The Pink Chair Podcasts

I am 33 years old and I am Samoan.

I have been married for 15 years to my high school sweetheart, we have 4 children. Growing up I have lived in different suburbs of South Auckland as we moved a lot for various reasons.

My first pregnancy happened at the age of 17years old, just out of high school and about to head into a new season in my life.

That pregnancy tested my faith and trust in people along the way. I put a lot on hold choosing to focus on being the best mother I could amidst a very challenging time of change.

I have used my experiences to empower and mentor youth. I now get to be a part of a great team of people who look for new ways of implementing positive change to how we view and interact with young people in need.

Hear me speak honestly about the challenges of teenage pregnancy and how I navigated through it. Hear about how I learned to recognize how this seemly insignificant moment, turned out to be a significant part of my journey.

I am of Pacific Island decent. I come from a family of 5. I grew up in South Auckland, New Zealand and now currently living in Brisbane Australia with my husband, 4 kids and baby number five on the way. In 2009 I lost my 2year old son Tyreece to a tragic accident and I spent a great deal of time, working through the grief of that loss.

I realised that his birth represented my worth in this world and when he passed away, I felt that worth stripped from me.

After much healing. I discovered where my true worth came from and it unlocked a part of me in the grieving process that I had not yet known. I realised that my worth was not in my son but in God.

I love being a mum and enjoy finding ways to provide for those less fortunate and will be launching a business Hope Treasures, that will source donated items and give them away for free to those in need.

Today I swap seats as Sarah Seibert takes on the role of The Pink Chair hosts and digs a little deeper to find out more about my journey as the author of Grace Brought Me Here.

Candyce Edd shares her story, of being an Indigenous Native living on the reservation in america. Candy was born and raised in a Christian home on the Navajo Reservation in northern Arizona. Candy recognized the difference with her home life, compared to other members of the broader community. She has had to deal with the misconceptions and stigmas that she has encountered from others along her journey. Listen as she courageously shares her perspective of how important it is to value your identity. Candy moved to Jakarta when she was 20, and has been working here for 7 years, she's contributed significantly to the Children and Preteens ministries. She's not one to shy away from bright and vibrant colours. And in one word would describe herself as OPEN - willing to listen to stories, ideas and perspectives and to reconsider her own.

Join me as we discuss the myths about singleness with Sarah Seibert, Sarah graduated from Corban University, she previously taught as a primary school teacher in Jakarta, Indonesia for 4 years, before moving to East Africa for a year and she is now back in Jakarta as The Collective Institute Director. Sarah's vivacious personality often leaves a lasting impact on those that she comes into contact with, she has a great love of all things bright, which matches her contagious joy. Sarah also has a penchant for sour ice cream and will likely buy shares if they were available and make everyone wear teal-colored uniforms while dancing to Justin Bieber.

Dealing with family issues and healing from trauma or substance abuse can be very difficult. Listen to JaNay Evans speak of the healing power of God, who can see everyone and where healing needs to take place.

Today's chat with Ashley Lopez. Ashley is from San Diego California. She grew up in a very traditional Mexican household with a single mom of four. Like most families, they had their own issues and challenges. Raised in a home with an abusive drug addicted mom & step dad. At the age of 15, Ashley and her siblings were put into foster care. She graduated high school & went out on her own. Ashley ended up in a codependent relationship for a time, before finding her faith. She later moved to Indonesia, where she has now been living for 6 years. Ashley loves to travel and has taken on a communications role at The Collective Church. She also has a very keen eye for photography, and like myself enjoys a good Starbucks!