Memories from missions past with brother Danny Swinnea

In this podcast we share the texture of missions most people never hear: nights fending off bats with a flashlight, ice-cold showers punctuated by cheerful small talk in broken English, and roadside breakdowns that can turn risky in minutes. Between the adrenaline and the awe are the quiet threads that hold it all together—a shoeshine dad in the airport who needs ointment for his burned child, a crisp $100 that appears in a wallet, and a family that finds faith one conversation at a time. There’s a mountain grandmother who hears a message of intentional love through loudspeakers, steps away from despair, and chooses life. There are mass weddings, a dozen baby dedications, and twenty-nine baptisms in a cold brook. 

If these stories stirred you, help us keep them coming—subscribe, rate, and share with a friend who needs hope today. Then tell us: which moment grabbed your heart most, and why?

Transcript

Welcome And Impromptu Setup

SPEAKER_01 0:06

Hey everybody, welcome back to the God's Little One podcast. I'm your host, Kent. Today uh we've got a special guest that you've actually heard before. We have here in the studio with me, we have Brother Danny Sweeney, the uh head of God's Little One. Thank you for being here today, brother.

SPEAKER_00 0:22

It's good to be here, Kent. How are you doing today?

SPEAKER_01 0:24

Doing alright, doing alright. So uh we're doing this podcast. We we did a podcast, our first ever one was with Brother Danny. But on that one, we didn't tell as much stories as we do on podcasts. We kind of it was kind of making the foundation. So today we're gonna be mainly just talking about stories, but uh I'll go ahead and warn y'all this is a very impromptu podcast. Uh my uncle's here for my cousin's wedding. And so we just decided to just do a podcast this week. So I don't have no questions written down or anything. We're just gonna, I'm just gonna open the floor to you and let you say whatever you want to say. So go ahead.

Introducing Danny And Honduras Work

Journey To Santa Cruz Medical Brigade

SPEAKER_00 0:59

All right, it's good to be here. Danny Sweeney again from uh Paducah, Kentucky, our pastor, anchor of Hope Church in Metropolis, Illinois, and director of God's Little One. And it is impromptu here for my nephew's wedding. Excited about that. And so Ken asked if uh we could do uh a podcast because we are not here all the time. It's an 11-hour drive. I pastor, I work, and then as well, we uh do all the stuff with Honduras. So stay pretty busy, don't get here this office. So it's an honor to uh help uh the podcast out and be a part, give them a little crazy content, uh some serious stuff as well. But Brother Kent wanted me to tell some stories. He gave me two that uh he wanted me to tell, and I begin to think of some other now. We have a list that I could just go for hours after 15 years of doing this or whatever, and so uh but one of the main ones that he uh wanted me to tell was the story of uh a medical brigade that we did in the Santa Cruz Mountains. It's been several years ago, and uh Dr. Shane Rust and his uh precious wife uh Brandy, which is from Paducah, Kentucky, West Kentucky, and uh has a clinic there, and he goes with us periodically and does medical brigades, and we was asked to go into uh the Santa Cruz Mountains, which it took us three hours to get there. We had uh four-wheel drive trucks, they pretty much made roads for us across some of the rivers and stuff, uh forging rivers and different things. So it was an awesome time, and we were just going to uh this area that they had not seen it the last time we were there. They'd not seen a truck in I think it was a year and a half, and that was the police that uh went and checked on them. So that was you know their police force at work every two years or whatever. And some of the kids when we pulled up was just wild at the trucks and all that, so it's pretty neat. But uh we were doing this medical brigade, we have uh go into a little church that was up there, and there was probably 200 or more people standing on the outside. We had the doors shut, and then we would let them come in. Uh he had a little makeshift exam room with tarps and all that kind of stuff, so they would uh get uh some information from them. They'd go to where Dr. Shane was, and there was a lady that came in and she was just really upset. And she kept talking to Brother Luis, our interpreter, and uh he said, I'm trying to get the information. Some about her her son is is uh dead or dying, they don't know. And so uh he was like a mile away and we didn't know what was going on. There's no way to get anyone to a hospital there uh you know in a timely manner. The road, there's really no roads hardly back up in there, and helicopters could it just uh impossible, really. Something happens, pretty much they just you know expire, uh for lack of words. But um so eventually this lady uh began to get excited and we begin to hear some noise outside and some change of uh uh chatter, and we went out there and I have pictures of all this. There was a uh three or four guys carrying a man in a hammock, and they had his hands tied together, they had his feet tied together uh so he wouldn't flop around. He was laying there, and uh he uh we got him around to the side door, brought him in, laid him on two benches, kind of put two benches, the uh the sitting parts together, and the backs was kind of V'd out, and he was laying, and so Dr. Shane began to examine him, and he said, uh, there's nothing we can do. I can't even really get a pulse. He'd been in a uh for eight days into an alcoholic coma. And uh basically he was a dead man. Dr. Shane uh he said, There's nothing we can do. And he made the statement, he said, Brother Sweeney, he said, This is uh this is y'all's uh here. He said, uh I can't do anything medically. He's gone. So there's no way uh, you know, uh even if they got him somewhere, they don't know if they could even get him back and stuff. But uh he said, so this is uh up to you guys. And so in other words, what he was saying, uh only God can change this.

SPEAKER_02 5:37

Yeah.

The Man In The Hammock

Prayer, Doubt, And A Shocking Revival

SPEAKER_00 5:38

And so uh I gathered, I gathered the team and I said, listen, I want to uh let you know that we're gonna shut these doors and we got everybody out. I said, if you believe uh that God can heal this man, I want you to stay in here. And I said, either we have what we say we have or we don't. We're either the church or we're not. And uh so uh we had uh uh some different uh organizations or religious uh people there from different backgrounds. We had some Pentecostal, we had some Baptist uh lawyers that was there on this trip, and their uh daughters uh had never been on a mission trip, so this is very uh new to them, and then here they bring a man, basically a dead man, in that there's no hope for. And so uh everybody was cordial. Our team, everyone stayed in there, and I said, listen, I'm being honest, if you just don't feel uh that you're you know uh ready to to pray and believe that this man can live, we're we're not uh gonna be upset if you want to step out. That's fine. But uh all of our team stayed there, and we begin to pray, and I'll try to get make this uh quick as I can. Hey, take your time. We uh so we begin to pray, and uh I reached over the back. I'm kind of uh vertically challenged, I'm a short guy. So I reached over and put this guy's head under my arm like a pillow and began to lift and hold him up, and we begin to pray. And uh as we begin to pray, the Spirit of the Lord began to sit down in that that little church. I'm telling you, uh people begin to just fall on their knees, our team, and man, the Holy Ghost just come down in such a powerful way. And um so we brother Luis was walking back and forth, oh God, heal him. And I was praying, God, breathe on him, touch him, change him, resurrect him. He he's gotta have a miracle. And uh as we begin to pray that come out of me, I begin to say, God, breathe on him, breathe on him. And brother Luis began to look at me, and he said, and he was saying the same thing, breathe on him, Holy Ghost, breathe on him, Spirit of God. And uh I am one, and you've probably uh hear in other podcasts that we're not charismatic bone really in our body, as far as theatrics of uh trying to uh manipulate people and blow on people and this kind of stuff, not uh and uh not that God does not use those things because he spit and made spittle and put on a man's eyes one time. He he uh there's a lot of things that is out of our character and out of uh the norm that Christ has done, you know, to see healing. And so I'm praying, and everybody knows me. I preach really hard against foolishness and uh you know blowing on people and uh just a lot of things like that. And so I'm praying, God breathe on him, breathe on him, let breath flow through this body. And all of a sudden, the Spirit of God spoke to me and said, I said, when I said breathe life into him, the Holy Spirit, Holy Ghost spoke to me and said, You breathe life in him. And it scared me. I'm not gonna uh lie to you. I was I just kind of looked around, he said, You breathe life in him. And I I know everybody in that building knows that I'm not in, I don't do that kind of stuff, you know. And so I reluctantly just kind of, when nobody wasn't looking, you know, I'd kind of blow on his face, I said, Whoa, God breathe, breathe life. I said, Lord boo! And I'd kind of, you know, I uh looking around, hoping nobody sees me, and all of a sudden the Spirit of God just hit me hard and said, I said, You breathe life in him. And Brother Ken, I just said, God resurrect him, breathe life in him. And I probably messed this all up by breathing in this mind. And all of a sudden his eyes began to squinch and he began to open his eyes and he began to look around. Brother Luis began to, I mean, he was stomping. He's he's alive, brother. He's alive, he said. And uh so I told him, I said, get him up, move these bitches, get him up, set him up, set him up. So we continued to pray, and he sat there, and I've got pictures if we may eventually try to put this on um Facebook where he's stiff as a boar, like he had a stroke or something. He just he couldn't move. And um, and so that for the next two hours we prayed for him. Then uh he began to relax, his eyes, he began to move around. We give him a Bible, and his mother, he began to hug his mother. God gloriously healed that man. And I've got a picture. I uh I told him to get back to doing what they were doing, you know. Uh there's 200 people out there waiting to get exams. And I said, just keep doing what you're doing, we'll finish dealing with this. And so they started back up the program, and uh, so I got to helping them, and I got to looking and wondering, where in the where's the guy? Where's the guy? You know, because I wanted to get another picture of him. And they said, Oh, he's gone, amigo. And I took off running out, and I have a picture. You almost have to blow it up. There's a little red dot, and uh three people walking, and one of them he was in a red shirt, one of them is him, and one of his bret his brothers got his arm around, and they just hugging, walking, and his mama's walking behind him holding the hammock that he came in. And so uh they uh eventually I got report back that he was uh sobered, I mean, healed in church and had a job. And and then that's uh the job part is tough as tough as anything around there. And so uh it was just a glorious experience to see what I would say a dead man come back to life again and uh and and begin to uh have a change in his life. And so so that that's a story. Uh let me tell you a funny story, uh, or two funny stories that actually happened uh several years before we went and done the medical brigade. We had gone and preached in the Santa Cruz Mountains. And there are two things that happened there. Uh they had no electricity, and uh so we were standing in a little old room. Uh I give the the other guys the beds, and I brought a little uh the uh pool uh blow-up floaty things a little thin when I blowed it up, and that was my mattress. And uh so I'm I'm laying there. It's probably 12 o'clock at night, and I look in Brother Luis's our field director there, and his flashlight would come on and it'd just go around look like an airport uh, you know, flat, just going in circles and all kinds of, and then it'd go off, and I'd hear these birds flying and and all in the um in the room, and I'd say, My word, these birds are driving me insane. And then uh a little while later I'd wake up and he'd have that flashlight, and that happened all night long. The birds flying around and flashlight, and so the next morning I was I was wore out. And he said, uh, I said, Luis, what was you doing with that flashlight last night, brother? He said, Oh, Migo, he said, you didn't uh you didn't see the blood sucking bats. I said, No, man, I heard some birds flying around last night. Uh and uh, he said, Oh no, Migo, he said, that's blood-sucking bats. He said, I was caring to keep them out of our room. He said, they'll fly in and they'll spit this lava stuff on your, they like the toe, and said and they'll dead in your tongue, they'll just suck blood out of you the next night. Uh uh, brother Cletus McLean, brother Philip Holloway, myself, I uh had a fitted sheet my wife accidentally put in. I wrapped up in that fitted sheet, I mean, like a cocoon. But Cletus, he zipped his stuff up completely in his his uh zip his uh sleeping bag. And I said, You're gonna smother the death, brother. He said, I'd rather smother the death than my blood be sucked out of me. And so that was kind of a funny experience that wasn't funny at the time, but it is now when we look back. And um and at that same place, they had uh one little shower outside. It was uh really didn't have no shower, it was a piece of PVC pipe that just came out and the water would literally numb you. And so uh we would wait until dark, go out there with our flashlight, had a little grass sack like over the door. We'd turn that on. It's just sitting outside a little place, and uh go in there and we'd clean up. And uh so I'm it's my turn, you know, and I go, I get out there, turn my flashlight, put it on this little ledge, and uh uh man, that water hit you. Oh, it was cold. All of a sudden I hear somebody say, Hey, buddy. And uh I said, uh, yeah. And uh I turned my flashlight on. He said, Hey Buddy, how are you? And I said, uh I'm I'm I'm doing good. He said, I I I practice my English. I said, uh, why don't we try to do that later, buddy? I practice English. I I I stay in Houston, he said, and so I'm sitting there trying to clean up. He's there talking broken English to me. I don't know no any Spanish.

SPEAKER_02 15:08

Yeah.

Aftermath And Community Impact

Bats, Cold Showers, And Camp Life

SPEAKER_00 15:09

And so we're back and forth. I'm trying to clean up, trying to hurry and get out of there. He sits there. When I finally get done, turn that that freezing water off. He says, Okay, buddy, I see you tomorrow. I'm like, man, why didn't we do this tomorrow? You know. Uh, but uh there's uh lots of things that you know has happened over the years. And um one story that Brother Kent wanted me to mention that's very special. Uh we've been going, you know, a lot of years. I know a lot of people uh just over the years have made uh contact with in the airport. We just go in and people automatically start shaking my hand. Oh, let me go, you know, coming and all the shoe shine guys and uh just different ones because uh airport workers. And uh there was one shoe shine guy. Uh the airport is two levels, the bottom, and then there's a uh top layer, and there's shoe shine guys on both levels. And uh there was one, his name was Daniel, and I would uh go and get him to shine my shoes, and I'd give him a good, you know, tip and all that, and he really liked that, and we'd talk. He knew some broken English, and so we would talk, and uh one day I come and I noticed he just didn't have the the same attitude or spirit that he normally had. And I asked him if he was okay. Oh no, he said, my son. And he began to try to explain to me his little son, he showed me some pictures, his two-year-old son had fell into a fire that they had and it burned his leg, his hip, his side. And uh I asked him how things were, and there was a guy that was there that I helped interpret for me. I didn't know him, he just heard me talking with him, and I asked him if he could help me. And uh so we began to talk, and he said, Yeah, they brought him to the hospital, they got him taken care of. He said, But the problem is, he said, they don't pay for the medication and the ointment, they have to do that as a family, your parent, or whatever. And uh he said, I don't have the money for the ointment and all. And I had no money, Brother Kent, literally. Uh in those days it was uh it was rough. Um and I had no money. I know what I had in my wallet, it was nothing. And I I felt just impressed to give him a hundred dollars and uh to help him with the ointment. And I I was like, man, I don't have a I was talking, wrestling with myself, you know. I was actually wrestling with God, didn't realize it. I I felt that to give him a hundred. I said, I don't have a hundred dollars. And uh so I'm I'm just kind of going back and forth. He's polishing my shoes and he's talking to me. So I re I had a few uh lumpiras uh that uh that's their money that I was gonna give him to do that, because I always tried to uh give him something and let him shine my shoes, and so I had some of those left over. And um so I reached him and looked in my wallet as I was I had the other in my front pocket, so I went ahead and pulled my wallet out, and in my wallet was the most crisp$100 bill that you know, I'm just like it just come off of the the press. And uh man, I I just I couldn't believe it. And so uh people can say what they want to, but I know I know y'all probably gonna stop listening to our podcast. I know the Lord put that money or made me overlook it. I don't know how it happened because I don't overlook a hundred dollars when you don't have it, and you really was hoping you could get something when you got back to the States to eat because you hadn't ate nothing good all week. And uh, and I was able to give him that money, and he took care that was enough to take care of his son uh with ointment and stuff until I could come back, and when I came back I was more prepared, right, and I took care of him and won him to the Lord in broken English. And he started going to uh a church there in La Lima, and then his uh his brother, I had no idea it was his brother, uh was a shoe shine guy up in the on the top level, and he ended up winning his brother and his family to the Lord, and now that whole family uh uh is in church and goes to church and saved. Now Daniel is in the states because he was able to go over because he'd seen a murder and uh he had proof that uh that he had seen this and they were threatening to take his life, so the states allowed him to come over. I think he is in uh Austin, Texas, and all. But but just uh, you know, stories like that that really uh, you know, we go and we preach, we do uh feeding the kids, all the things that everybody's already heard about. Uh, but these are things that uh brother um Luis always says, I get the goodies and the reports of of things that's taking place, things we don't even know, uh miracles, salvations that uh brother Luis knows about or he hears about, and we don't uh really ever get a lot of that. Uh we had a a lady just the other day uh when brother Chris Wilkins and them went, uh, she had a major pain in her side, had it for several weeks, and prayed for her. And before that service was over with, uh she let Brother Luis know, and he said, I'm gonna give y'all some goodies that her pain was gone, the feeling, the the hardness there, and that spot was gone. And uh, and so there's no telling how many thousands of things like that that's been done over the years that that we don't uh you know really uh know about. Uh we had some uh I guess it was two years ago, I was uh gonna fly out on a uh uh Sunday morning and was gonna be in uh Houston and start youth camp on Monday uh night uh with Brother Jared. Um Clark was gonna be the night speaker and I was the morning speaker. And I always respect whoever's preaching, so I I didn't want to miss being there Monday night. So I scheduled my trip to fly out on Sunday, uh get there Sunday night and be there for service Monday night, and then I would start preaching on the morning services. Well, the Spirit of the Lord really checked me. Uh there was a uh man that I had not been able to go to his church, one of our churches, for a couple years, way back in the mountains, and uh he wanted me to come so bad. So I I felt impressed to do that. So I changed my plane ticket, knew that it was going to throw me off, miss the Monday night service because I wouldn't get there at home until Monday night now. So I paid the extra, got it set up. So we went that Sunday morning, uh they changed their service. I told them because they normally have it at 2 o'clock, uh, just one big service a day at 2 o'clock, and they changed their service uh to 9 o'clock that morning so I could get there, do the service, then get on down the mountain to where I could fly out Monday morning. And uh so we get there and we preach. I begin to preach on uh the love of uh God and I preached on the the Good Samaritan and how that uh God seen him where he was at, and I'm preaching, and man, it's just uh I felt a liberty to preach, but yet when I give the altar, nothing happened. It's just like nobody would hardly come. And man, it was strange, just a pull. We was pulling, we was like a spiritual warfare. And uh eventually uh there was a guy come down and he said he wanted to rededicate his life to the Lord, and man, we was excited about that. Then another guy came down, another guy, then it's about five grown men standing down there just weeping, and so, you know, uh, but yet I still had this feeling something was not complete, and it was beautiful seeing that, uh, because I mean they were grown men and they were just weeping, uh, wanting to rededicate their life to the Lord. And all of a sudden there's a lady walked in, and she came walking and walked down to the front and put her hands in her face, and Brother Luis was praying for someone, so I just went over and just started praying in English. I'm praying, God, touch her life, whatever she needs, minister to her. You know her. I don't know her. There's a language bearer, but Spirit of God, there's no language bearer with you. You can penetrate her heart, you can touch her life. And I'm just praying. Finally, Brother Luis comes over and he begins to pray for her in Spanish, and I went on uh and began to pray for other people, but it's not long. He's weeping. Brother Luis just weeping. I mean, he's just uncontrollably weeping, and she's rejoicing. They pray and they, I mean, rejoicing, and I don't really know what's going on, you know. Um, I know something's happening.

SPEAKER_01 24:30

Right.

The Airport Shoeshine And A Hidden $100

SPEAKER_00 24:31

And so on the way out, uh, Brother Louise still had this sober, soberness about him, and he said, Amigo, that that lady that come down, she's a grandma, is what he calls a grandma, he said. And uh he said, She lives a couple houses down in this village from the church, and she heard that music at nine o'clock in the morning on Sunday, and that's very unusual because they have church at two o'clock. She said, Well, that was strange to her. And uh she began to listen, and she said uh then the American began to preach, the North American began to preach, and she said, I was sitting in my house, contemplating how I was going to take my life. And uh, I mean, here we are in the mountains, you know, it seems like the stress level wouldn't be that much, you know, and and you wonder what got her to that point. She's a grandma, I mean, uh, an elderly lady, and she was contemplating, trying to think of how she was going to take her life. And she said, as they beg we begin to preach and he began to interpret, she could hear it very well because they blast their their uh you know services in the speakers. That's kind of why I believe I'm half deaf because of that. But uh she said, I could hear that somebody loved me where I was at, and he intentionally loved me on purpose. When a lot of people passed by, uh I preached on how the Levite and the Samaritans or the uh the priest passed that guy by, but there was an intentional love in the Samaritan's heart, and he intentionally stopped and helped me. And she said, I've been passed by, I've been passed by, my family's passed me by. But she said, when I heard that there's someone that would intent would intentionally love me, I had to come give myself to that. And God gloriously delivered her, saved her, and as far as I know, she's still serving the Lord in that church today and all. And so that's just you know uh testimonies of uh uh the things that God's doing, a few of the testimonies that we've seen.

SPEAKER_01 26:57

And all and I don't know how long you were wanting to as long as it we'll we'll go if we start going a little too long, we'll pause it and start another one. I know you got the material to do another one.

Pain Healed And Quiet Miracles

SPEAKER_00 27:09

Yeah, we we uh I mean there's been some you know, a lot of people worry about safety in Honduras, and uh it is uh can be uh we've never really had any major deals, but I mean if you know what you're doing, you go where you're supposed to be going. And we work in the mountains, so it's uh you step back in time, that's getting better because we were there in that area where we were at when the first electricity came and we was kind of instrumental in our our village getting that. But uh but we've had a couple experiences. Uh, one one experience we was uh uh had the Sikh team uh and I think they'll be at some point doing uh maybe uh doing a podcast in the future. Great, great group of people, Brother Terry Miles over there. We had 17 of us, uh, or 17 of them and and me and a couple more and uh we were driving my truck after a couple hours of driving began to get hot as a rental truck. And so we pulled over and trying to figure out what was going on and couldn't get it seemed to cool down and we started it just get back hot and uh eventually some people gathering around us and uh it was getting a little, I don't know, strange feeling. Yeah. And so finally uh Obed, which is Brother Luis's son, went to try to find uh some uh a part or or something we was gonna, I forgot what was gonna try, what was gonna do. And um he went and and walking down, he was gone for a long time. And then an elderly gentleman came up and he said, uh, y'all might want to leave. Uh he said, they're gathering a group, a gang, they're gathering them, and they're coming here, and uh y'all may be in trouble if you don't get out of here. Well, we didn't have Obed, and he's uh don't where don't know where he's at trying to find a part, you know, walking. And finally he come, we're waiting, waiting, and you can tell it is some shuffling, so to speak, and some guy, young guys gathering around just one by one, and and uh and so finally here come Obed. He said, Let's go, let's go, let's go, let's go. And I was like, Well, what are you talking? What is it, dude? He said, Man, I I've I'm here. And he said, I was at that store, I found a store, and they told me, he asked if I was with that truck, truck down there. And they said, Yeah. He said, Well, you need to tell them to get out of here. And uh, because it's uh they're they're fixing to try to get y'all stuff. And so we jumped the truck and uh they said, What about the truck? I said, Listen, I don't care if I blow the motor in this thing. And uh, as long as I can get as far away from here as I can. And so, man, we took off and we never had to do a thing to that truck. Uh, we we got it, we put water in it, and uh it just calmed down. I think it was the the adversary, the enemy. You know, I I don't want to blame everything on the devil, but but uh I believe it was um an opportunity. The enemy will use a lot of uh things to uh, you know, and and I guess the danger uh of Honduras is uh if you get stopped in traffic and there's traffic jams or there's a wreck and it can be hours. Right. And so that is an opportunity for gang members to to find, you know, and go through and and because you have you can't go anywhere. We've been shut down before for three or four hours and not able to move. And so that is an opportunity, but uh we've been fortunate and and stuff on that, just a you know, a few instances like that.

SPEAKER_01 30:44

Yeah, I think it's not often.

SPEAKER_00 30:46

Like I've never had a and now and and we we we're we know the ropes, you know, and it's uh but but and that's basically all the years we've been going there.

SPEAKER_01 30:56

Uh I only know of two incidences we've had problems, but uh my Uncle Joey, his he had one, but I'm gonna have him talk about that on a podcast. Yeah. That was he was in San Pedro.

SPEAKER_00 31:06

Yeah, that's the city. He lost his passport, yes. I won't I won't steal his thumb. I want him to tell me that. But yeah, the Lord, that was great. But uh so that there's you know things, but uh but the the important part of any story we can tell is just the things that happen in the altars. Uh you know, we have um opportunity to minister in a very different settings. Uh sometimes it's with uh uh pastors, sometimes it's with youth, sometimes it's with uh we're fixing to do a ladies' uh retreat there. That's gonna be awesome. Oh yeah, that's something we've never done before. Yeah, never done. So that's coming up April the 28th through the May the 3rd, I believe it is, Sister uh Pansy Massey, Brother Clayton Massey, and their uh team's gonna go over. We'll be with them, and uh there's probably gonna be some maybe from this church, my mom, my wife. And so uh that that's gonna be um you know a rewarding time. We've never really done anything like that for the ladies. Uh we've done some teaching, but nothing that's just totally geared for them. Right. And so we're really excited about that, you know.

SPEAKER_01 32:18

But uh anyways, that uh So here's here's what's gonna decide what we do. Do you think you can think of more stories to tell for another podcast?

SPEAKER_00 32:28

Today?

SPEAKER_01 32:29

Today I I would probably I've got a couple questions here I'm gonna ask you.

SPEAKER_00 32:32

Let's just do the questions and then we can do another one another. I'm just kind of kind of uh going off the cuff here on these stories.

SPEAKER_01 32:43

But yeah, I do have a couple things, stories right here that I'm gonna talk to you about. So we'll just do this one and we won't worry about nothing. Okay, that'd be fine. First one is I remember you had a time where you did a bunch of weddings and baby dedications. Talk about that.

Close Calls And Roadside Danger

SPEAKER_00 32:56

Yes, I did. They wanted me to do weddings, and uh they said, Migo, we got some people because they I don't like it, but they call me Apostle Danny over there, and I uh and and I cringe and all uh and then uh then my buddies go over there and they say, It's good to be with Apostle Danny before they start preaching. I want to wring their neck. But they want me to do their weddings, they want me to do all them things if I can. And so uh they set up weddings, brother, and I had two days, and we done I done 16 weddings, uh, or married 16 couples. We had to do mass weddings. Right, yeah. And so I done one of them I done eight uh in at one one setting, then we done uh four at two other settings. So it was uh 16 couples that we married, and it was very uh very interesting uh because I had to go literally down and do the vows, you know, for every one of them. I wanted them to look at each other and and uh do do all the vows and everything. And so man, it was uh it was crazy. And then they told me they said, we want you to do a baby dedication. So I said, Oh, that'd be great, brother. I'd love to do a baby dedication. I, you know, I love giving our children back to God. It's biblical. It's uh and so they I said, Well, you know, where uh when? And they said, Well, you when you're coming, we'll set it up. And so I'm I'm expecting to do a baby dedication, and they end up it was 12 babies. I was like, what? 12 babies, you know, and so we actually had some team members there, and I had uh some of the ladies gather and and hold a baby as we would dedicate them, and we just done it. Uh we didn't do a mass dedication, we done it one by one. Went down the the road, and my wife is named Jennifer, and the little baby that she held, we asked all of them's name. That baby was uh in English is Jennifer. And so it was a very uh special time for her, and so we done the baby dedications, and uh so uh that was that was a long day, you know. And when you're thinking you're just gonna uh do a baby dedication, and you got 12 of them. Then we we done uh baptismal services there uh where uh we um had uh I done baptized 29 uh at uh not at one time but individually. We had all 29 of them and a cold little bitty uh brook that they've been baptizing in for years and years and years. It's a little old little spring that comes down, and they have a uh rock uh uh hole basically dug out, and it's pretty deep, about you know, a little over waist deep, which I'm kind of short, so it may be waist deep to some. And um so we uh we was able to do that, and when we got done, it was funny. Uh they was all standing around. I was the last one in the water pool, you know, they was like saying something. I said, What are they doing? He said, They want you to go under. I said, I've been baptized, you know. Oh, but they want you to go under, amigo Brother Luisa. And I said, Okay. And I just baptized myself. Now I just went under and come back up, and man, they were it was a whole mountainside of them. They were clapping and cheering, and they they bring their uh their food and sit out, you know, and eat and just play music, and uh, and it's a glorious time uh to do that. And so uh, but uh that was that was a special time as well.

SPEAKER_01 36:42

Yeah, we was up on our trip, we went on it. We went, we was gonna go try and go to that, but we didn't end up getting it. Yeah, but that would that I I remember I'm pretty sure I had an opportunity to go with you on that trip. I might be wrong.

SPEAKER_00 36:52

It it's a it's a some trip you do. It's a long hike. I know that. Um that well my word, but and I had gout. Oh, yeah, uh, and I've had experiences with that that's been uh terrible. Get over there and have gout, man, have to drag myself around, excruciating pain, trying to preach, you know. Right. But uh we just fight through it, and the Lord's the Lord's helped me the last year and a half with that. So I'm I rejoice with that. But uh so we uh yeah, we got a lot of and there's a lot more. Oh yeah. But and we will have that more on here one day. Yeah, that sounds good. Well, it's been an honor uh with Kent to be on here and uh be with you guys.

SPEAKER_01 37:31

I got one more thing I'm gonna ask you. So I got a question. So when we first did our podcast, I did one more before yours, I believe, that I recorded. Uh, but I started after I did so many, I started asking a question that I'm gonna ask you that I asked just about every podcast once I got the question in different ways. But I just want to ask you, what would you say to someone? And this is the final question we're gonna do, then I'll let you we'll we'll close this. But what would you say to someone who doesn't believe missions work is important?

Mass Weddings, Baby Dedications, Baptisms

SPEAKER_00 38:00

Well, I would tell them they're wrong because number one, mission work is biblical, right? Right. Uh and uh I mean it's it's the commission. It is in reality the local church is is doing mission work. Right. Because uh everything that we do, we're on a mission. Right. But uh foreign missions is important. Uh you know, I mean there's a whole list of things that you can go, but there's a couple things. Number one, you're sharing the gospel with a people that's not heard. Number two, it does something for you, releases something in you as an individual uh that puts a fire in your soul. Uh I've had pastors that goes, and I'm not gonna call names because I I but I've had pastors that had never been on a mission trip before, and they come with us, and God like such a fire in them until it revolutionized who they were and who their church, and now they've got mission works bigger than ours, you know, in Honduras and other parts of the country. And so it does something uh to you as an individual that releases uh the the call of God. We all have a call, right? And it it it it's like when you go on a mission trip, it puts a passion in you because there's a church on every corner almost in America, you know, uh, which is it's needed. Uh we need church, we need more than religion, we need revival, right? But uh to go into all the world and preach the gospel, that's the commission of God. And uh and so I would say if you don't believe in missions, you need to pray and you need to study the word of God because the word of God alone will prove you're wrong. You know. So it's Uh you know, and it's very vital to the church. It's vital to the church because God sends blessing to the church and he is all about ministering to the poor. Right. And uh and he'll bring it back to you. If he can uh find a vessel that he can get things through, he'll use that you know, and the kingdom will be spread. It's got to be uh all across the world. You know, uh he said that all the world's gotta hear before he comes back. And so if you're ready to go home, then you better get busy spreading the gospel.

SPEAKER_02 40:34

Right.

SPEAKER_00 40:34

And I'm ready to go home, kid. So I'm talking my heavenly home. So, hey, let's spread the gospel, let's get it done, let's get the word out. Let God uh uh use you, open your heart to uh to mission work and allow him to call you to whatever extent he allows you to do that, home missions, foreign missions, uh uh uh to go uh from being stateside to go and uh short-term mission trips, long-term. There's so many things. Uh resident missionaries, going and living there.

SPEAKER_01 41:07

Right.

SPEAKER_00 41:07

I've never felt that. Uh not because I wouldn't. I mean, uh we've left our church to do that, you know. Uh, but now we're passionate again and we're we're so now we're in the will of God and God's helping. But just uh look at missions uh as an individual and what God would do because some can give, some can go, some can go and give and stuff. But missions is important uh to the kingdom of God and all. And so uh that's just kind of my quick take on that question.

Why Missions Matter

Host’s Reflection And Closing Tease

SPEAKER_01 41:40

And with that, we're gonna go ahead and end this podcast. Uh, thank you, Brother Danny, for being here with me. This is not gonna be our last time talking to Brother Danny. Like he said, he's got more stories, but that is this podcast, so we definitely will be doing another one. I was writing some stuff down for it whenever we do it. I don't know when that'll be. But so be listening for that. We got a lot more podcasts coming up with Brother Danny and with other people. So keep listening. We got some exciting stuff coming up, but thank you for being here with us. Thank you for giving us your time. I know this was very last minute, but for being last minute, it went very well. So thank you for giving me your time. God bless you. Appreciate you. This podcast was really focused on talking about just like stories over the years that Uncle Danny has experienced and he's got to be a part of. And it's just I know he'll say he would say this himself. It's just it's an awesome experience, it's phenomenal. There's nothing like it. So I just want to take a few minutes for the end of this podcast just to talk about that kind of you know, you got the people in the world, y'all, they think that the life they live is the best life. They think that we have it bad, we have certain rules we gotta follow, we don't have to, or they don't have to comply to some God. But in reality, we as Christians live the best life there is. We have a purpose to live, we have a reason to live, and we have somebody, Jesus Christ our God, who is willing who was willing to die on the cross for us and is with us every single day, helps us through whatever we face, goes through it with us, stands beside us even when we don't feel him, even when we don't see him, he's still there. In reality, this is the best life to live, and this is the only life that leads to heaven. Every other life leads to hell. This life leads to heaven. A relationship with God is vital to our life. I'm telling you, you'll never, you'll never live a life greater than the life of a Christian. The things we get to see, the experiences we get to experience, the feelings we get to feel from being filled with the Holy Ghost, to being used by God, to be anointed by God, there is nothing like it. There's no greater feeling and there's no greater purpose than working for God. The stories you heard today of the miracles that have happened, of the people that have gotten saved, those are because of God. It's not because of us. We're willing. We take the time to pray, we take the time to study, we take the time to obey God, but He's the one who does it. There's no greater life to live. You'll never convince me that there's a better life out there. And you'll never convince me there's a greater way to live. They might think that what they have is good, but it'll never compare to what we got. We got the joy that God gives us, the peace that God gives us. We have an assurity that we're going to heaven, an assurity that there is somebody who sticks closer than a brother. That's God. That is Jesus. There's no greater life. You'll never show me another life greater than this one. I am thankful and blessed to be a Christian. And I want to tell you today that if you're not a Christian, not only are you going down the road to hell, but you are also not living the best life. The best life you will ever live is when you give your life to God and you serve Him. I'm telling you, there is no greater life. I I couldn't ask for a better life. The calling God has on my life, the ministry he allows me to be a part of. He allows me to do this podcast right here. I mean, thankful for this. I couldn't ask for a better life. Who knows how he wants to use you and what he's gonna let you experience? So I encourage you that if you are saved, be thankful and be encouraged by this. Because I'm not gonna, I'm not gonna act like there's not trials that we face every day. There are. But this is still the best life. We still have the best experiences ever. Drugs is not a good experience, but a life with Christ is. Stealing, murder, it's all horrible. It's not fun. But what is fun is living for Jesus. What is fun is getting to go to heaven, is to see souls saved, the sick healed, see all kinds of things God does through us. It's the best life. So if you are saved, find comfort, find joy in the fact that you live the best life ever. And if you're not, it's not too late. You can get saved today. You can become a child of God today. You can have this better life, the best life ever, and not go to hell. We're not promised tomorrow. We're not promised another day. So don't wait. Do it today. And let God change your life. Because I promise you, it is so, so worth it. Well, thank you for listening to this episode of the God's Willem podcast. I've said this a few times, but I know that our podcasts are kind of scattered right now. I promise you, we're gonna get back to it normal. It's just with just different things. I actually just got off a tour in school of ministry. Uh well, maybe off a tour, I won't get in all that, but it is it's been awesome. I'm so thankful for this opportunity, and I'm thankful to be a part of this podcast. I'm I'm so glad that we made it a year. We've had some fall off from the end of the year. That's on me, nobody else. But it's coming back. I promise you, I'm expecting this podcast to grow. I want to see it multiply over this next year. I want to see God used in so many ways. Thank you so much for listening. Uh I'm I'm I'm thankful to be a part of this. I'm thankful that God has allowed me to do it. And I hope y'all enjoyed this episode. It's a really good throwback episode to like things that have happened over the years. So I'm glad we got to do it. In our next podcast, we're actually going to be doing um a three-part series of podcasts. So the next three podcasts we'll be talking to the same person. But it is some of the best podcasts, or it's some of the wildest podcasts we've ever done. We're gonna be talking to Brother Trevor Osborne. He does missions all over. He's uh recently started doing missions and already has seen God do so many things, it's been phenomenal, so many miracles and just circumstances. It's just it's unbelievable. You've got to hear those podcasts. If you uh they'll be coming out, if I can make it. I'm not gonna, I'm gonna do my best, not the next week, but the next, the first part. It's a three part series, and I'm telling you, every single part is worth listening to. So I encourage y'all, please go listen to those. God bless y'all. Thank y'all for listening to this podcast. I hope y'all have a wonderful day, and I'll see you on the next podcast.