As we wrap up season 3 of the #ItTakesAVillage podcast, we are excited to introduce you to Barry Pickering and Selma Raab—two passionate individuals that care deeply about both HHI and the MAGI Box Program. Barry and Selma recently traveled to Honduras alongside members of our team to distribute MAGI boxes to children. The team delivered boxes to more than 30 communities in one short week!
It brings our team great joy to hear the devotion and dedication that each of these people have for bringing MAGI boxes to children around the world. We hope their interview and this episode encourages you today!
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We are grateful for every opportunity we get to welcome a member of our international staff onto the podcast. To be able to hear their heart behind why they do what they do is a great privilege! Today, we get to welcome Ngonidzashe Mudzani, or Ngoni for short, to the podcast.
She started working for HHI Women of Hope at the beginning of 2021, and before that worked for a few other organizations doing similar work. She received a degree in development studies from the Great Zimbabwe University and has a Master’s in population studies as well as a certificate in Monitoring & Evaluation.
Ngoni has done so much in the almost two years that she has been working with us, alongside our Country Coordinator John Dube and his wife Nakisai. She’s trained hundreds of women in business skills, facilitates at least 10 savings groups, and oversees 10 different women’s co-ops, 4 of which have started this year. There’s sewing groups, peanut butter groups, a couple bakeries, and a popcorn-making group that she meets with regularly to help them solve problems and grow.
We hope you enjoy this conversation between HHI President, Art Woods, and Zimbabwe’s Women of Hope Coordinator, Ngonidzashe!
Links:
Follow HHI on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Learn more about HHI's Women of Hope Program.
What a gift it was to record this week's episode with Steve Flatt! Steve's compassionate leadership was the initiating force that laid the foundation for Healing Hands International's origin story. He has served in various leadership roles from private education to church ministry and now the CEO of a major medical corporation. We are incredibly grateful for the opportunity to glean from his wisdom with decades of copious experience. We hope this episode encourages you today!
It’s a pleasure to welcome JL Gerhardt to the podcast! JL is the author of seven books including Look to Love, Prayer In Practice and Think Good. A former storytelling minister, college English instructor, and newspaper reporter, JL has traveled the world with her husband and two daughters. This conversation between HHI's Alisa Van Dyke and JL will be sure to leave you feeling encouraged and inspired today. Enjoy!
Links:
Register for the 2023 Women of Hope Weekend today!
Follow HHI on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Follow JL Gerhardt on Instagram.
Grab a copy of her most recent book, Look to Love.
Listen to Holy Ghost Stories with Justin Gerhardt.
Recording live from Zimbabwe, it is an honor to welcome John Dube onto the podcast! John oversees, directs and coordinates all of HHI's work in Zimbabwe. HHI President Art Woods was grateful to sit down and record this candid conversation with John while on a recent trip to Africa. John is a humble, energetic leader and has a passion to help his fellow Zimbabweans both physically and spiritually. As you learn more about John in this episode, we know you will be encouraged by his joy and desire to make a difference!
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A new episode of the It Takes A Village podcast is out now! We are extremely grateful to our friends at AGAPE Nashville for taking the time to sit down and have this conversation with us. AGAPE's Executive Director, Chandler Means, and Donor Relations and Annual Fund Director, Laura Troup, share great wisdom and encouraging words on the importance of community. They remind listeners that God calls each of us to wade out into difficult spaces—as we know His kingdom is spread through the refinement of our hearts. Our team is thankful for any opportunity to highlight the good works that local nonprofits are doing in our community! We hope this conversation inspires you today!
Links:
If you are interested in learning more about foster care, visit agapenashville.org.
Register for the Women of Hope 2023 Conference.
Our friend, Lee C. Camp, joins the It Takes A Village podcast for an encouraging and inspiring conversation. He is a faithful voice in the Nashville community, and HHI is grateful to have support from Lee and his family. Lee teaches at Lipscomb University, and he is the creator and host of Tokens, an old-time radio format show which provides space for the intersection of music, theology, comedy, and author interviews. We hope you enjoy this conversation today!
Links:
Follow HHI on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.
Learn more about the Tokens Show.
Listen to the Tokens Show Podcast.
Read Lee’s blog — “I Sat on His Bed, and Wept”
Please join us in welcoming Jannette Gilly to the podcast! Jannette currently serves as the HHI Women of Hope Coordinator in Kenya, but she has been an integral part of the HHI team for over a decade. The life-changing work Jannette does on a daily basis is exponential. What a gift it is for us to glean from her wisdom in this conversation! We hope this episode encourages you today.
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There is no better way to kick off Season 3 than with Dr. Candice McQueen! Dr. McQueen was appointed the first female president of Lipscomb University in August of 2021. She has more than 20 years of experience in education spanning classroom teaching, higher education leadership, state government and nonprofit sectors. It was an honor for our team to sit down and have a conversation with Dr. McQueen, and it is exciting to see how our ministries align as we work together to create a better global community.
Read a message from Dr. McQueen as she looks to a new year.
See a recap of Lipscomb’s "It’s A Beautiful Day"
Learn how you can get your school or church involved with Healing Hands International.
We are thrilled to highlight and honor Cindy Herring on this week's episode! Cindy has served in various roles at HHI for the past 23 years, and she will be retiring at the end of this month. The massive impact of her steadfast love, hard-work and dedication towards this ministry will carry on for many generations. We hope you enjoy this conversation as you learn more about the history and beginning of Healing Hands International!
We are VERY excited to welcome Ebenezer Udofia to the “It Takes A Village'' podcast! Ebenezer serves as HHI’s Director of African Agriculture and the Country Coordinator for Kenya, and he plays a critical role in what is accomplished at Healing Hands International. We hope this conversation blesses you and encourages you today as you learn more about the Hunger to Harvest Ministry. Be sure to subscribe and leave a review!
Join us in welcoming Paul Nance to the podcast! Paul currently serves at the Hillsboro Church of Christ in Nashville as the Coordinating Minister. HHI is thankful to be in partnership with the Hillsboro Church, and we are eager for you to hear an AMAZING story that recently happened involving the Ukraine Family Bucket Project + the Kelly Clarkson Show! We are abundantly grateful for the ripple effect that can happen when one person steps out in faith and gives even just a little! Tune in now to listen.
LINKS:
Want to watch the full segment of The Bucket Project featured on the Kelly Clarkson Show? Watch here.
Learn more details about The Bucket Project by listening to our previous episode with Gary Jerkins.
What a treat to welcome Walt Leaver onto the podcast! Walt is the minister at Brentwood Hills Church of Christ and also serves as the Vice President of University Relations at Lipscomb University. HHI is blessed to be in partnership with both Brentwood Hills and Lipscomb—which means there is a lot of cross over with Walt! Additionally, Walt served on the HHI board over 20 years ago. We are eager for you to glean from his wisdom today, and we hope this conversation encourages you this week.
Welcome Jessica Markwood to the podcast! On this week’s episode, we are excited to feature HHI’s Women of Hope Ministry. There is no one better to have this conversation with than HHI’s amazing Women of Hope Coordinator, Jessica! You will gain a behind the scenes look at how this ministry started and why HHI has such a passion for empowering women. Jessica is a wealth of knowledge and you will quickly learn that her heart is truly happiest when she is getting to do her work with women around the world.
Learn more about the Women of Hope Ministry today!
Did you know there are over 60,000 refugees in Nashville? Today, we are excited to introduce you to Jonathan and Shawna Sheahen, the founders of UrbanPromise Nashville. UrbanPromise’s mission is to help refugees heal, learn, and direct their own futures for good. They walk alongside those in the refugee community and provide high-level academic instruction, leadership development, emotional support, and Christ-centered character education. At HHI, we believe real change takes place when everyone brings their unique gifts to the table, and we love getting to highlight the good work being done both internationally and in our own backyard. We hope this conversation blesses and encourages you today. Check out Urban Promise and learn more today!
Today’s episode is special, as we get to welcome one of HHI’s local Walk4Water Coordinators onto the podcast! In this conversation, you will hear from HHI’s Walk4Water Director, Sean Judge, and learn how Walk4Water events all over the country are making a huge impact for clean water across the world. You will also hear from local Walk4Water Coordinator, Chris Middleton, as he shares what it’s been like for him to coordinate this event for his community in Clarksville, TN.
Walk4Water events not only raise money for an amazing cause, but it is also a great way to bring your own community together. If you are interested in starting a walk in your community, we can help you get started today! You can also visit walk4water.org to see if an upcoming walk is happening in your city.
Clean water is life and when it becomes accessible, everything changes. On this week’s episode, we are thrilled to welcome HHI Team Member, Gillian Kelley, to the podcast! Gillian works closely with the HHI Clean Water Ministry and the Walk4Water team. We love the perspective and behind-the-scenes look she brings to this conversation, and we hope you feel encouraged by her message today. Learn how you can provide clean water to our brothers and sisters around the world at hhi.org/water.
In today’s episode, Lori Boyd joins us for an inspiring conversation about hope and what it means to place our trust fully in the Lord. She will be speaking at the upcoming Women of Hope Conference, and we are grateful for message she brought us in this discussion.
Interested in joining us for the Women of Hope Conference? Register today!
Lori is a teacher, nurse, freelance writer, a speaker and has published several Bible Study books, including Hope Island and Praying Through It. Grab a copy of one of her books here!
Today’s bonus episode features an important conversation with Gary Jerkins, President and CEO of SeaStar Kids, on the crisis in Ukraine that is heavy on all of our hearts. Healing Hands International has partnered with SeaStar Kids to purchase and ship 10,000 buckets of basic essentials to Ukrainian refugees. To help with immediate needs, HHI has provided funding for housing, food, transportation and medicine to trusted partners in Ukraine, Poland, Croatia, Moldova, and Romania.
Time and time again, we are reminded that our greatest weapon is prayer. The battle belongs to the Lord. Let's fight this battle on our knees for our brothers and sisters in Ukraine and Russia and the surrounding countries.
Learn how you can get involved today at hhi.org/ukraine.
Welcome to Season Two of It Takes A Village! We are thrilled to be back sharing with you inspirational stories and words of encouragement as we are all navigating what it means to make real change possible in our own communities and around the world.
In 2022, we are celebrating 30 years of Healing Hands International! Today’s episode breaks down the four ministries that make up Healing Hands International with a behind the scenes look at each of the ministries and uplifting stories from the field.
We hope this conversation encourages your heart today! If you would like additional information about any of the ministries, simply visit hhi.org to learn more.