AdventHealth, Monty Jacobs, joins the crew for a conversation about engaging volunteers in meaningful, ethical…
- Episode 33 - Career Path to Missions - Kenneth Weiss - Turning down a career in D.C. for Maranatha, the impact of Maranatha employment on our children, and our expanded worldview of what it means to be Adventist · 1 h 15 minOur chief operating officer joins the team for the first time in the show’s new format, sharing some of his personal journey to missions after 30 years working for Maranatha…
- Episode 32 - Serving in Africa - David Woods - Why he loves Africa, learning local languages, and miracle stories · 51 minOur country director for North America and Zambia makes his second appearance on the show, this time with our group of hosts in the new format. He shares stories from his time in…
- Episode 31 - Mission Field TV. Our producers talk international media production, travel, finding stories, and conducting interviews through interpreters. · 57 min** NEW FORMAT! Going forward our TV producers will be regulars each episode, discussing a wide variety of topics related to missions, and sometimes bringing guests into the…
- Episode 30 - Erton Köhler - President of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists · 57 minPresident of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists Erton Köhler joins us in-studio in one of his first long-form interviews since being elected during the General…
