In this episode of Hope Unlocked, Kristin Kurtz welcomes Tim Pearson, founder of Just a Sling and a Stone, a nonprofit ministry using photography and video to help under-resourced ministries share their stories. After a mission trip to the Himalayas, Tim felt a holy nudge: “What am I doing with these photos?” That question led to documenting powerful stories in Uganda, Tanzania, and beyond—capturing hope in crisis and faith in action. Discover how God uses ordinary tools for extraordinary impact.
Tim's Contact Info:
Email - tim@justaslingandastone.org
Website - justaslingandastone.org
Resource Mentioned:
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:16):
Welcome to the Hope Unlocked podcast.
I'm your host, kristen Kurtz,and I'm also the founder of New
Wings Coaching.
I help and empower wildheartedand adventurous women of faith
feeling caged and stuck, unlocktheir true purpose and potential
, break free from limitationsand thrive with confidence,
courage and hope.
If you're curious to learn moreabout coaching with me, head to
newwingscoachingnet and be sureto explore the show notes for
(00:38):
ways to connect with me further.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
Get ready to dive in as we uncover empowering keys
and insights in this episode.
So tune in and let's unlockhope together.
Welcome to the Hope Unlockedpodcast.
I'm Kristen Kurtz, your host.
I pray this episode is like aholy IV of hope for your soul.
Please help me.
Welcome Tim Pearson to the show.
I'm so thrilled to finally havehim on today.
(01:00):
He is a mutual friend of Heidi,who is one of the leaders of a
local women's group called Few,and he happened to be there and
shared a little bit about hisstory and I knew, oh my gosh, he
has to come on.
And he said yes.
So that was great.
Now to get to this point.
One day I was going tointerview him and my basement
(01:23):
started flooding.
So, listeners, I know that thisis going to be an amazing,
amazing time of hearing hisstory and the ways that God is
using him in this world.
So, tim, would you be open tosharing a little bit about
yourself before we get into yourstory?
Speaker 3 (01:39):
Sure, my name is Tim Pearson.
I've been married for 38 yearsto a wonderful wife and I have
got four wonderful children, allmarried now as of a few months
ago and four grandchildren.
Speaker 2 (01:56):
Oh, so exciting, Four all married off Wow.
Speaker 3 (02:00):
All married off now, finally, yeah.
Speaker 2 (02:02):
Wow, that's amazing.
And congratulations on 38 years.
That's incredible.
Speaker 3 (02:07):
It is.
Speaker 2 (02:08):
Wow.
Well, tell us a little bitabout.
I know there's probably a storybehind the story of where
you're at now, but if you goback, maybe a couple of decades,
where were you?
What were you doing?
Speaker 3 (02:23):
I.
At one time I lived in the TwinCities.
I worked as a commercialphotographer.
I've been doing that for almost40 years now, and actually 10
years ago, 2015, I went on ashort-term missions trip to
Himalayas and had a huge impactin my life and it was there.
(02:45):
I was, you know, being aphotographer.
I had my camera with me and I'mphotographing all kinds of
things and it was just like youknow what am I doing with these
photos?
You know what am I?
They're fun to look at, but Ijust thought there's got to be
more purpose behind it, and ittook me, you know, nine, nine
(03:06):
years to finally figure it outand get to where I needed to be,
and it's been.
It was a journey and gotopening doors and closing doors
and different places anddifferent ways and, um, so a
year ago, a little over a littleover a year ago, 2024 I started
, um, my own non-profit ministrycalled Just a Sling and a Stone
.
Speaker 2 (03:27):
Well, tell us a little bit more about the name,
because I love that.
That's actually something I'vesaid quite a bit like a stone
and a sling, just as kind of areminder of like the power right
and weapons.
Speaker 3 (03:41):
So yeah, for me it's weapon.
So yeah, for me it's um, oh,it's meaning, like you know, I
just remember the story of davidgoliath.
You know he goes into thebattlefield.
He's not the best warrior forisrael that israel has.
You know he's going, but hejust puts his trust in god and
(04:04):
god's gonna you know deliver himyou know, the giant to him.
And same here I'm.
I'm a photographer but and I dodabble in some video work too
I'm.
I know I'm not the best, youknow, you don't have to be, yeah
, you know, just trusting in thelord, will um use you and just
(04:26):
commit to that, and so I justdecided yeah, and I also thought
, well, I could wait to learn.
I've got photography down fairlygood after all the years but
just like the video part isdifferent and new and okay, well
, I can keep waiting until Ilearn that better.
And it's like no, no, whyshould I wait?
You know, just dive into it.
Speaker 2 (04:46):
Wow, can you say that again?
I think somebody needs to hearthat.
Speaker 3 (04:51):
Just, um, yeah, don't hesitate.
Just, you know you can come upwith a million excuses not to
get going with something in lifeand maybe that's.
You know, sometimes the olderyou get, you realize that yeah,
yeah, I don't have a lot of timeleft and I better not hesitate.
And uh, and one of the otherthings just related to that that
(05:14):
, um, hit me.
I just and this was just maybea month, two months ago maybe,
and I was reading again thestory of dave and goliath.
I just like to go back and readthat and I'm just going to grab
my Bible here for a second.
Speaker 1 (05:29):
So I'm, reading this right.
Speaker 3 (05:32):
And there's a point here where you know, when David
went out to meet the Philistineand it says that David ran
quickly toward the battle lineto meet the Philistine, and I
just thought that's who I wantto be.
I guess I want to be the personthat is running out to meet
Goliath and not hesitate, andthat really stuck with me
(05:56):
recently that, yeah, that's whatI need to do is just push
forward.
Speaker 2 (06:03):
Have you found yourself to be in that position
throughout your life, where youyou run in or have you no?
Found yourself being more onethat like kind of runs away yeah
, I'm not not runs away, but ummore cautious probably and not
to say that, dave, you know I'mrunning into this blindly.
Speaker 3 (06:25):
I mean obviously you know, david had experience and
defending the flocks and thingslike that.
So I'm not like, oh, I'm justfirst time picking up a camera
and I'm just going to dosomething I've never done before
.
No, I right, it's not justtotal blind faith.
You know I've got, I know Godis, can use me and the skills
that he's given me, and but yeah, I just need to, you know, run
(06:48):
towards this and not not be, youknow, hesitant and too cautious
.
I mean, caution is good in somecases, but not too cautious.
Speaker 2 (06:58):
And but Wow, so you're definitely quicker to say
yes when he calls you to stepinto something I think so yeah
yeah, when I just and I don'tknow if this is called into
something or if it's justobedience I'm looking at too,
that's good.
So you did commercialphotography and then, like, were
(07:20):
you trained in photography?
Did you um like go to schoolfor photography?
Like what did that look like?
Speaker 3 (07:27):
Years and years ago.
Yeah, yeah, long time ago.
Yeah, I just started as a.
I got a camera from high schoolgraduation from my dad and I
went, ended up going to a Bibleschool over in Germany after
high school.
So I got a new camera.
I'm in a new world all aroundme and it was cool and neat and
everything is exciting.
(07:47):
And I was taking pictures and Ididn't know what I wanted to do
in life.
I was 18, and I thought when Iget back home, I'm going to
check this out and end up goingto, you know, community college
and vo-tech kind of schools tolearn photography and then end
up getting a job as a photoassistant at a few different
studios in the twin cities whereyou really learn the most.
(08:07):
Okay, and then, and it justwent from there, yeah, wow, so
your dad gave you a camera.
Speaker 2 (08:14):
How do you like?
What was it like before that?
Were you taking pictures beforethat, or?
Speaker 3 (08:19):
was that just kind of not really.
I mean maybe a little bit, youknow.
I mean he had a camera.
Speaker 2 (08:48):
I'd borrow his sometimes, but nothing.
You wasn't like, wow, this, seethe things that you know that
he's gifted us in, Right Mm-hmm.
So you did the commercialphotography and then you now
have a nonprofit.
So tell us more about thenonprofit and kind of that
(09:16):
transition, because were youemployed, and then I think
that's what stood out to me foryour story.
Speaker 3 (09:20):
For like the last 20 years I've been self-employed,
I've just had my own businessand just working for different
clients.
But so I just decided, I mean Itried it, you know like, I just
maybe do this on the side.
You know just, I mean it wasn'tjust a sling and a stone back
(09:43):
then, but just doing work on theside.
And we recently moved well,three years ago Now, we moved
from the twin cities out toBozeman, Montana, and we, my
wife and I, just started freshand a lot of things in life and
I just thought, yeah, this is agood time maybe to start fresh
with this and make a change.
And yeah, and so just startedthe process and then, just like
(10:06):
a year ago, start fresh withthis and make a change and yeah
and so, just started the processand then, just like a year ago,
finally got you know,everything registered and with
you know the paperwork wellstill, they actually took like a
year, just this year.
Finally all the IRS stuff.
It was you wait forever yeah.
Speaker 2 (10:23):
Wow.
So could you share a little bitmore about, maybe even about
that process, cause I'm surethere might be somebody who has
thought about doing a nonprofit.
Is there anything that youlearned along the way that might
have, um might help somebodywho wants to step into the realm
?
Speaker 3 (10:38):
I talked with a lot of people, first about you know
what's the best way to do it andhow to go about the whole
process, and I heard it was veryhard, very difficult.
And then somebody told me of anorganization out of Nashville
called the foundation group andthey do all the work for you
(10:59):
pretty much.
I mean, they give you a list ofyou know they, they need this
information, that information,all this, and then they put
everything together, for a feeof course, and they submit
everything into the IRS, butthey guarantee you that it's
going to go through.
And you have to come up withall kinds of information.
(11:24):
You know dollars and numbersand mission statements and all
kinds of things to do it.
But it is nice to have somebodythat knows what they're doing
and to help you, because that'snot my area.
I don't enjoy that at all andsome people love that and that
they can do it themselves.
Sure, being the way my brainworks, it's like no, that's
(11:48):
something I hate, so it definessomebody else, yeah, we need, we
need people.
Speaker 2 (11:56):
So the foundation group you mentioned.
You'd had a good process withthem.
It sounds like okay.
Well, maybe I could add that tothe show notes, as if there's
others who are interested inreaching out to them.
Is there a contact there thatyou would recommend?
Speaker 3 (12:10):
um, no, no, no one, no one person in particular yeah
okay, awesome.
Speaker 2 (12:16):
So it took about a year.
Speaker 3 (12:17):
You're in the process , you're waiting, um, and you
also had said something about anine-year timeline well, just
the nine years from when I firstwent on this mission trip up in
the Himalayas until gettingthis process going with just
slinging a stone and God openingand closing doors, I thought,
(12:38):
oh, maybe I'll do this andchanging some for target, and
it's like, oh, this lookspromising.
And then all of a sudden thatcloses.
But it's something else opensup and it's like god was just
kind of guiding me to this whereI am now.
Speaker 2 (12:51):
I think, yeah, yeah, how do you, how do you hear god
like in this, in your, in yourlife?
Speaker 3 (13:01):
oh, by reading the bible prayer.
Um, I had different passagesthat came up, different sermons
that I would listen.
I mean different people, youknow I'd be all over, you know
in in Montana or back inMinnesota or something, but same
things were coming up insermons that I was doing in
church or something like that orjust listening, and it's like
(13:22):
wow, I'm hearing the same kindof theme over and over again.
Speaker 2 (13:33):
Yeah, um, so I'm speaking to me and yeah, yeah,
isn't it incredible like he's sointentional and I actually like
to say that he's fun too.
Oh yeah, like he will bringthese repeating messages and you
might even walk outside or goin your car and you'll see like
a billboard or a truck drivingby that has the very like key
and message that you're kind oflooking for.
I heard a sermon this last weekthat he was saying you know, I
(13:56):
don't always just sit down andlike it falls on me, like in my
prayer time or whatever.
Sometimes we'll be like twodays later out in nature, or
it's not always going to comelike that.
Speaker 3 (14:12):
Would you agree?
Speaks to us in lots ofdifferent ways.
I think we have to be good atlistening.
Yeah good at listening, yeah,otherwise, if we're just busy
which we all can be with ourlives and going on, I mean you
have to.
I think you know just kind ofthe old thing you know, be still
and listen.
Speaker 2 (14:33):
Yeah, absolutely so.
Just a sling and a stone.
I know that you go places.
Speaker 3 (14:40):
Yeah.
Tell us yeah, tell us a littlebit more about where he's, he's
got you going okay so just theidea behind it, I guess, is I do
, um, I work with differentchristian organizations,
typically outside of the us moreinternational that, and
(15:03):
typically smaller organizationsthat don't have tons of funding
behind them to get their storyout.
Because there's so many justgreat organizations out there
that are large and have tons ofbacking and funding and they get
them and they're doing greatwork.
But there's also I've discoveredjust tons of small little mom
(15:25):
and pop organizations that arereaching people and doing
amazing things, that don't havebig budgets behind them and some
ideas.
I go out and I'll dophotography, video, um, kind of
customize whatever they need to.
You know, raise awareness iswhat they're doing, if they need
to support, and so I don'tcharge them anything.
(15:48):
I raise the support on my endto cover the costs and then I
travel, go do the work and turneverything over to them to use.
Some of them will have me dosome editing.
Some just want everything justraw and they have, they know
somebody on there and they canhelp them.
So there's no set way of doingit.
(16:10):
It's everybody has, you know,just different and flexible,
without however they want it.
Speaker 2 (16:16):
Wow.
So how did?
How did you like?
How do you know who to likepartner with?
Are there people that arecoming to you?
Are you finding people?
How does that?
Speaker 3 (16:27):
yeah, it's just, it's organic yes, very organic, and
again, it's how god works injust crazy ways sometimes yeah
so, um, just an example.
So I'm living in bozeman, nearmontana, and, in addition to
just, you know, juggling lots ofdifferent things and trying to
(16:48):
make an, I drive Uber too intown here.
So I do a little bit of Uberdriving and I think it was
February I gave this woman aride here in town, just short
little five, 10 minute ride down, and we were just chatting and
she's asking what I do and I wastelling her about the ministry
that I just started, you know,and she looks at me.
(17:10):
She's like my husband and Ihave a ministry that we do.
Oh, uganda she's from.
Maryland is where they live andher husband was speaking at the
university here, and so theywere in town for just a couple
days yeah and so we just chattedmore and she said let's connect
.
So the next day I met them attheir hotel and we sat down for
a few hours and talked abouteach other and what we're doing
(17:36):
and I just thought, yeah, theycan use me Wow.
So here I just got back fourdays ago now, last Saturday,
from Uganda, and I was overthere with them for two and a
half weeks and just amazing workthat they're doing over there.
Speaker 2 (17:56):
It's incredible.
So you're driving.
Uber and you meet somebodywho's a connection's a
connection point, like astepping stone to really step
into this fully.
Speaker 3 (18:09):
Wow and that's just kind of one of the latest
example and that's just yeah,it's just crazy well do of
connections that brought methere actually connected to the
(18:48):
person who I was over in theHimalayas in Asia 10 years ago
now.
He connected me to somebody inthe Twin Cities, who connected
me to somebody in Atlanta and Iwas going to go do some a
project with him and he waspartnering with another group in
the Atlanta area and he endedup not being able to go.
But this other group said we'dlove you to still come and work
with us and I said sure yeah andso from, you know, asia, to
(19:11):
minnesota, to atlanta, totanzania, you know it's like
can't make this stuff up, rightno, I know.
So it's just again, I guess,just being open and yeah, you
know God works in amazing ways.
Speaker 2 (19:26):
Yeah, I would love to ask you and I think part of you
know I really love hearingtestimonials and straight from
people who are are doingpioneering, right, you're?
You are pioneering somethingthat is really different and new
and um, new for you and maybenot for others, right, yeah, um,
(19:50):
you know there's, there's anelement of what you're doing
that might look a little crazyto the world, right, I make it
just a little bit, I mean tosome people, I guess yeah yeah,
like you're not charging.
So a lot of times people wouldsay well, in the business world,
(20:10):
or what have you?
Did you have any trepidationabout that?
Like, have you found that youknow the Lord has always
provided along the way?
I guess that's kind of whereI'm getting at.
Speaker 3 (20:24):
Yeah, it's.
Speaker 2 (20:27):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (20:27):
I am not getting rich off of this, that's for sure.
I am not sitting with like abig chunk of money in my bank
account, but just um, yeah,trusting in the Lord that he's
going to provide and take, takecare.
And sometimes it's like, wow,this one's really tight.
And then all of a sudden, youknow just something comes in and
(20:48):
it's just incredible.
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (20:51):
Wow, so you've had a lot of like 1159 experiences
last minute before midnight hour.
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (21:00):
Yeah, pretty much yeah.
Speaker 2 (21:03):
Do you have any fun examples about that, because I
know that there's a lot ofpeople that I know personally
who are pioneering, and it'sbeen a little treacherous in
these last few years.
Speaker 3 (21:16):
I guess nothing specifically tied to that, I
mean that really jumps out at me.
Tied to that, I mean that Ithat really jumps out at me um,
one of the early on things thatimpacted me, I guess, is on this
first trip I went 10 years agonow is I, you know, had to raise
support for this.
(21:37):
You know, two week long tripand, um, I had never done one,
I'd never gone on a short-termtrip in my life and I thought,
oh, this would be interesting.
And our kids were a little bitolder and I thought, okay, my
wife really wanted to go too.
But she says I'll stay homewith the kids Our girls were
(21:57):
still in school and stuff likethat and you go on this.
But she says the next one yougo on, we'll go on together.
I'm like okay oh yeah, um, butas a support, a gentleman in our
church came up to me and, um, Iunderstood what I was doing.
(22:18):
Excuse me yeah and and hands mea check and just says it was you
know.
I mean didn't like cover, holdit, but it was a good amount of
money and he said just never letfinances get in the way of the
(22:40):
Lord's work and.
I guess 10 years later it stillimpacts me what did he say
(23:00):
again?
Speaker 2 (23:01):
I want somebody to hear that, and it's ministering
to me too never let finances getin the way of the Lord's work.
Speaker 1 (23:08):
Hmm, ooh.
Speaker 3 (23:15):
Oh yeah, I guess that's my best example Hmm.
Speaker 2 (23:23):
That.
That goes right to the heart,Like how many people do you
think are stopped by just thatvery thing?
Speaker 3 (23:38):
um, I really don't know.
I'm not sure.
Speaker 2 (23:41):
I don't know if I'm going to answer that yeah yeah,
I mean I I've I talked to manywho really are challenged, maybe
to step out into something orout of something, because they
are maybe in a secure financialposition, maybe at a job, or the
Lord might be calling them todo something, but they don't see
(24:03):
how it's even possible.
Speaker 3 (24:06):
And I think that is one of the ways you know talk
about, you know god opening andclosing doors, and the position
I was in recently is, yeah, I'mnot in like a secure financial
and it probably would have beenharder for me if I was, you know
(24:27):
, if I had this, you know,working for you know, solid
corporation and you know allthis going here and it's like so
you know, it was a way of lordputting position that it was
easier to make this decision,yeah yeah, and how has it been
like with your family?
Speaker 2 (24:47):
I know for those who are listening that you know we
have family, that, um, you knowthey can either be for you or
sometimes against you,unfortunately.
How's it been?
Speaker 3 (24:58):
I think it's been very supportive.
Yeah, everybody is like wow.
Speaker 2 (25:02):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (25:04):
I don't think I've gotten any negative feedback
from anybody on what I'm doing?
Speaker 2 (25:08):
That's amazing.
Speaker 3 (25:09):
A lot of support.
Yeah, I mean just encouragement.
Yeah, I mean just encouragement.
Speaker 2 (25:14):
Yeah, so did your wife, and you.
End up going on a trip togetherthen.
Speaker 3 (25:20):
So, yeah, we both co-led the same trip three years
later, in 2018.
Speaker 2 (25:27):
Okay, oh how was that Amazing, yep, oh Well, I love
what you're doing.
How was that amazing?
Yep well, I love like whatyou're doing.
You shared some pictures withme today and you said something
at the few gathering about youknow the faces that you're
capturing and I can't rememberexactly what you said.
(25:49):
Do you remember what you said?
and I think probably like a bigpart of your mission.
Um, like people, maybe theyhaven't seen themselves before,
do you remember?
I?
Don't remember what I said likebeing able to capture, like the
(26:11):
emotions and the essence of thepeople that you're going to see
.
Speaker 3 (26:19):
I mean, I'm hoping I'm capturing that when I'm
there, because this last tripreally hit me hard in some ways
and I just let people know I'veso this is this is my third, so
(26:39):
I did back to back to back tripsand like a short time span, you
know less than less than twomonths and so, and one of the
things when I started this Ididn't realize and it just kind
of hit me as, like man, it's alot for me to process, just
personally.
Speaker 1 (26:54):
Sure.
Speaker 3 (26:55):
And what I'm seeing and what's going on is I'm
seeing and experiencing thingsthat probably most people don't
see experienced in theirlifetime From orphanages you
(27:23):
know, in the Philippines to youknow sex trade in Asia and
what's going on there, tostarvation in Uganda At one
point we did in.
Uganda a week or so ago and wewere doing a.
We wanted to show what theministry is doing that I was
working with.
Speaker 2 (27:38):
Okay.
Speaker 3 (27:44):
And so one of the things they'd help with is, they
do you know, food relief.
They're helping because thisarea has had some severe drought
the past few years and theywere also doing, you know, know,
related to that is medicalassessments and different things
on, you know, nutrition, onpeople, and so we decided to not
stage something.
But do it out of timing, whatthey normally do.
(28:04):
We went in and we were doing amedical assessment on a village
of these people that you know.
Maybe they wouldn't have gone toto do that part of it, maybe
for another you know, month orso okay and but they, because we
were there, they said let's dothis now and so we can take
photos of it, video, just toshow what they're doing, so they
can show it to their supporters.
And, um, I remember I was doingvideo and just trying to
(28:31):
capture everything and it justseemed like it was just crowded,
I mean.
So we had a couple doctorsthere yeah and it was you're.
You're moving around lookingthrough my camera and I'm trying
to move around and not step onkids.
That are around us and kids arecrying because there's, you know
(28:54):
they're just a situation.
You know there's a lot ofcrying going on and they're
testing kids, they're measuring,you know, like their arms,
they're weighing them.
They're doing all this stuff.
And I don't know if you've seenthe movie I'm not the movie,
but the series the Chosen andthere's this scene in there
where the woman's trying, whereshe touches Jesus' garment and
(29:15):
she's fighting through the crowd, and that just flashed back to
me like I'm trying to do thisvideo and these people are just
pushing in on me all around, andthen it just kind of dawned on
me.
I mean I'm just doing a simplelittle video, I think, and these
people are like it's life anddeath.
I mean they're pushing theirchildren, their grandchildren,
(29:37):
forward towards the doctors tomake sure they're seen.
Speaker 1 (29:40):
Oh, wow.
Speaker 3 (29:41):
And it's just wow, it just really hit me.
Yeah it just really hit me, yeah, and we found one young girl
there because they were givingout you know, the ones that were
(30:01):
the worst malnourished.
They were handing out thespecial food packets that, um,
they get from approved, like who, and stuff like that.
He's supposed to help them, Imean, within minutes, just to
help their body, and so thenthey give him other stuff for
future things too, and this onegirl was not interested in
eating it at all and they saidthat's really a bad sign.
(30:25):
When you lose, you lose yourappetite.
And so they got her into thehospital the next day and they
said she probably had like aweek left to live.
Speaker 2 (30:34):
Oh, my gosh.
Speaker 3 (30:36):
And so it's just yeah , it's hard.
Speaker 2 (30:42):
How far, like how far are they having to like walk to
get to this?
Speaker 3 (30:52):
Surprisingly, not as far as you think.
Okay, it was interesting.
I was expecting because I'dbeen to some remote areas before
, where you hike days intoremote areas, and this is.
You know, we were staying inthis small town, northeast
uganda, and these villages thatthis organization work.
(31:15):
They work with five differentvillages in the area um it's
called the people, calledkermajung people, and they live
very primitively but they canprobably.
I mean, this town is by nomeans fancy, I mean it's you
know, but there's we stayed at ahotel which is very basic and
okay and it's you know, it maybe like a seven miles away from
(31:38):
where they are okay, and there'sroads and different things and
they walk all over the place andthey walk into town to go to
the market, sometimes on certaindays that they're trying to
sell stuff so they're not thatfar, but they're sitting there
with no electricity no you knowsimple.
you know thatch huts they'reliving in cook over an open fire
(32:01):
, but in some cases you can seepower lines from their village.
It's just an odd thing.
Speaker 2 (32:12):
Yeah, it's really strange their village, it's just
an odd thing.
Yeah, it's really.
How do you?
How do you like you said youhad challenges like processing
all of this right, like how doyou?
How do you come back here?
Like is it challenging to comeback and re-acclimate?
Speaker 3 (32:28):
in some ways.
Yeah, I mean, you look at allthe abundance around you and it
seems just crazy, but then againit's there too.
So my trip to Uganda gotdelayed in returning home
because of the conflict in theMiddle East and I ended up
(32:49):
staying a few days in Naiairobi,kenya, which was kind of fun
because I um did some work therea year ago, and so I visited
this school that I did work fora year ago and met some of the
same people again, which was funto connect, reconnect and they,
um, you know it's in the slumsin nairobi and it's horrible
(33:10):
living conditions that you're in, and you know it's in the slums
in Nairobi and it's horribleliving conditions that you're in
.
And you know, these kids hardlyget any food at all to eat.
But you know, this time, when Iwas there a year ago, I spent
the whole week in the slums.
I didn't really get outanyplace else, and this time I
was meeting some other peopletoo, so I was in different parts
(33:32):
of Nairobi, and it's like.
I'm walking, there's likegrocery stores here, which it's
a modern, you know city.
There's parts of the city thatyou would have no idea that
there's food nearby at all, youknow.
And then you go to another partof the city half hour away and
it's a modern city and it's justcrazy to think that such a
(33:52):
contrast in such a shortdistance.
Speaker 2 (33:55):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (33:56):
Way more than you see here in the U S.
I mean, yeah, yeah, there's.
I've never seen areas in the US as poor as that and that must
be so hard to take in Like I?
Speaker 2 (34:08):
I don't know.
I got married to the DominicanRepublic and I remember going on
different like littleexcursions and we would be
brought into different villagesand I that was kind of like my
first experience, you know, whenI was in my young 20s, to see
like what you hear about, butwhen you actually see you know
(34:29):
just the poverty, but yetthere's smiles you know just the
the poverty, but yet there'ssmiles.
Yes, and that's the other thing.
I wanted you to talk about that, because the picture that you
sent me today, where there'sfour children, oh, they're
laughing One of them is carrying.
It looks like a water jug onher head, and it's just precious
(34:49):
Like.
What you captured here is justincredible.
Like just their faces, Can youlike?
What do you sense as you'recapturing these photos?
Like God's heart over them,yeah.
Speaker 3 (35:05):
And just I, this group I've been working with.
They've been in this area for,I think, just two years now.
You know, in that time they'vethey've made a big impact and so
they show up.
I mean, and they are there.
They've got people working onthe ground there that are there
weekly into the differentvillages, but this was more the
(35:28):
people that started the ministryand stuff like that, and they
get there a couple times a yearand so there was a team of
people.
There was like like seven of usand we go into these villages
and they were singing anddancing and just, you know, full
of joy and you know, like youknow, their attitude is like
(35:49):
there's nothing wrong with youknow, they're just happy yeah
but at the same time, you know,they're also desperate for food.
I saw that too, you know.
But, um, the one of thecomments, they sat down and met.
We went to all the differentvillages they work with five
different ones and they'd sitdown and meet with the elders
(36:10):
men and then they also haveseparate meetings with the women
and stuff like that, becausethey all have different
perspectives on different needsin the village.
And, um, one of the men saidsomething about you have brought
the light of jesus into ourlives here, and that's what's
giving them hope.
Speaker 2 (36:32):
This is Jesus Christ, and had they like, encountered
Jesus before that?
Do you know?
Speaker 3 (36:42):
Not in this way.
I don't think no.
Speaker 2 (36:46):
What do you feel like , what are they experiencing?
Because you know we can bringdifferent.
You know just our presence isbringing Jesus.
But is there something thatthey're experiencing beyond,
maybe somebody else who's comein and tried to help out before.
Speaker 3 (37:02):
I think the consistency that this
organization is called TCI,transformed Communities
International, but just theirconsistency, because other
groups have gone in and they'rethere for once or twice and then
they're gone, you know, andit's like never to be seen from
again.
And just so, I think.
And listening to the people too.
(37:24):
They're not just trying to here, we are from the west, you know
us, and we've got all theanswers to everything and we're
going to fix all your problemswhere they go in and actually
they'll listen to them.
And you know, how can we best,you know, help you and what can
you know?
What can we do, you know,versus trying to force on them
(37:48):
what we think is best.
Speaker 2 (37:50):
Wow, that's a huge.
That's a huge key right there,right, mm right, just for
anybody else who might belistening in ministry that isn't
operating that way.
Speaker 1 (38:00):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (38:01):
And just in general, I think if we could just listen
to people more would you say.
Speaker 3 (38:07):
Oh yeah, definitely there's.
These people are.
They're not dumb people, people, I mean.
They're super smart and theyknow how things work and they're
part of the world and how bestto get things done.
They might not always have theresources or anything, but just
to listen to them and they'vegot great ideas and how to
handle different situations andyeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (38:30):
Well, how about another like trip that you've
been on?
Is there anything else that youwanted to share with um people
listening today?
Oh, man, there's I'm sure youhave only been doing this a year
, yeah gone on many trips, butthey've all been so impactful,
(38:51):
um, so just okay.
Speaker 3 (38:57):
A year ago I was in tanzania and we were working
with a group ministry calledubora and they minister to a lot
of widows and um orphans in thearea.
A lot of widows or husbandshave died of aids over the years
and things like that and theywere doing great work.
(39:18):
They it's a bigger organization.
They were small enough wherethey don't have huge funds, but
still they have been there for awhile and are established and
it was great seeing all thepeople.
They put on different againhealth clinics and the bigger
team and they had 1,500 people,you know, coming to these events
(39:41):
that they were putting on.
But at the end of my trip we dida little.
The woman that was kind oforganizing it it's an extra day
and she says would you beinterested in going visiting
another place that I she hadheard of like the year before
and I'm like.
So she connected with thiswoman and it was an orphanage.
(40:03):
It was like the next town over,okay, and it was an orphanage
for disabled kids and run by acatholic nun.
I mean it was.
I don't think they get muchfunding either I mean I'm not
Catholic or anything, but itdidn't matter and we were going
out and seeing things and I'dheard some of this.
(40:24):
When we got there, you sawthese disabled kids, which is
sad.
I mean they have all kinds ofdifferent disabilities physical,
but then there's also a hugegroup of albino children there.
Speaker 2 (40:41):
Interesting.
Speaker 3 (40:43):
And I learned that Tanzania has like the highest
per capita whatever populationof albino people.
Speaker 1 (40:50):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (40:52):
But they are also, and it's so.
You imagine these.
You know young kids, africankids, running around.
They've got just white hair,super fair skin.
Yeah, their bodies are full ofsores because of the sun.
They're living practically onthe equator.
Speaker 2 (41:10):
Oh, my gosh.
Speaker 3 (41:12):
And yeah, and then they're orphans on the equator,
oh my gosh.
Speaker 2 (41:13):
And yeah, and then they're orphans on top of that
oh and then also so are theylike marginalized because of
being albino?
Speaker 3 (41:23):
well, I have marginalized is that the way?
Speaker 2 (41:28):
we know what I'm saying?
Speaker 3 (41:29):
I know what you're saying but to put a different.
I did some research afterwardsyeah they are hunted still oh
for their body parts oh my gosh,yeah, okay.
Speaker 2 (41:43):
Yeah, I was wondering if there was like some type of
you know where I'm going withthat witchcraft kind of thing
still goes on oh my goodness.
Speaker 3 (41:52):
And still there's even from what I was reading at
when I got home there's wealthypeople that in the country that
are still trying to get a leg upon the competition yeah in life
that will hire these people tocome up with these potions or
whatever thank goodness and sothis is still happening in the
world.
Speaker 1 (42:12):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (42:12):
And to see these kids and know that.
I mean just not too far awayfrom where I was.
Like a week before we got there, somebody, an albino person,
was killed and this woman knewof another lady in this village
whose arm was cut off with amachete and they take.
You know, it's crazy what goeson in the world that we don't
hear that much about.
Speaker 2 (42:32):
Right.
Speaker 3 (42:37):
Oh, I can't even imagine I've been doing this a
year, just everything you know.
Like I said, I hear and seethings that I never imagined, I
would you know yeah, oh my gosh.
Speaker 2 (42:48):
I I'm like I have so many questions.
Speaker 3 (42:53):
But I, you know, and I just want to let you know, and
it's not just me I've gotpeople.
Our board directors is supersupportive and helping.
I've got a super supportivewife and family and it's all
those people behind me that arehelping me so I can help others.
You know, I'm just I don't.
My ministry is not directlyhelping people, but helping the
(43:18):
people that are there on theground working with those people
.
I'm just kind of and just yeah.
I'm just one part of the bodyand doing what I can do to help,
and I can't do without otherpeople's help either.
I mean I need support in prayerand financial, all the
different ways that the peoplecan support me too, and that
helps a lot.
Speaker 2 (43:39):
Wow.
Well, I would say that you'rehelping many people and, are you
like, are you doingpartnerships with ministries
here in the U?
S as well?
Are you doing anywhere in theUS or around the world, like, do
you have kind of a?
Speaker 3 (43:56):
I mean, the ministries might be based in the
US, but they're doing theirwork outside of the US.
Okay, and that's kind of what Ithought a niche would be, just
because of I mean, yeah, justthe Twin Cities, for example.
There's tons of people that cando what I'm doing there, which
is great because there's tons ofneed in every place in the U S
(44:18):
too.
I mean, don't pretend that it'snot.
There's not all this crazy needgoing on in every city in the U
?
S as there is, and but there'speople here that can do that.
And just my point in life anddifferent position that god has
put me in ability andflexibility to travel and, um,
(44:40):
god isn't you know some peoplelike I go to places and people
are like aren't you afraid to dothis?
and to do that and I'm like no,and maybe that's the way just
god has wired me well as I.
Speaker 2 (44:55):
I don't really have a problem with that, and so yeah
that's you literally like youdon't have any fears that come
up when you're going into newplaces.
Speaker 3 (45:04):
No, I really don't amazing I'm trusting in god that
he's going to take care of me,and if it's my time to go and it
is, I guess you know I can gethit by a car here in town and
exactly I today, or it could bethe other side of the world, you
know?
Speaker 2 (45:19):
and what would you say to somebody who maybe is
carrying a lot of fear aboutstepping out into something
unknown?
Speaker 3 (45:28):
unknown just trust god, just yeah, don't um.
Yeah, that's good, it's simple.
I guess it's simple it's simple.
Speaker 2 (45:46):
I like to call it simple wisdom, like you don't
have to have too many words,right?
It's literally trust god.
I had a moment a couple daysago where I was driving on I
call it the freeway, the freeway, and I was behind a van and it
had trust all over it.
Just trust, trust, trust.
(46:08):
Because I'm in a season of sometransitions and that's what,
literally right in front of me,is like trust, trust, trust.
Because we do, ultimately, likethat is like what you said
trust God.
Speaker 3 (46:24):
And I think we live in a society where we want to be
in control of everything wherewe want to be in control of
everything.
It's kind of the American way iswe're very independent, which
is, I mean, there's nothingwrong with that either, but also
it's we think if we have to doeverything on our own and that,
(46:49):
and I think that if we'rethrowing out trust on there,
it's like, well, that's I can't.
If I can't do it myself or Ican't be in control of the
situation, I'm not going to doit.
You know, does that make sensewhat I'm saying?
Speaker 2 (47:01):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (47:02):
I do.
Speaker 2 (47:03):
I think you know, like, like you said something
earlier, and it's just like weneed people.
We need other people.
I have a couple of intercessors, other people.
I have a couple of intercessorsI call them my, aaron and her
that are like literally holdingmy arms up sometimes, especially
when you're.
You know you're doing work.
Obviously you do different workthan I do, but there is
generational implications towhat you're doing on a massive
(47:26):
scale.
Thanks, do you see it?
Speaker 3 (47:33):
I, I see it more and more.
I guess the but and I, what I'mdoing, is just part of the, the
piece too.
I mean I, you can have photos,but you need somebody to write a
story that goes along with thephotos, or something to explain
what's happening and um, that Ihave no skill at, but I know
(47:55):
there's people out there that do, and so we all work together,
isn't?
Speaker 2 (47:58):
that amazing yeah so these ministries have like
writers, and then they work withyou and they have kind of
something they'll.
Speaker 3 (48:05):
They'll reach out to somebody else.
You know, somebody else willcome along to them, their writer
, and um, it's like this thething in I did in uganda not too
long before that.
They ran into somebody thatconnected and he is like
produces stuff, and so he'sgoing to take all like the raw
footage and put it all together.
(48:25):
Oh my gosh, do things with itthat I can't do, probably.
I mean, I could do a little bit, but this person cannot do way
more than I can, so it's justlike have at it.
Speaker 2 (48:35):
Use what I took and so good, oh well, what?
What's next on the horizon?
Like, what are you sensing forthis coming year over what
you're doing?
Speaker 3 (48:46):
like I said, I just did a bunch of these really
quick, which is my wife's likeI'm glad you're home for a
little while now too.
Yeah and um.
So I've got some things I'mworking on.
Nothing set in stone yet foranother trip coming up, but just
um.
Fundraising, I guess, issomething that's important.
(49:07):
It's hard to yeah yeah, andagain, I'm not good at that as
far as asking.
I don't know if any of us are,but it's humbling, but just um,
but it's, it's, it's.
I know it's important and Ineed to do it, and so I need to
focus on that for a while nowand but I'm sure before the
(49:28):
year's end I'll find myselfeither in nepal or mongolia or
back in africa, who knows whereyeah, what an adventure truly um
it is ask you maybe, like Iknow you said, you know you're
not the best at fundraising butlike what does that, what does
that look like?
Speaker 2 (49:48):
um, not only that, but like how can people like
partner with you?
As they're listening, theymight want to, you know, help,
help you out.
Speaker 3 (49:56):
Yeah, I mean, right as of now, the best way is
probably to go to our websitecalled just slinging a stoneorg,
okay, and from there you canconnect to different ways that,
like I said, it doesn't have tobe financial, it can be prayer,
it can be advocacy, help, youknow, suggesting another
(50:17):
ministry that somebody elseknows that they can share with
me and we can connect and dosomething for them, and there's
lots of.
You know different ways, butright now, yeah, through the
website is the best way to getconnected and just starting
putting together like a I hatethis word, but newsletter kind
(50:37):
of thing that just, yeah, informpeople what's going on, and
stuff like that.
Speaker 2 (50:43):
Yes, it's a press release.
Speaker 3 (50:45):
Yeah, something.
Speaker 2 (50:48):
That's amazing.
Well, what has been your mostfavorite moment since starting?
Speaker 3 (50:57):
Oh my gosh.
And the word favorite is kindof weird too, because it's is it
like a fun moment, or is itimpactful, or it could be
whatever you, whatever I'mtrying to think and I don't know
if I have one I use that word alot like favorite.
(51:20):
I don't know why it could be afun moment, impactful, um
miracle moment it seems likeit's the most recent thing I've
done.
Always sticks in my head.
You know, like I said, it's justa week ago and the people just
closing in around me that stilljust sticking with me very hard
(51:42):
right now.
Yeah, but not to say that youknow there's other things too,
but it's just like.
Yeah, it seems like the mostrecent things, because every
time I've gone on one of thesetrip I hate the word trip too.
(52:02):
It's.
It's always when I say the wordtrip, it sounds like you're on
vacation someplace and it'sdefinitely not.
I mean, I come, I'm exhausted,it's.
You know, you're changing timezones, eating crazy food,
sleeping wherever, you'respending nights in airports
overnight.
So yeah, trip is not a goodword, but I like how you like
(52:26):
words.
Speaker 2 (52:27):
I'm kind of a big word person, like words are
really impactful, so I love howyou're kind of flipping the
script, like flip the script.
Speaker 3 (52:37):
So yeah, and it's just, they've all.
There's been something on everytime I've gone somewhere that's
made a huge impact on me, sothere's no favorite, I guess
okay.
Speaker 2 (52:47):
Well, how about a favorite photo that you've taken
?
Speaker 3 (52:52):
Oh, that's even harder.
Speaker 2 (52:57):
Most impactful photo.
It may be from your most recenttrip.
Speaker 3 (53:02):
You know how many photos I took.
Speaker 2 (53:04):
Narrow it down to one .
Speaker 3 (53:07):
I was.
You know, I take, depending onthe day, a thousand or two
thousand photos a day.
Speaker 1 (53:12):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (53:15):
And a lot of them aren't good but well, you sent
me four, so you're able tonarrow it down.
Speaker 3 (53:19):
I sent you four, I know, just to kind of give you a
little taste of what it waslike, I mean, and for me it's
it's so interesting because eachphoto brings back a memory for
me yeah because I was, you know,the one taking it.
So I was there and I know umdid I send you one of, like, a
little girl sitting on theground.
Speaker 2 (53:40):
I can't remember which ones I sent you, now even
um no, not that one okay but, Imean, I just so there's one with
a bunch of kids, yeah it's,it's yeah it's filing like big,
big smile.
Speaker 3 (53:56):
Yeah, I know I mean we were.
They were putting on a dramafor this group of people that
were there, because they, theyhave a language, but 95 percent
are probably illiterate and soyou can't like hand them a Bible
, even if it's in their ownlanguage.
They don't know how to read andso they were acting out bible
(54:17):
stories and they were laughingand having fun because they were
doing different things with thekids and all it.
So I just I look back at myphotos and it's just I know what
is going on in the photo behindthe camera and it just brings
joy to me.
It just it's fun memories of notalways fun, I guess.
I mean, some of the kids werethere.
You know they're, they'restarving and they're just giving
(54:39):
emergency food rations andthings like that.
Um so but he, it triggersmemories.
I guess each photo in me,because I was there and I I know
and it's so, and I realize aphoto or even video can't share
the whole story of what is goingon in a situation.
(54:59):
Yeah, you can't smell what itsmells like there you know, you
can't, you're not hearingeverything, you're not seeing
all the stuff that's going onbehind the camera and the people
brushing up against you and asyou're trying not to step on
people or kids and they justgive a little taste of what is
(55:22):
going on yeah hopefully.
That little taste, can you know, make impact on somebody's
heart yeah absolutely wow.
Speaker 2 (55:32):
Well, I want to wrap up one more question what is
your like key anchoring verseover your ministry?
Do you have that?
Speaker 3 (55:50):
a key anchoring verse yeah, keeps you going I don't
know if I have one in particular.
Speaker 2 (56:00):
Okay, I don't yeah you don't have to, you could get
one later.
Get one later, you might.
Can you tell I'm a coach?
Speaker 3 (56:07):
I I'm like, okay, well, go sit with god, and it's
like photos, because differentverses mean different things at
different times.
Speaker 2 (56:16):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (56:17):
And so I don't have one.
Yeah, you don't have to.
Speaker 2 (56:21):
You know what I think you don't have to?
Tim does not have to have justone.
I'm going to prophesy over thatBecause I've been told you're
multi-passionate.
Speaker 3 (56:33):
Like you don't have to just narrow down I know some
people do, I guess, but I don'tyeah that's okay, yeah I'm good
with that, yeah yes, amen.
Speaker 2 (56:43):
Um well, as I um wrap up, I love to you know I do
this for the one and if youcould just get in mind one
person who's listening in rightnow.
Is there anything that youwould like to um share, any
words of encouragement or wisdomthat you would be led to speak
over them?
Um, and then would you pray usout as we wrap up today?
Speaker 3 (57:08):
I guess you know, if you feel, you know you feel
Sense the Lord leading you in acertain direction, don't fight
it.
Speaker 1 (57:19):
Embrace it.
And just go for it.
Speaker 2 (57:23):
So good, so good.
Yeah, I'll do that I feel it.
Would you pray us out today?
Speaker 3 (57:37):
Yes, I'll do that, I feel it.
Speaker 2 (57:38):
Would you pray us out today?
Yes, I'd like to Okay.
Speaker 3 (57:40):
My wife just walked in the door, so no problem.
Yeah, dear Lord Jesus, I thankyou for this time we could share
together and share the story ofhow you're working're working
in my life and just that I canshare.
How you're working in otherlives around the world and what
you are accomplishing is justamazing, lord, and just thank
(58:03):
you that I can be a small partof that and just do do my little
part to help the people aroundthe world.
I pray this in your name Amen.
Speaker 2 (58:18):
Amen.
Well, thank you, tim.
This has been incredible.
Again, could you just shareyour website, and then I'll also
put it into the show notes too.
Speaker 3 (58:27):
It's justaslingandastoneorg
aslingandastoneorg.
Speaker 2 (58:37):
Okay, sounds good, and if you guys know of anybody
that is looking for what Tim isbringing to this world, please
feel free to reach out to him.
And then I am going to closewith the Hope Unlocked anchoring
verse, which is May the God ofhope fill you with all joy and
peace and believing, so that bythe power of the Holy Spirit,
you may abound in hope, andthat's Romans 15, 13.
So thank you, tim, for being abrave voice.
(58:58):
I always like to say who'ssetting others free, and I
appreciate you being on today.
I will be back with anotherepisode next week, thank you.
Speaker 1 (59:06):
Thank you for having me.
You're welcome you.
Welcome to the Hope Unlocked podcast.
I'm your host, kristen Kurtz,and I'm also the founder of New
Wings Coaching.
I help and empower wildheartedand adventurous women of faith
feeling caged and stuck, unlocktheir true purpose and potential
, break free from limitationsand thrive with confidence,
courage and hope.
If you're curious to learn moreabout coaching with me, head to
newwingscoachingnet and be sureto explore the show notes for
(00:38):
ways to connect with me further.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
Get ready to dive in as we uncover empowering keys
and insights in this episode.
So tune in and let's unlockhope together.
Welcome to the Hope Unlockedpodcast.
I'm Kristen Kurtz, your host.
I pray this episode is like aholy IV of hope for your soul.
Please help me.
Welcome Tim Pearson to the show.
I'm so thrilled to finally havehim on today.
(01:00):
He is a mutual friend of Heidi,who is one of the leaders of a
local women's group called Few,and he happened to be there and
shared a little bit about hisstory and I knew, oh my gosh, he
has to come on.
And he said yes.
So that was great.
Now to get to this point.
One day I was going tointerview him and my basement
(01:23):
started flooding.
So, listeners, I know that thisis going to be an amazing,
amazing time of hearing hisstory and the ways that God is
using him in this world.
So, tim, would you be open tosharing a little bit about
yourself before we get into yourstory?
Speaker 3 (01:39):
Sure, my name is Tim Pearson.
I've been married for 38 yearsto a wonderful wife and I have
got four wonderful children, allmarried now as of a few months
ago and four grandchildren.
Speaker 2 (01:56):
Oh, so exciting, Four all married off Wow.
Speaker 3 (02:00):
All married off now, finally, yeah.
Speaker 2 (02:02):
Wow, that's amazing.
And congratulations on 38 years.
That's incredible.
Speaker 3 (02:07):
It is.
Speaker 2 (02:08):
Wow.
Well, tell us a little bitabout.
I know there's probably a storybehind the story of where
you're at now, but if you goback, maybe a couple of decades,
where were you?
What were you doing?
Speaker 3 (02:23):
I.
At one time I lived in the TwinCities.
I worked as a commercialphotographer.
I've been doing that for almost40 years now, and actually 10
years ago, 2015, I went on ashort-term missions trip to
Himalayas and had a huge impactin my life and it was there.
(02:45):
I was, you know, being aphotographer.
I had my camera with me and I'mphotographing all kinds of
things and it was just like youknow what am I doing with these
photos?
You know what am I?
They're fun to look at, but Ijust thought there's got to be
more purpose behind it, and ittook me, you know, nine, nine
(03:06):
years to finally figure it outand get to where I needed to be,
and it's been.
It was a journey and gotopening doors and closing doors
and different places anddifferent ways and, um, so a
year ago, a little over a littleover a year ago, 2024 I started
, um, my own non-profit ministrycalled Just a Sling and a Stone
.
Speaker 2 (03:27):
Well, tell us a little bit more about the name,
because I love that.
That's actually something I'vesaid quite a bit like a stone
and a sling, just as kind of areminder of like the power right
and weapons.
Speaker 3 (03:41):
So yeah, for me it's weapon.
So yeah, for me it's um, oh,it's meaning, like you know, I
just remember the story of davidgoliath.
You know he goes into thebattlefield.
He's not the best warrior forisrael that israel has.
You know he's going, but hejust puts his trust in god and
(04:04):
god's gonna you know deliver himyou know, the giant to him.
And same here I'm.
I'm a photographer but and I dodabble in some video work too
I'm.
I know I'm not the best, youknow, you don't have to be, yeah
, you know, just trusting in thelord, will um use you and just
(04:26):
commit to that, and so I justdecided yeah, and I also thought
, well, I could wait to learn.
I've got photography down fairlygood after all the years but
just like the video part isdifferent and new and okay, well
, I can keep waiting until Ilearn that better.
And it's like no, no, whyshould I wait?
You know, just dive into it.
Speaker 2 (04:46):
Wow, can you say that again?
I think somebody needs to hearthat.
Speaker 3 (04:51):
Just, um, yeah, don't hesitate.
Just, you know you can come upwith a million excuses not to
get going with something in lifeand maybe that's.
You know, sometimes the olderyou get, you realize that yeah,
yeah, I don't have a lot of timeleft and I better not hesitate.
And uh, and one of the otherthings just related to that that
(05:14):
, um, hit me.
I just and this was just maybea month, two months ago maybe,
and I was reading again thestory of dave and goliath.
I just like to go back and readthat and I'm just going to grab
my Bible here for a second.
Speaker 1 (05:29):
So I'm, reading this right.
Speaker 3 (05:32):
And there's a point here where you know, when David
went out to meet the Philistineand it says that David ran
quickly toward the battle lineto meet the Philistine, and I
just thought that's who I wantto be.
I guess I want to be the personthat is running out to meet
Goliath and not hesitate, andthat really stuck with me
(05:56):
recently that, yeah, that's whatI need to do is just push
forward.
Speaker 2 (06:03):
Have you found yourself to be in that position
throughout your life, where youyou run in or have you no?
Found yourself being more onethat like kind of runs away yeah
, I'm not not runs away, but ummore cautious probably and not
to say that, dave, you know I'mrunning into this blindly.
Speaker 3 (06:25):
I mean obviously you know, david had experience and
defending the flocks and thingslike that.
So I'm not like, oh, I'm justfirst time picking up a camera
and I'm just going to dosomething I've never done before
.
No, I right, it's not justtotal blind faith.
You know I've got, I know Godis, can use me and the skills
that he's given me, and but yeah, I just need to, you know, run
(06:48):
towards this and not not be, youknow, hesitant and too cautious
.
I mean, caution is good in somecases, but not too cautious.
Speaker 2 (06:58):
And but Wow, so you're definitely quicker to say
yes when he calls you to stepinto something I think so yeah
yeah, when I just and I don'tknow if this is called into
something or if it's justobedience I'm looking at too,
that's good.
So you did commercialphotography and then, like, were
(07:20):
you trained in photography?
Did you um like go to schoolfor photography?
Like what did that look like?
Speaker 3 (07:27):
Years and years ago.
Yeah, yeah, long time ago.
Yeah, I just started as a.
I got a camera from high schoolgraduation from my dad and I
went, ended up going to a Bibleschool over in Germany after
high school.
So I got a new camera.
I'm in a new world all aroundme and it was cool and neat and
everything is exciting.
(07:47):
And I was taking pictures and Ididn't know what I wanted to do
in life.
I was 18, and I thought when Iget back home, I'm going to
check this out and end up goingto, you know, community college
and vo-tech kind of schools tolearn photography and then end
up getting a job as a photoassistant at a few different
studios in the twin cities whereyou really learn the most.
(08:07):
Okay, and then, and it justwent from there, yeah, wow, so
your dad gave you a camera.
Speaker 2 (08:14):
How do you like?
What was it like before that?
Were you taking pictures beforethat, or?
Speaker 3 (08:19):
was that just kind of not really.
I mean maybe a little bit, youknow.
I mean he had a camera.
Speaker 2 (08:48):
I'd borrow his sometimes, but nothing.
You wasn't like, wow, this, seethe things that you know that
he's gifted us in, Right Mm-hmm.
So you did the commercialphotography and then you now
have a nonprofit.
So tell us more about thenonprofit and kind of that
(09:16):
transition, because were youemployed, and then I think
that's what stood out to me foryour story.
Speaker 3 (09:20):
For like the last 20 years I've been self-employed,
I've just had my own businessand just working for different
clients.
But so I just decided, I mean Itried it, you know like, I just
maybe do this on the side.
You know just, I mean it wasn'tjust a sling and a stone back
(09:43):
then, but just doing work on theside.
And we recently moved well,three years ago Now, we moved
from the twin cities out toBozeman, Montana, and we, my
wife and I, just started freshand a lot of things in life and
I just thought, yeah, this is agood time maybe to start fresh
with this and make a change.
And yeah, and so just startedthe process and then, just like
(10:06):
a year ago, start fresh withthis and make a change and yeah
and so, just started the processand then, just like a year ago,
finally got you know,everything registered and with
you know the paperwork wellstill, they actually took like a
year, just this year.
Finally all the IRS stuff.
It was you wait forever yeah.
Speaker 2 (10:23):
Wow.
So could you share a little bitmore about, maybe even about
that process, cause I'm surethere might be somebody who has
thought about doing a nonprofit.
Is there anything that youlearned along the way that might
have, um might help somebodywho wants to step into the realm
?
Speaker 3 (10:38):
I talked with a lot of people, first about you know
what's the best way to do it andhow to go about the whole
process, and I heard it was veryhard, very difficult.
And then somebody told me of anorganization out of Nashville
called the foundation group andthey do all the work for you
(10:59):
pretty much.
I mean, they give you a list ofyou know they, they need this
information, that information,all this, and then they put
everything together, for a feeof course, and they submit
everything into the IRS, butthey guarantee you that it's
going to go through.
And you have to come up withall kinds of information.
(11:24):
You know dollars and numbersand mission statements and all
kinds of things to do it.
But it is nice to have somebodythat knows what they're doing
and to help you, because that'snot my area.
I don't enjoy that at all andsome people love that and that
they can do it themselves.
Sure, being the way my brainworks, it's like no, that's
(11:48):
something I hate, so it definessomebody else, yeah, we need, we
need people.
Speaker 2 (11:56):
So the foundation group you mentioned.
You'd had a good process withthem.
It sounds like okay.
Well, maybe I could add that tothe show notes, as if there's
others who are interested inreaching out to them.
Is there a contact there thatyou would recommend?
Speaker 3 (12:10):
um, no, no, no one, no one person in particular yeah
okay, awesome.
Speaker 2 (12:16):
So it took about a year.
Speaker 3 (12:17):
You're in the process , you're waiting, um, and you
also had said something about anine-year timeline well, just
the nine years from when I firstwent on this mission trip up in
the Himalayas until gettingthis process going with just
slinging a stone and God openingand closing doors, I thought,
(12:38):
oh, maybe I'll do this andchanging some for target, and
it's like, oh, this lookspromising.
And then all of a sudden thatcloses.
But it's something else opensup and it's like god was just
kind of guiding me to this whereI am now.
Speaker 2 (12:51):
I think, yeah, yeah, how do you, how do you hear god
like in this, in your, in yourlife?
Speaker 3 (13:01):
oh, by reading the bible prayer.
Um, I had different passagesthat came up, different sermons
that I would listen.
I mean different people, youknow I'd be all over, you know
in in Montana or back inMinnesota or something, but same
things were coming up insermons that I was doing in
church or something like that orjust listening, and it's like
(13:22):
wow, I'm hearing the same kindof theme over and over again.
Speaker 2 (13:33):
Yeah, um, so I'm speaking to me and yeah, yeah,
isn't it incredible like he's sointentional and I actually like
to say that he's fun too.
Oh yeah, like he will bringthese repeating messages and you
might even walk outside or goin your car and you'll see like
a billboard or a truck drivingby that has the very like key
and message that you're kind oflooking for.
I heard a sermon this last weekthat he was saying you know, I
(13:56):
don't always just sit down andlike it falls on me, like in my
prayer time or whatever.
Sometimes we'll be like twodays later out in nature, or
it's not always going to comelike that.
Speaker 3 (14:12):
Would you agree?
Speaks to us in lots ofdifferent ways.
I think we have to be good atlistening.
Yeah good at listening, yeah,otherwise, if we're just busy
which we all can be with ourlives and going on, I mean you
have to.
I think you know just kind ofthe old thing you know, be still
and listen.
Speaker 2 (14:33):
Yeah, absolutely so.
Just a sling and a stone.
I know that you go places.
Speaker 3 (14:40):
Yeah.
Tell us yeah, tell us a littlebit more about where he's, he's
got you going okay so just theidea behind it, I guess, is I do
, um, I work with differentchristian organizations,
typically outside of the us moreinternational that, and
(15:03):
typically smaller organizationsthat don't have tons of funding
behind them to get their storyout.
Because there's so many justgreat organizations out there
that are large and have tons ofbacking and funding and they get
them and they're doing greatwork.
But there's also I've discoveredjust tons of small little mom
(15:25):
and pop organizations that arereaching people and doing
amazing things, that don't havebig budgets behind them and some
ideas.
I go out and I'll dophotography, video, um, kind of
customize whatever they need to.
You know, raise awareness iswhat they're doing, if they need
to support, and so I don'tcharge them anything.
(15:48):
I raise the support on my endto cover the costs and then I
travel, go do the work and turneverything over to them to use.
Some of them will have me dosome editing.
Some just want everything justraw and they have, they know
somebody on there and they canhelp them.
So there's no set way of doingit.
(16:10):
It's everybody has, you know,just different and flexible,
without however they want it.
Speaker 2 (16:16):
Wow.
So how did?
How did you like?
How do you know who to likepartner with?
Are there people that arecoming to you?
Are you finding people?
How does that?
Speaker 3 (16:27):
yeah, it's just, it's organic yes, very organic, and
again, it's how god works injust crazy ways sometimes yeah
so, um, just an example.
So I'm living in bozeman, nearmontana, and, in addition to
just, you know, juggling lots ofdifferent things and trying to
(16:48):
make an, I drive Uber too intown here.
So I do a little bit of Uberdriving and I think it was
February I gave this woman aride here in town, just short
little five, 10 minute ride down, and we were just chatting and
she's asking what I do and I wastelling her about the ministry
that I just started, you know,and she looks at me.
(17:10):
She's like my husband and Ihave a ministry that we do.
Oh, uganda she's from.
Maryland is where they live andher husband was speaking at the
university here, and so theywere in town for just a couple
days yeah and so we just chattedmore and she said let's connect
.
So the next day I met them attheir hotel and we sat down for
a few hours and talked abouteach other and what we're doing
(17:36):
and I just thought, yeah, theycan use me Wow.
So here I just got back fourdays ago now, last Saturday,
from Uganda, and I was overthere with them for two and a
half weeks and just amazing workthat they're doing over there.
Speaker 2 (17:56):
It's incredible.
So you're driving.
Uber and you meet somebodywho's a connection's a
connection point, like astepping stone to really step
into this fully.
Speaker 3 (18:09):
Wow and that's just kind of one of the latest
example and that's just yeah,it's just crazy well do of
connections that brought methere actually connected to the
(18:48):
person who I was over in theHimalayas in Asia 10 years ago
now.
He connected me to somebody inthe Twin Cities, who connected
me to somebody in Atlanta and Iwas going to go do some a
project with him and he waspartnering with another group in
the Atlanta area and he endedup not being able to go.
But this other group said we'dlove you to still come and work
with us and I said sure yeah andso from, you know, asia, to
(19:11):
minnesota, to atlanta, totanzania, you know it's like
can't make this stuff up, rightno, I know.
So it's just again, I guess,just being open and yeah, you
know God works in amazing ways.
Speaker 2 (19:26):
Yeah, I would love to ask you and I think part of you
know I really love hearingtestimonials and straight from
people who are are doingpioneering, right, you're?
You are pioneering somethingthat is really different and new
and um, new for you and maybenot for others, right, yeah, um,
(19:50):
you know there's, there's anelement of what you're doing
that might look a little crazyto the world, right, I make it
just a little bit, I mean tosome people, I guess yeah yeah,
like you're not charging.
So a lot of times people wouldsay well, in the business world,
(20:10):
or what have you?
Did you have any trepidationabout that?
Like, have you found that youknow the Lord has always
provided along the way?
I guess that's kind of whereI'm getting at.
Speaker 3 (20:24):
Yeah, it's.
Speaker 2 (20:27):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (20:27):
I am not getting rich off of this, that's for sure.
I am not sitting with like abig chunk of money in my bank
account, but just um, yeah,trusting in the Lord that he's
going to provide and take, takecare.
And sometimes it's like, wow,this one's really tight.
And then all of a sudden, youknow just something comes in and
(20:48):
it's just incredible.
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (20:51):
Wow, so you've had a lot of like 1159 experiences
last minute before midnight hour.
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (21:00):
Yeah, pretty much yeah.
Speaker 2 (21:03):
Do you have any fun examples about that, because I
know that there's a lot ofpeople that I know personally
who are pioneering, and it'sbeen a little treacherous in
these last few years.
Speaker 3 (21:16):
I guess nothing specifically tied to that, I
mean that really jumps out at me.
Tied to that, I mean that Ithat really jumps out at me um,
one of the early on things thatimpacted me, I guess, is on this
first trip I went 10 years agonow is I, you know, had to raise
support for this.
(21:37):
You know, two week long tripand, um, I had never done one,
I'd never gone on a short-termtrip in my life and I thought,
oh, this would be interesting.
And our kids were a little bitolder and I thought, okay, my
wife really wanted to go too.
But she says I'll stay homewith the kids Our girls were
(21:57):
still in school and stuff likethat and you go on this.
But she says the next one yougo on, we'll go on together.
I'm like okay oh yeah, um, butas a support, a gentleman in our
church came up to me and, um, Iunderstood what I was doing.
(22:18):
Excuse me yeah and and hands mea check and just says it was you
know.
I mean didn't like cover, holdit, but it was a good amount of
money and he said just never letfinances get in the way of the
(22:40):
Lord's work and.
I guess 10 years later it stillimpacts me what did he say
(23:00):
again?
Speaker 2 (23:01):
I want somebody to hear that, and it's ministering
to me too never let finances getin the way of the Lord's work.
Speaker 1 (23:08):
Hmm, ooh.
Speaker 3 (23:15):
Oh yeah, I guess that's my best example Hmm.
Speaker 2 (23:23):
That.
That goes right to the heart,Like how many people do you
think are stopped by just thatvery thing?
Speaker 3 (23:38):
um, I really don't know.
I'm not sure.
Speaker 2 (23:41):
I don't know if I'm going to answer that yeah yeah,
I mean I I've I talked to manywho really are challenged, maybe
to step out into something orout of something, because they
are maybe in a secure financialposition, maybe at a job, or the
Lord might be calling them todo something, but they don't see
(24:03):
how it's even possible.
Speaker 3 (24:06):
And I think that is one of the ways you know talk
about, you know god opening andclosing doors, and the position
I was in recently is, yeah, I'mnot in like a secure financial
and it probably would have beenharder for me if I was, you know
(24:27):
, if I had this, you know,working for you know, solid
corporation and you know allthis going here and it's like so
you know, it was a way of lordputting position that it was
easier to make this decision,yeah yeah, and how has it been
like with your family?
Speaker 2 (24:47):
I know for those who are listening that you know we
have family, that, um, you knowthey can either be for you or
sometimes against you,unfortunately.
How's it been?
Speaker 3 (24:58):
I think it's been very supportive.
Yeah, everybody is like wow.
Speaker 2 (25:02):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (25:04):
I don't think I've gotten any negative feedback
from anybody on what I'm doing?
Speaker 2 (25:08):
That's amazing.
Speaker 3 (25:09):
A lot of support.
Yeah, I mean just encouragement.
Yeah, I mean just encouragement.
Speaker 2 (25:14):
Yeah, so did your wife, and you.
End up going on a trip togetherthen.
Speaker 3 (25:20):
So, yeah, we both co-led the same trip three years
later, in 2018.
Speaker 2 (25:27):
Okay, oh how was that Amazing, yep, oh Well, I love
what you're doing.
How was that amazing?
Yep well, I love like whatyou're doing.
You shared some pictures withme today and you said something
at the few gathering about youknow the faces that you're
capturing and I can't rememberexactly what you said.
(25:49):
Do you remember what you said?
and I think probably like a bigpart of your mission.
Um, like people, maybe theyhaven't seen themselves before,
do you remember?
I?
Don't remember what I said likebeing able to capture, like the
(26:11):
emotions and the essence of thepeople that you're going to see
.
Speaker 3 (26:19):
I mean, I'm hoping I'm capturing that when I'm
there, because this last tripreally hit me hard in some ways
and I just let people know I'veso this is this is my third, so
(26:39):
I did back to back to back tripsand like a short time span, you
know less than less than twomonths and so, and one of the
things when I started this Ididn't realize and it just kind
of hit me as, like man, it's alot for me to process, just
personally.
Speaker 1 (26:54):
Sure.
Speaker 3 (26:55):
And what I'm seeing and what's going on is I'm
seeing and experiencing thingsthat probably most people don't
see experienced in theirlifetime From orphanages you
(27:23):
know, in the Philippines to youknow sex trade in Asia and
what's going on there, tostarvation in Uganda At one
point we did in.
Uganda a week or so ago and wewere doing a.
We wanted to show what theministry is doing that I was
working with.
Speaker 2 (27:38):
Okay.
Speaker 3 (27:44):
And so one of the things they'd help with is, they
do you know, food relief.
They're helping because thisarea has had some severe drought
the past few years and theywere also doing, you know, know,
related to that is medicalassessments and different things
on, you know, nutrition, onpeople, and so we decided to not
stage something.
But do it out of timing, whatthey normally do.
(28:04):
We went in and we were doing amedical assessment on a village
of these people that you know.
Maybe they wouldn't have gone toto do that part of it, maybe
for another you know, month orso okay and but they, because we
were there, they said let's dothis now and so we can take
photos of it, video, just toshow what they're doing, so they
can show it to their supporters.
And, um, I remember I was doingvideo and just trying to
(28:31):
capture everything and it justseemed like it was just crowded,
I mean.
So we had a couple doctorsthere yeah and it was you're.
You're moving around lookingthrough my camera and I'm trying
to move around and not step onkids.
That are around us and kids arecrying because there's, you know
(28:54):
they're just a situation.
You know there's a lot ofcrying going on and they're
testing kids, they're measuring,you know, like their arms,
they're weighing them.
They're doing all this stuff.
And I don't know if you've seenthe movie I'm not the movie,
but the series the Chosen andthere's this scene in there
where the woman's trying, whereshe touches Jesus' garment and
(29:15):
she's fighting through the crowd, and that just flashed back to
me like I'm trying to do thisvideo and these people are just
pushing in on me all around, andthen it just kind of dawned on
me.
I mean I'm just doing a simplelittle video, I think, and these
people are like it's life anddeath.
I mean they're pushing theirchildren, their grandchildren,
(29:37):
forward towards the doctors tomake sure they're seen.
Speaker 1 (29:40):
Oh, wow.
Speaker 3 (29:41):
And it's just wow, it just really hit me.
Yeah it just really hit me, yeah, and we found one young girl
there because they were givingout you know, the ones that were
(30:01):
the worst malnourished.
They were handing out thespecial food packets that, um,
they get from approved, like who, and stuff like that.
He's supposed to help them, Imean, within minutes, just to
help their body, and so thenthey give him other stuff for
future things too, and this onegirl was not interested in
eating it at all and they saidthat's really a bad sign.
(30:25):
When you lose, you lose yourappetite.
And so they got her into thehospital the next day and they
said she probably had like aweek left to live.
Speaker 2 (30:34):
Oh, my gosh.
Speaker 3 (30:36):
And so it's just yeah , it's hard.
Speaker 2 (30:42):
How far, like how far are they having to like walk to
get to this?
Speaker 3 (30:52):
Surprisingly, not as far as you think.
Okay, it was interesting.
I was expecting because I'dbeen to some remote areas before
, where you hike days intoremote areas, and this is.
You know, we were staying inthis small town, northeast
uganda, and these villages thatthis organization work.
(31:15):
They work with five differentvillages in the area um it's
called the people, calledkermajung people, and they live
very primitively but they canprobably.
I mean, this town is by nomeans fancy, I mean it's you
know, but there's we stayed at ahotel which is very basic and
okay and it's you know, it maybe like a seven miles away from
(31:38):
where they are okay, and there'sroads and different things and
they walk all over the place andthey walk into town to go to
the market, sometimes on certaindays that they're trying to
sell stuff so they're not thatfar, but they're sitting there
with no electricity no you knowsimple.
you know thatch huts they'reliving in cook over an open fire
(32:01):
, but in some cases you can seepower lines from their village.
It's just an odd thing.
Speaker 2 (32:12):
Yeah, it's really strange their village, it's just
an odd thing.
Yeah, it's really.
How do you?
How do you like you said youhad challenges like processing
all of this right, like how doyou?
How do you come back here?
Like is it challenging to comeback and re-acclimate?
Speaker 3 (32:28):
in some ways.
Yeah, I mean, you look at allthe abundance around you and it
seems just crazy, but then againit's there too.
So my trip to Uganda gotdelayed in returning home
because of the conflict in theMiddle East and I ended up
(32:49):
staying a few days in Naiairobi,kenya, which was kind of fun
because I um did some work therea year ago, and so I visited
this school that I did work fora year ago and met some of the
same people again, which was funto connect, reconnect and they,
um, you know it's in the slumsin nairobi and it's horrible
(33:10):
living conditions that you're in, and you know it's in the slums
in Nairobi and it's horribleliving conditions that you're in
.
And you know, these kids hardlyget any food at all to eat.
But you know, this time, when Iwas there a year ago, I spent
the whole week in the slums.
I didn't really get outanyplace else, and this time I
was meeting some other peopletoo, so I was in different parts
(33:32):
of Nairobi, and it's like.
I'm walking, there's likegrocery stores here, which it's
a modern, you know city.
There's parts of the city thatyou would have no idea that
there's food nearby at all, youknow.
And then you go to another partof the city half hour away and
it's a modern city and it's justcrazy to think that such a
(33:52):
contrast in such a shortdistance.
Speaker 2 (33:55):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (33:56):
Way more than you see here in the U S.
I mean, yeah, yeah, there's.
I've never seen areas in the US as poor as that and that must
be so hard to take in Like I?
Speaker 2 (34:08):
I don't know.
I got married to the DominicanRepublic and I remember going on
different like littleexcursions and we would be
brought into different villagesand I that was kind of like my
first experience, you know, whenI was in my young 20s, to see
like what you hear about, butwhen you actually see you know
(34:29):
just the poverty, but yetthere's smiles you know just the
the poverty, but yet there'ssmiles.
Yes, and that's the other thing.
I wanted you to talk about that, because the picture that you
sent me today, where there'sfour children, oh, they're
laughing One of them is carrying.
It looks like a water jug onher head, and it's just precious
(34:49):
Like.
What you captured here is justincredible.
Like just their faces, Can youlike?
What do you sense as you'recapturing these photos?
Like God's heart over them,yeah.
Speaker 3 (35:05):
And just I, this group I've been working with.
They've been in this area for,I think, just two years now.
You know, in that time they'vethey've made a big impact and so
they show up.
I mean, and they are there.
They've got people working onthe ground there that are there
weekly into the differentvillages, but this was more the
(35:28):
people that started the ministryand stuff like that, and they
get there a couple times a yearand so there was a team of
people.
There was like like seven of usand we go into these villages
and they were singing anddancing and just, you know, full
of joy and you know, like youknow, their attitude is like
(35:49):
there's nothing wrong with youknow, they're just happy yeah
but at the same time, you know,they're also desperate for food.
I saw that too, you know.
But, um, the one of thecomments, they sat down and met.
We went to all the differentvillages they work with five
different ones and they'd sitdown and meet with the elders
(36:10):
men and then they also haveseparate meetings with the women
and stuff like that, becausethey all have different
perspectives on different needsin the village.
And, um, one of the men saidsomething about you have brought
the light of jesus into ourlives here, and that's what's
giving them hope.
Speaker 2 (36:32):
This is Jesus Christ, and had they like, encountered
Jesus before that?
Do you know?
Speaker 3 (36:42):
Not in this way.
I don't think no.
Speaker 2 (36:46):
What do you feel like , what are they experiencing?
Because you know we can bringdifferent.
You know just our presence isbringing Jesus.
But is there something thatthey're experiencing beyond,
maybe somebody else who's comein and tried to help out before.
Speaker 3 (37:02):
I think the consistency that this
organization is called TCI,transformed Communities
International, but just theirconsistency, because other
groups have gone in and they'rethere for once or twice and then
they're gone, you know, andit's like never to be seen from
again.
And just so, I think.
And listening to the people too.
(37:24):
They're not just trying to here, we are from the west, you know
us, and we've got all theanswers to everything and we're
going to fix all your problemswhere they go in and actually
they'll listen to them.
And you know, how can we best,you know, help you and what can
you know?
What can we do, you know,versus trying to force on them
(37:48):
what we think is best.
Speaker 2 (37:50):
Wow, that's a huge.
That's a huge key right there,right, mm right, just for
anybody else who might belistening in ministry that isn't
operating that way.
Speaker 1 (38:00):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (38:01):
And just in general, I think if we could just listen
to people more would you say.
Speaker 3 (38:07):
Oh yeah, definitely there's.
These people are.
They're not dumb people, people, I mean.
They're super smart and theyknow how things work and they're
part of the world and how bestto get things done.
They might not always have theresources or anything, but just
to listen to them and they'vegot great ideas and how to
handle different situations andyeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (38:30):
Well, how about another like trip that you've
been on?
Is there anything else that youwanted to share with um people
listening today?
Oh, man, there's I'm sure youhave only been doing this a year
, yeah gone on many trips, butthey've all been so impactful,
(38:51):
um, so just okay.
Speaker 3 (38:57):
A year ago I was in tanzania and we were working
with a group ministry calledubora and they minister to a lot
of widows and um orphans in thearea.
A lot of widows or husbandshave died of aids over the years
and things like that and theywere doing great work.
(39:18):
They it's a bigger organization.
They were small enough wherethey don't have huge funds, but
still they have been there for awhile and are established and
it was great seeing all thepeople.
They put on different againhealth clinics and the bigger
team and they had 1,500 people,you know, coming to these events
(39:41):
that they were putting on.
But at the end of my trip we dida little.
The woman that was kind oforganizing it it's an extra day
and she says would you beinterested in going visiting
another place that I she hadheard of like the year before
and I'm like.
So she connected with thiswoman and it was an orphanage.
(40:03):
It was like the next town over,okay, and it was an orphanage
for disabled kids and run by acatholic nun.
I mean it was.
I don't think they get muchfunding either I mean I'm not
Catholic or anything, but itdidn't matter and we were going
out and seeing things and I'dheard some of this.
(40:24):
When we got there, you sawthese disabled kids, which is
sad.
I mean they have all kinds ofdifferent disabilities physical,
but then there's also a hugegroup of albino children there.
Speaker 2 (40:41):
Interesting.
Speaker 3 (40:43):
And I learned that Tanzania has like the highest
per capita whatever populationof albino people.
Speaker 1 (40:50):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (40:52):
But they are also, and it's so.
You imagine these.
You know young kids, africankids, running around.
They've got just white hair,super fair skin.
Yeah, their bodies are full ofsores because of the sun.
They're living practically onthe equator.
Speaker 2 (41:10):
Oh, my gosh.
Speaker 3 (41:12):
And yeah, and then they're orphans on the equator,
oh my gosh.
Speaker 2 (41:13):
And yeah, and then they're orphans on top of that
oh and then also so are theylike marginalized because of
being albino?
Speaker 3 (41:23):
well, I have marginalized is that the way?
Speaker 2 (41:28):
we know what I'm saying?
Speaker 3 (41:29):
I know what you're saying but to put a different.
I did some research afterwardsyeah they are hunted still oh
for their body parts oh my gosh,yeah, okay.
Speaker 2 (41:43):
Yeah, I was wondering if there was like some type of
you know where I'm going withthat witchcraft kind of thing
still goes on oh my goodness.
Speaker 3 (41:52):
And still there's even from what I was reading at
when I got home there's wealthypeople that in the country that
are still trying to get a leg upon the competition yeah in life
that will hire these people tocome up with these potions or
whatever thank goodness and sothis is still happening in the
world.
Speaker 1 (42:12):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (42:12):
And to see these kids and know that.
I mean just not too far awayfrom where I was.
Like a week before we got there, somebody, an albino person,
was killed and this woman knewof another lady in this village
whose arm was cut off with amachete and they take.
You know, it's crazy what goeson in the world that we don't
hear that much about.
Speaker 2 (42:32):
Right.
Speaker 3 (42:37):
Oh, I can't even imagine I've been doing this a
year, just everything you know.
Like I said, I hear and seethings that I never imagined, I
would you know yeah, oh my gosh.
Speaker 2 (42:48):
I I'm like I have so many questions.
Speaker 3 (42:53):
But I, you know, and I just want to let you know, and
it's not just me I've gotpeople.
Our board directors is supersupportive and helping.
I've got a super supportivewife and family and it's all
those people behind me that arehelping me so I can help others.
You know, I'm just I don't.
My ministry is not directlyhelping people, but helping the
(43:18):
people that are there on theground working with those people
.
I'm just kind of and just yeah.
I'm just one part of the bodyand doing what I can do to help,
and I can't do without otherpeople's help either.
I mean I need support in prayerand financial, all the
different ways that the peoplecan support me too, and that
helps a lot.
Speaker 2 (43:39):
Wow.
Well, I would say that you'rehelping many people and, are you
like, are you doingpartnerships with ministries
here in the U?
S as well?
Are you doing anywhere in theUS or around the world, like, do
you have kind of a?
Speaker 3 (43:56):
I mean, the ministries might be based in the
US, but they're doing theirwork outside of the US.
Okay, and that's kind of what Ithought a niche would be, just
because of I mean, yeah, justthe Twin Cities, for example.
There's tons of people that cando what I'm doing there, which
is great because there's tons ofneed in every place in the U S
(44:18):
too.
I mean, don't pretend that it'snot.
There's not all this crazy needgoing on in every city in the U
?
S as there is, and but there'speople here that can do that.
And just my point in life anddifferent position that god has
put me in ability andflexibility to travel and, um,
(44:40):
god isn't you know some peoplelike I go to places and people
are like aren't you afraid to dothis?
and to do that and I'm like no,and maybe that's the way just
god has wired me well as I.
Speaker 2 (44:55):
I don't really have a problem with that, and so yeah
that's you literally like youdon't have any fears that come
up when you're going into newplaces.
Speaker 3 (45:04):
No, I really don't amazing I'm trusting in god that
he's going to take care of me,and if it's my time to go and it
is, I guess you know I can gethit by a car here in town and
exactly I today, or it could bethe other side of the world, you
know?
Speaker 2 (45:19):
and what would you say to somebody who maybe is
carrying a lot of fear aboutstepping out into something
unknown?
Speaker 3 (45:28):
unknown just trust god, just yeah, don't um.
Yeah, that's good, it's simple.
I guess it's simple it's simple.
Speaker 2 (45:46):
I like to call it simple wisdom, like you don't
have to have too many words,right?
It's literally trust god.
I had a moment a couple daysago where I was driving on I
call it the freeway, the freeway, and I was behind a van and it
had trust all over it.
Just trust, trust, trust.
(46:08):
Because I'm in a season of sometransitions and that's what,
literally right in front of me,is like trust, trust, trust.
Because we do, ultimately, likethat is like what you said
trust God.
Speaker 3 (46:24):
And I think we live in a society where we want to be
in control of everything wherewe want to be in control of
everything.
It's kind of the American way iswe're very independent, which
is, I mean, there's nothingwrong with that either, but also
it's we think if we have to doeverything on our own and that,
(46:49):
and I think that if we'rethrowing out trust on there,
it's like, well, that's I can't.
If I can't do it myself or Ican't be in control of the
situation, I'm not going to doit.
You know, does that make sensewhat I'm saying?
Speaker 2 (47:01):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (47:02):
I do.
Speaker 2 (47:03):
I think you know, like, like you said something
earlier, and it's just like weneed people.
We need other people.
I have a couple of intercessors, other people.
I have a couple of intercessorsI call them my, aaron and her
that are like literally holdingmy arms up sometimes, especially
when you're.
You know you're doing work.
Obviously you do different workthan I do, but there is
generational implications towhat you're doing on a massive
(47:26):
scale.
Thanks, do you see it?
Speaker 3 (47:33):
I, I see it more and more.
I guess the but and I, what I'mdoing, is just part of the, the
piece too.
I mean I, you can have photos,but you need somebody to write a
story that goes along with thephotos, or something to explain
what's happening and um, that Ihave no skill at, but I know
(47:55):
there's people out there that do, and so we all work together,
isn't?
Speaker 2 (47:58):
that amazing yeah so these ministries have like
writers, and then they work withyou and they have kind of
something they'll.
Speaker 3 (48:05):
They'll reach out to somebody else.
You know, somebody else willcome along to them, their writer
, and um, it's like this thething in I did in uganda not too
long before that.
They ran into somebody thatconnected and he is like
produces stuff, and so he'sgoing to take all like the raw
footage and put it all together.
(48:25):
Oh my gosh, do things with itthat I can't do, probably.
I mean, I could do a little bit, but this person cannot do way
more than I can, so it's justlike have at it.
Speaker 2 (48:35):
Use what I took and so good, oh well, what?
What's next on the horizon?
Like, what are you sensing forthis coming year over what
you're doing?
Speaker 3 (48:46):
like I said, I just did a bunch of these really
quick, which is my wife's likeI'm glad you're home for a
little while now too.
Yeah and um.
So I've got some things I'mworking on.
Nothing set in stone yet foranother trip coming up, but just
um.
Fundraising, I guess, issomething that's important.
(49:07):
It's hard to yeah yeah, andagain, I'm not good at that as
far as asking.
I don't know if any of us are,but it's humbling, but just um,
but it's, it's, it's.
I know it's important and Ineed to do it, and so I need to
focus on that for a while nowand but I'm sure before the
(49:28):
year's end I'll find myselfeither in nepal or mongolia or
back in africa, who knows whereyeah, what an adventure truly um
it is ask you maybe, like Iknow you said, you know you're
not the best at fundraising butlike what does that, what does
that look like?
Speaker 2 (49:48):
um, not only that, but like how can people like
partner with you?
As they're listening, theymight want to, you know, help,
help you out.
Speaker 3 (49:56):
Yeah, I mean, right as of now, the best way is
probably to go to our websitecalled just slinging a stoneorg,
okay, and from there you canconnect to different ways that,
like I said, it doesn't have tobe financial, it can be prayer,
it can be advocacy, help, youknow, suggesting another
(50:17):
ministry that somebody elseknows that they can share with
me and we can connect and dosomething for them, and there's
lots of.
You know different ways, butright now, yeah, through the
website is the best way to getconnected and just starting
putting together like a I hatethis word, but newsletter kind
(50:37):
of thing that just, yeah, informpeople what's going on, and
stuff like that.
Speaker 2 (50:43):
Yes, it's a press release.
Speaker 3 (50:45):
Yeah, something.
Speaker 2 (50:48):
That's amazing.
Well, what has been your mostfavorite moment since starting?
Speaker 3 (50:57):
Oh my gosh.
And the word favorite is kindof weird too, because it's is it
like a fun moment, or is itimpactful, or it could be
whatever you, whatever I'mtrying to think and I don't know
if I have one I use that word alot like favorite.
(51:20):
I don't know why it could be afun moment, impactful, um
miracle moment it seems likeit's the most recent thing I've
done.
Always sticks in my head.
You know, like I said, it's justa week ago and the people just
closing in around me that stilljust sticking with me very hard
(51:42):
right now.
Yeah, but not to say that youknow there's other things too,
but it's just like.
Yeah, it seems like the mostrecent things, because every
time I've gone on one of thesetrip I hate the word trip too.
(52:02):
It's.
It's always when I say the wordtrip, it sounds like you're on
vacation someplace and it'sdefinitely not.
I mean, I come, I'm exhausted,it's.
You know, you're changing timezones, eating crazy food,
sleeping wherever, you'respending nights in airports
overnight.
So yeah, trip is not a goodword, but I like how you like
(52:26):
words.
Speaker 2 (52:27):
I'm kind of a big word person, like words are
really impactful, so I love howyou're kind of flipping the
script, like flip the script.
Speaker 3 (52:37):
So yeah, and it's just, they've all.
There's been something on everytime I've gone somewhere that's
made a huge impact on me, sothere's no favorite, I guess
okay.
Speaker 2 (52:47):
Well, how about a favorite photo that you've taken
?
Speaker 3 (52:52):
Oh, that's even harder.
Speaker 2 (52:57):
Most impactful photo.
It may be from your most recenttrip.
Speaker 3 (53:02):
You know how many photos I took.
Speaker 2 (53:04):
Narrow it down to one .
Speaker 3 (53:07):
I was.
You know, I take, depending onthe day, a thousand or two
thousand photos a day.
Speaker 1 (53:12):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (53:15):
And a lot of them aren't good but well, you sent
me four, so you're able tonarrow it down.
Speaker 3 (53:19):
I sent you four, I know, just to kind of give you a
little taste of what it waslike, I mean, and for me it's
it's so interesting because eachphoto brings back a memory for
me yeah because I was, you know,the one taking it.
So I was there and I know umdid I send you one of, like, a
little girl sitting on theground.
Speaker 2 (53:40):
I can't remember which ones I sent you, now even
um no, not that one okay but, Imean, I just so there's one with
a bunch of kids, yeah it's,it's yeah it's filing like big,
big smile.
Speaker 3 (53:56):
Yeah, I know I mean we were.
They were putting on a dramafor this group of people that
were there, because they, theyhave a language, but 95 percent
are probably illiterate and soyou can't like hand them a Bible
, even if it's in their ownlanguage.
They don't know how to read andso they were acting out bible
(54:17):
stories and they were laughingand having fun because they were
doing different things with thekids and all it.
So I just I look back at myphotos and it's just I know what
is going on in the photo behindthe camera and it just brings
joy to me.
It just it's fun memories of notalways fun, I guess.
I mean, some of the kids werethere.
You know they're, they'restarving and they're just giving
(54:39):
emergency food rations andthings like that.
Um so but he, it triggersmemories.
I guess each photo in me,because I was there and I I know
and it's so, and I realize aphoto or even video can't share
the whole story of what is goingon in a situation.
(54:59):
Yeah, you can't smell what itsmells like there you know, you
can't, you're not hearingeverything, you're not seeing
all the stuff that's going onbehind the camera and the people
brushing up against you and asyou're trying not to step on
people or kids and they justgive a little taste of what is
(55:22):
going on yeah hopefully.
That little taste, can you know, make impact on somebody's
heart yeah absolutely wow.
Speaker 2 (55:32):
Well, I want to wrap up one more question what is
your like key anchoring verseover your ministry?
Do you have that?
Speaker 3 (55:50):
a key anchoring verse yeah, keeps you going I don't
know if I have one in particular.
Speaker 2 (56:00):
Okay, I don't yeah you don't have to, you could get
one later.
Get one later, you might.
Can you tell I'm a coach?
Speaker 3 (56:07):
I I'm like, okay, well, go sit with god, and it's
like photos, because differentverses mean different things at
different times.
Speaker 2 (56:16):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (56:17):
And so I don't have one.
Yeah, you don't have to.
Speaker 2 (56:21):
You know what I think you don't have to?
Tim does not have to have justone.
I'm going to prophesy over thatBecause I've been told you're
multi-passionate.
Speaker 3 (56:33):
Like you don't have to just narrow down I know some
people do, I guess, but I don'tyeah that's okay, yeah I'm good
with that, yeah yes, amen.
Speaker 2 (56:43):
Um well, as I um wrap up, I love to you know I do
this for the one and if youcould just get in mind one
person who's listening in rightnow.
Is there anything that youwould like to um share, any
words of encouragement or wisdomthat you would be led to speak
over them?
Um, and then would you pray usout as we wrap up today?
Speaker 3 (57:08):
I guess you know, if you feel, you know you feel
Sense the Lord leading you in acertain direction, don't fight
it.
Speaker 1 (57:19):
Embrace it.
And just go for it.
Speaker 2 (57:23):
So good, so good.
Yeah, I'll do that I feel it.
Would you pray us out today?
Speaker 3 (57:37):
Yes, I'll do that, I feel it.
Speaker 2 (57:38):
Would you pray us out today?
Yes, I'd like to Okay.
Speaker 3 (57:40):
My wife just walked in the door, so no problem.
Yeah, dear Lord Jesus, I thankyou for this time we could share
together and share the story ofhow you're working're working
in my life and just that I canshare.
How you're working in otherlives around the world and what
you are accomplishing is justamazing, lord, and just thank
(58:03):
you that I can be a small partof that and just do do my little
part to help the people aroundthe world.
I pray this in your name Amen.
Speaker 2 (58:18):
Amen.
Well, thank you, tim.
This has been incredible.
Again, could you just shareyour website, and then I'll also
put it into the show notes too.
Speaker 3 (58:27):
It's justaslingandastoneorg
aslingandastoneorg.
Speaker 2 (58:37):
Okay, sounds good, and if you guys know of anybody
that is looking for what Tim isbringing to this world, please
feel free to reach out to him.
And then I am going to closewith the Hope Unlocked anchoring
verse, which is May the God ofhope fill you with all joy and
peace and believing, so that bythe power of the Holy Spirit,
you may abound in hope, andthat's Romans 15, 13.
So thank you, tim, for being abrave voice.
(58:58):
I always like to say who'ssetting others free, and I
appreciate you being on today.
I will be back with anotherepisode next week, thank you.
Speaker 1 (59:06):
Thank you for having me.
You're welcome you.
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I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!