Welcome to the very first episode of Light Up Austin, a conversation series that explores where The Kingdom of God intersects with the Community of Greater Austin and Central Texas.
Your host, Pete Inman, opens this inaugural episode with a simple but powerful mission: to create a space where people can hear stories of the Kingdom at work — stories that don't always happen within the walls of a church building, but are no less miraculous for it.
And for the first conversation, Pete sits down with one of the most remarkable men alive today: David Eubank, founder of Free Burma Rangers.
David was born in Texas, raised as a missionary kid in Thailand, earned his commission through Texas A&M's Corps of Cadets, and served as a U.S. Army Ranger and Special Forces officer before answering a call to something even more dangerous — following Jesus into the longest-running war on earth. For over 33 years, David, his wife Karen, and their three children have served displaced peoples in Burma/Myanmar, Sudan, Iraq, Syria, Ukraine, and beyond.
The episode closes with a stunning, live acoustic performance by David's eldest daughter, Sahale Eubank — a nurse and singer-songwriter — of her original song "Deeds, Not Words.
PODCAST CHAPTERS
00:00:00 — Cold Open: A former enemy soldier confesses his crimes to the people he wronged — and is forgiven and baptized
00:01:22 — Welcome to Light Up Austin — Pete Inman introduces the inaugural episode and the mission of the podcast
00:04:44 — Austin as a center of Kingdom unity: the unseen spiritual significance behind Texas's economic rise
00:06:35 — Introducing David Eubank: warrior, missionary, husband, father, and founder of Free Burma Rangers
00:12:10 — Life in the U.S. Army: Panama, the Ranger Battalion, Special Forces, and the call to leave it all behind in 1992
00:15:14 — The mission of Free Burma Rangers: sharing the Gospel, delivering medicine, blankets, and hope to people in war zones
00:16:29 — The hardest question: "What happens when you bring your children into a war zone?"
00:19:40 — Miracle in the jungle: 93 villagers, one newborn mother, an 80-year-old man with malaria, six Burmese Army battalions — and a spy with a misshapen head
00:25:21 — Free Burma Rangers today: 150 active teams, 33 years of service, 79 team members killed, 250 wounded
00:29:32 — The documentary film Free Burma Rangers: how it was made, Austin's role in it, and why it almost didn't happen
00:33:22 — The decision to make a movie: a year of prayer, the fear of scrutiny, and the conviction that Jesus is the point
00:36:31 — Burma today: the biggest fighting since World War II, Chinese jets, Russian jets, drones — and Free Burma Rangers still in it
00:37:41 — The full story of the former Burma Army soldier who confessed to killing a pregnant woman — and was forgiven and baptized by those he wronged
00:40:36 — What's next: David heads to Washington D.C. to speak to government; son Peter competes at West Point
00:41:49 — The sequel documentary: centered on the next generation — the Eubank children growing up between war zones and Texas
00:44:48 — Two gifts from the Middle East: a supernatural love for the Iraqi people, and the difference between justice and revenge
00:49:12 — The rescue of the little girl in Mosul
00:51:37 — Eight months later: the grandmother reunited with her granddaughter
00:57:19 — Introducing Sahale Eubank: nurse, singer-songwriter, eldest daughter of the Eubank family.
00:58:33 — Setting up the song: the story of Rito
00:59:50 — Sahale Eubank performs "Deeds, Not Words"
LINKS & RESOURCES
- Free Burma Rangers Website: freeburmarangers.org
- The documentary Free Burma Rangers is currently in an exciting transition for new marketing and distribution. Please contact mailto:[email protected] for inquiries about how to eventually view the documentary film again.
- David Eubank's Book: Do This for Love: https://www.amazon.com/Do-This-Love-Rangers-Battle/dp/1642935034
