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Rock bottom is not the end of a story, but it can be the first honest page. We talk with Ashley Thomas, whose path runs through years of addiction, incarceration, and the crushing loss of trust, then into a surprising place of peace: late nights in prison reading a Bible and finally surrendering everything to Jesus. What follows is not a quick fix. It is a slow, steady rebuilding of a life, a faith, and a new identity that is no longer defined by the worst moments.

Ashley shares how Grace House, a faith-based transition home for women coming out of incarceration in San Antonio, became a critical bridge between prison and a stable future. We dig into why a nine-month reentry program matters, how healing takes time, and how discipleship and structure can protect women from returning to the same people, places, and patterns. We also talk about the deeper work underneath recovery: releasing shame, learning who God says you are, and letting grace shape your next steps.

From there, the conversation moves inside the Kendall County Jail through Christian Journey Courses (CJC), a five-week faith-based life skills and behaviour transformation course. Ashley explains why teaching boundaries, conflict resolution, anger management, healthy relationships, money management, and dealing with guilt hits differently when it comes from someone who has actually lived it. One moment in a Texas prison captures the heart of prison ministry: choosing compassion over judgment and speaking forgiveness where shame has been loud for years.

If you’re looking for stories about addiction recovery, prison ministry, Christian reentry support, and forgiveness that truly frees, this one is for you. Subscribe, share this with someone who needs hope, and leave a review to help more people find these testimonies.

Visit our website at www.fbcboerne.org for more stories, information, and service times.

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Your kids will remember a mission trip long after they forget a tournament score and we’ve seen it firsthand. Brittany sits down with three FBC moms (and one of our trip leaders), Teresa, Dallas, and Christie, to share what happened when our families served together on a family mission trip to the Yucatan near Cancun, Mexico. We talk about the honest stuff parents worry about: safety, sickness, language barriers, time off work, and the big question of how a family can afford a trip like this.

Along the way, we tell stories that stuck with us, from a scary day in a hotel with a sick child to the unexpected joy of watching kids make friends across a language gap. We also zoom out to the deeper why: giving our children a bigger perspective, learning to see another culture with respect, and realizing God is not “just here” in our town or our church. Christie shares how worship with believers in another country feels like a glimpse of Revelation 7:9, and why that experience can anchor a child’s faith for life.

We also get practical about fundraising, support letters, church scholarships, and “God’s economy,” plus year round mission partnerships like Christmas gifts for students and teachers, sponsorships for education, and providing nutritious lunches so kids can learn well. If you’ve been on the fence about Christian missions as a family, this conversation is for you. Subscribe, share with a parent friend, and leave a review to help more families find the courage to say yes.

Visit our website at www.fbcboerne.org for more stories, information, and service times.

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A dirt road through the “jungle,” a church plant filled with new faces, and an 11-year-old discovering she can communicate love without fluent Spanish. We’re sitting down with Shauna Verrett and her daughter Claire to tell the real story of our family mission trip to Mexico in the Cancun area, where First Baptist Church partners to serve communities beyond the tourist version most people picture. If you’ve ever wondered whether missions is only for seasoned travelers, this conversation gently challenges that assumption.

We talk through the first-day rush of inviting neighbors to an afternoon gathering, the awkwardness of a language barrier, and the surprising way kids lead the way through play, laughter, and bold invitations. Shauna shares the values she repeats at home, faith, kindness, and love, and how those simple words hold up when plans change and you can’t rely on translation apps. Claire reflects on the joy of connecting with other kids through jump rope, games, and creativity, and why she now wants to go again.

Then we move into the heart of the trip: serving at Kingdom Academy by painting walls and supporting Vacation Bible School, plus home visits where families open their doors, share meals, receive practical gifts, and invite prayer into very real struggles. You’ll hear why coming back home can feel hard, how missions can slow your pace in the best way, and what next steps look like if you’re curious about joining a future trip.

If this encouraged you, subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave a review so more families can find these stories.

Visit our website at www.fbcboerne.org for more stories, information, and service times.