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E. 21 The Mountain, the Message, and the Moment: Trusting the Voice Within
15 Plays2 months ago
Have you ever found yourself in the middle of something uncomfortable—totally out of your element—only to realize later it was exactly where you needed to be? In this episode, I take you back to 2000 when I traveled to Honduras for a 5-week mission trip with YWAM, and how an old chicken farm in Arkansas, an intense hike up a mountain, and one unexpected sermon taught me to trust my voice.
This story is about discomfort, discovery, and divine timing. It’s about the full-circle moments that show up to remind us that everything we need is already within us.
From sleeping on church benches to dancing in the streets, from fearing I'd mess up in a Spanish-speaking country to realizing that presence often speaks louder than words—this episode is full of truth, laughter, and heart.
If you’ve ever doubted your voice or lost touch with who you once believed you could be—this one is for you.
✨ Episode highlights:
- My wildest flight experience (thank you Tegucigalpa airport 😳)
- The exact moment I realized I could speak in front of a crowd
- How God lovingly reminds us what we’re made of—even years later
- Why it’s time to trust your voice again
🎧 Tune in. Be encouraged. And maybe, just maybe, reflect on a moment in your life that brought you back home to YOU.
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Transcript
Welcome and Purpose
00:00:00
Speaker
Hey friend, I'm so glad you're here. Welcome to oh There You Are. This is the podcast for anyone who's ready to step out of the shadows of self-doubt and into the life they've always dreamed of.
00:00:13
Speaker
I'm your host, Danielle, a wife, mom, and registered nurse who spent way too long believing my voice didn't matter. But guess what? It does, and does yours.
00:00:25
Speaker
If you've been holding back, waiting for the perfect moment, or telling yourself you're not enough, this is your reminder you are more than enough. You've always been enough.
00:00:36
Speaker
Everything you need is already inside you.
Danielle's Background and Journey Begins
00:00:39
Speaker
In this space, we're going to push past fear, stop hitting snooze on life, and start going after what we really want. Each week, I'll bring you solo episodes and interviews with people who had the courage to go first so that you can go next.
00:00:55
Speaker
So grab your favorite drink, settle in, and let's go. And hey, don't forget to hit subscribe so you never miss an episode because we're just getting started. And remember, you're not late.
00:01:08
Speaker
You're right on time. And I can't wait to see where this journey takes us.
00:01:15
Speaker
Hey friend, welcome back to oh There You Are. Today I'm bringing you a story from way back, before nursing, before podcasting, before I really knew who I was.
00:01:28
Speaker
I was 19, fresh out of high school, When I took a trip that changed my life, though, I didn't realize how much, you know, until here just recently.
00:01:39
Speaker
It was 1999 and I enrolled in a program called Youth with a Mission, YWAM. I packed my bags and I moved to a little town called Elm Springs, Arkansas.
Mission to Honduras
00:01:51
Speaker
Population, 1,001.
00:01:54
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Picture this. An old chicken farm turned into a training school, surrounded by open fields, quiet nights, and people from all over the world. It was the first time I'd ever really been away from home.
00:02:06
Speaker
And let me tell you, was tough. Luckily, I had two others from my hometown who came with me. And because I was outgoing and naturally loved connecting with people, I made friends really fast.
00:02:19
Speaker
But the days were long. We were in Discipleship Training School, DTS, we called it for short, from August to December. We learned, we stretched, we grew. and after two weeks of traveling stateside,
00:02:32
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We were then split into three teams to go serve on a five-week international missions trip. and There was Romania, Turkey, and Honduras. And guess where I ended up?
00:02:43
Speaker
Yep, Honduras. The one place that I had said, please don't send me to a Spanish-speaking country. Why? Because, okay, look, I look like I speak Spanish, but I didn't. And didn't want to feel stupid or stuck or unable to express myself.
00:03:02
Speaker
Now, I might have taken, you know, four years of Spanish in high school, but it's so different when you don't use it every day. And I was just so insecure and just not confident in my speaking abilities ah like none, zero.
00:03:17
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But then i heard the whisper inside of me. What I believe is, you know, was the Holy Spirit. It was saying, trust me. I know your heart. I know where you are needed.
00:03:29
Speaker
So I went. When we arrived in Tegucigapa, the capital city, it was wild. Have you ever been there? Like that airport. Oh my gosh. We were flying in like we were dodging mountains.
00:03:42
Speaker
It was insane. And then when I say insane, you can look out your windows and literally look inside the windows and watching grandma making, you know, her empanadas or enchiladas or whatever. It was, guys, the scariest thing. It was like, reel in, look, look, look, look turn, drop.
00:04:02
Speaker
But I kind of like tease and say it set the tone. For what was to come, it was intense, unforgettable, and totally out of my comfort zone.
Challenges and Growth in Honduras
00:04:10
Speaker
We saw firsthand the devastation left behind from a massive flood that happened in 1998.
00:04:16
Speaker
We built houses for families who lost everything. We worked in medical clinics providing medication and health education. We helped on a coffee plantation. We did street evangelism, dancing, singing, doing plays in the street.
00:04:33
Speaker
And one one day We were told we had to preach. We were at Compassion International. um I don't know if you've ever heard of that organization, you know, but you were able to send money and adopt a child and help them through school and, you know, help their needs and stuff to be met. So we were there speaking one day and just getting to, you know, experience the culture and the environment there for the orphanage and stuff.
00:04:57
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um And so, yeah, they had sprung it on us that we had to preach and there was no option, no pass button. Everyone had to prepare and deliver a message, you know, a sermon on our own in front of a group.
00:05:10
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Instant panic. OMG, you want me to speak? You mean out loud, share my heart in another country with a translator? ah Yeah, no pressure.
00:05:21
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But something in me rose to the occasion and I decided to speak on the father heart. I always mess this up. The father heart of God. And I can't speak of it without having an accent. So the father heart of God.
00:05:34
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i talked about how God loves us. How he desires to walk with us in our needs, our dreams, our fears. That everything we need is already inside of us.
00:05:47
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That he sees us even when we don't see ourselves clearly. And that message It sounds familiar, doesn't it? Because I didn't realize that until this week.
00:05:58
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Standing in the shower, of course, because that's where all of the aha moments come to me. that That word I spoke back then are the same words I need now.
00:06:09
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The same ones I needed so many times along the way. And maybe you need them too. That trip was full of full circle moments. We backpacked eight hours up a mountain.
00:06:20
Speaker
Locals told us they could do it in under three. We slept on church benches on the ground with chickens, literally on top of me one morning. We stayed in villages with like 50 people, played with kids, cooked meals, and shared stories, you know, around candlelight.
00:06:36
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And I remember standing in front of them, no translator, just me and my heart and realizing that words weren't always necessary. Smiles, hugs, presents.
00:06:48
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They spoke volumes. that There was an energy exchange that you just cannot explain, right? Such a soul level understanding. That experience taught me something and I'm still learning to this day.
Reflections and Lessons Learned
00:07:01
Speaker
To trust my voice, to believe in what's inside of me, and to stop disqualifying myself before I even show up. Sometimes life takes you on a wild adventure just to bring you back home to yourself.
00:07:17
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It's pretty special, right? to remind you who you are, to teach you that even when you feel unprepared or afraid, you are already equipped.
00:07:29
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You've got what it takes. I share the story not to tell you about, you know, being up in the mountain in Honduras or a group of kids that I connected with, or, you know, even waking up in chicken poop, you know, although I'll never forget that truly. And it was a true story, sleeping on a sleeping bag and you wake up with the chickens on you.
00:07:49
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I share this all because we're standing in a moment right now that might feel unfamiliar or uncomfortable. I want you, you know, to hear me and to feel, you know, somebody cares about you.
00:08:04
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Maybe you're afraid to use your voice. Maybe you've forgotten just how much
Empowering Listeners
00:08:09
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you've already walked through. And I am here to remind you, just like I was reminded, you're not behind, you're not becoming.
00:08:19
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Actually, let me rephrase that. You're not behind. You're becoming, right? Nothing is wasted. And the voice within you, you can trust it. Because what you care, carry matters.
00:08:33
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Because people are waiting for your story. Because full circle moments will always find you when you're willing to show up, even when you're scared. So wherever you are today, just remember, be present, be open,
00:08:49
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Let yourself be seen and heard. Your voice is powerful and someone somewhere needs exactly what you have been carrying all along.
Closing and Connection
00:09:01
Speaker
Thank you so much for listening. i just am truly loving having the opportunity to pour life into you and over you um and just to help bring an understanding that we aren't alone, right?
00:09:14
Speaker
So I want you to let me know if you've ever had any of these full circle moments. You can DM me. You can, you know, share this episode with someone or tag a friend somewhere on my Instagram, you know, who needs to hear this story. Okay.
00:09:29
Speaker
I'm here for you. i want to grow and learn together. So I'll leave it at that. and in the words of Des, you need to go make it a great day. And then as always, remember, you're not late.
00:09:43
Speaker
You're right on time. Thanks so much for hanging out with me today on Oh There You Are. Remember, everything you need to step into your power is already inside of you.
00:09:55
Speaker
So keep going, friend. You've got this. If today's episode inspired you, don't forget to subscribe so you never miss a new one. And I'd love to connect with you over on Instagram,
00:10:06
Speaker
Find me at itsdanielle.thats.me. Drop by say hi let me know what resonated with you or just share your journey. And before you go, I've got something special for you.
00:10:18
Speaker
I'm offering a free seven-day journal to help you start tapping into your potential and build that mindset shift. It's designed to guide you through the steps of unlocking your power.
00:10:29
Speaker
You can grab it in the show notes below. Let's take this journey together. All right, friend, go make it happen. And remember, you're not late. You're right on time.