Just a Sling and a Stone: Tim Pearson’s Mission to Capture the Unseen and Tell Kingdom Stories Through the Lens

In this episode of Hope Unlocked, Kristin Kurtz welcomes Tim Pearson, founder of Just a Sling and a Stone, a nonprofit ministry using photography and video to help under-resourced ministries share their stories. After a mission trip to the Himalayas, Tim felt a holy nudge: “What am I doing with these photos?” That question led to documenting powerful stories in Uganda, Tanzania, and beyond—capturing hope in crisis and faith in action. Discover how God uses ordinary tools for extraordinary impact.

Tim's Contact Info:

Email - tim@justaslingandastone.org 

Website - justaslingandastone.org

Resource Mentioned:

The Foundation Group  

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Chapters

• 0:16 Welcome to Hope Unlocked
• 1:43 Tim's Journey and Background
• 6:14 Birth of Just a Sling and a Stone
• 14:27 Running Toward the Battle
• 20:00 Ministry Through Photography
• 31:37 Uganda: Capturing Crisis and Hope
• 41:25 The Albino Orphans of Tanzania
• 49:52 Trust God and Future Plans
• 58:22 Closing Thoughts and Prayer

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:16

Welcome to the Hope Unlocked podcast. I'm your host, kristen Kurtz, and I'm also the founder of New Wings Coaching. I help and empower wildhearted and adventurous women of faith feeling caged and stuck, unlock their true purpose and potential, break free from limitations and thrive with confidence, courage and hope. If you're curious to learn more about coaching with me, head to newwingscoachingnet and be sure to explore the show notes for ways to connect with me further.

Speaker 2: 0:40

Get ready to dive in as we uncover empowering keys and insights in this episode. So tune in and let's unlock hope together. Welcome to the Hope Unlocked podcast. I'm Kristen Kurtz, your host. I pray this episode is like a holy IV of hope for your soul. Please help me. Welcome Tim Pearson to the show. I'm so thrilled to finally have him on today. He is a mutual friend of Heidi, who is one of the leaders of a local women's group called Few, and he happened to be there and shared a little bit about his story and I knew, oh my gosh, he has to come on. And he said yes. So that was great. Now to get to this point. One day I was going to interview him and my basement started flooding. So, listeners, I know that this is going to be an amazing, amazing time of hearing his story and the ways that God is using him in this world. So, tim, would you be open to sharing a little bit about yourself before we get into your story?

Speaker 3: 1:39

Sure, my name is Tim Pearson. I've been married for 38 years to a wonderful wife and I have got four wonderful children, all married now as of a few months ago and four grandchildren.

Speaker 2: 1:56

Oh, so exciting, Four all married off Wow.

Speaker 3: 2:00

All married off now, finally, yeah.

Speaker 2: 2:02

Wow, that's amazing. And congratulations on 38 years. That's incredible.

Speaker 3: 2:07

It is.

Speaker 2: 2:08

Wow. Well, tell us a little bit about. I know there's probably a story behind the story of where you're at now, but if you go back, maybe a couple of decades, where were you? What were you doing?

Speaker 3: 2:23

I. At one time I lived in the Twin Cities. I worked as a commercial photographer. I've been doing that for almost 40 years now, and actually 10 years ago, 2015, I went on a short-term missions trip to Himalayas and had a huge impact in my life and it was there. I was, you know, being a photographer. I had my camera with me and I'm photographing all kinds of things and it was just like you know what am I doing with these photos? You know what am I? They're fun to look at, but I just thought there's got to be more purpose behind it, and it took me, you know, nine, nine years to finally figure it out and get to where I needed to be, and it's been. It was a journey and got opening doors and closing doors and different places and different ways and, um, so a year ago, a little over a little over a year ago, 2024 I started, um, my own non-profit ministry called Just a Sling and a Stone.

Speaker 2: 3:27

Well, tell us a little bit more about the name, because I love that. That's actually something I've said quite a bit like a stone and a sling, just as kind of a reminder of like the power right and weapons.

Speaker 3: 3:41

So yeah, for me it's weapon. So yeah, for me it's um, oh, it's meaning, like you know, I just remember the story of david goliath. You know he goes into the battlefield. He's not the best warrior for israel that israel has. You know he's going, but he just puts his trust in god and god's gonna you know deliver him you know, the giant to him.

Speaker 3: 4:08

And same here I'm. I'm a photographer but and I do dabble in some video work too I'm. I know I'm not the best, you know, you don't have to be, yeah, you know, just trusting in the lord, will um use you and just commit to that, and so I just decided yeah, and I also thought, well, I could wait to learn.

Speaker 3: 4:32

I've got photography down fairly good after all the years but just like the video part is different and new and okay, well, I can keep waiting until I learn that better. And it's like no, no, why should I wait? You know, just dive into it.

Speaker 2: 4:46

Wow, can you say that again? I think somebody needs to hear that.

Speaker 3: 4:51

Just, um, yeah, don't hesitate. Just, you know you can come up with a million excuses not to get going with something in life and maybe that's. You know, sometimes the older you get, you realize that yeah, yeah, I don't have a lot of time left and I better not hesitate. And uh, and one of the other things just related to that that, um, hit me. I just and this was just maybe a month, two months ago maybe, and I was reading again the story of dave and goliath. I just like to go back and read that and I'm just going to grab my Bible here for a second.

Speaker 1: 5:29

So I'm, reading this right.

Speaker 3: 5:32

And there's a point here where you know, when David went out to meet the Philistine and it says that David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine, and I just thought that's who I want to be. I guess I want to be the person that is running out to meet Goliath and not hesitate, and that really stuck with me recently that, yeah, that's what I need to do is just push forward.

Speaker 2: 6:03

Have you found yourself to be in that position throughout your life, where you you run in or have you no? Found yourself being more one that like kind of runs away yeah, I'm not not runs away, but um more cautious probably and not to say that, dave, you know I'm running into this blindly.

Speaker 3: 6:25

I mean obviously you know, david had experience and defending the flocks and things like that. So I'm not like, oh, I'm just first time picking up a camera and I'm just going to do something I've never done before. No, I right, it's not just total blind faith. You know I've got, I know God is, can use me and the skills that he's given me, and but yeah, I just need to, you know, run towards this and not not be, you know, hesitant and too cautious. I mean, caution is good in some cases, but not too cautious.

Speaker 2: 6:58

And but Wow, so you're definitely quicker to say yes when he calls you to step into something I think so yeah yeah, when I just and I don't know if this is called into something or if it's just obedience I'm looking at too, that's good. So you did commercial photography and then, like, were you trained in photography? Did you um like go to school for photography? Like what did that look like?

Speaker 3: 7:27

Years and years ago. Yeah, yeah, long time ago. Yeah, I just started as a. I got a camera from high school graduation from my dad and I went, ended up going to a Bible school over in Germany after high school. So I got a new camera. I'm in a new world all around me and it was cool and neat and everything is exciting. And I was taking pictures and I didn't know what I wanted to do in life. I was 18, and I thought when I get back home, I'm going to check this out and end up going to, you know, community college and vo-tech kind of schools to learn photography and then end up getting a job as a photo assistant at a few different studios in the twin cities where you really learn the most. Okay, and then, and it just went from there, yeah, wow, so your dad gave you a camera.

Speaker 2: 8:14

How do you like? What was it like before that? Were you taking pictures before that, or?

Speaker 3: 8:19

was that just kind of not really. I mean maybe a little bit, you know. I mean he had a camera.

Speaker 2: 8:48

I'd borrow his sometimes, but nothing. You wasn't like, wow, this, see the things that you know that he's gifted us in, Right Mm-hmm. So you did the commercial photography and then you now have a nonprofit. So tell us more about the nonprofit and kind of that transition, because were you employed, and then I think that's what stood out to me for your story.

Speaker 3: 9:20

For like the last 20 years I've been self-employed, I've just had my own business and just working for different clients. But so I just decided, I mean I tried it, you know like, I just maybe do this on the side. You know just, I mean it wasn't just a sling and a stone back then, but just doing work on the side. And we recently moved well, three years ago Now, we moved from the twin cities out to Bozeman, Montana, and we, my wife and I, just started fresh and a lot of things in life and I just thought, yeah, this is a good time maybe to start fresh with this and make a change.

Speaker 3: 10:02

And yeah, and so just started the process and then, just like a year ago, start fresh with this and make a change and yeah and so, just started the process and then, just like a year ago, finally got you know, everything registered and with you know the paperwork well still, they actually took like a year, just this year. Finally all the IRS stuff. It was you wait forever yeah.

Speaker 2: 10:23

Wow. So could you share a little bit more about, maybe even about that process, cause I'm sure there might be somebody who has thought about doing a nonprofit. Is there anything that you learned along the way that might have, um might help somebody who wants to step into the realm?

Speaker 3: 10:38

I talked with a lot of people, first about you know what's the best way to do it and how to go about the whole process, and I heard it was very hard, very difficult. And then somebody told me of an organization out of Nashville called the foundation group and they do all the work for you pretty much.

Speaker 3: 11:00

I mean, they give you a list of you know they, they need this information, that information, all this, and then they put everything together, for a fee of course, and they submit everything into the IRS, but they guarantee you that it's going to go through. And you have to come up with all kinds of information. You know dollars and numbers and mission statements and all kinds of things to do it. But it is nice to have somebody that knows what they're doing and to help you, because that's not my area.

Speaker 3: 11:39

I don't enjoy that at all and some people love that and that they can do it themselves. Sure, being the way my brain works, it's like no, that's something I hate, so it defines somebody else, yeah, we need, we need people.

Speaker 2: 11:56

So the foundation group you mentioned. You'd had a good process with them. It sounds like okay. Well, maybe I could add that to the show notes, as if there's others who are interested in reaching out to them. Is there a contact there that you would recommend?

Speaker 3: 12:10

um, no, no, no one, no one person in particular yeah okay, awesome.

Speaker 2: 12:16

So it took about a year.

Speaker 3: 12:17

You're in the process, you're waiting, um, and you also had said something about a nine-year timeline well, just the nine years from when I first went on this mission trip up in the Himalayas until getting this process going with just slinging a stone and God opening and closing doors, I thought, oh, maybe I'll do this and changing some for target, and it's like, oh, this looks promising. And then all of a sudden that closes. But it's something else opens up and it's like god was just kind of guiding me to this where I am now.

Speaker 2: 13:28

I think, yeah, yeah, how do you, how do you hear god like in this, in your, in your life?

Speaker 3: 13:38

oh, by reading the bible prayer. Um, I had different passages that came up, different sermons that I would listen. I mean different people, you know I'd be all over, you know in in Montana or back in Minnesota or something, but same things were coming up in sermons that I was doing in church or something like that or just listening, and it's like wow, I'm hearing the same kind of theme over and over again.

Speaker 2: 14:10

Yeah, um, so I'm speaking to me and yeah, yeah, isn't it incredible like he's so intentional and I actually like to say that he's fun too.

Speaker 2: 14:14

Oh yeah, like he will bring these repeating messages and you might even walk outside or go in your car and you'll see like a billboard or a truck driving by that has the very like key and message that you're kind of looking for. I heard a sermon this last week that he was saying you know, I don't always just sit down and like it falls on me, like in my prayer time or whatever. Sometimes we'll be like two days later out in nature, or it's not always going to come like that.

Speaker 3: 14:49

Would you agree? Speaks to us in lots of different ways. I think we have to be good at listening. Yeah good at listening, yeah, otherwise, if we're just busy which we all can be with our lives and going on, I mean you have to. I think you know just kind of the old thing you know, be still and listen.

Speaker 2: 15:10

Yeah, absolutely so. Just a sling and a stone. I know that you go places.

Speaker 3: 15:17

Yeah. Tell us yeah, tell us a little bit more about where he's, he's got you going okay so just the idea behind it, I guess, is I do, um, I work with different christian organizations, typically outside of the us more international that, and typically smaller organizations that don't have tons of funding behind them to get their story out. Because there's so many just great organizations out there that are large and have tons of backing and funding and they get them and they're doing great work.

Speaker 3: 15:57

But there's also I've discovered just tons of small little mom and pop organizations that are reaching people and doing amazing things, that don't have big budgets behind them and some ideas. I go out and I'll do photography, video, um, kind of customize whatever they need to. You know, raise awareness is what they're doing, if they need to support, and so I don't charge them anything. I raise the support on my end to cover the costs and then I travel, go do the work and turn everything over to them to use. Some of them will have me do some editing. Some just want everything just raw and they have, they know somebody on there and they can help them. So there's no set way of doing it. It's everybody has, you know, just different and flexible, without however they want it.

Speaker 2: 16:53

Wow. So how did? How did you like? How do you know who to like partner with? Are there people that are coming to you? Are you finding people? How does that?

Speaker 3: 17:04

yeah, it's just, it's organic yes, very organic, and again, it's how god works in just crazy ways sometimes yeah so, um, just an example.

Speaker 3: 17:18

So I'm living in bozeman, near montana, and, in addition to just, you know, juggling lots of different things and trying to make an, I drive Uber too in town here. So I do a little bit of Uber driving and I think it was February I gave this woman a ride here in town, just short little five, 10 minute ride down, and we were just chatting and she's asking what I do and I was telling her about the ministry that I just started, you know, and she looks at me. She's like my husband and I have a ministry that we do. Oh, uganda she's from. Maryland is where they live and her husband was speaking at the university here, and so they were in town for just a couple days yeah and so we just chatted more and she said let's connect.

Speaker 3: 18:03

So the next day I met them at their hotel and we sat down for a few hours and talked about each other and what we're doing and I just thought, yeah, they can use me Wow. So here I just got back four days ago now, last Saturday, from Uganda, and I was over there with them for two and a half weeks and just amazing work that they're doing over there.

Speaker 2: 18:33

It's incredible. So you're driving. Uber and you meet somebody who's a connection's a connection point, like a stepping stone to really step into this fully.

Speaker 3: 18:46

Wow and that's just kind of one of the latest example and that's just yeah, it's just crazy well do of connections that brought me there actually connected to the person who I was over in the Himalayas in Asia 10 years ago now. He connected me to somebody in the Twin Cities, who connected me to somebody in Atlanta and I was going to go do some a project with him and he was partnering with another group in the Atlanta area and he ended up not being able to go.

Speaker 3: 19:39

But this other group said we'd love you to still come and work with us and I said sure yeah and so from, you know, asia, to minnesota, to atlanta, to tanzania, you know it's like can't make this stuff up, right no, I know. So it's just again, I guess, just being open and yeah, you know God works in amazing ways.

Speaker 2: 20:03

Yeah, I would love to ask you and I think part of you know I really love hearing testimonials and straight from people who are are doing pioneering, right, you're? You are pioneering something that is really different and new and um, new for you and maybe not for others, right, yeah, um, you know there's, there's an element of what you're doing that might look a little crazy to the world, right, I make it just a little bit, I mean to some people, I guess yeah yeah, like you're not charging.

Speaker 2: 20:43

So a lot of times people would say well, in the business world, or what have you? Did you have any trepidation about that? Like, have you found that you know the Lord has always provided along the way? I guess that's kind of where I'm getting at.

Speaker 3: 21:01

Yeah, it's.

Speaker 2: 21:04

Yeah.

Speaker 3: 21:04

I am not getting rich off of this, that's for sure. I am not sitting with like a big chunk of money in my bank account, but just um, yeah, trusting in the Lord that he's going to provide and take, take care. And sometimes it's like, wow, this one's really tight. And then all of a sudden, you know just something comes in and it's just incredible. Yeah.

Speaker 2: 21:28

Wow, so you've had a lot of like 1159 experiences last minute before midnight hour. Yeah.

Speaker 3: 21:37

Yeah, pretty much yeah.

Speaker 2: 21:40

Do you have any fun examples about that, because I know that there's a lot of people that I know personally who are pioneering, and it's been a little treacherous in these last few years.

Speaker 3: 21:53

I guess nothing specifically tied to that, I mean that really jumps out at me. Tied to that, I mean that I that really jumps out at me um, one of the early on things that impacted me, I guess, is on this first trip I went 10 years ago now is I, you know, had to raise support for this. You know, two week long trip and, um, I had never done one, I'd never gone on a short-term trip in my life and I thought, oh, this would be interesting.

Speaker 3: 22:25

And our kids were a little bit older and I thought, okay, my wife really wanted to go too. But she says I'll stay home with the kids Our girls were still in school and stuff like that and you go on this. But she says the next one you go on, we'll go on together. I'm like okay oh yeah, um, but as a support, a gentleman in our church came up to me and, um, I understood what I was doing.

Speaker 3: 22:55

Excuse me yeah and and hands me a check and just says it was you know. I mean didn't like cover, hold it, but it was a good amount of money and he said just never let finances get in the way of the Lord's work and. I guess 10 years later it still impacts me what did he say again?

Speaker 2: 23:38

I want somebody to hear that, and it's ministering to me too never let finances get in the way of the Lord's work.

Speaker 1: 23:45

Hmm, ooh.

Speaker 3: 23:52

Oh yeah, I guess that's my best example Hmm.

Speaker 2: 24:00

That. That goes right to the heart, Like how many people do you think are stopped by just that very thing?

Speaker 3: 24:15

um, I really don't know. I'm not sure.

Speaker 2: 24:18

I don't know if I'm going to answer that yeah yeah, I mean I I've I talked to many who really are challenged, maybe to step out into something or out of something, because they are maybe in a secure financial position, maybe at a job, or the Lord might be calling them to do something, but they don't see how it's even possible.

Speaker 3: 24:43

And I think that is one of the ways you know talk about, you know god opening and closing doors, and the position I was in recently is, yeah, I'm not in like a secure financial and it probably would have been harder for me if I was, you know, if I had this, you know, working for you know, solid corporation and you know all this going here and it's like so you know, it was a way of lord putting position that it was easier to make this decision, yeah yeah, and how has it been like with your family?

Speaker 2: 25:24

I know for those who are listening that you know we have family, that, um, you know they can either be for you or sometimes against you, unfortunately. How's it been?

Speaker 3: 25:35

I think it's been very supportive. Yeah, everybody is like wow.

Speaker 2: 25:39

Yeah.

Speaker 3: 25:41

I don't think I've gotten any negative feedback from anybody on what I'm doing?

Speaker 2: 25:45

That's amazing.

Speaker 3: 25:46

A lot of support. Yeah, I mean just encouragement. Yeah, I mean just encouragement.

Speaker 2: 25:51

Yeah, so did your wife, and you. End up going on a trip together then.

Speaker 3: 25:57

So, yeah, we both co-led the same trip three years later, in 2018.

Speaker 2: 26:04

Okay, oh how was that Amazing, yep, oh Well, I love what you're doing. How was that amazing? Yep well, I love like what you're doing. You shared some pictures with me today and you said something at the few gathering about you know the faces that you're capturing and I can't remember exactly what you said. Do you remember what you said?

Speaker 2: 26:29

and I think probably like a big part of your mission. Um, like people, maybe they haven't seen themselves before, do you remember? I? Don't remember what I said like being able to capture, like the emotions and the essence of the people that you're going to see.

Speaker 3: 26:56

I mean, I'm hoping I'm capturing that when I'm there, because this last trip really hit me hard in some ways and I just let people know I've so this is this is my third, so I did back to back to back trips and like a short time span, you know less than less than two months and so, and one of the things when I started this I didn't realize and it just kind of hit me as, like man, it's a lot for me to process, just personally.

Speaker 1: 27:31

Sure.

Speaker 3: 27:32

And what I'm seeing and what's going on is I'm seeing and experiencing things that probably most people don't see experienced in their lifetime From orphanages you know, in the Philippines to you know sex trade in Asia and what's going on there, to starvation in Uganda At one point we did in. Uganda a week or so ago and we were doing a. We wanted to show what the ministry is doing that I was working with.

Speaker 2: 28:15

Okay.

Speaker 3: 28:21

And so one of the things they'd help with is, they do you know, food relief. They're helping because this area has had some severe drought the past few years and they were also doing, you know, know, related to that is medical assessments and different things on, you know, nutrition, on people, and so we decided to not stage something. But do it out of timing, what they normally do. We went in and we were doing a medical assessment on a village of these people that you know.

Speaker 3: 28:47

Maybe they wouldn't have gone to to do that part of it, maybe for another you know, month or so okay and but they, because we were there, they said let's do this now and so we can take photos of it, video, just to show what they're doing, so they can show it to their supporters. And, um, I remember I was doing video and just trying to capture everything and it just seemed like it was just crowded, I mean. So we had a couple doctors there yeah and it was you're. You're moving around looking through my camera and I'm trying to move around and not step on kids.

Speaker 3: 29:23

That are around us and kids are crying because there's, you know they're just a situation. You know there's a lot of crying going on and they're testing kids, they're measuring, you know, like their arms, they're weighing them. They're doing all this stuff. And I don't know if you've seen the movie I'm not the movie, but the series the Chosen and there's this scene in there where the woman's trying, where she touches Jesus' garment and she's fighting through the crowd, and that just flashed back to me like I'm trying to do this video and these people are just pushing in on me all around, and then it just kind of dawned on me.

Speaker 3: 30:04

I mean I'm just doing a simple little video, I think, and these people are like it's life and death. I mean they're pushing their children, their grandchildren, forward towards the doctors to make sure they're seen.

Speaker 1: 30:17

Oh, wow.

Speaker 3: 30:18

And it's just wow, it just really hit me.

Speaker 3: 30:29

Yeah it just really hit me, yeah, and we found one young girl there because they were giving out you know, the ones that were the worst malnourished. They were handing out the special food packets that, um, they get from approved, like who, and stuff like that. He's supposed to help them, I mean, within minutes, just to help their body, and so then they give him other stuff for future things too, and this one girl was not interested in eating it at all and they said that's really a bad sign. When you lose, you lose your appetite. And so they got her into the hospital the next day and they said she probably had like a week left to live.

Speaker 2: 31:11

Oh, my gosh.

Speaker 3: 31:13

And so it's just yeah, it's hard.

Speaker 2: 31:19

How far, like how far are they having to like walk to get to this?

Speaker 3: 31:29

Surprisingly, not as far as you think. Okay, it was interesting. I was expecting because I'd been to some remote areas before, where you hike days into remote areas, and this is. You know, we were staying in this small town, northeast uganda, and these villages that this organization work.

Speaker 3: 31:52

They work with five different villages in the area um it's called the people, called kermajung people, and they live very primitively but they can probably. I mean, this town is by no means fancy, I mean it's you know, but there's we stayed at a hotel which is very basic and okay and it's you know, it may be like a seven miles away from where they are okay, and there's roads and different things and they walk all over the place and they walk into town to go to the market, sometimes on certain days that they're trying to sell stuff so they're not that far, but they're sitting there with no electricity no you know simple.

Speaker 3: 32:34

you know thatch huts they're living in cook over an open fire, but in some cases you can see power lines from their village. It's just an odd thing.

Speaker 2: 32:49

Yeah, it's really strange their village, it's just an odd thing. Yeah, it's really. How do you? How do you like you said you had challenges like processing all of this right, like how do you? How do you come back here? Like is it challenging to come back and re-acclimate?

Speaker 3: 33:05

in some ways. Yeah, I mean, you look at all the abundance around you and it seems just crazy, but then again it's there too. So my trip to Uganda got delayed in returning home because of the conflict in the Middle East and I ended up staying a few days in Naiairobi, kenya, which was kind of fun because I um did some work there a year ago, and so I visited this school that I did work for a year ago and met some of the same people again, which was fun to connect, reconnect and they, um, you know it's in the slums in nairobi and it's horrible living conditions that you're in, and you know it's in the slums in Nairobi and it's horrible living conditions that you're in.

Speaker 3: 33:53

And you know, these kids hardly get any food at all to eat. But you know, this time, when I was there a year ago, I spent the whole week in the slums. I didn't really get out anyplace else, and this time I was meeting some other people too, so I was in different parts of Nairobi, and it's like.

Speaker 3: 34:15

I'm walking, there's like grocery stores here, which it's a modern, you know city. There's parts of the city that you would have no idea that there's food nearby at all, you know. And then you go to another part of the city half hour away and it's a modern city and it's just crazy to think that such a contrast in such a short distance.

Speaker 2: 34:32

Yeah.

Speaker 3: 34:33

Way more than you see here in the U S. I mean, yeah, yeah, there's. I've never seen areas in the U S as poor as that and that must be so hard to take in Like I?

Speaker 2: 34:45

I don't know. I got married to the Dominican Republic and I remember going on different like little excursions and we would be brought into different villages and I that was kind of like my first experience, you know, when I was in my young 20s, to see like what you hear about, but when you actually see you know just the poverty, but yet there's smiles you know just the the poverty, but yet there's smiles.

Speaker 2: 35:13

Yes, and that's the other thing. I wanted you to talk about that, because the picture that you sent me today, where there's four children, oh, they're laughing One of them is carrying. It looks like a water jug on her head, and it's just precious Like. What you captured here is just incredible. Like just their faces, Can you like? What do you sense as you're capturing these photos? Like God's heart over them, yeah.

Speaker 3: 35:42

And just I, this group I've been working with. They've been in this area for, I think, just two years now. You know, in that time they've they've made a big impact and so they show up. I mean, and they are there.

Speaker 3: 35:57

They've got people working on the ground there that are there weekly into the different villages, but this was more the people that started the ministry and stuff like that, and they get there a couple times a year and so there was a team of people. There was like like seven of us and we go into these villages and they were singing and dancing and just, you know, full of joy and you know, like you know, their attitude is like there's nothing wrong with you know, they're just happy yeah but at the same time, you know, they're also desperate for food.

Speaker 3: 36:33

I saw that too, you know. But, um, the one of the comments, they sat down and met. We went to all the different villages they work with five different ones and they'd sit down and meet with the elders men and then they also have separate meetings with the women and stuff like that, because they all have different perspectives on different needs in the village. And, um, one of the men said something about you have brought the light of jesus into our lives here, and that's what's giving them hope.

Speaker 2: 37:09

This is Jesus Christ, and had they like, encountered Jesus before that? Do you know?

Speaker 3: 37:19

Not in this way. I don't think no.

Speaker 2: 37:23

What do you feel like, what are they experiencing? Because you know we can bring different. You know just our presence is bringing Jesus. But is there something that they're experiencing beyond, maybe somebody else who's come in and tried to help out before.

Speaker 3: 37:39

I think the consistency that this organization is called TCI, transformed Communities International, but just their consistency, because other groups have gone in and they're there for once or twice and then they're gone, you know, and it's like never to be seen from again.

Speaker 3: 37:56

And just so, I think. And listening to the people too. They're not just trying to here, we are from the west, you know us, and we've got all the answers to everything and we're going to fix all your problems where they go in and actually they'll listen to them. And you know, how can we best, you know, help you and what can you know? What can we do, you know, versus trying to force on them what we think is best.

Speaker 2: 38:27

Wow, that's a huge. That's a huge key right there, right, mm right, just for anybody else who might be listening in ministry that isn't operating that way.

Speaker 1: 38:37

Yeah.

Speaker 2: 38:38

And just in general, I think if we could just listen to people more would you say.

Speaker 3: 38:44

Oh yeah, definitely there's. These people are. They're not dumb people, people, I mean. They're super smart and they know how things work and they're part of the world and how best to get things done. They might not always have the resources or anything, but just to listen to them and they've got great ideas and how to handle different situations and yeah, yeah.

Speaker 2: 39:07

Well, how about another like trip that you've been on? Is there anything else that you wanted to share with um people listening today? Oh, man, there's I'm sure you have only been doing this a year, yeah gone on many trips, but they've all been so impactful, um, so just okay.

Speaker 3: 39:34

A year ago I was in tanzania and we were working with a group ministry called ubora and they minister to a lot of widows and um orphans in the area. A lot of widows or husbands have died of aids over the years and things like that and they were doing great work.

Speaker 3: 39:55

They it's a bigger organization. They were small enough where they don't have huge funds, but still they have been there for a while and are established and it was great seeing all the people. They put on different again health clinics and the bigger team and they had 1,500 people, you know, coming to these events that they were putting on.

Speaker 3: 40:20

But at the end of my trip we did a little. The woman that was kind of organizing it it's an extra day and she says would you be interested in going visiting another place that I she had heard of like the year before and I'm like. So she connected with this woman and it was an orphanage. It was like the next town over, okay, and it was an orphanage for disabled kids and run by a catholic nun. I mean it was. I don't think they get much funding either I mean I'm not Catholic or anything, but it didn't matter and we were going out and seeing things and I'd heard some of this. When we got there, you saw these disabled kids, which is sad. I mean they have all kinds of different disabilities physical, but then there's also a huge group of albino children there.

Speaker 2: 41:18

Interesting.

Speaker 3: 41:20

And I learned that Tanzania has like the highest per capita whatever population of albino people.

Speaker 1: 41:27

Wow.

Speaker 3: 41:29

But they are also, and it's so. You imagine these. You know young kids, african kids, running around. They've got just white hair, super fair skin. Yeah, their bodies are full of sores because of the sun. They're living practically on the equator.

Speaker 2: 41:47

Oh, my gosh.

Speaker 3: 41:49

And yeah, and then they're orphans on the equator, oh my gosh.

Speaker 2: 41:50

And yeah, and then they're orphans on top of that oh and then also so are they like marginalized because of being albino?

Speaker 3: 42:00

well, I have marginalized is that the way?

Speaker 2: 42:05

we know what I'm saying?

Speaker 3: 42:06

I know what you're saying but to put a different. I did some research afterwards yeah they are hunted still oh for their body parts oh my gosh, yeah, okay.

Speaker 2: 42:20

Yeah, I was wondering if there was like some type of you know where I'm going with that witchcraft kind of thing still goes on oh my goodness.

Speaker 3: 42:29

And still there's even from what I was reading at when I got home there's wealthy people that in the country that are still trying to get a leg up on the competition yeah in life that will hire these people to come up with these potions or whatever thank goodness and so this is still happening in the world.

Speaker 1: 42:49

Wow.

Speaker 3: 42:49

And to see these kids and know that. I mean just not too far away from where I was. Like a week before we got there, somebody, an albino person, was killed and this woman knew of another lady in this village whose arm was cut off with a machete and they take. You know, it's crazy what goes on in the world that we don't hear that much about.

Speaker 2: 43:09

Right.

Speaker 3: 43:14

Oh, I can't even imagine I've been doing this a year, just everything you know. Like I said, I hear and see things that I never imagined, I would you know yeah, oh my gosh.

Speaker 2: 43:25

I I'm like I have so many questions.

Speaker 3: 43:30

But I, you know, and I just want to let you know, and it's not just me I've got people. Our board directors is super supportive and helping. I've got a super supportive wife and family and it's all those people behind me that are helping me so I can help others. You know, I'm just I don't. My ministry is not directly helping people, but helping the people that are there on the ground working with those people. I'm just kind of and just yeah.

Speaker 3: 44:01

I'm just one part of the body and doing what I can do to help, and I can't do without other people's help either. I mean I need support in prayer and financial, all the different ways that the people can support me too, and that helps a lot.

Speaker 2: 44:16

Wow. Well, I would say that you're helping many people and, are you like, are you doing partnerships with ministries here in the U? S as well? Are you doing anywhere in the US or around the world, like, do you have kind of a?

Speaker 3: 44:33

I mean, the ministries might be based in the US, but they're doing their work outside of the US. Okay, and that's kind of what I thought a niche would be, just because of I mean, yeah, just the Twin Cities, for example. There's tons of people that can do what I'm doing there, which is great because there's tons of need in every place in the U S too. I mean, don't pretend that it's not. There's not all this crazy need going on in every city in the U? S as there is, and but there's people here that can do that. And just my point in life and different position that god has put me in ability and flexibility to travel and, um, god isn't you know some people like I go to places and people are like aren't you afraid to do this?

Speaker 3: 45:23

and to do that and I'm like no, and maybe that's the way just god has wired me well as I.

Speaker 2: 45:32

I don't really have a problem with that, and so yeah that's you literally like you don't have any fears that come up when you're going into new places.

Speaker 3: 45:41

No, I really don't amazing I'm trusting in god that he's going to take care of me, and if it's my time to go and it is, I guess you know I can get hit by a car here in town and exactly I today, or it could be the other side of the world, you know?

Speaker 2: 45:56

and what would you say to somebody who maybe is carrying a lot of fear about stepping out into something unknown?

Speaker 3: 46:05

unknown just trust god, just yeah, don't um. Yeah, that's good, it's simple. I guess it's simple it's simple.

Speaker 2: 46:23

I like to call it simple wisdom, like you don't have to have too many words, right? It's literally trust god. I had a moment a couple days ago where I was driving on I call it the freeway, the freeway, and I was behind a van and it had trust all over it. Just trust, trust, trust. Because I'm in a season of some transitions and that's what, literally right in front of me, is like trust, trust, trust. Because we do, ultimately, like that is like what you said trust God.

Speaker 3: 47:01

And I think we live in a society where we want to be in control of everything where we want to be in control of everything.

Speaker 3: 47:15

It's kind of the American way is we're very independent, which is, I mean, there's nothing wrong with that either, but also it's we think if we have to do everything on our own and that, and I think that if we're throwing out trust on there, it's like, well, that's I can't. If I can't do it myself or I can't be in control of the situation, I'm not going to do it. You know, does that make sense what I'm saying?

Speaker 2: 47:38

Yeah.

Speaker 3: 47:39

I do.

Speaker 2: 47:40

I think you know, like, like you said something earlier, and it's just like we need people. We need other people. I have a couple of intercessors, other people. I have a couple of intercessors I call them my, aaron and her that are like literally holding my arms up sometimes, especially when you're. You know you're doing work. Obviously you do different work than I do, but there is generational implications to what you're doing on a massive scale. Thanks, do you see it?

Speaker 3: 48:10

I, I see it more and more. I guess the but and I, what I'm doing, is just part of the, the piece too. I mean I, you can have photos, but you need somebody to write a story that goes along with the photos, or something to explain what's happening and um, that I have no skill at, but I know there's people out there that do, and so we all work together, isn't?

Speaker 2: 48:35

that amazing yeah so these ministries have like writers, and then they work with you and they have kind of something they'll.

Speaker 3: 48:42

They'll reach out to somebody else. You know, somebody else will come along to them, their writer, and um, it's like this the thing in I did in uganda not too long before that. They ran into somebody that connected and he is like produces stuff, and so he's going to take all like the raw footage and put it all together. Oh my gosh, do things with it that I can't do, probably. I mean, I could do a little bit, but this person cannot do way more than I can, so it's just like have at it.

Speaker 2: 49:12

Use what I took and so good, oh well, what? What's next on the horizon? Like, what are you sensing for this coming year over what you're doing?

Speaker 3: 49:23

like I said, I just did a bunch of these really quick, which is my wife's like I'm glad you're home for a little while now too. Yeah and um. So I've got some things I'm working on. Nothing set in stone yet for another trip coming up, but just um. Fundraising, I guess, is something that's important. It's hard to yeah yeah, and again, I'm not good at that as far as asking.

Speaker 3: 49:49

I don't know if any of us are, but it's humbling, but just um, but it's, it's, it's. I know it's important and I need to do it, and so I need to focus on that for a while now and but I'm sure before the year's end I'll find myself either in nepal or mongolia or back in africa, who knows where yeah, what an adventure truly um it is ask you maybe, like I know you said, you know you're not the best at fundraising but like what does that, what does that look like?

Speaker 2: 50:25

um, not only that, but like how can people like partner with you? As they're listening, they might want to, you know, help, help you out.

Speaker 3: 50:33

Yeah, I mean, right as of now, the best way is probably to go to our website called just slinging a stoneorg, okay, and from there you can connect to different ways that, like I said, it doesn't have to be financial, it can be prayer, it can be advocacy, help, you know, suggesting another ministry that somebody else knows that they can share with me and we can connect and do something for them, and there's lots of. You know different ways, but right now, yeah, through the website is the best way to get connected and just starting putting together like a I hate this word, but newsletter kind of thing that just, yeah, inform people what's going on, and stuff like that.

Speaker 2: 51:20

Yes, it's a press release.

Speaker 3: 51:22

Yeah, something.

Speaker 2: 51:25

That's amazing. Well, what has been your most favorite moment since starting?

Speaker 3: 51:34

Oh my gosh. And the word favorite is kind of weird too, because it's is it like a fun moment, or is it impactful, or it could be whatever you, whatever I'm trying to think and I don't know if I have one I use that word a lot like favorite. I don't know why it could be a fun moment, impactful, um miracle moment it seems like it's the most recent thing I've done. Always sticks in my head.

Speaker 3: 52:10

You know, like I said, it's just a week ago and the people just closing in around me that still just sticking with me very hard right now. Yeah, but not to say that you know there's other things too, but it's just like. Yeah, it seems like the most recent things, because every time I've gone on one of these trip I hate the word trip too. It's. It's always when I say the word trip, it sounds like you're on vacation someplace and it's definitely not. I mean, I come, I'm exhausted, it's. You know, you're changing time zones, eating crazy food, sleeping wherever, you're spending nights in airports overnight. So yeah, trip is not a good word, but I like how you like words.

Speaker 2: 53:04

I'm kind of a big word person, like words are really impactful, so I love how you're kind of flipping the script, like flip the script.

Speaker 3: 53:14

So yeah, and it's just, they've all. There's been something on every time I've gone somewhere that's made a huge impact on me, so there's no favorite, I guess okay.

Speaker 2: 53:24

Well, how about a favorite photo that you've taken?

Speaker 3: 53:29

Oh, that's even harder.

Speaker 2: 53:34

Most impactful photo. It may be from your most recent trip.

Speaker 3: 53:39

You know how many photos I took.

Speaker 2: 53:41

Narrow it down to one.

Speaker 3: 53:44

I was. You know, I take, depending on the day, a thousand or two thousand photos a day.

Speaker 1: 53:49

Wow.

Speaker 2: 53:52

And a lot of them aren't good but well, you sent me four, so you're able to narrow it down.

Speaker 3: 53:56

I sent you four, I know, just to kind of give you a little taste of what it was like, I mean, and for me it's it's so interesting because each photo brings back a memory for me yeah because I was, you know, the one taking it. So I was there and I know um did I send you one of, like, a little girl sitting on the ground.

Speaker 2: 54:17

I can't remember which ones I sent you, now even um no, not that one okay but, I mean, I just so there's one with a bunch of kids, yeah it's, it's yeah it's filing like big, big smile.

Speaker 3: 54:33

Yeah, I know I mean we were. They were putting on a drama for this group of people that were there, because they, they have a language, but 95 percent are probably illiterate and so you can't like hand them a Bible, even if it's in their own language. They don't know how to read and so they were acting out bible stories and they were laughing and having fun because they were doing different things with the kids and all it. So I just I look back at my photos and it's just I know what is going on in the photo behind the camera and it just brings joy to me.

Speaker 3: 55:08

It just it's fun memories of not always fun, I guess. I mean, some of the kids were there. You know they're, they're starving and they're just giving emergency food rations and things like that. Um so but he, it triggers memories. I guess each photo in me, because I was there and I I know and it's so, and I realize a photo or even video can't share the whole story of what is going on in a situation.

Speaker 3: 55:36

Yeah, you can't smell what it smells like there you know, you can't, you're not hearing everything, you're not seeing all the stuff that's going on behind the camera and the people brushing up against you and as you're trying not to step on people or kids and they just give a little taste of what is going on yeah hopefully. That little taste, can you know, make impact on somebody's heart yeah absolutely wow.

Speaker 2: 56:09

Well, I want to wrap up one more question what is your like key anchoring verse over your ministry? Do you have that?

Speaker 3: 56:27

a key anchoring verse yeah, keeps you going I don't know if I have one in particular.

Speaker 2: 56:37

Okay, I don't yeah you don't have to, you could get one later. Get one later, you might. Can you tell I'm a coach?

Speaker 3: 56:44

I I'm like, okay, well, go sit with god, and it's like photos, because different verses mean different things at different times.

Speaker 2: 56:53

Yeah.

Speaker 3: 56:54

And so I don't have one. Yeah, you don't have to.

Speaker 2: 56:58

You know what I think you don't have to? Tim does not have to have just one. I'm going to prophesy over that Because I've been told you're multi-passionate.

Speaker 3: 57:10

Like you don't have to just narrow down I know some people do, I guess, but I don't yeah that's okay, yeah I'm good with that, yeah yes, amen.

Speaker 2: 57:20

Um well, as I um wrap up, I love to you know I do this for the one and if you could just get in mind one person who's listening in right now. Is there anything that you would like to um share, any words of encouragement or wisdom that you would be led to speak over them? Um, and then would you pray us out as we wrap up today?

Speaker 3: 57:45

I guess you know, if you feel, you know you feel Sense the Lord leading you in a certain direction, don't fight it.

Speaker 1: 57:56

Embrace it. And just go for it.

Speaker 2: 58:00

So good, so good. Yeah, I'll do that I feel it. Would you pray us out today?

Speaker 3: 58:14

Yes, I'll do that, I feel it.

Speaker 2: 58:15

Would you pray us out today? Yes, I'd like to Okay.

Speaker 3: 58:17

My wife just walked in the door, so no problem. Yeah, dear Lord Jesus, I thank you for this time we could share together and share the story of how you're working're working in my life and just that I can share. How you're working in other lives around the world and what you are accomplishing is just amazing, lord, and just thank you that I can be a small part of that and just do do my little part to help the people around the world. I pray this in your name Amen.

Speaker 2: 58:55

Amen. Well, thank you, tim. This has been incredible. Again, could you just share your website, and then I'll also put it into the show notes too.

Speaker 3: 59:04

It's justaslingandastoneorg aslingandastoneorg.

Speaker 2: 59:14

Okay, sounds good, and if you guys know of anybody that is looking for what Tim is bringing to this world, please feel free to reach out to him. And then I am going to close with the Hope Unlocked anchoring verse, which is May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace and believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit, you may abound in hope, and that's Romans 15, 13. So thank you, tim, for being a brave voice. I always like to say who's setting others free, and I appreciate you being on today. I will be back with another episode next week, thank you.

Speaker 1: 59:43

Thank you for having me. You're welcome you.