Alicia Sparkman and Jordan Timpy sit down with missionary Brittany James and Mama Daniel for the first time, sharing a meal and uncovering the layers of Mama Daniel’s story. In this heartfelt two-hour conversation, even Brittany learned new details about Mama Daniel’s journey, deepening the connection and setting the stage for the powerful video to come.
In collaboration with the Tanzania Missionary Team, our journey started by defining the ultimate goal of our visit through the Storytellers Abroad Missions Multimedia Workshop. Like many organizations I’ve worked with, their initial desire was to showcase the breadth of their efforts. In this case, they ran six different programs, all worth highlighting.
However, after they detailed all their activities, I asked, “Once people hear this, what do you want them to do?”
That’s when we honed in on the fundamental objectives for the video. The mission team needed ongoing support to keep their families in the field, funding for their main property, and their newly acquired farm, which they hoped would offset operational costs. Additionally, they wanted to raise money for scholarships to extend their outreach further.
Our workshop focuses on creating 70% inspirational and 30% informational videos. We acknowledged that some videos flip that ratio, but our approach emphasizes the human element—evoking emotion before providing information.
One of the key programs they wanted to highlight was the Dar Health Initiative, which addresses various aspects of community health, including education and prenatal care. This led us to an incredible story about Pendo Saidi and her son Daniel, a woman the missionaries had helped through this initiative. The missionaries worked closely with mother and son, providing health care and emotional and spiritual support.
After understanding the story, I crafted a Story Spine, or outline, for Alicia Sparkman, one of the participants creating her first video in the workshop. She teamed up with veteran storyteller Jordan Timpy to bring this story to life. Together, they sat down with Pendo Saidi and missionary Brittany James, uncovering more about their journey.
The story immediately touched everyone involved, moving Alicia and the rest of the team to tears. Pendo Saidi’s life—marked by loss, as her husband left her because of Daniel’s condition—could easily be an epic on its own. However, we had a clear focus: The story wasn’t just about Pendo Saidi. It was also about missionary Brittany James’ role in Daniel’s healthcare and Pendo Saidi’s spiritual growth.
While we captured many profound moments, we made the tough decision to trim certain parts, including the emotional scene where Pendo Saidi forgave her husband for abandoning the family. Though it was a powerful moment, keeping it would have extended the video beyond the ideal length for engagement.
For videos like these, shorter is often better. Based on current trends, most viewers tend to lose interest after the two-minute mark. While more complex stories can stretch to five minutes, we aim for concise, emotionally engaging content.
Our workshop kicked off on Friday with dinner, introducing us to the nationals at the heart of the stories. By Thursday night, we were screening our final videos for the missionaries, the community, and the nationals.
Alicia had the benefit of working closely with Jordan all week, receiving personalized guidance on how to cut unnecessary material and focus on completing a compelling story within our short timeframe. There were many tear-filled moments along the way as we navigated the emotional weight of this story.
Now, I invite you to watch the finished video. I believe it achieves the objectives we set out to accomplish. Let me know what you think, and feel free to share if it resonates with you.