In this episode of The Rob Skinner Podcast, Rob sits down with Austen and Sara Bolves, missionaries serving the church in Berlin, Germany, for an honest, inspiring update on life and ministry overseas.

Austen and Sara share how they became Christians, how they met in the campus ministry at the University of Washington, and what led them to leave stability in the U.S. to help strengthen the church in Europe. They open up about the real challenges of leading a church in a different culture, building a leadership team from the ground up, learning German, and raising three small children on the mission field.

They also share powerful stories of how God has been working in Berlin—especially through conversions with people who have little to no background in Christianity—and how hardship has deepened their faith, including Sara's ongoing journey with her father Greg's stage four cancer diagnosis.

If you've ever wondered what modern missions really looks like, this conversation will encourage you to embrace discomfort, love people deeply, and make your life count—wherever you live.

• How Austen and Sara became Christians and met in campus ministry

• Why they felt called to overseas missions and how Berlin opened up

• What the Berlin church was like when they arrived (and what surprised them)

• Rebuilding leadership and navigating church health in a new culture

• Preaching and leading in German (and the challenges of learning the language)

• Seeing conversions among people with no Bible background

• How they're staying joyful through stress, parenting, and ministry pressure

• Sara's update on her father Greg and how faith has carried their family

• Their biggest advice for disciples who want to make this life count

Romans 8:31 — "If God is for us, who can be against us?"

• Berlin Church contact via Disciples Today (Berlin church listing)

• Email: austenbolves@gmail.com

• Email: sara.bolves@gmail.com

• Instagram (Sara): Sara Marie Bolves

• Sign up for Rob's weekly newsletter at RobSkinner.com

• Read and review Rob's book The 10X Christian (Amazon / RobSkinner.com)

Live a no-regrets life. Make this life count.