[00:00:01] Speaker A: You're listening to the Known Legacy podcast, brought to you by Known Legacy Ministries. For more information, go to knownlegacy.org now here's your hosts, Bill A. Travis.
[00:00:16] Speaker B: Hey, thank you guys for checking out Known Legacy. We're glad you're here. This is. I'm Travis. This is Bill, and Kyle's in the corner. Hello. He's our producer, and he does a great job, as always. You can check us out on knownlegacy.org you can find us on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, if that be your thing. Infoown legacy.org if you have any questions, comments, concerns, or prayer requests that have been coming through recently, which is fantastic. So just know we're praying for you and with you. And yeah, so it is post Thanksgiving. Christmas tree is up. Kyle is happy. We can. We can fully engage in all things Christmas now.
[00:00:48] Speaker C: It is now Christmas time.
[00:00:50] Speaker B: It is. It is now Christmas time. His. His favorite holiday has passed, and we are now on the downward slide of the depression into New Year's, so.
[00:00:59] Speaker D: Oh, dear goodness. Although it's funny, you mentioned on one of the podcasts the red and white lights, and I realized yesterday that all my lights are red and white, so I was like, I have Thanksgiving lights.
I don't know how that works.
[00:01:11] Speaker B: That's fantastic. So anyways, without further ado, I know we have a great guest today, and I'm very excited about the conversation with Mike.
Here's the question of the day.
[00:01:19] Speaker D: Question of the day.
[00:01:22] Speaker B: I feel like, you know, we made some bold statements over the last few weeks about food choices and trying our wives stuffing or not trying our wives stuffing. I just wanted to know from you guys, how was your Thanksgiving?
[00:01:35] Speaker D: Yes.
[00:01:36] Speaker B: Any mea culpas, any apologies need to be shared with. What does larger copa mean? That means an apology. That means that you were wrong and you want to make things right kind of thing. And any of that that we need to share with the group. So, Bill, we'll start with you.
Did you try your wife's stuffing?
[00:01:50] Speaker D: So we're at the table, and I said, I told everybody because they all kind of listened to the podcast or no, they'd heard the conversation from the podcast, and they were like, you need to try this.
No, I said, I'm gonna try this right now.
And then my wife stopped me. She goes, oh, wait a minute. This isn't my grandmother's recipe.
[00:02:12] Speaker B: What?
[00:02:13] Speaker D: And I go, wait a minute. So I don't need to try it. So I was like, grab me those stove top.
And me and my daughter devoured the stovetop dressing. So. So I didn't try it.
[00:02:23] Speaker B: That's awesome. So what were some highlights from the Thanksgiving feast for you?
[00:02:26] Speaker D: You know, it was good. It was good getting everybody together. It really was. It was cool to do that. And then even, like, you know, my mother passed away last year, and. And the. The. The last year was just kind of foggy, but this year was kind of sweet because we actually had dinner on her fine china, so it's like she was kind of still there kind of thing.
[00:02:41] Speaker B: Sweet.
[00:02:41] Speaker D: That's probably one of my favorite. And then just like every. Thanks.
A puzzle. And Gabe and his girlfriend were over. Well, we start to put together a puzzle. We're not like. That's what I'm saying. We're not like, we. We start a puzzle, like the pieces are out, and we start looking at it.
[00:02:54] Speaker B: Do you get the AARP discount when you buy the puzzle? What's going on here? This is like. It's such an old man thing.
[00:02:59] Speaker D: I do.
Yeah. Yeah. Yep. Yes. Anyway, so.
So we usually put it out there, and we kind of have. We have this puzzle started, and then we'll kind of work on it until after the New Year's. That's kind of it. Well, Gabe and his girlfriend literally finished it by Thanksgiving. And we're like, what do we do now?
And like, everything goes. There was one piece missing.
[00:03:22] Speaker B: No.
[00:03:23] Speaker D: Like, you know how mad that. Like.
[00:03:25] Speaker B: Yes.
[00:03:26] Speaker D: There's certain things that make me mad, you know, and not really mad, but like.
[00:03:31] Speaker B: The. The. The coin that's been missing.
[00:03:34] Speaker D: Yeah.
[00:03:34] Speaker B: You turned over the house for that one piece, convinced someone had it in a pocket. I promise you, if they had said.
[00:03:39] Speaker D: Puzzle piece in that one, I think I probably would have rejoiced more than a coin.
But anyway, so. Yeah, so. So he finished that up. And so that was kind of a cool thing. I kind of. I kind of like that. But yeah, so. So that was probably one of my highlights.
[00:03:51] Speaker B: Fantastic. Well done. Well done. Kyle, how about you?
[00:03:55] Speaker C: Great. Thanksgiving was my wife's second.
[00:03:58] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:03:59] Speaker C: And we had made plans that I was going to show her how to do Thanksgiving all the way. Oh. And then after we bought everything, we got invited over to a good friends of ours, and so I didn't have to do any of that.
[00:04:11] Speaker B: Nice.
[00:04:12] Speaker C: So we had two Thanksgivings because then we did our own that weekend.
[00:04:16] Speaker D: Oh, that's nice.
[00:04:17] Speaker C: So, yeah, it was really good.
[00:04:19] Speaker B: What's her take on the whole Thanksgiving thing?
[00:04:22] Speaker C: She loves it.
[00:04:22] Speaker B: Good answer.
[00:04:23] Speaker C: Food. And hey, the cowboys won. And how about you, Travis?
[00:04:27] Speaker B: Well, thank you for Asking Kyle, you know what mine was? Mine was bipolar, and I'm not gonna get to one of the polars today, but I will tell you, it was a good Thanksgiving. I did try cranberries in three different forms.
[00:04:41] Speaker D: Wait a minute, Wait a minute. I did.
[00:04:44] Speaker B: I felt obligated to honor the men and women who check into the podcast and were furious that I had such a negative take on cranberries and cranberries.
[00:04:52] Speaker D: It was quite a response, actually.
[00:04:54] Speaker B: And so my. My brother in law brought a can of cranberries because he listens to podcasts, and so he brought a can of cranberries and he did it out and he sliced it. And I said, you know what? In good faith, I'm gonn thing, right? And it was. It was as horrible as I thought it was. It was. It was absolutely.
It was grainy. It was not a sauce. It was like a jam. And I think they should change the name to cranberry jam in a can is what they need to call it. Put it on toast. I have no doubt it's delicious that way.
[00:05:21] Speaker D: Kind of like cran jelly.
[00:05:22] Speaker B: Cran jelly. Cra jelly.
Cra jelly is what this thing should be.
So it. It's. It's. Yeah, it was. It was just not. It was not pleasant. But then my wife decided to take actual cranberries, soak them for 24 hours in some magic elixir because she's part witch, I think. And. And then, like, dust them in, like, powdered sugar and then bake them for a little bit. And then so they're soft and they're covered in powdered sugar. So they're like little cranberry candies. Cran can. Crandies. Crandies. They're crandies.
[00:05:52] Speaker D: Anybody needs some help making up names, we can do this all day for you.
[00:05:55] Speaker B: We're locked in.
[email protected] who needs AI when you have Bill and Travis. They were delicious. I probably ate my weight in those things. They were fantastic.
[00:06:05] Speaker D: So are they sweet?
[00:06:06] Speaker B: Yeah, well, they were. They were tart with a little bit sweet on the outside, but they were just. They were like the perfect. You didn't feel like you were a fat kid in Willy Wonka eating them the whole time. They were just really good. They were really good. So then someone from the church decided to bring me cranberries because they knew about the controversy.
So they brought me cran traversing.
[00:06:28] Speaker D: We're gonna do this all day now.
[00:06:29] Speaker B: Trademark Bill and. And they brought me, like, a cran.
I don't know. It Was more like a fruit salad. And it was. I was. If she's listening, it was good. And thank you very much, Linda. It was good.
[00:06:43] Speaker D: Fruit salad.
Yummy. Yummy.
[00:06:45] Speaker B: With cranberry sauce.
[00:06:47] Speaker D: No.
[00:06:47] Speaker B: So all in all, I mean, great memories. We did. We smoked a turkey. We deep fried a turkey, then we smoked and deep fried a third turkey, and two of them came out great. The smoked then deep fried turkey.
I would not do that again because the deep frying pulls out all the smoke flavor. And so you don't have that smoke flavor in there. Yeah, it just. It was not what I wanted it to be, so. But you guys will be happy to know that you are looking at a champion.
The family cornhole tournament.
[00:07:16] Speaker D: You beat it.
[00:07:17] Speaker B: I beat everyone.
And I, with pride and joy and a victory cigar, let everyone know that they should call me champion for the rest of the weekend. Champion.
[00:07:26] Speaker D: Champion.
[00:07:27] Speaker B: And they did not. So anyways, I'm dealing with instead. That's part of the polar of bipolar. So there we go. Why don't you introduce our guest, man?
[00:07:35] Speaker D: Yeah. We're so glad to have Mike Elkins on today. Missionary Mike Elkins. We're so glad to have you here.
[00:07:41] Speaker B: Howdy, Mike.
[00:07:43] Speaker E: Hey, guys.
[00:07:44] Speaker D: So I am so excited, Mike, glad that you could be on today. And Mike is actually in the states right now, so when I found out he was here, I was like, I got to get him on because I wanted to get you on for a while and share your story. Have had a lot of respect for Mike for many, many years.
[00:07:57] Speaker B: Absolutely.
[00:07:57] Speaker D: And. And so, Mike, I guess the question is the question of the day for you. What was it again?
[00:08:02] Speaker B: Yeah, Thanksgiving. How was your Thanksgiving here stateside? You know, what's different when you're here versus wherever you come from? Yeah. Just kind of share a little bit about Thanksgiving.
[00:08:11] Speaker E: Absolutely. Well, you guys know, I think you're highlighting there's certain sacrifices that we have to make to serve the Lord in certain ways. And so when we knew we were coming back for Thanksgiving and making dinner plans with my mom, who lives here, of course, we ordered Rose's Cafe Mexican food for Thanksgiving.
[00:08:32] Speaker D: That's awesome.
[00:08:33] Speaker E: That's where some of our priorities are. From the top row, the brilliance of west Texas.
[00:08:39] Speaker B: That's fantastic. Well done, sir. Some of the best tortillas you can possibly buy.
[00:08:43] Speaker D: Did you get some tamales? Did you do the tamales, too?
[00:08:46] Speaker E: Yeah, and it's not even Christmas yet. Got tamales, got the chili sauce, fresh tortillas, you know, and so I'm like, you know, no stuffing, but Just stuffing my face full of tortillas is all that was going on.
[00:08:59] Speaker D: So good. Why are we this way?
[00:09:02] Speaker E: Come back in, you know, to the US you're, you're, you're in a handicap. You can't eat the amounts that you want to eat. You, you're like two or three tortillas. Then you're like, I'm already there and I'm not even close to where I want to be.
[00:09:15] Speaker B: But yeah, you didn't go into the training, the North American food training that you needed to go into starting in September. It's a mistake a lot of people make, Mike. It's a mistake. As a champion, I just want to say you can do better next time.
[00:09:28] Speaker D: As a cramp, I will.
[00:09:30] Speaker B: It's a crampion.
No, we're not going to go there.
[00:09:32] Speaker D: Oh, dear goodness. Well, Mike, I'm so excited to have you on. Welcome to the Chaos Man. Share a little bit about your story, who you are for our listeners about your story and kind of everything like that. So go for it. Just start, start where you'd like to and kind of move from there.
[00:09:47] Speaker E: Absolutely. You know, I think born in Texas, raised in Midland, Texas, just West Texas boy living in the desert. Didn't know any different primary secondary schools here. Graduated from Midland High. And that's where the Lord kind of moved me from my salvation faith into my actionable faith. Out of high school I was able to tour with a prison ministry. And so that kind of broadened my scopes right off the bat as to faith in action versus just a faith that saves you. And that was, that was a foundational season for me as a young man. And that just carried into my thought. And as I think a lot of us have those kind of experiences of my faith has more wheels than I'm giving it. And of course, you know, you get caught up in the, the kind of rhythms of developing a career and starting business. My family was a part of the electrical contracting business here in Midland. And so I just fell into the rhythm of running that company and eventually became CEO of that company.
And it was relatively successful. You know, I think we had offices in, in Waco at one point we did a lot of work in dfw and of course Midland was our home base.
And it was really, it was interesting to invest your life into that, in the struggles of just the day in, day out grind of working and the difficulties of it, you know, construction, especially with, you know, trying to complete projects in a timely way. And you're just investing your life, investing your life into the work that you're trying to make money with.
And. And the Lord just started getting a hold of me over a period of time and just saying, you know, you worry about how you invest your money, you worry about how you run your business, you worry about these things. But are you even thinking about your internal investments? Is there any construct of that for you? If you're such a wise investor, why is this not in your portfolio of thought?
And that. That's really what checked me up in a lot of ways was like, well, duh, this is just a vapor of a time. Why would I not be thinking more eternally? And so that's when the Lord really started carrying me down through a thought process, like the rich young ruler who he offered to sell all you have and follow me. And he was just highlighting that because that's where your treasure is right now, right? That's where my treasure was.
I mean, I don't know that we operate in much of a different way. We. We work so hard to build life, and then to be asked to simply give that up and follow me is.
It's really amazing. And so that's what kind of started that journey for me.
[00:12:37] Speaker B: I'm always fascinated to God working on the heart of a man or husband or leader and how that affects other people that he loves and he's providing for and he's impacting. And so what was that journey like for your wife?
Was she on board from the beginning? Was she, like, kind of on board, but, like. And as the sacrifice of what it meant was going to kind of take root, because again, the heart of a wife and the heart of a mom is really, you know, kids and protecting and providing and best schools and best this, best that, because it's for their. The kids, it's for the next generation. And what was that journey like for you guys as you kind of were awakening to this faith in action? I love how you say that faith, not. Not just salvation, but faith in action and the potential implications that might have for you long term.
[00:13:30] Speaker E: Yeah, that's really good. I mean, for me, in that season, I submitted to that calling. I sold the toys that I had at the time and began to just seek after the Lord's calling in my life.
I moved to Australia. I worked with youth with a mission for about three years. And that's when a good friend of mine, Bruce Lowe, called me and said, mike, you know the sending church that had sent me out, Stonegate Fellowship, is looking for someone to play a role here. Back in Midland as a mission specialist. And so I then returned back to Midland. And when I returned, a friend of mine tells me I need to go check out this fan at his house. And oh, by the way, there's a girl there named Megan. And she also loves missions.
And so that was kind of introduction to kind of where the Lord was leading.
[00:14:22] Speaker B: So she's a fan of missions.
[00:14:25] Speaker E: She is.
I mean, she had obviously moved to West Texas to live in the desert to answer the call, because she was also working with Stonegate Fellowship and Verna Berger and all those guys that were working with the South Sudanese at the time, individuals. And she's a nurse. And so you can kind of see the reality of just God aligning a calling. Honestly, we. We wound up. I was working at the church, Megan wound up going on mission trips, and you just kind of look up. And in my case, the Lord has brought along a co laborer that is already aligned in heart and mind. And our. In our love is. Is for the same people. And I think that's an identifier. I think if. If your spouse has that same affinity and love for the calling that you guys share, that. That overcomes so many barriers.
[00:15:21] Speaker B: Yep.
[00:15:22] Speaker E: And inside. Inside our rings, it says it is our. It is our desire to please the Lord. Right. That in our life, we understand that we're being called to be together for a bigger purpose.
And so it just had a bigger kind of framework right from the beginning. So. I think I got a cheat. I think a lot of times maybe those aren't the first thoughts that you have when you're looking for a spouse.
[00:15:47] Speaker B: They never are.
[00:15:49] Speaker E: No, I would say not. I would definitely say I was like, she's hot.
[00:15:54] Speaker B: Well, that's why the fan's important.
[00:15:56] Speaker E: Exactly. All that's there.
And she still. Unfortunately, she doesn't age. She has no wrinkles. And here I'm losing hair and getting older and it's like, oh, your daughter's so beautiful.
[00:16:09] Speaker B: Creepy. Creepy is.
[00:16:11] Speaker E: She is.
[00:16:12] Speaker B: She is. Oh, that's awesome.
That's awesome.
[00:16:16] Speaker D: But go for it.
[00:16:17] Speaker E: Go for it. I got. I gotta cheat. I gotta cheat, guys. I mean, the Lord brought and I look over and I'm like, lord, could it be? And I had this season of fasting and thinking through and like, you know, and then going to her and going. Because she kind of said, what do you think about us? And I was like, I'm serving the Lord. I'm all about God right now, you know, and kind of had that narrative going.
But, man, what a blessing. Guys, how Old were you.
[00:16:41] Speaker B: How old were you when you and you met your fan girl Megan?
[00:16:44] Speaker E: She's. I would be 30.
We got married when I was 36.
[00:16:53] Speaker B: So then how did you like? Because I'm sure there was pressure for you, particularly from the family. You have the family business. You're doing this now. You're transitioning to mission. Yeah. Was there undue pressure about, like, hey, if you're living the American dream, part of that dream is to settle down and to start a family and everything else. And. And how were you able to kind of navigate that pressure and not have baggage coming before you met Megan?
[00:17:18] Speaker E: Oh, no, I had baggage. I had tons of baggage.
[00:17:21] Speaker D: Okay.
[00:17:22] Speaker E: That's not so. Like, even I had been married before and wound up getting a divorce and just, you know, God, reconciling that within my heart and going, this is not the way things are designed or purposed to be. I mean, and even more fully understanding the dynamic of covenantal relationships and what it's exemplifying more than just my own romantic desires or goals and aspirations, because, you know, that was the focus during a season of my life. How. How am I going to be successful at what I'm doing? You know, I'll. I'll work hard, make a lot of money, and I'll support that mission thing. You know, I'll give a little money to that, but not submitted holy to it.
And that, you know, that's. That's the big. That's. You go into it with baggage. But that's what makes that covenant so profound. It's like, oh, this. This ultimately isn't about us.
This is about what we're doing for the kingdom. The Lord has put us together for a purpose.
[00:18:20] Speaker D: Yeah.
[00:18:21] Speaker E: And so that's a lot of it.
[00:18:23] Speaker D: So I. I love that you're talking about that, because I think that the.
The greater majority of. Of men who want to go do something are looking at their life and going, because of all of this stuff.
[00:18:35] Speaker B: Right.
[00:18:36] Speaker D: I'm not worthy.
[00:18:37] Speaker B: Correct.
[00:18:38] Speaker D: So. Or I'm not equipped. Mike, I would love you to speak into that, because there's so many men who see one of our. One of our greatest goals is to call men to come alive, to wake up, gear up, and come alive to who God called them to. That's what we do with this podcast. And so many guys look at those as hurdles that they cannot overcome.
What helped you walk through that? Like, give us some practical tips about how you walk through that. Because honestly, here's the thing. Mike has done a lot for the Kingdom, Right. He's been overseas for I don't know how many years. You now have it. I mean, his story, I mean, I want to get into that story, but so many incredible things. I have a lot of respect for Mike, but you're right, it starts with those hurdles. Could you speak into that a little bit, bro?
[00:19:20] Speaker E: Yeah. I think for a long time, you know, I knew that divorce was not a part of God's heart. I knew that that was not a part of his perfect plan.
And I just kind of had submitted myself to just stay single, honestly, and that, that I was committed to that pathway. And so as things came into play and I see Megan coming in and I see our hearts aligning, I had to wrestle with the reality of is this an option? That the Lord, could there be that kind of grace and forgiveness that would allow me a second chance? And if we cannot grasp that reality for ourselves in that moment, you can definitely question, have you received forgiveness for fully understanding the grace that Christ offers us at any level?
Because that is how profound it is. It really. It was a moment where I was like, yes, I am forgiven. Yes, that is not God's heart. And yes, he has given me a second chance with a spouse who's like minded, who is about our calling and our desire to serve the Lord. And yeah, I mean, so the hurdles were there, but it was more like you said, Bill, it was more the reality of self inflicted hindrances and not walking into the grace of Christ. I mean, there's just a lot of things in our backgrounds, you know, being raised in church and all of that, that, oh, you're a lesser than.
You're. No, you're spoiled, you're no longer any good. You know, all of that.
[00:21:01] Speaker B: And I feel like so often we allow those broken moments to become anchors rather than launch pads where God's grace shines brightest. Yeah. And that's what I love about Paul. Like in so many ways, you're talking about what Paul was talking about. It's like, dude, you know my past, you know my history, and it is all trash compared to the greatness of Jesus Christ. Yeah. And I think a lot of guys don't get to the greatness in Jesus Christ. They. They just look at it and say it's all trash.
[00:21:25] Speaker D: Yeah.
[00:21:25] Speaker B: And you're like, yeah, it is all trash. But Christ is a redemptive God that takes trash and does miraculous things through it to proclaim him his grace and his goodness. And that's what you're living, Mike. And yeah, that's Fantastic.
[00:21:38] Speaker D: No, I love it. I love that. It's almost like I want to say, like, from. From. From divorce to on course. Oh, I feel like you really. You really hit it.
[00:21:45] Speaker B: That's your book, Mike. That's your book.
[00:21:46] Speaker D: There it is.
Because. Because I love that you did not let the brokenness define you. Like, I know that that's. And especially. And you're coming from your hometown where it's like, you know scripture, everyone knows it. You know, prophet is without honor, accepting as you know, all that kind of. So it's just this idea of, Mike, you overcame so many obstacles. I love it. And so knowing those obstacles and looking at that and saying, I can choose to look at those obstacles or I can choose to look at the truth of God's word and what it says. And I love that you did because it brought so much fruit in your life. What are some things that you've seen? I mean, because. Share a little bit of your experience on the field and kind of what you did over there when you started all that kind of stuff. I'd love to hear something of that story.
[00:22:28] Speaker E: Well, now you've got a co laborer, like we said, you know, Megan and I get married while I'm here. I'm still working at Stonegate Fellowship and Missions. The Lord is broadening my understanding of his global movements today.
And all of a sudden, Megan and I are feeling like we're called. We have our two boys, Keen and Cohen, and they're growing up and getting older.
One's three and one's five. And we're like, we know that we want to live now this reality that Megan and I are living as, on mission, as a family, that this isn't dad's calling or mom's calling or the mom and dad's calling, but our calling that our identity is not in how I perform in sports or what I'm doing in school, but who we are as a family and how we're serving the Lord and we're carrying that vision. We felt like that vision could be most easily carried with us serving together in the field because I went to the church. Megan worked at Memorial Hospital as a nurse. And we wanted to unify our calling as a family. And that led us to answer a call back into the field. I had been in the field before Megan Elso. And so Megan was actually on a trip in South Sudan at the time. And she calls me on the phone and she's like, I know we've been entertaining different things because I'm a pilot and we were looking at going with mission, aviation, fellowship and different other things. But I feel the Lord is.
[00:23:48] Speaker D: Of course he is. Of course he's a pilot too.
[00:23:53] Speaker E: But I feel the Lord is calling us to continue the work we're doing in South Sudan and continue to love the young boys and girls that he's given us to care for through the program that we had been a part of, helping to found and start there. And so, yeah, I think that's a big part of now moving in the whole family down into this. And I love watching my boys now I'll jump forward and, you know, we're having dinners and they're answering questions is better than I am these days. And you can just see the ownership. And even my oldest, as he's going off to university, he's like, but I really do. I do a gap year where I can serve more intently without school being in the way or do I go on to college? And he's like, I'm going to go on to college, but I'm coming right back. I'm building my house and we're going to. I'm going to do this thing in Uganda. And it's just amazing, guys. It's amazing to see the treasure that we are having now as we have just submitted our lives to serving Lord.
[00:24:56] Speaker B: So, so let's say, guys, listen to this. And he's feeling a call to do something big and bodacious for God and his. His wife is in alignment.
What is that mission field? Like your deployed mission field? Are you still in Sudan or the Sudan are. Where are you at now? And like, how is that. What were some of the hurdles to get to that point?
And how are you serving now?
[00:25:21] Speaker E: Yeah, absolutely. When we first went into northern Uganda, it was still working with aviation. I worked. I got my AMP airframe parap licenses as well to go along with my commercial pilot's license. And I served as a managing program there in Arua, Uganda. We had looked at moving directly back into South Sudan and working with a local church partner that we had there along with His Voice Global. But then we wound up actually not being able, due to insecurity, being able to move back into South Sudan. We wound up just locating on. Just on the other side of the border in Uganda in a town called Arua. And at that point I was actually put on loan to African Inland Mission as well as a manager for their aviation program.
Then what happens is this is why I say it once, I say it a million times, make a plan, hold it like this. Yeah, The Lord's going to direct your steps, but make a plan, because I think you can go. Well, I just want. I'll just wait for the Lord to speak.
And that leaves you this. In this ambiguous no go zone where nothing ever happens, make a plan. Give God your yes. Take steps towards that plan, but hold it like this. And as things change, it'll make more sense. And so, like, as we land in Arua with that aviation component, we're helping with peace between rebel forces and flying leaders around South Sudan and helping kind of broker a peace agreement in the region there.
Our students that we had been serving in South Sudan didn't have access to the education that they needed for next level university and trades. Next thing I know, we're not even there four or five months and the first student moves into our home there in Arua. And then the second and the third, then it's six, then it's 15. And so we began to be a hub as a family mentor as well, to facilitate a pipeline of education coming out of South Sudan and into Uganda. And so that was on that point, I'm like, okay, I see where you're going, Lord. And I kind of moved out of the aviation.
[00:27:19] Speaker B: Yes.
[00:27:20] Speaker E: And into. And we made another family mentor home. And we began to continue to walk with that whole generation. Now, I don't think any of us. Bill, do you remember Rock the Desert out here?
[00:27:31] Speaker D: Yeah, I used to emcee me, actually, me and Travis used to emcee the event together.
[00:27:34] Speaker E: There you go.
Do you remember the year they did the Rock the Desert for the Morobo orphanage? This is like 2003 and 4.
[00:27:42] Speaker D: No, we didn't get there till 05.
[00:27:45] Speaker E: Okay, well, that was like a lot of what had happened here in West Texas. A lot of people got around and supported an initiative that started a center in Sudan at the time. And so those kids that came into that center were now getting college age. And we had been walking faithfully with them. Now coming up 15 and now over 20 years. And I don't know that we started intentionally with a Rock the Desert concert. You're just reacting kind of to a need. These. These orphans are going to die if we don't do something. And then after, you just keep being consistent, you. Now I'm at 20 year mark and these guys are amazing. I'm like able to see the fruit of what the Lord has done. And it hasn't been any one organization or church or it's been the Lord moving in the hearts and minds of so many people. Over two decades.
[00:28:35] Speaker B: So good.
[00:28:36] Speaker D: I love it.
[00:28:37] Speaker E: To advance his care for these young men and women. And so in this season, we find ourselves on the ground there, just kind of bookending their educational season and them going into university and. And now they're like. Like our mission statement, raising up leaders among the vulnerable. They're now leaders or lawyers, and they're nurses and midwives and they're electricians and they're engineers and architects and. And they are, like, have had this brilliant love of the Lord consistently for two decades. Yes. And they're going, I want to give back. And I want to give back wherever the Lord may lead. That may be back in South Sudan, that could be in Uganda, that could be anywhere in the world. And so it's really. It's. This season has been a season of fruitfulness, and it's been a blessing.
[00:29:22] Speaker B: Praise God.
[00:29:23] Speaker D: I just wish that Mike was excited about what he was doing. I just. It sounds really boring so far. No, it's incredible. And I love it because I feel like it all started. I love that this. The God. God has built this theme. But you took your brokenness. You didn't be. You weren't allowed yourself to be defined by those. And then, man, you. You made a plan. Just like you said, you made a plan. And then from there you just said, God, this is yours. Let your steps direct, you know. You know, direct me, like.
[00:29:49] Speaker B: Yep.
[00:29:50] Speaker D: And so I love this heart of. And then it moved from aviation to being this. This. This place where people could belong and they felt safe.
I love it, Mike. I love it. So, man. I love the encouragement you have towards the man who's broken, towards the man who feels like I've got nothing to offer.
See what God can do right through you. Imagine if you believed your lies, Mike, and instead just lived as well. This is all I am.
[00:30:15] Speaker B: Right.
[00:30:16] Speaker D: But then imagine what you could do if you did. So. So, man, I love it. So what. What's next for you? What's on the next docket for you? What do you think God is leading you to next?
[00:30:25] Speaker E: Oh, I mean, like I said, we didn't intentionally set out to be doing this for 20 years when Megan and I kind of jumped into all of this.
But as we kind of come to the end of the season with one generation, we're already picking up the next one. We've helped develop the Arise center, which is now located in northern Uganda.
This place is amazing, guys. It's a place of rest and respite, of care for our community.
But most of all, what it is, is a community based, inclusive development program.
In this season, we're taking up the most vulnerable, the least of these, the ones who are forgotten and abandoned in our community.
And we are seeking them out and we are providing services in their homes and we are committing again to another 20 years of serving and caring for them.
And that's only because we've seen God's faithfulness to this past generation that we have hope and faith to do the same thing for the next guys.
[00:31:23] Speaker B: I love it. And like Bill was saying, the fact that you're like, make a plan, but then hold it with open hands and gentlemen, I just want to encourage you, if you're listening, or ladies, if you're listening to this man, just realize the impact that the gospel has had in the families in Africa because of a man from Midland and Odessa willing to just say, my brokenness has been redeemed by God. He's given me a faithful partner in this mission and ministry. And we're just going to step out and we're going to keep stepping out and we're going to keep looking and seeing where the spirit is leading and we're going to follow wherever he leads and the impact that's making. And it's not just with the family and the kids, which you've already alluded to, but it's so much more. And gentlemen, I promise you, God is having this calling in many of your lives in North America. We are not blessed to live in America so we can just build bigger houses and stronger walls around us. He's calling us and deploying us into the world that desperately needs the hope of the good news.
Man. Mike, just what an example. If anyone wants to get a hold of you or be a part of this mission or maybe even just go and journey with you for a short season to be inspired. What's the best way to get a hold of you? What's the best way to contact you?
[00:32:31] Speaker E: Yeah, you can get a hold of
[email protected] that's my email and we have a website, his voiceglobal.com if you want to look us up there.
[00:32:40] Speaker D: Awesome.
[00:32:41] Speaker E: That's, that's us.
[00:32:42] Speaker D: And we will include a link right here, right, right above this for, for Vernon's podcast, which also, he was the, he was the, one of the founders of his voice. And so we will, we will, man. We'll, we'll have that in there as well. But Mike, before we jump into the Fast5, any final thoughts to those, to those out there? That are feeling like, man, I'm broken, or man, I have this on me. Any final thoughts you'd like to share with them?
[00:33:06] Speaker E: Yeah. I would say it isn't that your desires are too much for the Lord, it's that you settle for so much less. The treasure that the Lord offers us is so much more than what you're building for yourself. And so while, yes, it has sacrifice and has things that we die to in and of ourselves, what gets replaced, and that is so much more. And then at the end of this life, it looks like we've sold our whole properties and everything we have. Have. But we know the treasure that is in the field that we purchased mic drops.
[00:33:39] Speaker B: So that.
[00:33:40] Speaker E: I mean, I love it.
That's truth, guys. I mean, come on. We know the scripture says this, but we don't live it.
Any wise investor would actually take hold of that and go, I want what we do to echo into eternity.
[00:33:56] Speaker D: So good.
[00:33:57] Speaker B: So good.
[00:33:58] Speaker D: Well, I wish we were on the same page, Mike.
This is incredible, man. I love it. That's exactly what we want. Want for men. So if you're out there, if you're discouraged, man, if you're saying, I need some time to get away and man, do something of purpose to see what that looks like, connect with Mike. We're going to put. Put the link in our notes. Yep. And. And as well as. As man, just being encouraged to not look at your wounds, to have a plan and then let God continue to move that plan.
[00:34:24] Speaker B: Correct being.
[00:34:25] Speaker D: I love. I love guys like Mike who are an example to all of us who. Who aren't. Aren't led by the giant writing in the sky, but are led by the whisper of the Lord.
And I love this. So may we be men that listen to the whisper of the Lord. So love it. Mike. Thank you so much. And as we finish, we have our fast five.
[00:34:45] Speaker B: For you.
[00:34:46] Speaker D: So, man, question one.
If you could tell people to go support a cause or ministry, what would it be and why?
[00:34:54] Speaker E: Oh, that's. Yeah, that's easy. You guys know my heart. You just heard it. We're. We're signing up for another 20 years. So our. Our program, our Thrive program is going to be developing an educational framework to give children with disabilities access to education. And that Thrive program is part of the His Voice Global. And so, like, please jump in there and don't just commit one year or two years, but, like, join the adventure of two more decades ahead.
[00:35:21] Speaker D: Yeah. If you are someone who said, hey, man, even. Even as I'm going, I want to give to something that matters.
This matters.
[00:35:28] Speaker B: Yep. Absolutely.
[00:35:29] Speaker D: Awesome. Awesome. Okay. Number two, if you could describe legacy with one word or phrase, what would it be?
[00:35:37] Speaker E: Yeah, I think it's. You know, that's such a thought these days. Legacy. And I think.
I think we think of it as an inheritance of sorts. But I would just want to put the spin on of it, of not the inheritance I'm leaving in this world, but the inheritance that I'm receiving in the world after and the inheritance that my children have learned to invest their lives in. That is beyond this world. And so inheritance is it. But it's not necessarily what you would think in the way the world sees things.
[00:36:10] Speaker B: Yep.
[00:36:10] Speaker D: I love it. I love it.
It's so good. Number three, what is a family tradition you have for the holiday season?
[00:36:19] Speaker E: I think our tradition that's formed over the years for all the holidays is just including our faith family.
Being away from our biological families is difficult, but it, you know, the Lord has replaced those. It's broadened our family structures in such an amazing way. And incorporation of our faith family in all of our holidays is a big part of our traditions.
[00:36:41] Speaker D: That's cool.
[00:36:42] Speaker B: Beautiful. That's cool.
[00:36:43] Speaker D: It's cool. Number four, what is a go to fruit you would have if you had to pick one?
[00:36:48] Speaker B: Not cranberry.
[00:36:49] Speaker E: No question.
[00:36:50] Speaker B: No.
[00:36:51] Speaker E: Yeah, not cranberry.
If you guys ever come to Uganda, we have these little small, sweet bananas, and they are like nothing you've ever tasted. And you'll wonder why the Lord has deprived you for so long as to taste the goodness.
[00:37:06] Speaker D: I can't wait.
[00:37:07] Speaker B: Dude, he's a salesman. I'm in.
[00:37:09] Speaker D: I'm in.
[00:37:09] Speaker B: I'm going. I'll book my flight tomorrow. Let's go. He said sweet, and I'm all in.
[00:37:14] Speaker D: I'm all in. It's awesome. Okay, number five, what do you want to be remembered for by those closest to you?
[00:37:22] Speaker E: Yeah. And, you know, I think it's one that you never fully know you're achieving or not, but just that he loved. Well, he loved.
[00:37:32] Speaker D: Well, that.
[00:37:34] Speaker E: That he loved his wife. Well, they loved his kids.
[00:37:37] Speaker B: Well, he loved his biggest fan, Megan.
[00:37:39] Speaker D: You know, his biggest fan, Megan, is that. Look at that. See, we threw that in there.
[00:37:42] Speaker B: I'm throwing it in. I. I gotta use it every chance I get. I'm a dad. I got to do a dad joke.
[00:37:46] Speaker D: The dad jokes have to be abundant here. So, Mike, this is. This has been a blessing. I hope we get you on again. Maybe we can get you on sometime on the field over there. And kind of see, that would be awesome. That'll be a. It'll be a trick, but we will. We will give it a shot. But, man, Mike, thank you for your faithfulness of 20 years. Thank you for your willingness to look beyond the wounds, to make a plan, to hear from the voice of God and see the fruit of it. And if you're out there listening, try it.
God is worth your time. Getting in the truth, seeing the lies and destroying them with God's truth is what we need to do. And then start making a plan.
[00:38:21] Speaker B: Yep.
[00:38:22] Speaker D: You know, so many people just kind of wait. Like Mike said, we. They wait for the red carpet to get rolled out, but instead for us to go, I'm gonna try this and see and just let God show up.
[00:38:31] Speaker B: Love it.
[00:38:31] Speaker D: And in this case, God showed off.
[00:38:33] Speaker B: Yes.
[00:38:33] Speaker D: And so I love that. So, Mike, thank you so much for who you are. Thank you for doing, guys. Thanks for listening today. Check us out. Do us a favor, share this with your friends, man, and let us know. Leave a review, but let us know, man, where God is challenging you in your life today. Info at Known Legacy or leave it in the comments. We'd love to know what God is doing in your life. Guys, thank you so much for this week.
Make sure you subscribe and listen, and we hope you guys have a great week.
[00:38:59] Speaker B: God bless.
[00:39:00] Speaker D: God bless you guys.
[00:39:02] Speaker A: Thanks for listening to the no Legacy podcast cast. We'd love to hear from you. So email us your questions or comments to infonolegacy.org.
