This month, Denise and Sarah jump into the topic of jealousy. Using stories from Helen Roseveare, Isabel Kuhn, Elisabeth Elliot, and Amy Carmichael, they dig into the potential disguises of jealousy and comparison, and chat what to do if you see jealousy coming up in your life. We hope you join us for this conversation!

Learn more about ⁠Velvet Ashes⁠

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Featured music is "Doxology of Mercy" by ⁠Eine Blume⁠. Check out more from them on ⁠Apple Music⁠ or wherever you get music!

We are grateful to ⁠Barnabas International⁠ for sponsoring this podcast. Barnabas is a member care organization that shepherds global workers and trains global shepherds. Learn more about them ⁠here⁠.

Isobel Kuhn: Episode 2 (in two parts)

Helen Roseveare: Episode 5

Amy Carmichael: Episode 6

Elisabeth Elliot: Episode 7

Aubri Casey knows what it's like to serve faithfully while quietly carrying more than anyone can see. After over ten years living and serving cross-culturally with her family, unexpected transitions, health challenges, and the weight of ministry reshaped her understanding of what true rest looks like.

Now, as Associate Director of Adult Debriefing with TRAIN International, Aubri spends her days helping global workers unpack the stories, losses, and hidden burdens they carry. In this thoughtful conversation, Denise and Aubri explore why Sabbath is more than taking a day off, how intentional debriefing creates space for healing, and why our identity must be rooted in being God's beloved rather than in the work we do.

Whether you're feeling burned out, navigating transition, or simply longing to return to rhythms that restore your soul, this episode offers gentle wisdom and practical encouragement for slowing down, paying attention, and receiving God's invitation to rest.

Learn more about Velvet Ashes

Follow Velvet Ashes on Facebook or Instagram

Featured music is "Doxology of Mercy" by Eine Blume. Check out more from them on Apple Music or wherever you get music!

We are grateful to Barnabas International for sponsoring this podcast. Barnabas is a member care organization that shepherds global workers and trains global shepherds. Learn more about them here.

Learn about TRAIN International

Abide Debriefing for Single Women

Missions Beyond Burnout Cohort

Aubri served overseas in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Budapest, Hungary for 11 years with her husband Chris and two children Lejla and Rudy. Since returning to the states in 2020, she has served with TRAIN International, training and preparing missionaries to go overseas, coaching them to meet their future goals, listening and discerning with them in spiritual direction, debriefing their time abroad, and providing retreat experiences for their rest and renewal. Her passion for education lives on in her role as homeschool mom and as a student of spiritual formation, completing her master’s from Portland Seminary in 2026. She enjoys all things literary, good music, and the glories of nature, preferably all at once and from a hammock.

What does it cost to give your life away quietly?

In this month’s Velvet Ashes Legacy Podcast, Sarah sits down with author Jordan Monson to explore the remarkable story of Katharine “Katy” Barnwell—a woman whose influence on Bible translation shaped millions of lives, even though most people have never heard her name.

Born in London during the Blitz, Katie’s story begins in the shadow of war and unfolds into a lifetime of faithful, behind-the-scenes service. From learning unwritten languages in Nigeria to helping transform Bible translation into a model that empowered local believers, Katy carried a vision that changed the global church.

But her story is also one of cost.

The cost of singleness.
The cost of obscurity.
The cost of staying through hardship, civil war, exhaustion, and years far from home.
The cost of offering your gifts fully to God without needing recognition in return.

This conversation is a reminder that God has always used ordinary, imperfect people to do extraordinary things.

Jordan Monson is an author and the Professor of Missions and Old Testament at Huntington University. He also directs Huntington's Center for Faith Integration and Vocation.

Learn more about ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Velvet Ashes⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Featured music is "Doxology of Mercy" by Eine Blume. Check out more from them on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠iTunes⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or wherever you get music!

We are grateful to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Barnabas International⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for sponsoring this podcast! Barnabas is a member care organization that shepherds global workers and trains global shepherds. Learn more about them ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Learn more about our Online Retreat for this year, ⁠Listen: Hear My Voice⁠

Check out Jordan's book, Katharine Barnwell: How One Woman Revolutionized Modern Missions

The new Velvet Ashes book, Yet We Still Laugh, is available on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Amazon⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠Barnes & Noble

In this episode of the Velvet Ashes Legacy Podcast, we explore the quiet but powerful theme of feeling like an imposter—especially in the unique spaces women navigate cross-culturally. Through an honest and hope-filled conversation with Jenn Chang, we unpack the tension between calling and doubt, confidence and comparison, and the ways imposter syndrome can take root in our stories.

Jenn shares from her own leadership journey, offering insight, language, and encouragement for women who wonder if they truly belong in the spaces God has placed them. This conversation is an invitation to name what feels hidden, to release comparison, and to step more fully into the person God created you to be.

Learn more about ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Velvet Ashes⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Featured music is "Doxology of Mercy" by Eine Blume. Check out more from them on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠iTunes⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or wherever you get music!

We are grateful to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Barnabas International⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for sponsoring this podcast! Barnabas is a member care organization that shepherds global workers and trains global shepherds. Learn more about them ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Learn more about Yield Leadership Coaching

The Mission Leaders Blog

Blog posts on Women in Leadership

Check out the Velvet Ashes Membership Community

What are you listening to in the midst of all the noise?

The world hums with urgency, headlines, and endless voices—yet beneath it all, there is a quieter invitation: to listen for what is true, steady, and unseen.

In this episode, we sit with the weight many are carrying and the sacred practice of tuning our hearts again.

We also step into the story of John and Betty Stam—a story marked by courage, surrender, and a faith that echoes far beyond their years.

A story that asks us: what does it look like to listen… and to trust… with open hands?

Learn more about ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Velvet Ashes⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Follow Velvet Ashes on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Featured music is "Doxology of Mercy" by Eine Blume. Check out more from them on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠iTunes⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or wherever you get music!

We are grateful to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Barnabas International⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for sponsoring this podcast! Barnabas is a member care organization that shepherds global workers and trains global shepherds. Learn more about them ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Learn more about our Online Retreat for this year, Listen: Hear My Voice

Check out Andrew's book, By Life or by Death: The Life and Legacy of John and Betty Stam

The new Velvet Ashes book, Yet We Still Laugh, is available on ⁠⁠⁠Amazon⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠Barnes & Noble

What does it really mean to retreat?

In this month’s episode, the entire Velvet Ashes team — Denise Beck, Danielle Wheeler, and Sarah Hilkemann — gathers for a behind-the-scenes conversation about the heart, history, and hope of Velvet Ashes retreats.

What started years ago as a simple experiment — an online invitation for women scattered across the globe to step away and meet with God — has grown into a sacred annual rhythm for cross-cultural workers worldwide. In this episode, you’ll hear how retreat first began, how it has evolved over the years, and why it continues to matter so deeply.

Danielle shares the heart behind this year’s theme: learning to recognize and respond to God’s voice. In a world filled with noise, fear, and competing messages, so many women ask: How do I know it’s really Him? This retreat gently and honestly explores that longing — creating space to sift through distractions, confusion, and doubt so we can listen more deeply to the One who is always speaking.

Learn more about ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Velvet Ashes⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Follow Velvet Ashes on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Featured music is "Doxology of Mercy" by Eine Blume. Check out more from them on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠iTunes⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or wherever you get music!

We are grateful to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Barnabas International⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for sponsoring this podcast! Barnabas is a member care organization that shepherds global workers and trains global shepherds. Learn more about them ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Want to go deeper with the Velvet Ashes community? Learn more about Friends, Circle and Inner Circle levels of membership connection here.

Register for this year's Listen Online Retreat.

What does a faithful life look like when the fruit isn’t always visible right away?
In this month’s episode, Sarah talks with Jeff Barker about the life of Arlene Schuiteman—a Midwest farm girl whose quiet yes to God carried her across Africa and shaped generations to come. Listen in and be reminded that God is always at work, even when we can’t yet see it.

Learn more about ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Velvet Ashes⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Follow Velvet Ashes on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Featured music is "Doxology of Mercy" by Eine Blume. Check out more from them on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠iTunes⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or wherever you get music!

We are grateful to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Barnabas International⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for sponsoring this podcast! Barnabas is a member care organization that shepherds global workers and trains global shepherds. Learn more about them ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Learn more about how to be part of the Velvet Ashes community

Check out Jeff's books about Arlene on Amazon: Sioux Center Sudan, Iowa Ethiopia, Zambia Home, and Whispers from the Lord: A Missionary Nurse's Journal

Performance of Sioux Center Sudan, a play written about Arlene's life

Performance of Iowa Ethiopia, a play about another part of Arlene's life

The new Velvet Ashes book, Yet We Still Laugh, is available on ⁠⁠Amazon⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠Barnes & Noble

What happens when everything that once defined you—your strength, your calling, your ability to serve—falls away?

In this episode of the Velvet Ashes Legacy Podcast, Denise and Sarah sit down with Joy, a former medical global worker and physician assistant whose life and ministry were radically reshaped after severe illness brought her fast-paced, highly productive life to a sudden halt. What followed was a long, painful wilderness season marked by loss, waiting, and deep questions about identity, worth, and God’s goodness.

This conversation is an invitation to anyone who feels stripped, sidelined, or unsure of who they are when they can no longer “do.” It’s a reminder that the wilderness is not punishment—but a place where God meets us with comfort, identity, and surprising goodness.

Learn more about ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Velvet Ashes⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Follow Velvet Ashes on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Featured music is "Doxology of Mercy" by Eine Blume. Check out more from them on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠iTunes⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or wherever you get music!

We are grateful to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Barnabas International⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for sponsoring this podcast! Barnabas is a member care organization that shepherds global workers and trains global shepherds. Learn more about them ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Learn more about the ⁠2026 In-Person Tuscany Retreat

That Sounds Fun Episode 1021

The Uninvited Companion: God's Shaping Us in His Love Through Life's Adversities by Scott Shaum

This month on the Velvet Ashes Legacy Podcast, Denise and Sarah open the episode with a joyful December check-in and a little book talk—because what better way to start a conversation than with reading rhythms and favorite formats from our community?

But the heart of this episode is something deeply special. Sarah sits down with her former professor, Rick Clark, to talk about the extraordinary life and legacy of his mother, Marian Clark. Marian grew up in Ecuador, returned as an adult to serve with creativity and courage, and became a faithful presence through radio, television, storytelling, and hospitality. Her story intersects with key moments in missions history, but it also shines in the quiet, steady ways she loved people and followed Jesus.

It’s a moving, tender conversation—full of rich history, surprising connections, and a beautiful reminder of what it looks like to echo God’s joy and faithfulness through generations.

Learn more about ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Velvet Ashes⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Follow Velvet Ashes on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Featured music is "Doxology of Mercy" by Eine Blume. Check out more from them on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠iTunes⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or wherever you get music!

We are grateful to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Barnabas International⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for sponsoring this podcast! Barnabas is a member care organization that shepherds global workers and trains global shepherds. Learn more about them ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Learn more about the 2026 In-Person Tuscany Retreat

Check out the Advent Mini-Advent

Learn about Marian Clark

The History of HCJB Radio

The new Velvet Ashes book, Yet We Still Laugh, is available on ⁠Amazon⁠ and ⁠Barnes & Noble

What if rest isn’t a reward after burnout—but part of how God designed us to live and serve?

This month on the Velvet Ashes Legacy Podcast, Denise talks with Nathan and Tricia LaGrange of Oasis Rest International—a ministry offering safe spaces of renewal for global workers around the world. 🌍

They share how God gave them a vision for helping others find true rest—body, mind, and soul.

Tune in and be reminded: rest is not selfish. It’s sacred.

Also Denise and Sarah chat about the theme of Table for this month, airplane etiquette, and more.

Learn more about ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Velvet Ashes⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Follow Velvet Ashes on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Featured music is "Doxology of Mercy" by Eine Blume. Check out more from them on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠iTunes⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or wherever you get music!

We are grateful to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Barnabas International⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for sponsoring this podcast! Barnabas is a member care organization that shepherds global workers and trains global shepherds. Learn more about them ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Learn more about Oasis Rest International

ServantCare

The Velvet Ashes Unplugged Retreat: Refuge in the Wilderness

The new Velvet Ashes book, Yet We Still Laugh, is available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble