177: Transformed Students to Transformed Adults in Tanzania - A Calling Story (with Emmanuel and Ruth Mbennah)
Transformed & Transformational
Release Date: 03/21/2025
The Myth of Fleece Guidance | Spiritual Formation with Brian Delamont (Episode 202)
Transformed & Transformational
Have you ever found yourself laying out a fleece like Gideon, hoping God will make the way clear? Brian Delamont returns to the podcast for a thoughtful conversation about how God speaks to us and how we can posture ourselves to listen. Judges 6 “The problem isn’t with God, it’s that we’re not listening to what He has already told us, and we’re asking Him the wrong questions because of that.” Psalm 89:46-51 Isaiah 30:21 “I think everyone longs for this – for God to just tell us.” “My heart has to want to listen to God. There is a waiting posture. And then, my heart also...
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Moving the Family to Togo | A Calling Story with Chrischona and Koudjo Sodji (Ep. 201)
Transformed & Transformational
Hear the story of how a missionary kid from Austria met someone from a village in Togo, what it has been like to move their family from Chicago to Togo, and how God has given them a vision for transformational education in West Africa. “Once we got married, we sensed that we had been called to serve but at the same time, we didn’t really know what role we would be playing.” - Koudjo “I could have never dreamed up this job myself and the perfect fit, but God knows this.” - Chrischona “It was during those years of working with TeachBeyond that the vision for starting TeachBeyond...
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Christmas Around the World and in the Classroom | Our 200th Episode!
Transformed & Transformational
Tune in to hear about Christmas celebrations in different cultures and classrooms around the globe! What’s changing our lives: Keane: Playing board games Heather: Volunteering with Foster Love Project Weekly Spotlight: We’d love to hear from you! Podcast Website: Learn about TeachBeyond:
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Spiritual Conversations at Christmastime | Zoom In with Kevin King (Ep. 199)
Transformed & Transformational
Why do I always feel awkward sharing my faith? What could it look like to have intentional spiritual conversations? Author Kevin King shares about the power of living authentically and letting the Lord lead. by Kevin King Deuteronomy 6 Luke 10 “Living out loud is not living obnoxiously.” “If you’re not awkward about your spirituality, they won’t feel awkward about it.” Matthew 10:19 “This is not about a strategy for how to get to the Gospel. It will get to the Gospel for people who are interested. It’s just about feeling comfortable in our own spiritual skin, dismantling...
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The Myth of Being Perfect | Spiritual Formation with Brian Delamont (Ep. 198)
Transformed & Transformational
Are we really called to “be perfect”? Brian Delamont unpacks the meaning of “teleios” and how God’s own completeness becomes our refuge and righteousness. Matthew 5:48 Greek: teleios Colossians 1:28-29 “It’s the work of God Himself in Jesus on the cross and in His resurrection power, which enables us to be complete and filled with His Holy Spirit.” 2 Samuel 22:31 “God uses His perfection as a shield for those of us who come and take refuge in Him.” Deuteronomy 32:4 Hebrew: tāmîm “A perfect spotless lamb in the Old Testament points toward the perfect Lamb of God who...
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At Home in God’s Calling | A Calling Story with Rio Handley (Ep. 197)
Transformed & Transformational
Hear from Rio Handley, Associate Regional Director of East Asia and Oceania, about how God has been at work as she has lived in different homes and held different roles over the course of her years in missions. “I feel at home where God has placed me. I feel at home at the center of His will.” “I’ve seen the grace of God in my life, and I’ve seen how God moves.” “Missions is not just the missionary’s responsibility; missions is the church’s responsibility.” “We cannot put missionaries on a pedestal because we are all part of one Body, and when God calls people to...
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How to Navigate Staff Conflict in Schools | Teacher’s Desk with Lori Neumann, Peter Sargent, and Nate Cook of GDQ International Christian School (Ep. 196)
Transformed & Transformational
It takes humility, intentionality, and the power of the Holy Spirit to create a workplace of trust and unity amongst school staff. Hear from members of the team at GDQ International Christian School in Albania about their experiences with navigating conflict. “We want to have the school be a safe place so that people can voice disagreements that they have and know that someone will listen to them.” -Lori “One thing that helps to resolve conflict is, on some level, to expect there to be at least different perspectives.” -Nate “Continue to build into relationships among the staff so...
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From Gap Year to Founder | Zoom In with Katie Davis Majors (Ep.195)
Transformed & Transformational
Katie Davis Majors, bestselling author and founder of Amazima Ministries, shares about the experience of following Jesus one step at a time into a story she couldn’t have imagined. Hear the remarkable story of childlike faith and community impact through education and discipleship. “Meeting people’s needs is good and is right and is what Jesus calls us to do, to make sure that our neighbors do have access [...] but also, we don’t want to give people those things without giving them the hope and the truth of the gospel.” “Jesus says to have faith like a child, and I think as...
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The Myth of Calling | Spiritual Formation with Brian Delamont (Ep. 194)
Transformed & Transformational
Have you ever thought that “calling” was just for certain people or wondered if you had somehow missed God’s call for your life? Or, do you worry that God might call you to something you don’t want to do? Brian Delamont joins Heather and Keane to tackle the myths about “calling.” 1 Timothy 2:4 “God calls people to Himself.” “Once we know Him and His truth, we become a part of His body, a part of the Church, and as His disciples, we enter into a lifelong process of becoming who He knows we can be and doing what He asks us to do.” Matthew 28:18-20 “Calling rests on a lot...
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Lottie Moon | Calling Story from History with Amy Whitfield (Ep. 193)
Transformed & Transformational
Teachers have been missionaries throughout history! Learn today about Lottie Moon, a missionary who used education in bringing the Gospel to China. by Amy Whitfield “We’ve always been open to if the Lord would send us overseas, we would go, but for now He’s called us to point people here [...] to the other side of the world.” “I think it’s imperative for us to know the stories of the past, particularly those who have gone on before us in the church, to get the context, the history that we have come from.” “It matters to know the story of how the Gospel has spread to places...
info_outlineEmmanuel and Ruth Mbennah serve as TeachBeyond leaders in Tanzania with an amazing story and vision for their country. Hear how Emmanuel’s childhood experience with school and Ruth’s background as a teacher play into their ministry today.
- “Where I was born and where I grew up, there was no church, there was no school, there was no hospital, there was no road going to that place.” -Emmanuel
- “No matter the circumstances in which one grows up, education can really define the destiny of the person. Education is key, education is possible. People regardless of where they are born and where they are raised; they have the potential to pursue education.” -Emmanuel
- “I was fortunate to have a teacher who also had a heart to expose us to the Word of God, and then somehow God used that to propel me into a further search.” -Emmanuel
- “You need education, but one that acknowledges and makes space for the learner to encounter the exposure to the Gospel so they can change.” -Emmanuel
- “I celebrate telling this story because I see the hand of God in my life.” - Emmanuel
- “We want teachers to know the Bible and to be able to transform students, and also students can transform communities.” -Ruth
- “The Gospel story is actually our strong instrument when we talk about transformation.” -Ruth
- “This is the kind of ministry that carries the mechanism that can lead to the realization of the promise of education.” -Emmanuel
- “We want them to know this is a very unique opportunity for the transformation of communities through the Gospel, using education. So I would like to impact schools, owners, managers, teachers, to have the philosophy of transformational education become the philosophy of education for Tanzania.” -Emmanuel
- “Everyone who has access to education must have access to education that can transform their lives.” -Emmanuel
- “I’m not in the wrong place at the wrong time. I am a product of divine orchestration to be here now to do what I’m doing.” -Emmanuel
- “I was not just lucky. God was up to something, and that something was for today, for such a time as this.” -Emmanuel
- “I want the Gospel to transform every group that I meet when I train using Sparrow Project strategies.” -Ruth
- “For us as believers, it’s not so much accomplishments as much as the grace of God that has propelled us to this point.” -Emmanuel
What’s changing our lives:
- Keane: Online book club
- Heather: Visiting a friend from university
- Ruth: Sparrow Project techniques
- Emmanuel: Speaking at a retreat and reflecting on his level of commitment
Weekly Spotlight: Sparrow Project
We’d love to hear from you! podcast@teachbeyond.org
Podcast Website: https://teachbeyond.org/podcast
Learn about TeachBeyond: https://teachbeyond.org/