Episodes

Liz shares how she experienced God’s provision and help in practical ways when she was new to the U.S., navigating student life, parenthood, and cultural adjustments.

This episode is the second part of my conversation with Indian American theologian, Dr. Sam George. He’s the director of the Global Diaspora Institute at Wheaton College Billy Graham Center, Illinois, and has authored and edited twenty books and numerous journal articles. Sam studies and teaches how the movement of people impacts Christianity. In the previous episode (part 1) , Sam talked about his personal immigrant background and shared his insights and wisdom regarding the intersection of th...

This episode is part one of a two-part conversation with Indian American theologian, Dr. Sam George. He’s the director of the Global Diaspora Institute at Wheaton College Billy Graham Center, Illinois, and has authored and edited twenty books and numerous journal articles. Sam studies and teaches how the movement of people impacts Christianity. In this episode, Sam talks about how his background as an immigrant from the Andaman Islands of India shaped his faith and why he left a successful care...

In this episode, I talk with Heidy De La Cruz, who is the host of the two-time award-winning podcast, The American Dream in the Eyes of Immigrants, where immigrants share their journey of coming to the United States. Heidy shares the inspiration behind starting her podcast and the impact of podcasting on her spiritual life. Through podcasting and mentoring other podcasters, she believes she’s fulfilling her God-given purpose. She and I talk about the powerful effect of storytelling both on the ...

In this special episode, my husband, Simon Ninan joins me in sharing our story as immigrants from India to the U.S. He works as Senior Vice President and Global Head of Strategy for Hitachi Vantara in Silicon Valley. Like me, he was born and raised in a Christian family in India. Simon and I have been married for almost eighteen years and that’s also how long we’ve been immigrants. We discuss the culture shocks and challenges we experienced during our initial years as immigrants. We reflect on ...

Our guest, Elisa Johnston, is a fellow Redbud writer, a writers’ coach, a nonprofit consultant, and author of two books, Justice-Minded Kids and The Life Mapping Workbook. She explains why she views herself as a “hidden immigrant.” Elisa discusses how to instill values of compassion, empathy, and justice in kids of all ages. She suggests practical ways parents can encourage their children to care for immigrants and refugees, build relationships with diverse groups of people, and use their voice ...

Our guest, writer and transition coach, Carolyn Grant, is no stranger to change. Born and raised in South Africa, she moved to the U.K. and then to the U.S. In this episode, she and I discuss both the challenges and blessings we experience as immigrants. Carolyn reflects on how her immigrant journey strengthened her faith in God and what inspired her to become a transition coach. She shares tips on navigating seasons of change with purpose and hope. Takeaways Transition is ongoing for many imm...

February is Black History Month. We’d like to spotlight Keishia Lee Louis, an African American educator and children’s author, who’s using her words to impact the next generation for good. Through both scholarship and storytelling, Keishia seeks to illuminate God’s image reflected in literature and children’s lives. Keishia and I discuss her book Use Your Palabras, Jovita! which is based on the life of a lesser known hero of American history, Jovita Idar. A Mexican-American journalist, activist...

In this special episode, I share a Christmas message with you. Jesus’ birth story demonstrates that He was no ordinary, earthly King. He is humble, servant King who came to love, serve, and save others. His beginnings were humble. Jesus’ parents were poor and He was born in an insignificant village, Bethlehem. When He was only a toddler, He became a refugee along with His parents. Jesus associated Himself with the poor, the despised, the lowly, and the refugee. And this has implications for us...

The Bible is replete with stories of men and women who were immigrants, like Abraham, Moses, Daniel, and Esther, to name a few. Their experience of living in foreign cultures and lands not only intersected with their personal spiritual formation but also played an important role in the meta narrative of the Bible. One of the goals of this podcast is to highlight biblical immigrant characters so that we recognize how migration intersects with Scripture and draw important truths from their stories...

Author and entrepreneur Eloise Benoit was born in Haiti and moved to the U.S. after a catastrophic 7.0 earthquake struck her country in 2010. The disaster was traumatic not only for her but also for everyone in Haiti. Eloise shares some details of her life before and after the tragedy. She talks about the challenges and joys of integrating into the American culture as a teenager and the people who welcomed and helped her as she tried to fit in. She and I also discuss the importance of faith in h...