Cyclones, Calling, and a Sheep Farmer’s Son: Ian Reilly’s Story

Send me a text and let me know your thoughts! Engineer, painter, entrepreneur, and author Ian Reilly joins Jan to talk about growing up on a sheep farm, building a tech startup at 52, and the two cyclones that shaped his years teaching in Samoa. Along the way, Ian shares what he learned about cultural Christianity, connecting across language barriers, and the quiet influence of a life lived faithfully. His memoir Encounter recently won the New York City Big Book Award. https://uppbeat.io/t/tobias-voigt/ hope-and-wonder License code: XXAPHVLRL1JYTHLD Chapter Markers 00:00 Welcome and sheep farming in common 00:49 Why every pastor should visit a sheep farm 01:07 Creativity: flute, fiber arts, watercolor, and pastel 01:53 The pastel portrait of Ian’s father 02:44 Engineering as art in a different medium 03:09 Building a livestock virtual fence startup at 52 05:12 Melbourne and the pull of the farm 06:37 The smell of lanolin and home 06:53 Volunteering in Samoa 07:57 Lost passports and a sweltering arrival 09:02 The first cyclone 10:16 Crisis as normal life 11:13 Farm skills and engineering in Samoa 13:17 Heather’s gifts as a teacher 15:01 Language barriers 17:01 Samoan food: sea cucumbers, umu, and mutton flaps 19:22 Faith in Samoa and cultural Christianity 21:52 Bible studies and being an example 22:57 Connecting without a shared language 23:57 The second cyclone and leaving Samoa 25:04 What lasted: students and relationships 26:29 Mentoring and the weight of influence 27:21 Where to find Encounter 28:10 Visiting Oregon and wrap-up Welcome to Just Talkin' About Jesus. I'm Jan Johnson, a seasoned believer who loves relationships and, you know, just talkin' about Jesus. Here you will find testimonies of those who God has changed through his grace. Stories of feeling unworthy because of being sex trafficked, or of radical redemption of a woman who grew up with abuse, neglect, abandonment and drugs. A story of an abortion survivor. This and more. Lean in now. Consider subscribing to this podcast, YouTube and Substack- all with the same name: Just Talkin' About Jesus! https://www.youtube.com/@JustTalkinAboutJesus https://jan-johnson.com/ https://justtalkingaboutjesus.com/ https://janjohnsonauthor.substack.com/ https://www.youtube.com/@JustTalkinAboutJesus Thanks for listening! If you have a story to tell, check out the form on my website- justtalkingaboutjesus.com. I'd love to connect with you! No, really.... hit me up!