I invited Mike on the show because he’s one of my Central Oregon heroes. All of us who live here know how special this region is, and one of the things that makes it special is the international impact people from Central Oregon can have. Mike Silva is one of those people.

After losing his father in a tragic car accident when Mike was only six years old, he found the forgiveness and comfort he longed for when he accepted Christ as his personal Savior at the age of 10. By the time he was 19, the Lord had clearly called him to do the work of evangelism.   

Mike’s clear calling for evangelism ultimately led to the launch of Mike Silva Evangelism International in 1994. The Lord has gifted Mike with divine passion and incredible opportunities to bring Jesus’ hope to desperate souls in the hidden corners of the world. “We are driven,” Silva says, “to reach the forgotten cities of the world.” 

Mike has had the privilege of sharing the Gospel with millions of people in at least 35 countries of the world. In addition to his evangelistic festivals, Mike has been a featured speaker at numerous high-profile conferences, Ivy league and college campuses, and the largest men’s events and music festivals in the nation. Silva says of himself, “If God can use me, He can use anyone!” 

Mike loves to convey Biblical truth in print and broadcast media as well. He’s authored spiritual journals for the purpose of driving followers of Jesus more consistently into Bible engagement. He also wrote #1 Man: What Every Dad Desires, What Every Daughter Needs. Mike has been a guest on Moody Broadcasting Network, Focus on the Family, TBN, and NeedHim broadcasts. 

My guest today is my longtime friend Andi Buerger. Andi is a lawyer, community leader, author, speaker and nationally known advocate for homeless teens and the victims of human trafficking. She has two books to her credit so far: A Fragile Thread of Hope and Voices Against Trafficking. Both books are available on Amazon. 

 Andi knows of what she writes, as she survived 17 years of sex trafficking by immediate and extended family members before that term even existed. In A Fragile Thread of Hope, Andi recounts her remarkable journey to healing and personal triumph, her fierce determination to rescue others like herself, and the desire to give all victims of sexual predators a genuine voice. A Fragile Thread of Hope explores the epidemic of teen homelessness and sex trafficking pervasive throughout America, even in its smaller towns. When it comes to child abuse in particular, Andi asserts, “The vast majority of homeless youth are not runaways by choice." “Someone knows. Someone always knows. It’s whether they have the compassion and courage to step up for what is right, what is necessary to save that victim.”

And after today, we’ll all know a little more – and may be changed forever. I’ve asked Andi on the show today to share her perspectives on abuse, homelessness and human trafficking in Oregon and in Central Oregon in particular.

Jeff Eager is a business attorney and former mayor of Bend. He has amassed a loyal following for his blog and newsletter "Oregon Roundup" which blends political commentary with his experience as a lawyer to provide a conservative synthesis of the prominent issues of our time.

I’ve asked Jeff on the show today to share his perspectives on the Oregon state political climate and our transition out of the state’s COVID response. Specifically, I’ve asked him to discuss the issue of homelessness in Central Oregon from the work he’s done with the Bend Humanity Coalition, which is a group of caring Bend citizens working to make our city safe and humane for the both the unhoused and the housed members of the Bend community.

Expect to learn a lot about the homeless issue that most people don't know. 

Judge Vance Day has enjoyed a distinguished career as an attorney, and as a Circuit Court Judge in the Third Judicial District. While serving as a Circuit Court judge, Vance started a veteran’s treatment court in Salem, Oregon. The goal of this innovative court was to target the root causes of veterans’ criminal behavior through a program tailored to address their needs that is created by the prosecutor, the defense attorney, the judge, other veterans, treatment providers, mentors, and support teams. While Day was running the program, there was a zero rate of recidivism.   

Most recently, Vance served for a couple years as the president of Promise Keepers, leading the largest annual gatherings of Christian men. His new initiative is representing the James Madison Center for Free Speech. The James Madison Center for Free Speech was founded in response to a concerted attack on political speech which is at the core of the First Amendment and is essential to our democracy. Its purpose is to promote, through educational activities, respect for the rights of freedom of speech and freedom of association guaranteed by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, and to defend the rights of freedom of speech and freedom of association by providing legal representation to those persons and entities whose rights are threatened by government action.

This is obviously a timely topic in our current social and political climate, so expect to learn a lot as Vance explains the scope and importance of the First Amendment. 

This interview with Alex was recorded in the summer of 2020. Although some of the discussion reflects that time period, the lessons Alex shares about life, about Uganda, and about community transformation are timeless. Alex's message will move, shock, inspire and encourage you greatly.