Discipleship Across Borders: Navigating Diverse Cultures with Love and Care

Mandy Pallock interviews Elizabeth Fox, Executive Director of Global Encounters, about her journey from U.S. politics to leading international mission trips. Elizabeth shares how discipleship is at the heart of everything she does, from mentoring staff to training team leaders. She highlights the power of short-term mission trips in some of the world’s hardest places, where life’s challenges often open hearts to the Gospel. Through stories from Romania, Ecuador, Zimbabwe, and Thailand, she explores the importance of cultural sensitivity, the value of curiosity, and how to navigate the balance between short-term impact and long-term relationships.

Join us as Elizabeth challenges us to approach missions—and life—with a posture of humility, adaptability, and a willingness to learn from those we seek to serve.

To Connect With Elizabeth & Global Encounters:

globalencounter.com

I got started in missions by planning to lead just one mission trip. That was 2003 and instead of my involvement ending there, I fell in love with missions, changed jobs, and eventually founded Global Encounters—a missions organization focused on outreach to children. I’ve led mission teams on every continent except Antarctica (not many children there). While I absolutely love traveling to new countries and sharing the gospel in far away places, my favorite part about traveling with mission teams is discipling the team members. I want to see every team member return home more in love with their Savior and more equipped for ministry than they were when they left home. In addition to traveling whenever possible, I also enjoy floral design, volleyball, scuba diving, and interior decorating.