#90. From Humanitarian to Hostage: Jeff Woodke's Remarkable Journey

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How do you survive when your captors view you as nothing more than a commodity? Jeff Woodke's answer is both heartbreaking and inspiring.
After dedicating 27 years to humanitarian work among nomadic tribes in Niger, Jeff was violently abducted by terrorists in 2016. For six and a half years, he endured unimaginable conditions – kept outdoors, frequently chained, moved constantly, and held in isolation. His captors told him bluntly, "You're nothing but a goat. If you end up dying, we'll just get another one."
In this deeply moving conversation, Jeff shares how he clung to faith when hope began to fail. "If memories have no mass, why are they so heavy?" he asks in one of the powerful poems he crafted mentally during captivity. Now known as "The Ransom Poet," Jeff reveals how writing became his lifeline when freedom seemed impossible.
Jeff takes us through the night of his abduction, when armed men killed his guards and severely beat him before taking him hostage. He describes the psychological torture of isolation, the physical hardships of outdoor confinement, and the surreal experience of return – including his first taste of freedom in the form of a glass of wine on an Air France flight home.
The story doesn't end with release. Jeff candidly discusses his ongoing journey of healing, his forthcoming memoir "All the Way Home," and how he's creating space for recovery through poetry and purpose. "I breathe space enough to fit all my feelings. I breathe space enough to find some kind of healing."
For anyone who has faced trauma, struggled with faith, or wondered what sustains the human spirit in darkness, Jeff Woodke's extraordinary testimony offers powerful insights into resilience, forgiveness, and finding your way back to life after devastating loss.
Follow Jeff's continuing journey at jeffwoodke.com and @theransomedpoet on Instagram.

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Chapters

1. #90. From Humanitarian to Hostage: Jeff Woodke's Remarkable Journey (00:00:00)

2. Meeting Jeff Woodke (00:01:00)

3. PTSD Postcards: Poetry from Captivity (00:02:18)

4. Early Life and Journey to Humboldt (00:04:06)

5. Humanitarian Work in Niger (00:07:07)

6. The Night of the Abduction (00:18:14)

7. Six Years in Captivity (00:24:19)

8. The Path to Freedom (00:35:30)

9. Life After Captivity (00:44:31)

10. All the Way Home: The Book (00:51:15)

11. The Road Home: Finding Space to Heal (00:55:55)

94 episodes

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