Today's Happy Hour Guest is with my friend Courtney Lankford. Courtney and I met through our mutual friend Amy about 14 years ago. Courtney and her husband, Joey, moved to South Africa four years ago.
They currently serve there with Living Hope, where Joey helps them with creating jobs for men and women. They also run an agricultural business which helps create income and businesses for others. As you can see the whole family likes to get involved with cleaning and packaging the vegetables!
Courtney talks about their greenhouse tunnels where they grow vegetables, and here's a picture so you have a better idea of what she's talking about.
She is honest about the hardest part about being in South Africa is them being away from their family and friends, although the blessing in this all is that God has honored their sacrifice and they really feel closer to their family.
Courtney and Joey have five kids, and one of their kids joined their family via adoption from Ethiopia.
Her husband Joey has just recently released his first book and they are graciously giving away ten to you guys. I'll pick five winners. You'll get a book to keep and a book to gift to someone. What a great gift for a friend! All I need you to do is comment below. 🙂
Also … there is a noise in the background that cracks me up because it sounds like Courtney is in a jungle. Maybe she was? I have no idea!
Links:
- The organization that Joey and Courtney are there with: Living Hope
- Documentary called LIVING HOPE that talks about their ministry
- Joey's book: Fulfilled
- Courtney just finished SCREWTAPE LETTERS & GOD GIRL – can you believe that I have never read Screwtape Letters? I need to fix that ASAP.
- I mentioned the book ENOUGH to her that I read this Summer. The author, Kate Conner, will be joining me on the podcast in October. I'm so excited about that one!
How to keep up with Courtney:
Thank you so much for listening to the podcast. I'd love it if you shared with your friends. When you tweet, Facebook, or instagram please use the hashtag #happyhourpodcast – I love hearing your feedback on social media. Also show Courtney some love and send her a message somewhere.
The song at the beginning and end is by our friends HOMESTEAD and it's called I Ain't Coming Home and you find the song on iTunes.
How to listen to the podcasts:
- Listen to this episode right HERE on the blog.
- Subscribe via iTunes and every time there's a new episode released it automatically arrives to your device. This is my favorite. How fun to check in and see a new episode! I've shared other podcasts I subscribe to HERE.
- Subscribe via Stitcher and again each time you open your app the new one is just there – like magic!
Giveaway:
Leave a comment about anything to be entered into the drawing for these books. One for you to keep and one for you to gift, because giving away things is just so much fun!
Ah I love hearing about others who love South Africa too! And Screwtape letters is one of my favorite books! 🙂
Really loving the happy hour podcast! We don’t know each other but I feel like we are friends after all these weeks listening! My husband and I I feel called to adopt in the future so I always love hearing different perspectives. And of course I’d love a chance to win the book today : )
I want a book! Please!
Would love to read this and also share with others.
Thank You
for anyone who thinks you have to wear long skirts and buns in your hair to be a missionary, Courtney is proving them wrong! look how cute she is, and her sweet little family, working their style in South Africa!! =) love it. haven’t listened to the podcast yet, but wanted to comment before i forgot! =)
What a great way to do a giveaway! Excited to read their story. 🙂
Jamie- thank you for all these great guest. I’ve seriously learned so much from listening. Not to mention all the great books your recommending. I forgot how much I loved to read until getting all these book recommendations. I recently just finished “Lets all be brave.” It was so awesome and inspiring. Anyways, thanks for taking time to make this podcast weekly.
I appreciated hearing both of your experiences making life decisions (moving/having more kids) with your husbands and coming along to be on the same page.
Loved the podcast with Courtney Lankford! I eagerly look forward to your new podcasts each week. Thank you for producing them. I would love to win Joey’s book! Keep up the great work, Jamie!
had never heard of living hope before this. thanks for bringing awareness to the organization!
Oh my gosh, I just smiled so big hearing my shout out! You are so sweet! Love, love your podcast. This might sound a little crazy, but I just started over listening to the podcasts for a second time through. I’m on #4 now. I just really enjoy listening while I clean and feel so inspired by all of your guests. Thanks Jamie!
Wow! All of your friends are so beautiful, inside and out!
Happy Friday!
Wow! What an amazing family with a heart for South Africa!
I love hearing about families serving over seas. Thanks for sharing their story with us! I have to read Screwtape Letters too.
My fave podcasts are turning out to be all of your guests from Tennessee because I love their accents! Ha! And yes…totally thought she might have a pet bird in the background!
Digging your podcasts and the different perspectives your guests are sharing! And YES, you need to read Screwtape Letters soon. It is fantastic! C.S. Lewis is one of my favorites.
Really enjoyed the podcast. Really great how you allowed God to lead your life.
New Happy Hour podcasts are the highlight of my workday!
So fun to hear Courtney. Great podcast.
love love LOVE the Happy Hour podcast. I get so excited to see a new one pop up in iTunes. I always laugh out loud (startling my kids while I drive) and leave encouraged. Thank you for being real and sharing your friends with all of us. Great job, Jamie! Grateful for what you do!
not a jungle in the background… but… feels like it most days with 5 kids, 5 fish, a dog and yeppers those 2 crazy loud tweeting birds in the background! loved our time Jamie and praying blessings your way!
My family and I are moving to Thailand in mid November as missionaries, so I ate this up. It’s so refreshing to hear stories of others on the mission path. Thank you for this podcast!
Enjoyed this podcast as always! LOVE hearing about how God is using people for His glory all around the world! Would love to read Joey’s book and share with a friend!!!
Oh boy now I want to go to Cape Town! It sounds like a beautiful place. Courtney seems like an amazing girl … Just like all your friends. Thanks for your wonderful podcast I look forward to it every week.
Love hearing about others living on the field! Can’t wait to listen.
Loved this episode!
Just finished listening to this podcast ep yesterday and loved it. Would love to read Joey’s book!!
Congrats you won!
Congrats! You won!
Congrats you won!
Congrats you won! Also thanks for listening!
Congrats you won!
Jamie…bear with me because I am binge listening to catch up on all your podcast. I’m way out of order but just listened to Happy Hour #17!
You guys were talking about Aaron wanting to see a Kangaroo in Australia and you were wondering what animal people “look forward” or want to see when they visit Texas! I have a cousin from Texas that married a Wisconsin guy…and he loves Texas! Believe it or not he couldn’t WAIT to see an armadillo from Texas!!!
An armadillo — that’s funny!!!
I was dying for you to ask her if those were birds in the back ground!!!!!