SO THAT Missions Podcast | FBC Boerne

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Rock bottom is not the end of a story, but it can be the first honest page. We talk with Ashley Thomas, whose path runs through years of addiction, incarceration, and the crushing loss of trust, then into a surprising place of peace: late nights in prison reading a Bible and finally surrendering everything to Jesus. What follows is not a quick fix. It is a slow, steady rebuilding of a life, a faith, and a new identity that is no longer defined by the worst moments.

Ashley shares how Grace House, a faith-based transition home for women coming out of incarceration in San Antonio, became a critical bridge between prison and a stable future. We dig into why a nine-month reentry program matters, how healing takes time, and how discipleship and structure can protect women from returning to the same people, places, and patterns. We also talk about the deeper work underneath recovery: releasing shame, learning who God says you are, and letting grace shape your next steps.

From there, the conversation moves inside the Kendall County Jail through Christian Journey Courses (CJC), a five-week faith-based life skills and behaviour transformation course. Ashley explains why teaching boundaries, conflict resolution, anger management, healthy relationships, money management, and dealing with guilt hits differently when it comes from someone who has actually lived it. One moment in a Texas prison captures the heart of prison ministry: choosing compassion over judgment and speaking forgiveness where shame has been loud for years.

If you’re looking for stories about addiction recovery, prison ministry, Christian reentry support, and forgiveness that truly frees, this one is for you. Subscribe, share this with someone who needs hope, and leave a review to help more people find these testimonies.
Visit our website at www.fbcboerne.org for more stories, information, and service times.

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Your kids will remember a mission trip long after they forget a tournament score and we’ve seen it firsthand. Brittany sits down with three FBC moms (and one of our trip leaders), Teresa, Dallas, and Christie, to share what happened when our families served together on a family mission trip to the Yucatan near Cancun, Mexico. We talk about the honest stuff parents worry about: safety, sickness, language barriers, time off work, and the big question of how a family can afford a trip like this. 

Along the way, we tell stories that stuck with us, from a scary day in a hotel with a sick child to the unexpected joy of watching kids make friends across a language gap. We also zoom out to the deeper why: giving our children a bigger perspective, learning to see another culture with respect, and realizing God is not “just here” in our town or our church. Christie shares how worship with believers in another country feels like a glimpse of Revelation 7:9, and why that experience can anchor a child’s faith for life. 

We also get practical about fundraising, support letters, church scholarships, and “God’s economy,” plus year round mission partnerships like Christmas gifts for students and teachers, sponsorships for education, and providing nutritious lunches so kids can learn well. If you’ve been on the fence about Christian missions as a family, this conversation is for you. Subscribe, share with a parent friend, and leave a review to help more families find the courage to say yes.
Visit our website at www.fbcboerne.org for more stories, information, and service times.

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A dirt road through the “jungle,” a church plant filled with new faces, and an 11-year-old discovering she can communicate love without fluent Spanish. We’re sitting down with Shauna Verrett and her daughter Claire to tell the real story of our family mission trip to Mexico in the Cancun area, where First Baptist Church partners to serve communities beyond the tourist version most people picture. If you’ve ever wondered whether missions is only for seasoned travelers, this conversation gently challenges that assumption.

We talk through the first-day rush of inviting neighbors to an afternoon gathering, the awkwardness of a language barrier, and the surprising way kids lead the way through play, laughter, and bold invitations. Shauna shares the values she repeats at home, faith, kindness, and love, and how those simple words hold up when plans change and you can’t rely on translation apps. Claire reflects on the joy of connecting with other kids through jump rope, games, and creativity, and why she now wants to go again.

Then we move into the heart of the trip: serving at Kingdom Academy by painting walls and supporting Vacation Bible School, plus home visits where families open their doors, share meals, receive practical gifts, and invite prayer into very real struggles. You’ll hear why coming back home can feel hard, how missions can slow your pace in the best way, and what next steps look like if you’re curious about joining a future trip.

If this encouraged you, subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave a review so more families can find these stories.
Visit our website at www.fbcboerne.org for more stories, information, and service times.

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A family mission trip sounds simple until you actually try to do it: take time off work, travel with kids, step into a new culture, and serve where you cannot rely on comfort or clear communication. Brittany sits down with Justin Burleson plus Luke, Hope, and Abigail to share what pulled them back to Yucatan, Mexico near Cancun and what they brought home with them that no souvenir could match. 

We talk about practical ministry moments that made the week unforgettable, from installing ceiling fans at Kingdom Academy to walking through Milagros to invite families to a church event and mini VBS. Luke shares what it feels like to enter homes in the jungle and how “pizza” and Google Translate can open doors when you do not speak Spanish. Hope reflects on helping in the English area at the school and watching young students work hard to learn, plus what it taught her about perseverance and gratitude. Abigail brings the heart of it all with a story about friendship, hospitality, and visiting a classmate’s home with small gifts that turned into lasting connection. 

Justin ties the experience to James 1 and the call to be doers, not just listeners, and we unpack a theme that keeps surfacing: love is a universal language. The conversation also turns outward to the Great Commission and a challenge we all need, serving does not require a passport because there are opportunities every day in our own neighborhoods. If you’ve wondered whether mission trips are worth it for families or kids, press play and join the conversation, then subscribe, share with a friend, and leave a review to help more people find these stories.
Visit our website at www.fbcboerne.org for more stories, information, and service times.

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A mission trip can feel like a one-week event until the plan falls apart and you find out what you really believe. Britney sits down with James Smith to tell the behind-the-scenes story of how First Baptist Church built a long-term missions partnership in Cancun, Mexico, and why bringing families along changes everything. What starts as construction and service work becomes something deeper: a new way of seeing people, a new tenderness toward poverty, and a shared family memory of God’s faithfulness. 

James walks us through the early days, from taking his own kids on their first mission trip to watching youth ministry trips grow into today’s family mission trips. We talk about what teams actually do in Cancun with Vita Life and Kingdom Academy, including painting, installing fans, encouraging moms, playing with kids, practicing Spanish and English together, and visiting homes far from the tourist beaches. Along the way, James explains how missions helps young people discover gifts they didn’t know they had because they are forced out of their normal environment and into real dependence on God. 

The most gripping moment comes when a key missionary leader quits mid-trip and most supporters leave but the local pastors stay and our church stays too. James shares how that crisis became a “we didn’t come to fail” turning point, and how relationships later connected ministries across Mexico and Peru through YWAM, DTS training, Starfish medical work, and Casa del Aguila. We close with a surprising story about an accidental introduction that helped confirm a 62 year old man’s call into ministry. If you’re considering a Christian family mission trip, a youth missions experience, or you want a clearer picture of church missions in Cancun, this conversation will give you both the heart and the practical realities. Subscribe, share this with a friend who needs a push to go, and leave a review with the line that challenged you most.
Visit our website at www.fbcboerne.org for more stories, information, and service times.