The Tudor Dixon Podcast: Orphaned Teens and Revival in Ukraine: Michael Johnson on the Slavic Gospel Association’s Mission of Faith and Hope

Summary

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The Tudor Dixon Podcast

Episode: Orphaned Teens and Revival in Ukraine: Michael Johnson on the Slavic Gospel Association’s Mission of Faith and Hope
Host: Tudor Dixon
Guest: Michael Johnson (President, Slavic Gospel Association)
Date: August 20, 2025

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Episode Overview

This episode centers on the humanitarian and spiritual crisis facing orphaned teens in the former Soviet Union, particularly amid the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Tudor Dixon interviews Michael Johnson, President of the Slavic Gospel Association (SGA), about SGA’s mission to rescue at-risk orphans from lives of crime, trafficking, and despair by partnering with local evangelical churches. The conversation delves into the challenges these teens face, the history and methods of SGA, the clash between faith and criminality, cultural dynamics, the role of the Church amidst war, and personal stories of revival and hope in the darkest of settings.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. SGA’s Mission and History

[03:09][Tudor Dixon] / [04:16][Michael Johnson]

• SGA’s roots trace to Belarusian immigrant Peter Danica, who fled hardship and later founded the ministry to distribute Bibles covertly behind the Iron Curtain.
• Focus eventually widened to radio broadcasting and, after the fall of the Soviet Union, partnering with established evangelical (mostly Baptist) national churches across the region.
• Goal: Equip local churches/pastors through theological training, sponsorships, and resources to meet both spiritual and material needs—especially for children and families in crisis.

Quote:

"Our passion has always been the proclamation of the gospel and whatever way possible in those particular countries as well as the Slavic populations in Israel." – Michael Johnson [05:18]

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2. The Plight of Orphaned Teens in Eastern Europe

[03:09][Tudor Dixon], [06:39][Tudor Dixon], [07:03][Michael Johnson]

• Tens of thousands of abandoned/orphaned teens—estimated at ~700,000—face being released from state-run institutions at age 18 into poverty, addiction, crime, trafficking, or suicide.
• The cycle is largely driven by poverty and rampant alcoholism, notably vodka.
• Orphanage directors invite churches due to the visible positive impact, opening doors for lasting influence.

Quote:

"Anywhere from 87 to 97% of those kids, when they leave those orphanages... are lost. They have no hope." – Michael Johnson [07:16]

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3. The Clash: Criminal Elements vs. The Church

[11:16][Tudor Dixon], [11:31][Michael Johnson]

• Russian mafia and other criminal groups actively "groom" orphans within orphanages, luring them into illegal activity with attention, programs (e.g., martial arts), and false promises.
• Churches, in contrast, strive to offer love, hope, and community through faith.

Quote:

"There's a battle for the heart and soul of the children... [the mafia] are grooming them for a life of crime." – Michael Johnson [11:42]

• Dangers to Christian workers are real: threats, violence, and intimidation are common, but SGA’s local partners persist with courage.

Quote:

"We have seen problems where... Christians have been confronted with getting beaten up and all that, but they just keep going back. These are brave people..." – Michael Johnson [13:02]

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4. Faith, Revival, and the Impact of War

[14:36][Michael Johnson], [16:25][Tudor Dixon], [21:29][Michael Johnson], [22:43][Michael Johnson]

• Despite Orthodoxy’s dominance and Communist-era atheism, evangelical churches are recognized for their humanitarian aid—even by authorities.
• The Ukrainian war has paradoxically sparked a spiritual revival. Churches organized safe passage (an “underground railroad”) for refugees and provided refuge, financial aid, and spiritual support.
• Many people come to faith amid loss and displacement.

Quote:

"There is a revival that is taking place in Ukraine right now in the midst of this because of the acts of good works of the Christians..." – Michael Johnson [15:48]

• Emotional scenes of public repentance and acceptance of Christ, reminiscent of past religious revivals.

Quote:

"You're going to have to be prepared for the repenters... people would just get up from the pews and come down in tears and confess their sins..." – Michael Johnson [24:31]

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5. Cultural & Political Hurdles

[20:32][Tudor Dixon], [21:29][Michael Johnson], [26:39][Michael Johnson]

• Many adults were raised to revere the state, not God, and carry fear about public expressions of faith.
• Some governments tolerate evangelical churches due to the humanitarian benefits, but persecution (beatings, jailings) remains in certain areas.
• Russia’s emphasis on “family values” coexists (and contradicts) with youth being sent to war and societal violence.

Quote:

"Most of these countries are atheistic countries. They were told that God doesn't exist and the object of their worship needs to be the state." – Michael Johnson [24:23]

Quote:

"[Pastors] hold summer camps, and then the government will come in and beat up the pastor, but they'll just come back and keep doing it..." – Michael Johnson [28:03]

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6. How to Help / SGA’s Outreach

[33:41][Tudor Dixon], [33:49][Michael Johnson]

• Prayer is foundational: "Much prayer, much power. Little prayer, little power. No prayer, no power."
• Ways to support:
  • Sponsor national church planters
  • Fund pastoral training (in partnership with late John MacArthur’s legacy and teaching)
  • Provide for humanitarian aid and programs like Orphans Reborn (ministered to 83,000+ children) and Emmanuel’s Child (Christmas outreach)
  • Support Christian summer camps (90,000 children attended this year)

Quote:

"For us, we offer a variety of different ways that people based upon their passions can plug in." – Michael Johnson [33:49]

• Learn more: sga.org

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7. Stories of Transformation

[36:58][Tudor Dixon]

• Testimonies from young people who were hopeless, entered a church, felt a unique “kind of love,” and found new purpose and hope.

Quote:

"It was so dark. Life was so dark. I didn't see any future. And I walked in these doors and I felt a different kind of love." – Tudor Dixon relaying youth testimonials [36:58]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "The Christians are here! The Christians are here!" – Relaying the excitement of orphans upon church visits [09:00]
• "We invite them to summer camp... do Christmas gift distributions... build relationships with the kids and then see what it really means to be a Christian." – Michael Johnson [10:22]
• "When the war started... the Baptist evangelical churches set up an underground railroad, if you will." – Michael Johnson [22:43]
• "We are so spoiled here, and we don't know that we're spoiled." – Tudor Dixon reflecting on the contrast between US and Eastern Europe [28:27]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 03:09 – Introduction of Michael Johnson and SGA’s mission
• 04:16 – SGA’s historical approach to ministry
• 06:39 – Cultural shock, orphans’ plight, and substance abuse
• 11:31 – Russian mafia’s influence versus the church’s mission
• 13:02 – Dangers faced by Christian workers and local support
• 14:36 – Governmental attitudes towards Christians and war relief
• 22:43 – Accounts of revival and the Spirit’s movement during crisis
• 24:09 – Emotional testimonies and revivals in rural churches
• 28:03 – Persistent persecution and church resilience
• 33:49 – How listeners can support SGA’s mission
• 36:58 – Closing stories of transformation and hope

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Tone and Takeaway

The conversation conveys urgency, deep compassion, and hope in the face of overwhelming odds and societal darkness. Both Michael Johnson and Tudor Dixon express reverence for the courage and faith of those serving on the ground, and awe at stories of spiritual revival. Listeners are encouraged to see beyond political headlines to the stories of individual lives being changed, and to consider practical as well as spiritual support for SGA’s ongoing work.

Summary for Listeners:
If you want more than just talk about war, politics, and despair—this episode will show you the real human cost, the resilience of faith on the front lines, and the possibility of transformation and revival even in the darkest places.

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Find out more or support SGA’s mission:
Visit sga.org

Transcript

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[Tudor Dixon]

Welcome to the Tudor Dixon Podcast. Today we have sort of an interesting conversation, especially with what's happening on the world stage with Russia and Ukraine. We actually have Michael Johnson with us today. He is the president of Slavic Gospel Association, a US Based evangelical organization on a mission to rescue thousands of orphaned teens in the former Soviet Union. These teenagers are under threat of being forced into terrible things like prostitution and slavery and even organized crime. And Michael and his team at SGA are on what they call a race against evil because about 87% of these teens who leave orphanages in the former Soviet Union countries of Eastern Europe, they'll end up in prostitution, criminal gang, slave labor, or even worse, commit suicide if they have no other option. So, Michael, thank you so much for joining me today.

[Michael Johnson]

You're very welcome.

[Tudor Dixon]

It's great to hear what you're doing. I'm so glad you are, because what you're doing I'm reading about not only are you doing this in Eastern Europe, but in Ukraine it's in a war zone. So tell us a little bit about what that's been like.

[Michael Johnson]

Well, first I'd like to give you a little background of the ministry. Back in the early 20th century, there was a man named Peter Danica who was born in Belarus. And and as he grew up, his family was confronted with a lot of problems, one being a famine. And so his parents put him on a ship and sent him to the United States so that he could secure employment and send money back so they could survive. He ended up in Chicago and he was saved through the ministry of the Moody Church, went to Bible school, became a pastor. Then in 1934, when the persecution ramped up throughout those countries against the Christians, he established this ministry. Its main goal was the COVID distribution of Bibles and Christian literature in those countries. And then we were heavily involved in the development of a Russian language radio ministry that we broadcast in and around and through the Iron Curtain in partnership with hcjv, transworld Radio and febc. So our passion has always been the proclamation of the gospel and whatever way possible in those particular countries as well as the Slavic populations in Israel. So when the wall came down, things changed and new opportunities began to arise. Many Western organizations sent their missionaries over into those countries to minister, and they had a great impact. But our strategy was a bit different. We connected with the largest group of evangelical churches in those countries, which would be the Baptist churches. They were established back in the early 1800s. They were persecuted for many years, they emerged from the dark, and they're wonderfully committed pastors and churches that have a passion to reach their countries for Christ. So basically, we're an equipping ministry. We exist to serve and equip those churches to train their pastors in proper and sound theology, then to secure sponsors to send them out into previously unreached towns and villages so they can preach the gospel and plant new Bible churches. And then we equipped them with resources to meet both physical and spiritual needs of the people in their communities so that more might hear, more might respond, and more might come to faith in Christ.

[Tudor Dixon]

How does that. Has that changed the culture there? And what kind of culture have your people seen that has been shocking. I read one story where there was a little boy that had come home from school and excited to tell his mom about soccer. And the mom was the one who ended up beating him and saying, I wish I didn't have to deal with him. Seems like that's. I mean, that seems like a very different culture than what we see in America.

[Michael Johnson]

Well, yeah, it is a different culture. I mean, we find a lot of substance abuse with the families in those countries and obviously the children have to suffer the brunt of that. So for us, our ministry is all about equipping the nationals to go in and meet and build relationships with these families, do whatever they can to lead them to faith in Christ, and then minister to the children, whether they be within abusive families or children growing up in these state run orphanages. And you quoted the statistic that we share with you. Anywhere from 87 to 97% of those kids, when they leave those orphanages on their 18th birthday, are lost. They have no hope. You know, they usually end up in, you know, criminal situations or alcoholism or substance abuse and as you mentioned, suicide. So we have an open door through our church partners throughout those countries. We're connected to 6,000 Baptist evangelical churches throughout those countries. These are people who have had significant ministries in those orphanages. And with funds and resources, they can expand that ministry in a way that they can reach more children.

[Tudor Dixon]

The numbers that I read are about 700,000 orphaned and abandoned children. And, you know, I think that number sounds outrageous to me. And yet it's probably a similar number in states in the United States. But, but I mean, where. How is that, Is that from substance abuse? I know in the United States, a lot of it is substance abuse or, or abuse in general. Is that the same there?

[Michael Johnson]

Yeah, that would be very similar. Similar circumstances because, you know, there's just these people that. A lot of these are poor families. And. And again, when you combine that with the rates of alcoholism, particularly given the fact that vodka is quite prevalent over there, it creates a very explosive situation. And so for me, you know, it was about 25 years ago. I was in Siberia, in and around the city of Krasnoyarsk, and I was traveling with the church leaders, the Baptist church leaders throughout that region. And we were visiting various ministry points, you know, church planting, humanitarian aid, distribution, all that. But then we began to see that those churches had an open door to go into the state run orphanages, to minister to the children in those orphanages. And the reason was, is because the orphanage directors saw the positive impact that these Christians had on the children. And so when we would pull up, you know, the kids would be looking out the window saying, hey, the Christians are here. The Christians are here. The Christians are here. And they're all excited about it, you know, because, you know, we drop off gifts and whatnot.

[Tudor Dixon]

Bring joy.

[Michael Johnson]

Yeah, bring joy. We invite them to summer camp. We would do Christmas gift distributions. We would do all kinds of things that allowed those church workers to build relationships with the kids and then see what it really means to be a Christian. And so the ministry had a tremendous impact. We expanded it to many of the other countries in the former Soviet Union. And so many of those kids responded. Many of those kids came to faith in Christ. So when on their 18th birthday, they let them out of the orphanages, they were embraced and welcomed into local churches. So they had a chance at a life that is not necessarily focused on criminality, but a life that is based upon the pursuit of God and spiritual things.

[Tudor Dixon]

Why is it so different in those countries than in the US? I mean, obviously we don't have the orphanage system anymore, but it seems as though these kids were coming out and just being lured into this lifestyle of sex trafficking or criminality.

[Michael Johnson]

Like you said, yeah, yeah, well, and that's true. I'm not quite sure how I would characterize the difference between our country and theirs. I think that's a universal problem. But. But there is. There's a large presence in many of the orphanages that we. That we deploy workers to where there's a battle for the heart and soul of the children. Because at the same time, the Russian mafia are in there building relationships with the kids. You know, they'll. They'll do, like, martial arts programs or whatever to build relationships with them, because basically they're grooming them for a life of crime. And so what the churches and the church workers are doing is to help these children to understand who God is and what it means to be a Christian. So it's just a very difficult situation. And the Russian mafia is many times successful because of what they promised the children once they get out. But as we all know, they're deployed into a life of evilness, whereas the Christians are drawing the kids into a life that is based upon the pursuit of a relationship with Christ.

[Tudor Dixon]

How dangerous is it for these Christians to be out there? I mean, when you're talking about the Russian mafia, that sounds like they don't probably want to give these kids up.

[Michael Johnson]

That's correct. Yeah. Well, it takes a lot of prayer for God's protection. We have seen problems where. Where the Christians have been confronted with getting beaten up and all that, but they just keep going back. I mean, these are brave people, and they're courageous people, and they're doing what God has called them to do.

[Tudor Dixon]

There's a story of one of these kids who was in there and groomed. And to get into a little bit of graphic detail, I guess, these mafia or criminal elements, they come in and they convince these kids, the boys, to traffic the girls. And there's a story of one young man who had this situation and one day was like, I've got to do something to make this right. Is he now a part of your organization, or have you seen things like that happening?

[Michael Johnson]

Yeah, we've seen things like that happening. But again, we don't send missionaries over there. We equip the national church workers to do the work. It's a highly coordinated ministry. We have administrative offices in Moscow. We have administrative offices in Kiev and Minsk. So we can get resources. We can get financial support to these people as they continue to build their ministries.

[Tudor Dixon]

There's support there by the government for Christianity.

[Michael Johnson]

There is. It depends on the country in Russia. Yeah. The Russians recognize the good work that is being done by these evangelical churches. So they will allow it to continue to take place. And I think that we have a good reputation over there because of the humanitarian aid aspect of what we do. So when it comes to the war, for example, in Russia and Ukraine, we were heavily involved in the distribution of humanitarian aid through the churches to the people and the families that were impacted as a result of the war on both sides of the conflict. So, so that is being recognized even though, even though in the case of Russia and Ukraine, the main national religion would be the Orthodox religion, the Baptists are being recognized for the good work that they do. And we're a significant part of that because we've been doing it for so long. So, yeah, we, we have a, we have a certain level of freedom to be able to go in and, you know, and it's, it's about word and deed. If we can help to meet through the churches, the physical needs of the people there, particularly those people that are in distress, there is an opportunity for them when they ask the question, what are you doing here? To give them a clear presentation of the gospel. Many people have come to faith in Christ. There is a revival that is taking place in Ukraine right now in the midst of this because of the act, the acts of good works of the Christians in Ukraine right now.

[Tudor Dixon]

Let's take a quick commercial break. We'll continue next on the Tudor Dixon podcast.

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[Tudor Dixon]

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[Tudor Dixon]

For people who don't know, the Eastern European countries have for a long time been leading toward more and more atheism. I know that the Czech Republic has almost no Christianity. It's the most atheist country in Europe right now, I believe. And I think that's been, it's been a struggle to get these, the support for Christianity. But there's like this, there's, there are people who have been saying, oh, but in Russia, they really want to bring back the family, they really want to bring back those values. And it's hard for Americans to go. How is that when Putin is so willing to go to war and willing to kill the people in Ukraine and he's really taking the young men out of the household and allowing them to go to war and die as well? How do you navigate the value system at the same time having these leaders that are just throwing men into this brutal war?

[Michael Johnson]

Yeah, well, for us, there are a lot of politics involved in what you just laid out, obviously. And so we've been working in those countries for so long that we have an established ministry whose focus is solely on the church. Jesus said, friend, this is saying is true. One sows, another reaps. I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored. Others have labored and you have entered into their labor. So we basically view ourselves as an organization that is entering into the labor of these churches that are putting themselves out there to minister to these people who are in tremendous amount of distress and a tremendous amount of uncertainty about what's going to happen in the future as a result of this war. And as we see as we looked at the, you know, the situation unfolding in the last two or three days with the meetings and the summits and all that, I'm still not sure how much longer this war is going to, this war is going to last because of Putin's determination.

[Tudor Dixon]

What an interesting time to see a revival in Ukraine.

[Michael Johnson]

Yes, it really is. It really is. And it's like when the war started, you Know, there was a big push of people who were looking to escape from Ukraine. And so the Baptist evangelical churches kind of set up an underground railroad, if you will. And people were making their way across the country of Ukraine to exit into Eastern Europe. And all along the way, there were churches that were there, you know, you know, every step of the way, just on their routes that would just take them in. They would spend the night, they would minister to them. They would give them money if they needed help with gas to keep their. Keep them going so that they could leave the country. You know, the church has been there all along to help these people. And we saw the same thing with the Baptist churches in Israel. In light of the most recent and conflicts there as well, there must be.

[Tudor Dixon]

Some beauty in seeing God work through such darkness, which obviously, I think that we see that throughout our lives and even in our darkest times. That's when I think we rely on God the most. And we can feel God's presence the most if we are willing to be open to that and see that. But what is it like when you see someone who hasn't known the Lord and gets to see, in the darkest times, the Lord bringing that joy?

[Michael Johnson]

Well, again, because we're an equipping ministry, we get to see that through the testimonies that we get back from, you know, from the. From the churches and the workers. And the testimonies are just incredible. I mean, these. Again, most of these countries are atheistic countries. They were told that God doesn't exist and the object of their worship needs to be the state, not God, but the state. And so I preached in a number of those churches over there. And particularly when you get out into Siberia and some of the rural areas, I'd just be sharing the gospel. And before I would stand up at the pulpit, the pastor would say, you gonna preach the gospel? I said, yes, I am gonna preach the gospel. And obviously, I do it through the interpreter. And he said, well, you're going to have to be prepared for the repenters. I said, okay, what do you mean by that? He said, you'll see. So, I mean, this is just like Jonathan Edwards, like the revival. You know, I'm preaching the gospel, and these people would just get up from the pews and come down in tears and confess their sins. Before the churches accept Christ as savior, we'd all sing a song praising God for a new Christian. And they would sit down, and two or three minutes later, the same thing would happen with another person. I mean, you can just see God. You can Just see God's hand in what's going on over there.

[Tudor Dixon]

We had a missionary visit our church from Eastern Europe, and I was talking to my pastor about it last weekend, and he was saying when he came to our church, he was talking about how you could actually see that there was demon possession. And he said, I think that in the United States, we don't see that as much because the demons don't have to work as hard here. We have medications. People are zoned out. You know, there's just. You have so much that you can step away from God. But in Eastern Europe, it's a different type of ministry there. And that. You see things like that. And I think it's. I think that's a really beautiful message for young people especially, or young people in Christ. Even if you are. If you are young in faith, that is a message that, like, that emotion is true. You can't fake that.

[Michael Johnson]

No, you can't. No, absolutely not. Absolutely not. And again, I mean, most of the older people, they grew up in atheism.

[Tudor Dixon]

Was it always. That was the history that.

[Michael Johnson]

Well, no. I mean, Russia and those countries, they adopted Orthodox Christianity back in the 10th century, and for the most part, that was their national religion for many, many years. And again, as I mentioned, the Baptist churches were established in the early 1800s when German Mennonite missionaries came into Georgia and Ukraine and began to evangelize the peasant populations. Many of the, you know, the attempts at reform died over the years, but for some reason, the Lord allowed that particular movement to bear fruit throughout the 1800s. And it wasn't until, let's see, when Stalin came in and he decided to eradicate, you know, those countries of all religion. And that's when the persecution started, and the persecution ran through 25 years ago. So.

[Tudor Dixon]

So the ability to kind of speak about the truth and speak about the Lord is. I'm sure there are a lot of.

[Michael Johnson]

People that still have fear in some of those countries. Like, in some of the Muslim countries, they are fearful because many of them will end up in jail as a result of it. And a lot of those Baptist pastors that we sponsor, they'll hold summer camps, and then the government will come in and beat up the pastor, but they'll just come back and keep doing it, you know, so. So, yeah, there is.

[Tudor Dixon]

You. You provide what they. You help to provide what they need. So that even in those cases, I mean, that to me, is so shocking because I think that we are so spoiled here, and we don't know that we're spoiled. And because we're spoiled, I think that's a risk that we take, is that we, we give a little bit away. And, and that seems to be what happened. I mean, that's kind of the story of history, right? You can see this happen. And now we're trying to claw it back. And yet the government would come in and beat up the pastor.

[Michael Johnson]

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. They would send the thugs in to beat up the pastor. Yeah, in some of those countries.

[Tudor Dixon]

Let's take a quick commercial break. We'll continue next on the Tudor Dixon Podcast.

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[Big 3 Basketball Announcer]

The reviews and ratings are in and Ice Cube's big three is the surprise hit of the summer. And to cap off the season, I heart presents the Big Three basketball playoffs this Sunday at 3pm Eastern. The remaining four teams battle it out for the right to make the Big three championship in the most physical, fierce and competitive basketball league in the world. The action starts with the Big 3 Monster Energy Celebrity Game where your favorite stars compete in Big 33 on 3 basketball. Then the first of two semifinal games features Dwight Howard and the LA Riot taking on Montrez Harrell and Dr. J's first place Chicago Triplets. The finale will see popular Miami 305 with stars MVP Michael Beasley and Lance will make you, Dan Stevenson take on Nancy Lieberman's Dallas power who finished the season winning five straight weeks to capture second place. Can Glenn Rice, Greg Monroe and Paul Millsap stop Miami's physical assault? Or will Miami and Beasley put an end to Dallas winning ways who will make it to the Big Three championship? This no holds barred action starts Sunday at 3pm Eastern, 12 Pacific only on.

[Tudor Dixon]

CBS this Labor Day.

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[Christina Quinn]

If you eat too many ultra processed foods, you could be starving your gut microbes and they'll get hangry. That's one of many things I learned after working on a new audio course about the gut microbiome. You can learn how to keep your gut happy by listening to Try this from the Washington Post. I'm Christina Quinn. I host Try this. Dig in with me on practical advice for life's common challenges. Follow Try this right now, wherever you're listening. Seriously, try it.

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[Tudor Dixon]

When you talk about like the mafia and that kind of thing, is that is that at all intertwined with the government where if they don't like something they just that's what they do, you.

[Michael Johnson]

Know, in terms of the connection between the mafia and the government, obviously there probably is some level of connection because you know that's how the mafia continues to exist. But yeah, it's a difficult question to answer. I'm not quite sure how to answer that question. There is some connection there. Yeah, from what I can tell.

[Tudor Dixon]

So what can people do to support what you're doing and support what the work that's being done there?

[Michael Johnson]

Well, the first thing is our founder wrote a book and his saying was always, much prayer, much power. Little prayer, little power. No prayer, no power. So we can continue to pray for the churches and the Christians over there that God would open doors and that many people would come to faith in Christ. So for us, we offer a variety of different ways that people based upon their passions can plug in. And we're the largest provider of sound theological training throughout those countries. We've had a partnership for many years with John MacArthur, who many people know has recently passed away. And, you know, a lot of the foundations of the doctrine that we. That we promote would be along the lines of what he teaches and in particular his focus on proper hermeneutics and a proper. And the ability to properly understand God's word if you're going to be out there preaching it. So training is important and then sending an evangelism is important. So if people want to want to sponsor a national church planting missionary, we offer opportunities to do that. We send great reports back and then we equip them with funds to minister to particularly families and children. So this year, we sponsored 90,000 children to attend Christian summer camp. Over the years, through our Orphans Reborn program, we've ministered to over 83,000 children. We do a lot of humanitarian aid distribution through those churches so they can meet people in their times of need. And we get great reports back from that. We have a Christmas program that was built around the work of the churches at Christmas time called Emmanuel's Child. And they view that as their most effective tool in drawing families in at Christmas time so they can hear and respond to the gospel. So it's kind of a holistic program, if you will. We minister to them, you know, Christmas time, many of them come to faith in Christ. We offer summer camp to the families and the kids. We, you know, meet their physical needs when. When the need arises. And then we train the pastors so that they can build a strong doctrinal and theological foundation around their faith.

[Tudor Dixon]

And where should they go to learn more about SGA and how they can financially support or support in some other way?

[Michael Johnson]

Yeah, so our website is sga.org okay. And so I thanks so much for giving the opportunity to share the good things that God is doing in those countries. Because right now everybody's just hearing the bad things. So we need to pray that God will. God's will will continue to manifest itself.

[Tudor Dixon]

It is so beautiful to hear these stories of. I mean, and we've seen videos, we've been fortunate at our church to have videos of these young people that have said, I mean, exactly what you were saying. It was so dark. Life was so dark. I didn't see any future. And I walked in these doors and I felt a different kind of love. And that to me is amazing because it really is unlike any love you'll ever know.

[Michael Johnson]

Absolutely. Absolutely.

[Tudor Dixon]

Well, Michael Johnson, thank you so much for sharing it with us today.

[Michael Johnson]

Thank you very much.

[Tudor Dixon]

Absolutely. And thank you all for joining us on the Tutor Dixon podcast. For this episode and others, go to the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts or watch it on Rumble and YouTube @Tutor Dixon. Thank you so much and have a blessed day.

[Big 3 Basketball Announcer]

Iheart presents the Big three Playoffs this Sunday. The remaining four teams battle to make their championship in the most phys fierce and competitive basketball league in the world. The action starts with the Big three Monster Energy celebrity games. Then Dwight Howard and his Ellie Riot take on Montrez Harrell and Dr. J Chicago triplets. The finale will see popular Miami 305 with stars MVP Michael Beasley and Lance Stevenson take on Nancy Lieberman's Dallas Power who will make it to the Big Three championship. The no holds barred action starts Sunday at 3pm Eastern, 12 Pacific only on.

[Washable Sofas Advertiser]

CBS this Labor Day. Say goodbye to spills, stains and overpriced furniture with with washablesofas.com featuring Annabe, the only machine washable sofa inside and out where designer quality meets budget friendly pricing. Sofas start at just $6.99, making it the perfect time to upgrade your space. Annabe's pet friendly stain resistant and interchangeable slipcovers are made with high performance fabric built for real life. You'll love the cloud like comfort of hypoallergenic high resilience foam that never needs fluffing and a durable steel frame that stands the test of time with modular pieces you can rearrange anytime. It's a sofa that adapts to your life now through Labor Day. Get up to 60% off site [e-mail] Every order comes with a 30 day satisfaction guarantee. If you're not in love, send it back for a full refund. No return shipping, no restocking fees, every penny back. Shop [e-mail] Offers are subject to change and certain restrictions may apply.

[Christina Quinn]

If you eat too many ultra processed foods, you could be starving your gut microbes and they'll get hangry. That's one of many things I learned after working on a new audio course about the gut microbiome. You can learn how to keep your gut happy by listening to Try this from the Washington Post. I'm Christina Quinn. I host Try this. Dig in with me on practical advice for life's common challenges. Follow Try this right now, wherever you're listening. Seriously, try it.

[Rodney Williams]

I'm Rodney Williams. And I'm Travis Holloway. Welcome to the wealthbreak Podcast, a real conversation about finance. Let's be honest, building weft doesn't look the same for everyone.

[Tudor Dixon]

I feel like sometimes being broke is a cycle and that we might have.

[Rodney Williams]

To revisit that and we're not stopping at success stories.

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What happens when it doesn't go right? How do you cope with it?

[Rodney Williams]

Because wealth isn't just about money. It's about creating a life where you thrive and help others do the same. Listen to the Wealth Break podcast on the iHeartRadio app.

[iHeartRadio Announcer]

Check out Vizio's complete lineup of home entertainment. From stunning smart TVs to immersive sound bars, Vizio has you covered. Experience entertainment like never before with hundreds of built in apps including Watch Free plus for Free Live and On Demand TV all ready to go right out of the box. You can even stream your favorite music, radio and podcasts with the iHeartRadio app available on every Vizio Smart TV. Transform your entertainment with incredible picture quality and next level audio. Visit vizio. Com today. This is an iHeart podcast.