RAW Mission

Afleveringen

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  Ep. 105 - Colonialism, Conquest or Cultural Demolition? 07.08.2026 45min

  What exactly is Christian mission? Is it inevitably linked to empire, to neocolonialism, to power dynamics? Do missionaries inevitably trample on the host culture with ethnocentric arrogance? Shouldn't we just leave others alone, with some kind of detached pluralistic indifference or vague anthropological notion of 'pristine' tribal people who ought not to have contact with or influence from outsiders? This episode with author, Will Maxson addresses these questions, as we reflect on his lates...
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  Ep. 104 - A Yorkshireman Heads East 24.07.2026 48min

  In this episode Matt interviews Andy, a straight-talking northern guy who loves Jesus and loves sharing the gospel with Muslims. He and his wife spent several years in a tough surveillance state in Central Asia, learning the local language and figuring out how to communicate God's love to local Muslims. It was a tough environment and eventually they and various others were forced to leave the country. They now are based in the UK, working with refugees and they continue to share t...
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  Ep. 103 - Bouncing With The Sudanese 18.07.2026 51min

  In this episode we meet a young German missionary, called Micha, who has spent years working with Sudanese across East Africa. It's been a rough ride in many ways for his family: a nasty motorbike accident, a cancer diagnosis, a military coup, an attack on the foreigners' compound. But through it all, Micha and his wife have sought the Lord and asked for wisdom about whether to stay or to go home. At one point, their inspirational love for the local people even led them to live inside a...
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  Ep. 102 - Honourably Wounded 27.06.2026 1u 6min

  In this episode Matt talks to Layla and Stephen, a young couple who moved to the Middle East a few years ago to join one of our teams, but very quickly had a major setback to their plans, hopes and dreams. We discuss various disappointments and challenges (including how to cope with sexual harassment and severe physical limitations). And, of course, there are the usual light-hearted moments and reflections on the joy of entering a new culture and seeing God powerfully at work in the li...
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  Ep. 101 - Namaste, Namaz & The Name of Jesus 10.06.2026 55min

  Not many people realise that India, in spite of being a majority Hindu country, is also the world's 3rd most populous Muslim country (with over 200 million Muslims). Moreover, in spite of dynamic church growth and movements to Christ in some parts of the country, it remains the nation with the largest number of unreached people groups in the world. The Joshua project estimates that 95 out of 100 Indians live in an unreached people group (less than2% Evangelical and less than 5% Christia...
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  Ep. 100 - 100th Episode!! (Reflections & Highlights) 22.05.2026 30min

  In this special celebratory episode, Matt looks back over the first 4-5 years of Raw Mission and our 99 interviews. He reflects on the main themes of the podcast (the cost, the miracles, the fruit & lessons learnt) and shares clips from some of his most memorable interviews. If you're new to the show, this will give you a great feel for the kind of experiences, stories and themes that we cover. Send us a message! Support the show _____________________________________________________...
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  Ep. 99 - Losing My Religion (ft. ex Muslim, John Ghanim) 01.05.2026 1u 7min

  In this episode Matt hears the testimony of a well-known ex-Muslim from Yemen, called John Ghanim (aka Yemeni John). John came to faith in Jesus as a refugee in Greece a decade ago, but he had already abandoned Islam years earlier while walking around the Kaaba in Mecca, Islam’s holiest place. John is full of infectious joy and he’s a passionate evangelist who loves to share the good news of the God who offers us so much more than mere religion. He has lost much. He has regular...
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  Ep. 98 - Watch out for Scorpions! 16.04.2026 51min

  Lena has spent the last few months teaching kids in East Africa, serving a long-term team who live there. Just a few years ago she was a student, learning about God's heart for the nations, working with international students on campus and taking various short-term mission trips. Now she's doing a placement in the desert and looking at teams that she might join. She shares about life in the Sahara desert - a life alongside lizards, scorpions and donkeys, a life where water is scarce, electric...
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  Ep. 97 - The Blood of the Martyrs (ft. Dr. Aweis Ali) 26.03.2026 54min

  In this episode Matt talks to Dr. Aweis Ali from Somalia, who grew up in a Muslim home in and around Mogadishu, the son of a Muslim cleric and preacher. After coming to Christ and finding some other believers, Aweis' small church suffered a brutal and violent persecution in which most of the believers lost their lives. This is a story of remarkable faith, perseverance and courage in one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a follower of Christ. Aweis is a partner of Open Door...
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  Ep. 96 - Filipino Assassins 18.03.2026 49min

  In this episode we meet Tom O'Brien who has spent more than 40 years living and serving in South East Asia with his family, making disciples and planting churches. Tom shares some extraodinary stories of twenty years or so in the Southern Philippines, during which he was specifically targeted by extremists multiple times. We also hear about black magic practices and the culture of blood feuds/revenge killings in the mountainous tribal society where he lived. This is a story of persevera...
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  Ep. 95 - Giant Spiders & Poisoned Dreams 03.03.2026 42min

  In this episode we meet Nate who taks about his 13 years living in the Middle East, sharing stories of healing, spiders, poisoned fish, expulsion and much more. How can workers deal with burnout and betrayal? Are there benefits of going to the field in one’s later years? What are some of the options for scientists to be involved in cross-cultural mission? Send us a message! Support the show _________________________________________________________________________________ Do get ...
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  Ep. 94 - Faith & Friendship, Grief & Glory 17.02.2026 50min

  In this episode Matt talks with an old friend and mentor, Dr. Tim Green. Tim and his family lived in Pakistan, Jordan, the UK and South East Asia for many decades. He is a trainer, an educator, a writer and friend of many Muslims who have come to Christ in many different contexts. He's particularly interested in the global church listening to and learning from the voices and experiences of believers from a Muslim background. What happened when terrorists attacked the school in Pak...
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  Ep. 93 - Veiled and Voiceless in Iran 31.01.2026 44min

  This is the testimony of Esther, an Iranian lady who grew up as a Muslim under the Ayatollah's Islamic regime. Her story is a powerful one - of religious rituals and rules, of strict segregation, of being silent and unseen. She had only 8 hours to flee the country at one point because of a particular threat of being reported to the government. Her husband got caught and imprisoned on that day. In the UK, Esther began a journey to Jesus that involved visions, paintings, Scripture that ca...
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  Ep. 92 - Hunters of Affliction (The Life of Nomads) 17.01.2026 49min

  In this episode we meet Ron, who spent decades with his family living in South Asia with nomadic peoples - shepherds and goatherders who spend the winters on the plains and the summers up in the mountains. We'll hear about the many dangers that they face and the many tragedies they endure. We also learn about how the nomadic life and mindset can teach us much about the various cultures and historical contexts of the Bible. In what sense are we, as the people of God, also nomadic? What is sign...
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  Ep. 91 - The Power of Gentleness & Compassion (ft. Dick Brogden) 21.12.2025 56min

  In this episode Matt hosts Dick Brogden, a missions leader with decades of experience of church planting amongst Muslims in various countries across Africa and the Middle East. Topics include the power of indirection and compassion, the theology of suffering & survivor’s guilt, and effective global partnerships. Questions Dick addresses include: What are some of the key factors that help workers stay long-term in difficult places? What is the difference between calling, assignment a...
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  Ep. 90 - Fulani Nomads - Faith Under Fire 17.12.2025 1u 6min

  In this episode Matt interviews Peter who spent years working in the Sahara desert amongst one of the most populous unreached Muslim people groups in the world, the Fulani. It's an amazing story of dreams & discipleship, baptisms & betrayal, polygamy, malaria, imprisonment and death threats. But in spite of all the troubles, the church is born and begins to grow in remarkable ways. Some of the books that Peter recommends are: Glenn Schwartz, When Charity Destroys Dignity; ...
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  Ep. 89 - Revival & Mission 19.11.2025 33min

  In this episode Matt interviews a Revival historian called Mathew Backholer about the connection between the great revivals of church history and global mission. Enjoy a brief overview of several hundred years of missions history in which we talk about the Nestorians, the Moravians, the Welsh Revival, the martyrdom of Robert Jermaine Thomas in Korea and much more. "If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ...
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  Ep. 88 - From Shame to Sonship (ft. Shahriq Khan) 18.10.2025 54min

  In this episode we meet a young ex-Muslim called Shahriq Khan, who grew up in New York to immigrant parents from Pakistan and India. Shahriq in many ways embodied the American dream, the son of immigrants who achieved great success in education and business. But then he began to question the faith he had been raised in. And his searching led him to Jesus. His story has not been without many trials, including rejection, criticism and pressure from his family and friends to come ba...
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  Ep. 87 - Guns Under The Bed (Stories of Darfur) 04.10.2025 1u 6min

  In this episode we meet Yasmeen, a lady from rural Switzerland who has spent more than twenty years in Africa. You’ll hear about bold African evangelists forced to dig their own grave for preaching in a certain village, the beginnings of a movement to Christ in Darfur (in the midst of years of horrific violence and civil war), the smuggling of bibles in peanut sacks, and how Yasmeen’s husband was regularly interrogated by the police. This is a powerful story of incarnational love...
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  Ep. 86 - 10 Myths about Mission & Missionaries 07.09.2025 42min

  In this episode Matt & Mike do some myth-busting, challenging many of the half-truths and misunderstandings about mission in today's world. Here are the 10 myths that they tackle: 1. There are churches all over the world. Our task is done. 2. There are too many needs around us. 3. Mission is everything we do. (Everyone is a missionary.) 4. We should just send money to local evangelists, who are more effective. 5. Mission is 'West to the Rest' (a neo-colonial endeavour). 6. Mis...