Where Ya From? Podcast

Orsika Fejer-Baas will be the first to tell you that she never thought she would be the person who became a victim of abuse. But the hurtful behaviors of her second husband reached the point where they could no longer be ignored. Yes, as Orsika proudly proclaims, it was only by God’s grace continuing to work in and through her that she made it out of the quicksand.

Guest Bio:

Orsika Fejer-Baas’ childhood was magical. As an adult, her choices were less than amazing. 

She moved from one failed relationship to another, had three children, and lost direction in life. She felt as though she let everyone down. Having experienced domestic violence, Orsika knew something had to change. She hit rock bottom and clearly understood the years of abuse were going to drastically transform her life for the better. 

Her healing journey began well after escaping the abuse. Orsika lived through the pain, the shame, and the guilt of making decisions, which brought sorrow and potential unforgiveness. She understands, firsthand, the feelings of loneliness and desperation. Yet Orsika also knows the journey to healing is through our Lord and Savior, Jesus.

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The problems of exploitation and injustice that many women in Lily Meschi’s home country of Iran are living through are close to Lily’s heart because they were once her problems—even when she was thousands of miles away in the United States. In her early adult years, Lily found herself in an overwhelming darkness of abuse and manipulation from which she found no possible escape. Yet, once she came to Jesus through the comforting words of John 1, a new type of life instantly started.

Guest Bio:

Driven by a passion for intentional living, Lily Meschi dedicates herself to serving in ministry for Iran Alive as the director of partner relations. 

Born and raised in a Muslim family in Tehran, Iran, Lily’s life took a transformative turn when her family relocated to the US at the age of 18. Amidst struggles and hardships related to her identity as an Iranian woman, Lily discovered Christianity, finding solace and freedom in her newfound faith in Jesus Christ. This experience ignited her compassion for Iranian women who have faced similar oppression, abuse, and isolation. 

By drawing from her personal journey as an Iranian woman, Lily provides profound insights into the challenges surrounding women’s rights in Iran. She has become a vocal advocate against practices such as arranged marriages of young women to older men in the Middle East, shedding light on societal norms that perpetuate injustice.

Introduced to Iran Alive Ministries through a satellite TV program, Lily’s faith journey was further nurtured by the Gospel message presented by an Iranian woman, leading her to pursue education in Bible college to deepen her understanding of Christianity’s teachings and history. Additionally, Lily has shared her story and insights in various media outlets like CBN News, Today’s Christian Living, The Christian Post, and others.

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Rich knows what it feels like to be an outlier. Starting a personal relationship with Jesus in his late teens, Rich’s curious mind was drawn to the diverse tapestry of Christian traditions—both past and present. But that curiosity was a necessary foundation for his faith. In fact, it’s that passion that continues to define and shape his ministry.

Guest Bio:

Rich Villodas is the Brooklyn-born lead pastor of New Life Fellowship, a large multiracial church with over seventy-five countries represented in Elmhurst, Queens. Rich holds a Master of Divinity from Alliance Theological Seminary. He enjoys reading widely, preaching, and writing on contemplative spirituality, justice-related matters, and the art of preaching. 

He’s been married to Rosie since 2006 and they have two beautiful children, Karis and Nathan. His books, The Deeply Formed Life and Good and Beautiful and Kind, are available wherever books are sold.

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As a self-described “recovering perfectionist,” Jeanne wanted to be the one doing it all; breaking barriers and making space for everyone at the table. That desire was the foundation for many of the successes she’s achieved in academics, leadership, and ministry over the years. Yet it was through her personal loss that she fully understood that her superpower wasn’t the ability to juggle it all by herself. Her true strength came from leaning on God and those He brought into her life.

Guest Bio:

Dr. Jeanne Porter King is called to lead and make a difference in the lives of others. Through the ministry of the spoken and written word, Dr J, as she is affectionately called by her congregation, is a preacher, teacher, author, and business owner. Her messages have been called transformative, helping listeners unlock issues of identity, purpose, and destiny.

Dr. Jeanne Porter King currently serves as the executive pastor at Christ Community Church, along with her husband, Dr. Carl E. King, Sr., the senior pastor. Additionally, she is the founder and principal consultant of the TransPorter Group Inc., with over 30 years of consulting and training experience in a variety of industries as well as with community groups, governmental agencies, churches, and other faith-based institutions. Through TransPorter, she has been blessed to travel across the world, training seasoned and aspiring leaders.

In addition to her other work, Dr. Jeanne Porter King has authored numerous books and articles on leadership and is committed to developing and coaching leaders for the kingdom. Her books include Leading Well: A Black Woman’s Guide to Wholistic, Barrier-Breaking Leadership and Caring Well: 90 Self-Care Devotions for the African American Caregiver. 

Dr. Jeanne Porter King received both her bachelor’s and master’s of science degrees from The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. She has also received her master of arts in theological studies from McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago and a doctor of philosophy in communication with an emphasis in cultural studies from Ohio University in Athens, Ohio.

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• John 4:1-26

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Imagine having it all—fame, success, money, love. Now, imagine losing it all overnight because you did the right thing. After having his modeling and acting stardom on the rise for so many years, Cameron Arnett’s life came to a halt after his conversion to Christ made him think and act differently. He thought he found his true calling in happily teaching the Bible and doing ministry for the next two decades. But God wasn’t done with Cameron’s “Hollywood” story yet.

Guest Bio:

Cameron Arnett is an award-winning actor in television, film, and theater hailing from Port-Au-Prince Haiti. Starting a successful career in the arts and entertainment in the late '80s and '90s, Cameron has appeared on almost every major network. Past television credits include NBC’s Miami Vice, Fox’s Star Trek: The Next Generation, ABC’s China Beach and Doogie Howser MD, VH1's Single Ladies, and Tyler Perry’s Meet the Browns.

Today, Cameron travels an average of thirty weeks a year shooting faith-based and family-friendly projects, appearing in at least 35 films in the last ten years alone. Through Camy Arnett Production Studios (CAPS), he and his wife, Mrs. BJ Arnett, continue to occupy an ever-growing space within the content building of faith and family-friendly films. Cameron is also an author, speaker, film director, producer, and voice-over artist.

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Living out our faith isn’t always as straightforward as we would like—especially when the realities of our broken world are too loud to be ignored. Being both bilingual and bicultural, Dr. Danny Carrol thought he would be fully comfortable in his new life living and teaching across Latin America. In reality, the opposite happened. But processing this discomfort actually became the catalyst of his mission to bring the Bible’s view of immigration center stage, showing others how the story of migration is a chapter within all of our stories, and the positive response we can have knowing that our true citizenship always lies in Heaven.

Guest Bio:

Dr. Danny Carroll is half-Guatemalan and was raised bilingual and bicultural. In his youth, he spent many summers in Guatemala and later taught at El Seminario Teológico Centroamericano in Guatemala City for thirteen years. The realities of Central America sparked Dr. Carroll’s fascination with the Old Testament. 

The relevance of the biblical text for the challenges of poverty, war, and politics in those developing countries led him to a passionate focus on Old Testament social ethics and the social sciences. Additionally, his studies in English literature and literary theory have generated an ongoing engagement with literary approaches to the Old Testament and critical studies. Experiences in this country and abroad have led him to a deep appreciation for the unique contributions that ethnic minorities, women, and the global church make to the interpretation of the Old Testament. 

Dr. Carroll has been involved with Latino/a believers and teaching on the Bible and immigration for many years. His research focuses on prophetic literature and Old Testament social ethics. He has recently published a major commentary on the book of Amos and a book on the prophetic voice for today. Currently, Dr. Carroll is co-editing an extensive project on the state of Old Testament studies in addition to working on a volume on Old Testament ethics. He also is the senior editor of a new Old Testament commentary series, The Bible in God’s World (Wipf & Stock).

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Get another chance to hear encouraging words from contributing voices of The Whole Man Project! We’re sharing some of the powerful moments from this past season of Where Ya From? with pastor James White, Dr. Nii Addy, Dr. Maliek Blade, and pastor Jerome Gay. Explore some of perspective-changing conversations and moments, while hearing some personal stories of struggles with pursuing wholeness in God that we all can relate to. 

Guest Bios:

James White has served as the senior pastor of Christ Our King Community Church in Gardner, North Carolina since its inception. In addition to his role as the executive vice president of the Center for Social Impact for the YMCA of the North in Minneapolis, he is a highly sought-after consultant, concerning cultural transformation through diversity, equity, and inclusion. 

Pastor Jerome Gay is the lead pastor of Teaching and Vision at Vision Church in Raleigh, North Carolina. He is also the Founder and President of The Urban Perspective and the author of four books, Church Hurt, Talking to Your Children About Race, The Whitewashing of Christianity, and Renewal.

Dr. Maliek Blade, a compassionate author, and CEO of the Whole Brother Mission, is passionately dedicated to improving mental wellness for Black men and their families through a nationwide network of culturally competent mental health professionals.

Dr. Nii Addy is the Albert E. Kent associate professor of Psychiatry and an associate professor of Cellular and Molecular Physiology at the Yale School of Medicine. In addition to his campus work, Dr. Addy hosts the Addy Hour podcast, discussing topics at the intersection of neuroscience, mental health, faith, culture, and social justice.

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The Where Ya From? podcast is gearing up for a seventh season which will begin on August 27th. Get ready for more insightful and thought provoking conversations centered around faith and culture with host Rasool Berry. Subscribe to never miss an episode!

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You are more than labels. Aitina Fareed-Cooke knows that better than anyone. As a little girl in the foster care system, Aitina was stamped with the “failure to thrive” label—one that many people thought meant that her life was destined to go down only one type of path. Yet God's intervention came in the form of an adoptive mother, a passion for creating and storytelling through music and art, and an unplanned pregnancy. All of these moments shaped her into the person she needed to be, helping her to celebrate her privileges in order for her to come alongside the next generation of creatives who carry the same labels she did so they too can choose the opportunities that define them.

Guest Bio:

Aitina Fareed-Cooke was told at a young age that she would be a "failure to thrive" as a result of her biological mother's addiction to drugs. But despite being labeled emotionally handicapped by the system, Aitina refused to be defined by it. Instead, she found solace and empowerment through her faith in God and her voice within the creative arts, rewriting her own narrative. 

Aitina now serves as a Creative Arts Strategist, National Recording Artist, and founder of Get Fokus'd Productions (GFP), an award-winning media arts production company that has been recognized for its exceptional work within the community of Buffalo New York. Get Fokus'd Productions is a company in which creatives partner together to capture 'human-first' stories, a method that prioritizes empathy and connection. In collaboration with a collection of creatives, and through the mentorship of emerging artists, Aitina amplifies community voices using a social design approach, creating a ripple effect of positivity within the creative arts.

She earned her BA in English and MS in Education at Buffalo State University and currently serves as a foundation board member utilizing her educational experiences as a mechanism to forge her own creative path. 

Her musical career has led her to executive produce four full-length albums and collaborate with Grammy award-winning artists, resulting in an impressive collective stream count of over one million through distribution services. Aitina's remarkable accomplishments have firmly established her as a beacon of inspiration and a catalyst for positive transformation within the creative arts industry.

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