Awe in Africa

The past two months of life have been absolutely crazy, filled with incredible highs and challenging lows. However, in the midst of everything, the way the Lord has moved has been nothing short of amazing. I had the incredible opportunity to spend two weeks in Zambia, Africa, over my Christmas break and it was truly the best experience ever. I wanted to share just a glimpse of what the Lord has been teaching me and how it’s preparing me for my mission in Southeast Asia. This was my first mission trip and it has made me even more excited to spend my summer fully devoted to the Lord’s mission in Southeast Asia. 

Most days I am at a loss for words of how to begin describing something that feels indescribable. Every time I try to put the two weeks I spent in Africa into words, I’m left almost speechless. It feels like no amount of explanation could ever truly express how transformative my time was in the way I was changed, the things we saw, and the relationships that were formed. In just two short weeks, my perspectives has shifted and I have learned so much. God does speak to us. We were created to share His love with the world, and we are called to fully embrace and live out our God-given identities.

If I had one word to describe it all, it would be awe – awe for the Lord, His people, and His creation. The village of Ngangula served as a vessel for so many truths we often forget.

• Joy – There is such an unexplainable joy that I experienced in the village of Ngangula. It’s contagious and makes you wonder how you ever felt heavy in the first place. The burdens of life seemed to fade amidst the laughter of children playing, the songs of the people, and the beauty of nature. There was so much happiness and laughter everywhere. I found myself laughing harder than I had in years and genuinely just happy to be where my feet were planted.
• Child-like faith – The kids taught me so much—running freely, laughing loudly, and embracing life without fear or worry. Their creativity and joy reminded me of the freedom Christ offers us. We’re called to have childlike faith, and to do that, we must first remember how to be childlike: to laugh, play, and trust like a child. The way the team loved on them and let loose was a reflection of how Christ loves us. It’s so easy to forget to be free—to laugh like a kid, run like a kid, play like a kid. The past two weeks have been such a sweet reminder of childhood and what being a child is.
• Child of God – We are children of God, fearfully and wonderfully made in His image. He is restlessly pursuing each and every one of our hearts. If He has your heart, never forget to be free. Jesus didn’t come for you to hold onto the chains He broke. Live like the weight has been lifted because it has. If He doesn’t have your heart just yet, know that He wants you more than anything. He is desperate for you to know Him. He is just waiting for you to come running into His open arms. Live like a child, and not just any child—a child of God. As sons and daughters of the King. Your identity has never been and will never be in this world. Regardless of nationality, language, culture, or any other label we love to give out—you are simply a child of God. And He calls you chosen. Loved. Free. Redeemed. Blessed. Forgiven. Accepted. Powerful. Saved. His masterpiece. Be confident in your identity and then go. Go live it out. Go share it with the world. Let the good news that changed your life change the lives of people from every corner of the world. Our testimonies are powerful anywhere. People all over the world can connect to your story. 
• Intentional – Every single person on my team was so intentional. The way we showed up. The way we spoke to each other. The way we prayed for each other. The way we genuinely cared for one another. It was such a reflection of how intentional the Lord is with each and every one of our hearts.
• Prayerful – In every situation, prayer was present. In every moment. In the waiting. In the active. Praying in every place. Praying in preparation. Praying in activation. For healing. For comfort. For freedom. For peace. For wisdom. For guidance. For everything. Just so much prayer and the power of which was on display.
• Expectant – We were expectant of the Lord. Not doubting or questioning if He would show up, it was about when and being expectant that He would carve the way for the day. That He would provide opportunities and open doors. That He would restore and heal. That He would work with whatever we had to offer that day. 
• Faithful – The people I served alongside were so faithful in following the direction of the Lord whatever that meant in every situation, being faithful to His every call. The Lord’s faithfulness was also so evident. He is faithful every time, in every circumstance and He will always provide. 
• Free – Oh my gosh, the freedom I feel. I learned gradually what it meant to walk in freedom, to run in it, to live in it, to just be free. To truly lay down my burdens and be painfully honest with the God of the universe. Because even though He’s the God of the universe, He’s my God too. He wants me personally. He is after my heart, and He has a perfect plan for me, and He does for you too. That same freedom is available to everyone.
• Fruitful – My time in Zambia was abundantly fruitful as we spent time abiding in the Lord’s presence. I saw fruit in myself, in my team, and in our ministry. John 15:5 says ““I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” After spending countless hours abiding in the presence of the Lord, the evidence of fruit is undeniable. 
• Craving – Coming back to my reality, I am full of a craving for the Lord’s presence that I have never had like this before. Being stripped of everything familiar and bringing life to a pace slower than ever before draws you so near to the heart of God. We were created to sit in the presence of our Maker. It is only natural that we are full of craving to be as close to Him as possible.
• Raw Creation – There’s a certain rawness to the creation and beauty of the African frontier. It’s untamed and harsh but strikingly beautiful. Take the animals, for example. If you stare at them too long, you start to wonder if they’re even real. They seem too unique, too creative, too exotic to even be considered real. The Creator got creative. Each animal, crafted completely and totally different, all share the similarity of beauty—just as the landscape they are placed in. Wide open blue skies, covered in billowing white clouds that must touch the heavens. The green rolling hills that display the fruits of methodical labor—rows of crops and groups of handmade houses. Just a glimpse of the Zambian horizon is a display of our Maker’s endless handiwork, enough to leave you sitting in awe and desperate to soak in as much as possible. The harsh realities of life are subdued by the awesome glory that shines in even the darkest parts. The raw creation of God is exemplified in the life breathed into the soil of Africa.

Meeting God’s children in Zambia was incredible and has changed my heart. While I saw the Lord work through me, He worked in me even more. In His light, my burdens felt lighter, my worries smaller. It was like I was went from carrying the weight of the world to walking in freedom of the Kingdom

I’m in the presence of a God who loves me, regardless of circumstance. A God who is above all, in all and through all. Even when I feel heavy, burdened, or out of control, I am still held in His love and peace. Cherished, sought after, known, and seen by a God who desires me. And I don’t have to earn it. He invites us: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30).

I can’t just escape to the idea of light I found in a remote African village when life feels heavy. I have learned to surrender my burdens to the One who wants to carry them—for me, for you, for everyone. He’s patiently waiting for us to exchange our weight for His rest. With even the smallest seed of faith, He can move mountains—and He will. Trust Him. He wants your heavy, and He’s ready to carry it for you. There is nothing better than walking in the freedom of the Kingdom!

Prayers and Support!!

With all of that said, some of my biggest prayers recently have been:

• Let my life be the proof of your love
• That the love of Christ would change me and His love inside of me would change the world
• Break my heart for what breaks yours
• Holy spirit guide my vision and my path
• Help me to cast my cares and lay my burdens at the foot of the cross
• Open the eyes of my heart 
• Not my will but yours be done

My hope is that you would come alongside me in prayer in the months leading up to my departure. The power of prayer is so real and can make such a difference. Some ways you can pray for me are: 

• Pray the Lord would prepare my heart to serve Him well
• Pray that God would draw near to me and allow me to know Him deeper daily
• Pray for the hearts of all the people I will encounter 
• Pray for every person who I will be serving with and that we will have a strong sense of community and fellowship
• Pray that I would have peace about the things I cannot change and confidence is the Lord’s plan
• Pray that I would see the Lord move powerfully in the lives of all the people I get to serve, the ones I get to serve with, and my own life 

In addition to prayer, if you feel led to partner with me financially on this mission, my funding link is attached to my blog page. I have already been blown away by the support and am so thankful to everyone who’s helping send me to Southeast Asia!

If you would like to continue to get updates as I prepare and once I am on the mission field, subscribe with your email so you can be notified when I post! Thank you so much for taking the time to read and be a part of the awesome journey the Lord is taking me on. If I can pray for you in any way, please reach out – I would love to be able to support you as well. I’m so grateful for the way my community has shown up already and can’t wait to see what the future holds. 

Twalumba!

Alex