When Albert and Kirsten arrived in Krakow, Poland with nothing but faith and a calling, they began a 15-year journey that would transform lives—including their own. In a culture suspicious of grace and unfamiliar with a personal relationship with Jesus, they discovered creative ways to connect through sports, therapy, and teaching English. From church planting to refugee ministry, their story reveals how cultural understanding and persistent faith can break through even the toughest barriers to the gospel.

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Have you ever wondered how God plants and cultivates a missionary calling? For Albert Heskew, it began at age 7 during Vacation Bible School, though he wouldn't surrender his life to Christ until age 13. For his wife Kirsten, the journey looked completely different—even as she grew up in a Christian home, cross-cultural missions wasn't on her radar until decades later.

This revealing conversation takes us through the winding path that eventually led the Heskews to serve as International Mission Board missionaries in Krakow, Poland for over 15 years. Their story showcases God's patient work in bringing together two people with different perspectives on ministry and missions. Albert's background includes sports, military service with the Navy, and church ministry positions, while Kirsten initially responded with a firm "over my dead body" when overseas missions was first suggested.

The couple shares profound wisdom about the importance of both spouses receiving individual callings before undertaking cross-cultural ministry. Their testimony demonstrates how God often speaks through processes rather than dramatic moments, including a pivotal 30-day prayer challenge that opened Kirsten's heart to missions. Perhaps most powerfully, they reveal how their individual callings have sustained them through challenges abroad, noting, "The Lord never calls you away from something; He only calls you to something."

Whether you're considering cross-cultural ministry yourself or simply want to understand how God works in the lives of ordinary people to accomplish His global purposes, this conversation offers both inspiration and practical insight. Listen now to discover how God might be cultivating seeds of calling in your own life, even when the harvest seems far away.

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In this episode, we sit down with Nathan Shank to discuss what high school students interested in the mission field should do now.

Nathan shares this advice: If you sense that calling, start with the basics. Develop key spiritual disciplines that foster dependence on God, such as prayer, daily quiet time in His Word, confession, and more. He emphasizes the importance of trusting the Lord with the questions of "Where?" "What?" and "When?"—learning to surrender these uncertainties strengthens our faith as we witness His provision.

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