Maranatha Volunteers International is excited to announce our new podcast, “Inside Missions.” We’ve been collecting a vast stockpile of enthralling stories for more than 50 years. Some of these stories are told on our TV program, “Maranatha Mission Stories,” and others are shared in various print materials. But countless more remain, tucked away in the hearts and minds of those who lived them–until now. “Inside Missions” was created as an intimate space for staff and volunteers to share these incredibly impactful stories. As its name indicates, the podcast will grant its audience an insider’s view of the heartbreaking struggles, transformative triumphs, and once-in-a-lifetime moments experienced by the Maranatha family.
During its first episode, Maranatha’s country director for Zambia and North America, David Woods, talks about his journey with Maranatha, including what it’s like to move a young family to Africa and the challenges of living in the mission field. He shares the inside scoop on Maranatha projects he’s been involved with in the past, as well as his more recent work in Zambia. Woods also recounts some of his scariest stories from the field, including a harrowing nighttime break-in early on in his family’s time serving in Africa and a colleague’s too-close encounter with a pride of apex predators.
Watch the in-studio video footage of “Inside Missions” on YouTube. Audio versions are available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and many more platforms. Visit this page to find a comprehensive list of listening options.
Maranatha Volunteers International, a non-profit, Christian organization, mobilizes volunteers to build churches, schools, water wells, and other urgently needed structures around the world. Since 1969, Maranatha has constructed more than 14,000 structures and more than 2,200 water wells in nearly 90 countries around the world.
