When you write a check for “clean water” or “orphans in Africa,” what actually happens on the other side of the wire?

In this episode, Todd Turner sits down with longtime Africa practitioner Jason Miller to talk honestly about the dark side of global generosity: dependency, staged photo ops, buzzword-driven proposals, broken “sustainability” projects, and a charity mindset that quietly damages the very communities we say we care about.

Jason has been working in East Africa since the mid-90s, from backpacking and hauling fax machines into Tanzania to walking slums, village wells, schools, farms, and “sustainable” projects across the continent. Together, Todd and Jason unpack how Western money interacts with local culture, government corruption, and survival ethics on the ground. They tell real stories of empty chicken houses, stolen wells, abandoned greenhouses, and ministries that exploded with donor money and then collapsed under the weight of it.

Most importantly, they explain why U.S. oversight tools like Guidestar, ECFA, and clean audits are necessary but not enough. Once money leaves the country, the paper trail gets fuzzy and the real story is told in dusty fields, rural schools, and village churches, not on a glossy PDF.

In this conversation, you’ll hear:

• Why “don’t feed the bears” is a painfully accurate picture of some mission models
• How well-intentioned donors can destroy local businesses and jobs without realizing it
• Why buzzwords like “sustainability,” “water is life,” and “women’s empowerment” raise money but often hide shallow work
• How cultural views of truth, honor, and family boards can completely change what “accountability” looks like
• Why schools, wells, fish farms, and orphanages often fail once the team flies home
• The limits of 501(c)(3) audits, Guidestar stars, and ECFA seals when funds are wired overseas
• What real donor due diligence looks like when you actually “watch the money in action”
• How Open Trust Global helps close the gap between donor stories and donor reality

If you’re a pastor, foundation leader, missions pastor, family office, or everyday giver who supports overseas work, this episode will help you ask better questions, fund better projects, and avoid doing unintentional harm with generous gifts.

Open Trust Global exists to put eyes and boots where the dollars go so that every gift has a fighting chance to become the good it was intended to be.

William Booth didn’t set out to build a global movement. He walked into the slums of London with a Bible, a stubborn faith, and a burden for people the church had learned to ignore. Out of that simple conviction came The Salvation Army, one of the most influential Christian missions of the last 150 years.

In this episode of HIS Story, Todd Turner sits down with Booth for a first-person conversation that brings his world to life. You’ll hear what shaped him, why he refused to look away from suffering, and how holiness, courage, and compassion fueled a ministry that changed cities across the world.

This episode explores:
• Booth’s early ministry and calling
• The spiritual and social crisis in 19th-century London
• How The Salvation Army began and why it grew
• Booth’s passion for the poor, the addicted, and the forgotten
• What today’s church can learn from his bold, practical faith

If you enjoy Christian biography, church history, classic revival movements, or stories of ordinary believers doing extraordinary things, this conversation will pull you in. It’s a fresh look at William Booth, The Salvation Army, and the kind of faith that still speaks today.

What happens when someone decides to live entirely by faith?
In this episode of This Is HIS Story, Todd Turner shares a compelling conversation with George Müller — the man who cared for more than 10,000 orphans without ever asking for a penny. Through prayer alone, he watched God provide food, shelter, and hope for thousands.

Listen as Müller recounts his rebellious youth, his powerful conversion, and the unwavering trust that shaped every decision of his life. His story still challenges today’s believers to depend on God in practical, courageous ways.

Whether you serve in ministry or simply want to grow your faith, this episode will stir your heart and remind you that God still answers prayer.

👉 Hear more timeless stories of faith at https://hisstorypodcast.buzzsprout.com