Help me Abide

11/12/2025

11/10/2025

Hey friends, welcome back to the Help My Abide podcast. I can’t believe it, but this is the final episode in Season 5: Back on the Field. What a season it’s been. Before we jump in, I want to let you know that Season 6 is right around the corner. It’s going to be called “Beauty for Ashes,” and I’ve already started interviewing our guests. Let me tell you: it’s shaping up to be such a powerful and insightful season. I can’t wait to share it with you.
Today, we’re closing out this season with a really special conversation. I had the joy of interviewing Meagan Sullivan. Meagan and her husband, Josh, along with their children, have been serving as missionaries in South Africa for the past seven years. Before heading out on furlough, their church had grown to around eighty members, and they have three young men currently training for ministry. The Sullivans have four biological kids, and two more who are theirs in their hearts.
In this interview, Meagan opens up about life on the mission field: about faith, about endurance, and about what it looks like to trust God in the middle of heartbreak and uncertainty. Their story is one of deep grief, but also incredible hope. Some of you may have already heard about what happened earlier this year when Meagan’s husband, Josh, was kidnapped in South Africa and then miraculously rescued. It’s a powerful story of God’s protection and presence, and I really encourage you to read the article about it. You can find the link in the show notes. It’ll give you even more depth and meaning as you listen to this conversation.
And, because every missionary has a favorite local dish, Meagan shared hers, it’s called umnqusho, or as she laughed and told me to say instead, samp and beans.
I loved this interview with Meagan. She’s someone who has been acquainted with grief, yet she continues to press on learning more about herself, her weakness, and her faith in her loving Heavenly Father. She’s so real, and honestly, she felt like an instant friend.
Make sure you stick around until the very end of this episode. You’ll hear a beautiful song sung by their church’s youth choir in South Africa, recorded just a few weeks before Josh’s kidnapping. Every time I hear it, it brings tears to my eyes.
Are you ready to be encouraged and equipped to abide in Christ? Let’s get into the heart of today’s episode.

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/help-me-abide/id1691013592?i=1000736089089

YouTube: https://youtu.be/GoCM0LgW7gw?si=t3_5Yc2HN-ymzqJE

11/03/2025

Welcome back to The Help Me Abide Podcast. I am truly honored to introduce today’s guest.
Joining us is Mrs. Rhoda Smith, a faithful missionary who, along with her husband Robert Smith II, has served the Lord for over thirty five years on the mission field. Together, they’ve had five children, two of whom are living, and have dedicated their lives to sharing the Gospel around the world.
The Smiths began their missionary journey in Nigeria, West Africa, where God used them to start a church that continues to bear fruit to this day. From that work, around thirty people have gone out to serve in ministry, with more than sixteen currently pastoring, one serving as an evangelist, and others training in Bible college.
Today, the Smiths serve faithfully in Barbados, where they have planted the St. Philip Independent Baptist Church, an inspiring ministry named for the location they serve in. God has blessed their ministry with faithful believers whose spiritual growth, as local pastors say, is “like watching a tree grow.” Slow, steady, but truly miraculous. The kind of growth that only God can bring.
The Smiths have also had the joy of witnessing something rare and precious on the island, marriages. In a nation where most homes are led by single parents, they’ve seen God transform lives and families, and they’ve even had the honor of helping some couples take that beautiful step of faith together in marriage.
Most importantly, through countless visits, Bible studies, and conversations, they’ve been able to share the truth of salvation by grace and the free gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ with many who had never heard the message clearly before.
One of Rhoda’s favorite stories is of a dear older woman who began to weep as she heard for the very first time that eternal life is a gift from God already paid for by Jesus. Moments like that remind her why she went, why she serves, and why she must keep sharing the truth.
From a big day attendance of 1,200 in Nigeria to 168 in Barbados, God has proven Himself faithful every step of the way. Souls have been saved, lives transformed, and churches established where once there were none.
And of course, we can’t forget some of the simple joys of life in Barbados, like macaroni pie, chicken curry, and yes, even fish: something the Smiths didn’t grow up loving, but now enjoy as a staple of island life.
Oh, and one quick note before we begin. Please forgive the audio quality in this episode. We had a little trouble keeping the internet connection stable, so we actually ended up recording over the phone with the phone on speaker, held up to the microphone. But I promise, the message and the heart behind it are worth every bit of it.
Are you ready to be encouraged and equipped to abide in Christ? Let’s get into the heart of today’s episode

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/help-me-abide/id1691013592?i=1000735026132

YouTube: https://youtube.com/?si=9kdk1UmmK87IjCUX

10/27/2025

Welcome back to another episode of Help Me Abide. Today we are honored to welcome a very special guest, Mrs. Ashley Anglea, a faithful missionary serving alongside her husband, Benjamin Anglea, in the beautiful country of Madagascar.
For the past 18 years, the Anglea family has poured their lives into the people of Madagascar, raising their five children there, sharing the gospel, and building a lasting ministry. Their journey began with a bold step of faith, and through God’s grace, they were able to purchase land and build a church building, establishing Faith Baptist Church. Over the years, they have seen the Lord raise up local leaders, ordaining four men, three of whom have gone out to plant new churches of their own.
In 2016, Ashley's husband Ben started the Faith Baptist Bible Institute, a ministry that has equipped many men and women to grow in their knowledge of God’s Word and serve in their communities. Their work has also expanded to launching a missions program within their church, multiplying the reach of the gospel far beyond their own hands.
Early on, Benjamin also founded an NGO that opened doors for their family and many other missionary families to serve legally and effectively in Madagascar. And since 2017, the Angleas have faithfully hosted teen camp each year, creating an environment where young people can experience the love that only God can provide and learn the truth of the gospel of our Saviour Jesus Christ.
Ashley is a woman of deep wisdom and compassion, someone who pairs her sharp mind with a heart that longs to serve. Her favorite Malagasy dish is Varyam-anana, a comforting seasoned rice soup with greens and pork, or as she describes it, a sweet and salty fried rice biscuit.
Are you ready to be encouraged and equipped to abide in Christ? Let’s get into the heart of today’s episode

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/help-me-abide/id1691013592?i=1000733676833

YouTube: https://youtu.be/RFaAlNguS8w?si=WJCkbBsE2G8waMQD

10/20/2025

Hey friends, and welcome back to Help Me Abide.
Today, I have the joy and honor of welcoming someone truly special. A personal friend, a woman I deeply admire, and a true hero of the faith, Mrs. Elizabeth Speer.
Elizabeth and her husband Ted Speer have served as missionaries in Ghana, West Africa, for the past 16 years. Together, they've poured their lives into the work of the Gospel, and the fruit of their labor is truly remarkable.
Through their ministry, over 50 churches have been started, either directly or indirectly. Their main church averages around 700 people every Sunday, not counting daughter churches. Their Bible college, Hyles-Anderson College of West Africa, has graduated 87 students. The Christian school my husband Brett helped launch, the Fundamental Baptist Academy, has 445 students enrolled this school year. Every August, their Pastors’ and Workers’ Conference draws hundreds from across West Africa, and they currently have over 70 team members on payroll. These statistics are just the tip of the iceberg in relating the incredible ministry the Lord has built through their faithful service.
But Elizabeth’s impact goes far beyond numbers. She is a woman who has faithfully embraced the priorities of each season God has led her through. She’s a steady voice of wisdom, and a beautiful example of what it looks like to abide in Christ.
Elizabeth is also a proud mom to Kimberly, James, Rachel, Grace, and Michael, as well as a son-in-law, a daughter-in-law, and a precious granddaughter.
And for a little taste of her Ghanaian life, quite literally, her favorite local dish is red red with pepper sauce. If you know, you know!
So whether you’re folding laundry, commuting to work, or just needing encouragement in your own walk today, I pray this conversation is a blessing.
Are you ready to be encouraged and equipped to abide in Christ? Let’s get into the heart of today’s episode.

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/help-me-abide/id1691013592?i=1000732646133

YouTube: https://youtu.be/8m5DmhhQVws?si=JAvzF-8T80CVBx2w