What makes a strong family culture on the mission field? How do you keep your values intact when everything around you is shifting? And is it possible to raise emotionally healthy kids overseas—without losing yourself in the process? In this episode, Jonathan and Elizabeth Trotter spill the tea about the joys and challenges of parenting abroad.

From bathroom disco lights and jet-skiing through monsoon floods to grief, transition, and adolescent pushback, they share honest stories and practical tools for keeping your family grounded, connected, and even playful in the midst of cross-cultural life.

If you’re longing to raise thriving kids and stay sane yourself, this one’s packed with the wisdom and grace you need.

Connect with the Trotters: www.trotters41.com

In This Episode, You'll Learn:

• How to identify your family’s “secret sauce” — and what to do when you realize you’ve lost it.
• Why routines and rituals (yes, even Saturday showers) are a lifeline during hard seasons.
• What to say to yourself when your teen suddenly wants nothing to do with you.
• How to balance ministry and family without sacrificing either (spoiler: it starts with a pre-decision).
• What MKs really need to thrive — and how to create a culture that supports them long-term.

Thanks for listening! Email us your questions at care@modernday.org

Website: https://www.modernday.org/podcast

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLu3ie6N7vXvESqcHrM-SRTC7-XoPEmnv6

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/moderndaymissions/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/moderndaymissions/

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LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/moderndaymissions/

Have you ever felt like you were doing all the right things spiritually—reading, praying, serving—but still felt disconnected from God?

In this powerful and eye-opening episode, Geoff & Cyd Holsclaw—pastors, authors, and spiritual formation experts—walk us through the Landscapes of the Soul, a transformative framework rooted in attachment theory that reveals how our nervous system, relationships, and early experiences shape how we relate to God.

From the war zone to the desert, the jungle, and the pasture, they unpack how each of us connects—or struggles to connect—with God, and how we can begin to move toward healing, wholeness, and joyful connection.

Whether you’re in a season of spiritual dryness, ministry fatigue, or just craving deeper intimacy with God, this conversation will give you language, hope, and a pathway forward.

This episode will change how you see your story, your spiritual life, and your attachment to God—and open new doors of understanding for yourself and others.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

• How to tell if you're operating in connection or protection mode—and why it matters in your walk with God
• The surprising way your nervous system reacts to spiritual practices (and how to work with it, not against it)
• Why some spiritual disciplines just don’t “work” for you—and how to find what actually helps you grow
• How your early relationships shaped your view of God—and what to do if that view feels distorted
• A simple question to ask yourself when you feel distant, dry, or emotionally numb in prayer

Thanks for listening! Email us your questions at care@modernday.org

Website: https://www.modernday.org/podcast

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLu3ie6N7vXvESqcHrM-SRTC7-XoPEmnv6

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/moderndaymissions/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/moderndaymissions/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@moderndaymissions

X: https://twitter.com/Modern_Day

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/moderndaymissions/

What happens when your missionary journey includes parenting a child with special needs?How do you handle therapy, schooling, and support in a cross-cultural setting? How do you balance your calling with your kid’s unique needs?

In this very raw, hope-filled panel conversation, Stephanie, along with two missionary couples, the Maurers and Wurdemans, share their unique journeys of parenting children with special needs on the field—and all of the emotions that go with it!

Whether your child was diagnosed before you went overseas or while on the field, you’ll find encouragement, camaraderie, and practical wisdom here. We talk adoption, diagnosis, cultural stigma, guilt, sibling dynamics, marriage strain, faith struggles—and the surprising gifts God weaves through it all.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

• What to say (and not say) when people in your host culture misunderstand your child’s needs.
• Why some missionary parents feel isolated—and where to find others who truly get it.
• How faith and frustration often show up together on this parenting journey.
• Creative ways to build community support, even when resources are scarce.
• The power of honest conversations with your sending church and supporters.

Thanks for listening! Email us your questions at care@modernday.org

Website: https://www.modernday.org/podcast

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLu3ie6N7vXvESqcHrM-SRTC7-XoPEmnv6

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/moderndaymissions/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/moderndaymissions/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@moderndaymissions

X: https://twitter.com/Modern_Day

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/moderndaymissions/