Blog
27 | Open Doors & Red Carpets | Hope & Cheque Garcia
Hope and CheHope and Cheque Garcia have served with Back2Back Ministries for 13 years. They met on Monterrey’s campus, fell in love, and have been faithfully serving ever since. From co-captaining partnering children’s homes to now co-directing a brand new site, Hope and Cheque have a lot of experience when it comes to saying yes, even when they don’t know the where or how.
In this episode, Hope and Cheque share vulnerably about the hard in even the best of God’s stories, about how they each remember first meeting each other, and what brings them joy in their new home in the Dominican Republic. Hear how their transition from Monterrey to the D.R. started with the words open door and red carpets, why they waited so long to get a phone plan in Monterrey, and what they’ve learned in the last 13 years working in this “less than normal” job.
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Special thanks to COhatch Mason for providing podcast studio space.
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26 | Weightless Anchor | Andrea Holtman
Andrea Holtman serves as the Director of Weightless Anchor, a hospitality home for women on the streets, often victims of sex trafficking and struggling with substance abuse. Adopted at birth in Liberty Township, Ohio, Andrea graduated college, got married, and had three children all in a 14-month span. Now in her 40’s, she is figuring out what she wants to be when she grows up.
In this episode, Andrea shares how a friend talking about Jesus like He was her brother and the book, Blue Like Jazz were pivotal moments in her story and why surrender is how she gets through every day. Hear how she answers when people ask her what she does for a living, how Weightless Anchor got its name, and why a woman snoring on the couch is the greatest gift.
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Learn more about Weightless Anchor
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Special thanks to COhatch Mason for providing podcast studio space.
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25.5 | Clips from the Cutting Room Floor | Sammy Mathews
Welcome to Be the Difference: Clips from the Cutting Room Floor! In these bonus episodes, we turn the reins over to our amazing producer Mikeyy, to share with you some of his favorite conversations from previous episodes that didn’t quite make the final cut.
In this episode, Mikeyy shares two clips from Episode 25 with Sammy Mathews. We get to hear about about our role in someone else’s story, grieving saying goodbye, the tooth fairy, and what questions Mikeyy is asking himself after learning from Sammy.
Links to learn more:
Listen to Sammy’s episode!
Learn more about Back2Back Ministries
Learn more about Trauma Competent Care Training
Special thanks to COhatch Mason for providing podcast studio space.
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25 | Saying Yes in Every Season | Sammy Mathews
Sammy Mathews is a fluently Spanish speaking Trauma Competent Care trainer, podcast host, loyal friend, and Assistant to Back2Back’s Executive Director. In 2007, she went on her first trip with Back2Back ministries, and it was a trip that forever changed the course of her life. From trip participant, to intern, to full-time caregiver, Sammy has long been in pursuit of what it means to exhaust oneself for others.
In this episode, Sammy shares what brought her the most joy as a child, how it translated into her current career, and how she got where she is today. Hear why ten boys under the age of 13 made up the best and most difficult days of her life, what the two things every human needs are, and how being seen by a safe adult changes everything.
Links to learn more:
Learn more about Back2Back Ministries
Learn more about Trauma Competent Care Training
Special thanks to COhatch Mason for providing podcast studio space.
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24 | Being a Young Life Leader | Garrett Dexter
As a Volunteer YoungLife Leader at Mariemont High School, Garrett Dexter maintains a full time job and spends the rest of his time connecting with students at basketball games, coffee shops, and summer camps. Garrett and thousands of other YoungLife leaders around the world have the same goal – to introduce adolescents to Jesus Christ and help them grow in their faith.
In this episode, Garrett shares why he chooses to spend his free time investing in the lives of high school students. Hear why he loves working with teenagers, what people often misunderstand, and how investment in one life can change a whole family story.
Links to learn more:
Learn more about YoungLife
Special thanks to COhatch Mason for providing podcast studio space.
Learn more about Back2Back Ministries.
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23.5 | Clips from the Cutting Room Floor | Beth Guckenberger
Welcome to Be the Difference: Clips from the Cutting Room Floor! In these bonus episodes, we turn the reins over to our amazing producer Mikeyy, to share with you some of his favorite conversations from previous episodes that didn’t quite make the final cut.
In this episode, Mikeyy shares a clip from Episode 23 with Beth Guckenberger about three important voices in her life, how they have shaped her, and what questions Mikeyy is asking himself after learning from Beth.
Links to learn more:
Listen to Beth’s episode!
Join the Launch Team! Get a FREE Digital Copy Before Launch Day!
Pre-Order Beth’s latest book: Throw the First Punch
Hear more from Beth and sign up to receive regular updates.
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Special thanks to COhatch Mason for providing podcast studio space.
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23 | Throw the First Punch | Beth Guckenberger
From church stages and children’s homes to checkout lines and airplane rides, Beth Guckenberger makes the most of every minute as Co-Executive Director of Back2Back Ministries. She speaks, teaches, and has authored 11 books. Her latest book, Throw the First Punch: Defeating the Enemy Hell-Bent on Your Destruction, is an honest conversation about spiritual warfare and how to play spiritual offense.
In this episode, Beth shares why she decided to become an author and the lies she almost let stop her. Hear how she decides what to write, where she found her love of Hebrew words, and how we can throw the first punch today.
Links to learn more:
Join the Launch Team! Get a FREE Digital Copy Before Launch Day!
Pre-Order Beth’s latest book: Throw the First Punch
Hear more from Beth and sign up to receive regular updates.
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Special thanks to COhatch Mason for providing podcast studio space.
Learn more about Back2Back Ministries.
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22| That’s a Wrap! A Year in Review
In this episode, Chris and Sammy share some of their favorite moments from 2021. Hear what they’ve learned about themselves, God, and others after 21 stories of everyday people being the difference in the lives of others.
Links to learn more:
Nominate someone you know who is being the difference in the lives of others.
Special thanks to COhatch Mason for providing podcast studio space.
Learn more about Back2Back Ministries.
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21 | Life in the Rearview Mirror | Karen Springs
14 years in Kyiv, Ukraine was not something Karen Springs would have predicted for her own life. A story of advocating for orphaned and at-risk children, working with hundreds of adoptive families, and managing humanitarian projects throughout the world can only make sense when seen in the rearview mirror.
In this episode, Karen shares lessons learned while writing her book, Adoption in the RearviewMirror. Hear how 14 years in Ukraine, hundreds of children and families, and one epic road trip around the country taught her that life is always a paradox of both heartache and hope.
Links to learn more:
Buy Karen’s book: Adoption in the Rearview Mirror
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Special thanks to COhatch Mason for providing podcast studio space.
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20 | Because of God’s Grace | Jason Johnston
Today Jason Johnston is the Executive Director of Bogg Ministries. Nine years ago, he was just one of two guys named Jason who both saw a need in Dayton that wasn’t being met in a big enough way. Since 2010, Because of God’s Grace Ministries has moved from feeding four families a week, to over 2,000 people a month throughout the Dayton area.
In this episode, Jason shares his journey from Madison, Wisconsin to Dayton, Ohio and the life changing story in between. Hear how an unexpected arrest, an invitation to hold a door, and a 20-minute commute wove together, creating the life Jason is living today.
Links to learn more:
Learn more about Bogg Ministries
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Special thanks to COhatch Mason for providing podcast studio space.
Learn more about Back2Back Ministries.
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