S4E3: A Love Worth Giving Everything For | Justie Wingfeld

This episode of The Go and Send Podcast features Justie Wingfeld, co-founder of Akonda Ministries in Malawi. Justie grew up watching her parents live out their faith, and a family friend's story of missionary sacrifice planted a desire in her heart at a young age to give her whole life for someone to know Jesus. She married her husband, Nathan, right out of high school, and the two always assumed missions would come "someday," once their kids were grown. God had other timing. A trip to Malawi turned into deep friendships, an unexpected calling, and a series of leaps of faith that reshaped their family's entire life -- including one remarkable story of God providing abundantly for a hospital they had no way of funding on their own. It's a story that spans from the ministry they never planned to start, to the way they chose to raise their kids along the way. Justie shares candid, faith-stretching stories about trusting God with her kids, her finances, and her family's future, along with practical encouragement for anyone wrestling with their own step of faith. Contact us at [email protected] Resources & Links: Akonda Ministries: https://www.akondaministries.com Crazy Love by Francis Chan Radical by David Platt Something Needs to Change by David Platt When Helping Hurts by Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert   00:00 -- Cold Open: "I Want to Love Jesus So Much..." 00:47 -- Meet Justie Wingfeld: Hospital Ministry in Malawi 01:44 -- Malawi: The "Warm Heart of Africa" 02:57 -- A Childhood Shaped by Answered Prayer 03:47 -- Following a Missionary Family's Journey to Mozambique 04:54 -- Tragedy on the Mission Field 06:19 -- The Impact of Jim Elliot and Nate Saint's Story 07:28 -- Growing Up With Missions in the Backyard 08:48 -- Meeting Nathan in the 9th Grade 09:59 -- Marrying Young and Facing the Pushback 11:04 -- Dreaming of Missions "Someday," Choosing Motherhood First 11:44 -- Pursuing Adoption -- and Getting Denied Again and Again 12:27 -- An Unconventional Adoption Opportunity Arrives 14:06 -- Landing in Malawi for the First Time 14:50 -- The Poverty and Joy That Wrecked Them 17:52 -- Meeting Klaus: A Stranger Who Became Family 20:58 -- Small Projects Snowball Into Something Bigger 22:42 – Akonda Ministries Is Born 24:38 -- The Dream of Building a Hospital 27:43 -- Standing Before Government Officials, Committing to Build 28:53 -- Wrestling Over How to Fund the Hospital 30:53 -- A Text From an Old Friend and a Provision She Didn't See Coming 32:31 -- Learning to Fully Trust God With Her Children 34:38 -- A Family Health Crisis Right Before Leaving for Malawi 36:44 -- The Closest She's Ever Felt to the Lord 41:07 -- Selling the House, Building the Hospital, and Full-Time Missions 42:24 -- The School Bus "Coincidence" 44:24 -- A Confirming Test Trip to Malawi With All the Kids 45:07 -- Moving a Family of 10 Into a School Bus 47:56 -- Quitting the Job and Fundraising Full-Time 48:34 -- Her Brother's Role in the Journey 49:14 -- Encouragement for Anyone Facing a Step of Faith 50:44 -- Akonda Ministries Today: Led by Malawians 52:53 -- Serving as a Shelter After a Devastating Cyclone 54:37 -- Launching the Business Training Centers 59:37 -- Churches Becoming Self-Sustaining 1:03:09 -- Books and Resources That Shaped Her Faith 1:05:13 -- Where to Learn More About Akonda Ministries   To learn more about SonSet Solutions, go to our website or follow us on social media @SonSetSolutions. Website: https://www.sonsetsolutions.org