FROM 95% TO 100% ALL IN FOR CHRIST / CHARLESTON BAPTISM TESTIMONY

Driving down to Charleston with my friends Simon and KC, all we could talk about was how much we were looking forward to the beach and getting some rest. With midterm week behind us, we just wanted to get out of Raleigh and take a break from school. I was also pumped to see my sister Grace and meet her AFM buddies that she was always talking about. Spiritual growth wasn’t really on my mind if I’m being honest. But God had other plans. Plans to break down the walls in my heart and reveal Himself to me in a way that I had never experienced.

Prior to Charleston, I would describe my walk with God as stagnant. With the hectic schedule of school and overall stress of life, I had become complacent in my relationship with Christ, convincing myself that God understood my circumstances and that He was doing just fine without hearing from me. It was a dull season flooded with frustration, anxieties, and weariness. I told myself if only I had a bit more time in my day, I’d genuinely pursue God and make room for Him.

Then Saturday night happened. Spending the whole day on the beach, I was exhausted and kind of unmotivated to worship. Although I was tired, I felt this tug on my heart and I knew God was telling me “WAKE UP, BRO! I’m about to do something cool!” So worship began and immediately I noticed the passion and collective fire for Jesus that filled the room. It was contagious! As we sang “Make Room” I began to think about all the idols I had been placing before God: athletics, acceptance, comfort, even academics! For the first time in a few weeks, I earnestly prayed to God that I would get rid of these idols and make room for Him. And not just make room, but to surrender to Him fully.

The next few minutes were a blur, but God was breaking down walls in my heart and exposing the lies that were keeping me from experiencing Him fully. Then Austin showed up. He prayed over me, and I wish I could remember every second of that moment. But what I do remember is him describing this seesaw, and I was in the middle. He said “95% of the time, you can choose God’s side, but there’s still that 5% thats holding you back and that’s when you choose the world’s side. But here’s the thing. In those moments when you don’t know which side to choose, JESUS IS THERE WITH YOU!” And in that moment, I couldn’t do anything but sit there and cry. I had experienced God’s abundant love in a way I still don’t know how to describe.

I had realized that after weeks and weeks of trying to muscle through life on my own, I just needed to understand this truth: Through Jesus, I don’t have to settle for giving a portion of my weary heart to God. With Jesus by my side, I can give my WHOLE heart to God. Whatever I’m going through, whatever I’m feeling, God wants to hear ALL of that from his son. He doesn’t want me to hold back anything from him, but rather, He simply wants me to lay it all down!

As worship came to a close, there was an invitation for baptism. Sure it was in a bathtub and yeah, I hardly knew most of the people there. But right away I knew I had to do it. I knew God radically changed my heart and I wanted to declare that. I’ve always heard baptism is an outward expression of an inward decision. I already made the decision to follow Jesus when I was 13, but that inward decision was to go from 95% “kinda committed” to 100% “fully surrendered”. I’ll never forget the joy of coming out of that water and hugging my sister, knowing that God had placed me in Charleston that weekend for a purpose: to experience Jesus on a whole new level.

— Eli Woodard, brother of staff member Grace Woodard.

BREAKTHROUGH IN AN AFRICAN PRISON -- the moment it happened.

In Kenya of 2018, I was staying in a host home when I met a Kenyan in his early 20’s who was fervent for the Lord that was involved in direct ministry. I asked him about the things he was doing and he began to describe to me his ministry he created doing prison ministry— visiting the jail cells, preaching Christ, and being an outlet to men who were in chains, walking them through the Bible and also just being there for them in general; he loved them and he cared for him like no other. The moment I heard this, I was moved completely. Something in me was stirred at the thought of doing prison ministry... Years later, I watched a live YouTube video of Zach Williams singing “Chain Breaker,” “No Longer Slaves,” “to the Table,” and several other songs while sharing about Jesus in a prison, and I watched as the men were moved with tears as they worshipped and sang out to the Lord. Since that day, I have found moments where I am just in my car crying listening to those songs over and over again, remembering my Kenyan friend and what he does for a living, hoping I could do the same.

And now, here we are today! This past winter, our AFM team went to Lusaka, Zambia for two weeks to do hands-on ministry, preaching the gospel and loving on the people of Zambia. On New Year’s Day, January 1st, 2021, my team went to a village/town called Chaisa and we were split into groups of 3 or 4. In my group it was me, Micah Mirly, and Jayden Tennis, and our wonderful translator, Florence, who was on FIRE for Christ; we were so thankful she was with us that day.

We started off by going to a few houses and sharing about Jesus and encouraging those who were already followers of Jesus. One house we went to, a lady talked to us about her son who wasn’t following the Lord anymore. We got to encourage her and remind her that it isn’t her fault and that she needs to give herself grace and not to take on the “blame” for her son’s rebellion. After praying with her, and heading towards the street as we walked away, Florence paused and look at us and said: “So are we going to go to the police station down the road or what?” We all froze in shock. I couldn’t believe my ears. Florence then continued saying she felt inclined to bring the Name of Hope, of Jesus Christ, to the prison cells: a place that so desperately needed Hope. She said that we should go talk to the police station to have them allow us to go and do so. My heart dropped to the ground. I felt a ball of nervousness and excitement at the pit of my stomach as we approached the police station.

As we walked in, we were asked to sit and wait in the office around back. A few moments later, the Head Chief Officer and the Head Investigator of the police station walked in... they asked us several questions and then they proceeded to let us go into the police station and go down the hall to the jail cells. I then began shaking, realizing what was about to take place. We turned the corner and there in front of me was this jail cell similar to an American one that would host two inmates at a time; however, this one was of similar size but instead filled with 20-25 men all sitting side-by-side touching shoulders in rows. It was gut-wrenching to see…My heart broke immediately. Florence said that a few of them were in jail for crimes that they were never convicted of; it was in humane, it was injustice.

Prisons in Africa, specifically this place we went, were treated harshly. There were no beds, or food arrangements, or anything of the sort. It was cruelty at its finest.

Florence then looked at us and said “alright, what are you waiting for? Go ahead and share the gospel. They’re hungry for it.” I looked at Jayden and Micah; it was evident that all of us were hit with heaviness and stunned in the moment, so I prayed for boldness within me and then the Holy Spirit began to speak. I laid out the gospel completely; vividly describing the cruxifiction and what Jesus went through to get to each of their hearts. As I continued, Jayden and I went off of one another bouncing back and forth with scripture and encouraging them that their purpose and Hope is found in Jesus alone. After sharing about Jesus dying and resurrection, I felt a tug at my heart to share a testimony…but not my own. I felt a heavy pull to share about Paul’s testimony in the bible from start to finish. I shared about Paul’s life as if he was one of my bestfriends, and the freedom he experienced and even the chains he too was in. “Physical chains don’t define our freedom…It is Christ who defines freedom for us,” I said as my voice began to shake because of the tears I was holding back. The Lord gave me such a great love for these inmates—these children of God—that day, and I can’t even begin to describe such a spiritual encounter I had with the Lord. We felt the Spirit’s tug and as a group, we asked if anyone wanted to accept Christ today and began to describe what that would mean for their life, the true sacrifice it meant to give your entire life to the Lord but also depicting that it was a John 10:10 kind of life. Prisoners began shouting out, “yes! O’God yes!” One by one, each hand shot up to the ceiling…every man in their wanted to receive Jesus. I couldn’t believe my eyes and ears. I then encouraged Micah to lead them in prayer to accept Christ in their hearts, and I’m so thankful it was him who did so. I’ve never heard such a more spirit-led prayer; you could tell it wasn’t Micah speaking but that it was the Lord through him. As Micah put his hand up to the prison door to pray over the men, all the men stood up and walked up to the door putting their hands up to Micah’s, basically touching his through the steel bars. It was a connection like no other.

That day, the whole prison cell accepted Jesus, every single one of them publicly professed Christ as Lord…And there is more. After we prayed, we all sang worship songs in their own language together that echoed throughout the entire prison! The prisoners were dancing and shouting thanksgivings and praises to God. It was angelic! Truly felt like angels had entered the building.

But the moment that hit me the most was when I stopped singing for just a slight moment to take in all that was happening as if I was watching on the outside of a movie happening, and I slowly looked over to my left, and my eyes couldn’t believe what I saw….The prison guards began to JOIN IN and sing out to the Lord WITH US! And get this, one of the guards/workers that day was the woman’s son from the FIRST HOUSE we went to in the story above! Her son whom had fallen away from the Lord was right there; he was right here with us listening to me share the gospel and was singing with us in the prison! My face flooded with tears; my heart was racing uncontrollably…

I couldn’t stop thinking about how humbling it was and truthfully, how honored and privileged I felt in that moment to get to witness such an encounter of the Holy Spirit at work. I will never forget it…After we worshipped, one of the men was still standing at the door with his hands on the door and tears streaming down his face. I felt like something more was happening within him and you could tell he was immensely moved by the Lord. I said “Sir, what’s your name?” and he began to look up at me slowly with tear-filled eyes, and said, “My name is…Paul. I AM Paul!”….WOW! Did that hit hard! It makes even MORE sense why I felt such a strong pull to share about Paul’s testimony in the bible because of this very man! The Lord is so radically intentional and I will forever be amazed by Him. Thank you Jesus!

When we left the prison that day, the Head Chief Officer and the Head Investigator of the police station were outside laughing and asked why we all were filled with tears. His exactly words were: “Why? Ya know… Those are all just a bunch of criminals in there...” I looked at the Head Chief Officer in his eyes with righteous anger and said, “No. Those men in there, are Children of GOD.” Those men aren’t just any other men; they are children of the Most High, the Father of mercies, the Friend of Sinners, the King of Kinds, and…the heavenly Father who loves them so deeply and intimately.

When we arrived back at the church where we started off, 30 minutes later a man walked in. We recognized him for some reason and then it clicked! Micah realized it was one of the men who was in the prison cell where we just were! Apparently, moments after we had left the police station, several of the men were let out of jail and were FREE to go! Thank you Jesus! One of them, whose name I can’t remember now, said he came right to the church the moment he was let go so that he would know where to come on Sundays now.

I cannot believe still to this day because THAT’S the day, that’s THE DAY that I will never forget… I will never forget how much the Lord humbled me. I will never forget the power and authority the Spirit has. I will never forget the men’s faces when preaching the gospel, the compassion and power the Cross carries. I will never forget looking over at the prison guards singing songs of worship and praise with us. I will never forget Florence’s words when she said, “alright, what are you waiting for? Go ahead and share the gospel. They’re hungry for it.” I will never forget the urgency the gospel is for my brothers and sisters. And I will never forget how intentional and gracious the Lord is with me in allowing me to have an opportunity to share His name with His people in such a manner. I pray that I will continually have opportunities where I am stretched and pushed beyond my comfort zone, beyond my understanding, beyond my own fleshly ability where I get to preach the gospel but also get to suffer for the gospel as well, even if that too means as a prisoner. Likewise, I too am forever a prisoner for the Lord like Paul, no matter my circumstances. 

For He is my refuge, 

He is my rock; 

He is my Hope, 

He is my Life. 

— Carly Orcutt, 23 years old

How Great Is Your Faithfulness, Lord

In the past year, I have learned more about the character of God through the circumstances that didn’t go as planned rather than the ones that went my way. I was reminded of a conversation the Lord and I had last December, so I revisited my journal today: 

“Lord, I am learning that sometimes the phrase “God will fight for you” doesn’t always mean that You will fight for what my finite human mind has determined is the desired outcome for my current circumstances. Sometimes You fight for me by using the undesired circumstances that bring me to the end of myself and expose the weakness I struggle to admit, to win my so often disloyal and easily distracted heart back to Yourself through the grace and forgiveness of Christ. The eternal value of devotion to Christ that remains steadfast through any storm is far better than any earthly situation that goes my way. I choose You, Lord, over my desire to control my circumstances. Though my tendency is one of pride to want to have all the answers and be self-sufficient, help me to choose You, again and again, for in You, true and lasting joy is found - joy that lasts through any circumstance.”

I am so thankful for a Father who fights not for what I think is good, but instead fights for what He knows is good for me. While I stray from Him daily and constantly need reminders that He alone is worthy of my love and devotion, He remains faithful when I am not and works all things together for my good, even when I can’t see the good yet. 

How great is Your faithfulness, Lord, to us.

—Guest Post by Katie Mayberry

The Tongue is a Fire

“So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell…but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.” ~ James 3:5-6, 8-10 ESV

The tongue is a fire!

If we desire to be more intimate with the Lord and surrender our hearts to him, then we have to surrender everything to Him. This includes our tongue and our words. I don’t usually think about surrendering my words and tongue to God.  But it’s so important!

“Three things come not back. The spent (shot) arrow, the spoken word and the lost opportunity.”

As soon as our (my) words are out there we (I) can’t get them back again.

There is an old Puritan story of a woman who went to her pastor and he confessed that she was guilty of slander and gossip. She told the pastor that she wanted to turn from all that and be done with it, and she wanted the pastor to help in doing so. So he said to her to take chicken feathers and lay them on the doorstep of all the houses in the community.

In which she had done that she was to come back and ask him what else she needed to do. He told her to go back the next morning and gather up all the feathers and bring them back to him. She explained to him that she could not do that because the wind had blown the feathers everywhere. The pastor said exactly you might be able to turn from their sin and be forgiven but the wind has blown your words everywhere.

In which she had done that she was to come back and ask him what else she needed to do. He told her to go back the next morning and gather up all the feathers and bring them back to him. She explained to him that she could not do that because the wind had blown the feathers everywhere. The pastor said exactly you might be able to turn from their sin and be forgiven but the wind has blown your words everywhere.

I’m asking the Lord to give me a heart that desires to speak words that will ultimately glorify Him and to do good and not do harm. Have my heart Lord and my tongue.

Guest Post by Kris Allison

~  Inspired by an Alistair Bigg sermon where Kris was challenged to think biblically about the power of the tongue.

True Repentance

“Many also of those who had believed kept coming, confessing and disclosing their practices.  And many of those who practiced magic brought their books together and began burning them in sight of everyone.”  ~ Acts 19:18-19 NASB

In this story in the book of Acts, we find a picture of true repentance.  These new believers fully turned to the Lord and away from the practices that previously held them in bondage.  They burned them so that they could not return to them.  They also did it in the sight of other believers for accountability and because of the joy of experiencing the true God over counterfeit sin.  They did this to completely cut ties with their former self and its practices.

How often I treat repentance as a partial turning.  I don’t take the necessary steps to cut ties with that sin.  Yes, I confess and turn for a time, but I still leave wiggle room so that I can come back and dabble in it again.  And I don’t share about it with others, but choose to deal with it on my terms and in privacy.  I do this partially because I feel as if I will be judged by those who are even close to me and partially because I want to be able to return to the sin in times of stress and coping.

In this scripture I see some principles, that if followed, would bring about much freedom in my life and in the lives of those who trust in Jesus.  First and foremost, sin and the enemy operate most effectively in darkness and secrecy.  By confessing to those who you trust and who love Jesus, you disarm the enemy.  He can no longer stand as your accuser bringing doubt and condemnation.  He loses his power!

Secondly, burn the pathways that can lead you back to participating in that sin that has so easily entangled you.  For these new believers, they created boundaries for re-entering into their lifestyles of sin by burning the very books that they would use in the practice of magic.  Creating boundaries in your life by burning sin bridges is not legalism.  It’s a healthy step that allows the Lord’s Spirit to bring the refining work of sanctification over your life.  

What do you need to bring into the light?  Who’s a safe believer that you can confess with to disarm the enemy in this area of your life?  What are your magic books and what would it look like to burn them?  These are all questions that I’m asking myself this morning.  Maybe you could do the same? 

Dancing with Jesus

I danced with Jesus in my kitchen this morning. Tears streamed down my face as I swayed to the soft worship in the background letting His love wash over every step. His glory traces out every move, each sway is sustained by His grace alone. In that moment, nothing else mattered in the world. His presence captivated my heart in such a tangible way. I could practically feel the sweetness of His hands on my shoulders as I held mine lifted to heaven.

It was me and my savior while the harmony of His praises clothed me in joy. My hands were open - willing to receive whatever exchange He wanted for me this morning. It felt like the first time I encountered Him face to face - remembering that the heart of the Father beats for me, for all of the world. Sweet simplicity is where He delights in meeting us. The little moments highlight the magnitude of how great a King He is, how kind a friend He is, how selfless a Savior He is!

~ Guest Post by Kristen Kinley

The Purpose of Grief

The world looks different these days. It has changed how we handle, process, and grieve so many life events. For me, the new slowness of life around me has brought more attention and space for me to process grief. I am not a feeler. I tend to run towards anything that is happy and avoid the sad. But the stillness around me has left me with not much to do outside of process. 

Yesterday, 2 dear humans that were a part of my life left this world. One a family member and the other a woman who played a large part in my first 10 years in South Carolina. I felt the sad, and instinctively thought of how to get out of it. But, due to the current circumstances, there isn't much to run to.

So I sat in it and I wept. and I asked the Lord why death has to hurt so deeply. Why a season already causing confusion and a loss of control now had a grief and heaviness as well.

And in the sitting and the weeping and the hurting, I felt the sweetness of a Savior. The assurance of a Jesus who sits in the nights weeping and rejoices in the glory of the morning with us.

And I realized, maybe, just maybe, this is what grief is for. To remind us it is okay to be a human. To cry. To feel deeply. And to bring us back to the Savior, who is always near, even in seasons of confusion and heartache.

Guest Post by: Kam Kelley

That They Would Seek God

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“Having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their self habitation, that they would seek God.” ~ Acts 17:26-27

As I read this scripture this past week, I was reminded about the poem of the dash on a person’s tombstone. In it, the author writes “for it matters not how much we own, the cars, the house, the cash. What matters is how we live and love and how we spend our dash.”

Listen to what Paul says in Acts 17 when proclaiming Christ to those in Athens. The Lord has already appointed our time here on earth and it’s just a small blip in the history of mankind. He’s even determined the boundaries of our existence. He knew before the foundation of the world when we would physically exist. He knew where we would grow up. He knew that you would be born in America, or Africa or Asia, etc.

This has huge implications, because it speaks of purpose. He could have chosen not to create me. He could have had me grow up in Europe in 400 A.D. or in the middle of the bush in Africa in the 1500s. But he didn’t, because he had purpose for me here and now. And his purpose wasn’t that I would be great or that I would make a name for myself. It wasn’t so that I would make significant contributions to this world, though I may. It was much simpler than that. His sole purpose was that I would seek Him, that I would know him and encourage others to do the same.

I think we get caught up in pursuing our own little dash, that we miss out on the fact that it’s not our dash in the first place. It’s His. It’s all about Him. Would that perspective forever define my dash? Would my dash be sold out to completely seeking Him?

~ Brent Roberts
Africa Freedom Mission

How Long

With all of the uncertainty that exists these days, we can trust in the steadfast love of a good God and rejoice in His salvation through Christ. We can sing to the Lord because He has dealt bountifully with us.

May this song, written and performed by friends of the ministry encourage your heart and faith during this time of uncertainty! God is good. He’s in control. He pursues us with a steadfast love.

I Consider My Life Worth Nothing

Francis Chan, Founder’s Week 2020.

“People started coming forward for healing and everyone I touched was healed. This has never happened in my 52 years of life and ministry.”

This message is a challenge to consider our lives as worth nothing for the sake of the Gospel. Francis Chan just shares from the heart about why he felt called to leave the States and move to Hong Kong. He also talks about how he has over the past few years, believed that the Lord still ministers through believers through the miraculous.

“Do you still believe that if you lose your life, you’ll find it?”

Amen!

Continually Filled

“And the disciples were continually filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.” ~ Acts 13:52

There’s a continual filling of the Holy Spirit that is available for those who trust in Jesus. And when we are filled, joy accompanies it.

I wonder aloud “Could the measure of my joy indicate how much and how often I am being filled by His Holy Spirit? The disciples in the book of Acts were continually being filled. Am I?

I believe that we experience full joy when we are filled by His Holy Spirit. The two go hand and hand. May I forever be identified with the believers in this verse and be someone who is continually filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit!

A Toast to the Stoudemayer's

A year ago tomorrow, these two, Trey Stoudemayer and Jacey Voris met in my home. They came for the weekend to be a part of training for summer leadership in Africa. Trey, a gregarious storyteller who could captivate an audience anywhere, and Jacey, a quiet and discerning young woman who just leads by example, were sure to be a match made in heaven, I just didn’t know it yet.

That weekend, Jacey was already committed to serving with us, but Trey was trying to decide on whether or not to go to Africa for the summer. As the weekend progressed, the call intensified, but he still had some tough decisions to make and needed some doors to open if if it were going to happen. As we prepared to head our separate ways, someone offered up a suggestion. Jacey told Trey that she felt the Lord leading her to fast for him and pray that God would open those doors. Long story short, He did! After a week of prayer and some conversations with his employer, Trey was given the green light to spend the summer in Kenya.

When the summer hit, and teams started arriving, I remember receiving daily calls from Trey. He would call me for advice on how to handle certain situations, ask questions about their itinerary or finances and sometimes just call to talk and catch up. Well, about halfway through the summer, our daily conversations took a turn. Trey informed me of his affections for one of the other leaders (you guessed it, Jacey!). He told me that they had not pursued anything, because they didn’t want it to distract from teams. He also told me that the feelings were mutual.

As the summer ended, so did the restrictions for pursuing a relationship. All this time, they knew that they were interested in each other, but they intentionally waited to make it official until after teams had wrapped up their summer. In that time of separation though, they formed a relationship that would turn out to be lifelong. At the end of the summer, Trey told me that they were coming home with intentions of getting engaged and eventually married.

Their first date occurred in Africa. Not many American couples can make that claim. They waited for the teams to leave and during the final few days went on a date in Nairobi. I still remember the giddiness in Trey’s voice when he called and told me about it. And after they left Kenya, Trey followed through with his word. He came home, bought a ring and proposed to that girl (just not in America)!

In September, a small group of our leaders traveled to Zimbabwe to pray and plan for Africa Freedom Mission. Jacey wanted to get engaged in a place that she loved and her love for Africa started in Zimbabwe. So, during our trip, Trey pulled her aside and asked her to be his wife.

I cannot express to you just how happy I am for this couple. I truly believe that they have all they need to be successful in marriage. They have a genuine love for Jesus, each other and come from families that have modeled Christ-centered marriages their whole lives. They are committed and disciplined. They’re not perfect, but they have a genuine desire to follow the Lord in everything. I remember a call I received recently from Trey. He said, we’ve started giving each other side hugs now because we are afraid of what any more physical contact might lead too. This is not normal for young adults these days, but it is for these two and because of it, they’ve been able save themselves for marriage, a pretty rare feat these days.

Tomorrow marks exactly one year, to the day, since this young couple met in my living room. And tomorrow marks the beginning of their lives together as Mr and Mrs Stoudemayer. So, in honor of you guys, I would like to raise a toast! To Trey and Jacey, may your lives be filled with laughter, joy, hope and love as you pursue a life with Jesus and each other. May you make such an impact for eternity by your union together that it shakes the nations. I love you both and am proud of who the Lord is maturing you to be. Many many blessings in this new season.

Love,
Brent Roberts
President & CEO
Africa Freedom Mission

I Can't Run

I run. That’s my coping mechanism. Just ask any girl that I’ve ever lived with, they’ve definitely heard me say something along the lines of “after ___ happening I need to go run.” I run when I’m stressed. I run when I’m anxious. I run when things don’t go my way. I run not only in a physical and literal sense, but I also run from things that scare me. I see my friends being bold in talking to new people, in advancing the Kingdom, in fully surrendering. But I run from those things. I feel unworthy, not good enough, that I could never do those things. So I run.

You might already know this, but in July 2019 I spent two weeks in a refugee settlement in Uganda. I tried so hard to run from not going. I truly didn’t feel equipped. The enemy attacked me every single day while on that trip - telling me I wasn’t good enough to serve. That God couldn’t use Africa as part of my testimony. That I would never be redeemed from feeling unworthy of His love and of an earthly love from those around me.

But you know what, He did it. He used 500 students to braid my hair, call me beautiful despite the mess that I was, and cover me in hugs and hand holds to redeem my heart. To set me free of feeling unworthy. So I returned home feeling fresh. I felt loved. I felt that my life had purpose - to love no matter your story and no matter your past because in that settlement, I felt the greatest love I’ll ever feel this side of heaven. 

I came home and felt at peace. I felt peace with never going back to Africa. My work there was done. Oh but God, in all is power and might, sweetly reminded me that I was not finished. One night, I sat in a circle on the floor at my friend’s house. We were having a small group, but not just any small group. The Holy Spirit was so present. We were praying bold prayers, healings were taking place, darkness was coming to light. And God whispered to me, “I’m not done yet.” 

Ask any of my prayer warrior friends and they’ll tell you that I struggled with this. Deep in my heart I knew the Lord was calling me back to Africa. But like I’m so good at doing, I ran. I refused to apply. I refused to even think about going back. Again, the enemy was telling me I had no purpose, I was unable to go again because I wasn’t enough. 

But I can no longer run. I can’t run from the fact that God isn’t finished. That there are more people to love, more villages that need the gospel, and more grace to give. I can’t run from a calling to advance the gospel, no matter how hard I try.

So I’m going back. Back to the place that made me feel alive. That gave my life purpose. Back to Africa. Yet, I can’t run from the fact that the feeling of purpose I felt in Africa also can’t be felt here in Eastern North Carolina. Because freedom and redemption live here too. Because where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. Because my testimony is one of redemption. I can no longer run from my story, from the goodness of God, or from the places that he is calling me to. 

In July 2020, I will be spending two weeks in Zimbabwe with Africa Freedom Mission. I know without a shadow of a doubt that the Lord will do big things during those two weeks. If you feel led to partner with me to make this trip possible you can visit the link below. 

Donation link: https://fcsmnstry.io/mkr/bs7QfF

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If you would like to follow more of Allie’s story you can visit: https://www.allielinkphoto.com. She’s also an excellent photographer!

Surrendering All

“All to Jesus I surrender
All to Him I freely give
I will ever love and trust Him
In His presence daily live”
~ I Surrender All (J.W. Van Deventer )

Growing up, I sang the lyrics to this well known hymn many times but never really stopped to think about what I was singing. Take a minute and listen to some of these words:

All to Jesus I surrender, All to Him I Truly Give
As I thought about this statement, I was forced to ask: Do I freely giving Him all that I have? In Matthew 16:24 Jesus tells His disciples that “if anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me”. To follow Him, I need to let Him rule my life and not try to rule it myself. If I’m honest, there are parts of me that are easy to give and others that are more difficult. He doesn’t ask for some, but all. Oh how I wish to sing this song in full sincerity.

I Will Ever Love and Trust Him, in His Presence Daily Live
Do I ever love and trust Him? When the rubber meets the road and the trials and temptations of this world come my way, do I really trust him? In the good times and in the bad times do I seek His presence? These are just questions that I’ve asked myself.

These verses and questions led me to think about David, “a man after God’s own heart.” If you ever want to see an amazing example of authentic love for the Lord, read Psalm 63. In this Psalm David is proclaiming his unshaken love for our God, his desire for God’s presence and his willingness to surrender all for the gift of relationship with the Father. May that be my own desire!

Though I’m not yet near where I want to be, I have seen growth in these areas over the last few years. Many people think that in order to grow in our intimacy with the Lord we must strive harder, but it’s quite the opposite. Instead of striving, we’re called to surrender - surrender our desires, our wills, our wants and perceived needs, our heart, our decisions, our dreams, everything. And as we surrender and empty ourselves he begins to fill us. He fills us with his heart, his dreams, his will, his character, his presence, his Spirit! Surrender doesn’t come easy, though, but it is necessary to become fully satisfied in Him.

Africa Freedom Mission
As I thought about these lyrics and their implications for a life of surrender, I was taken back to an event that happened in my life this past fall. I was on Instagram one evening and stumbled across an ad for a ministry called Africa Freedom Missions (@AfricaFreedomMission). When I saw it, my heart jumped out of my chest because Africa has such a special place in my heart. After learning more about their organization and its leadership, I quickly submitted an application for the trip.

AFM sends teams on 2-week, 4-week and summer long missions to four different countries in Africa. Because of previous experience serving on teams in South Africa (twice in the last three years), I knew that 2 weeks was just not enough. So, I applied to serve for a month in Zambia along with my amazing girlfriend Hallie.

If I’m honest, when I applied, I hadn’t taken time to fully discern the Lord’s leading. I always want to be someone who submits my plans and desires to Him and the respond in obedience to His leading. So I slowed things down for a week. During that week, Hallie and I committed to pray for discernment and for one another with respect to serving on this team in Zambia. There were also things that I hadn’t considered that would be impacted by such a decision (lack of summer income to pay for my final year of school). So, I wanted to make sure it was Him leading and not just my desires to return to a place that I’ve grown to love.

This devoted week brought me back to those truths in Matthew and Psalms about completely surrendering my all to Him. Going to Him in prayer not only helped solidify my desire and acceptance to serve in Zambia this summer but allowed me to continually let Him take the lead. Seeing the Lord provide opportunities like this has really strengthened the relationship I have with Him. It has allowed me to witness His active hand in my life. And it has helped me rest in the fact that His plans are far better than mine. 

I’m continuing to learn what it means to surrender and give Him with everything. But if I am going to be His hands and feet on this Earth, I can’t take this task for granted! Would you join me in this High calling of surrender?

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Malik Peterson is a junior at Grace College studying nursing. He will be serving in Zambia with AFM for the month of June.

Worthy of It All

There is a generation of young people rising up that is completely in love and satisfied in Christ. Our desire is Him and His glory alone. There were 65,000 people from ages 18-25 in a stadium, seeking an encounter with the King of Kings. We are roaring the name of Jesus into 2020.

We are not ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ! By the year 2033, every tribe, tongue and nation will have the powerful word of God and the good news of the Gospel written in their specific language. Jesus Himself speaks of this hour. “And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” (Matthew 24:14)

WAKE UP CHURCH! WE ARE LIVING IN SUCH A TIME AS THIS! “God declares, that ‘I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams.” (Acts 2:17) No one knows the hour of the coming of Jesus but he definitely gives us some good hints! He brings beauty for our ashes and uses us for His glory (Isaiah 61). He allows us to be empowered by His Holy Spirit to carry out His purposes. Are we willing to live our lives on our knees, fully surrendered to the Lord for His Glory to be shown throughout the world? It’s time to surrender everything for Him because Heaven bent to save us.

We will be persecuted, but He is worthy.

We will face trials, but He is worthy.

It will not be easy, but He is worthy.

He is worthy of it all!

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Post provided by Gabe Cruz, leader for Zimbabwe Summer 2020 with AFM

A Local's Perspective

Showing a smile, hugs, words of affirmation, giving attention to the usually ignored people are things which are always within our reach in our everyday life, yet we daily take them for granted.

Every year as I have served with mission teams, I have seen them manifesting the fruit of the spirit usually in the form of caring deeds both among each other and so much more to the locals here. 

On one occasion we spent the whole day listening to one couple's problems and praying with them.  On other days, we spent time playing with and investing in the lives of children in my community. On some evenings after worship we would minister to each other as we shared about our group and personal encounters that we had during ministry.  We would then pray for each other. In fact, I would always look forward to these times because of how I saw the Lord use them to change so many of the team members lives, including my own.

I’ve seen time and time again; these teams come and actively show God’s love for my friends and neighbors here in Zambia.  It’s a simple ministry but yet, so profound.  And as I have observed them, year after year, God has used their example to teach me this truth – “I have all that I need to show the light that is within me.”

Living in an environment like Zambia. where you are surrounded by many who have an un-ending list of needs, you are tempted to feel that you always need to provide things in order to show the love of Christ.  But these teams have shown me something different.  As they have come here, stepped out of their comfort zones and served, they’ve done it mostly by just being present, listening to the stories of my friends and countrymen and then stopping long enough to pray for and encourage them.  I’ve seen them stop what they’re doing, put their own agendas aside and just play games with children who are starving for attention and the love of the Father.  I’ve seen them go into homes where oppression and fear exist and proclaim the love of the Lord over broken situations.  They’ve taught me through their actions that there are many ways in which we can be the hands and feet of Jesus and that we are fully equipped to do so if we only surrender all that we have to Him.

So, as we prepare for another year and another season of ministry.  I’m excited.  I’m excited for the new friendships that I will be able to form with visiting teams.  I’m excited to see how the Lord will work through this new crop of young missionaries and I’m excited to see the fruit that comes from our time serving together in Zambia!

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About the Author: Laban Mwelwa is a dear friend to many who have served on a mission trip to Zambia. He is an associate pastor at Lusaka South and works part-time with Awana Zambia. The article above is his perspective of working with visiting teams.

Under the Gaze of God

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This New Year begins for me with a lot of uncertainty. Right now I don’t know what the future holds. At the end of last year, my husband and I felt a very clear call from God to move our family back to the United States, after almost seven years living and working in Zambia. When God calls and moves, we will answer and follow. We will make every effort to choose His path. But it’s not always easy. It can be really hard. It can really hurt. Right now, we are jobless and homeless. In a holding pattern, we are waiting on God to show us which path to take. Maybe you can relate. Maybe you find it difficult to make resolutions or even plans this New Year because you just can’t see past today.

In this place where I find myself at the start of this new year, all I can do is submit myself, my family, my situation to God and wait. The only resolution I know to make is to live coram Deo (under the gaze of God).

Living coram Deo is to live one’s entire life in the presence of God, under the authority of God, to the glory of God. To live in the presence of God is to understand that whatever we are doing and wherever we are doing it, we are acting under the gaze of God. God is omnipresent. There is no place so remote that we can escape His penetrating gaze. ~R.C. Sproul In Genesis 17:1 “the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, ‘I am God Almighty; Walk before Me, and be blameless.’”

Walk BEFORE Me
This word translated BEFORE is the Hebrew word Paniym, which means in front of, before, to the front of, in the presence of, in the face of.

Coram Deo
If I have envisioned myself walking with God, it has usually been a picture of walking beside Him or even behind Him and following His lead. But when I think of God’s command to walk before Him, the picture changes.

If God were only ever walking ahead of me, leading the way, following would be a pretty straight-forward, easy thing to do. I could do it with my ipod blaring and distractions all around me, because I would just have to follow in His footsteps. He is the Shepherd and His rod and staff guide me. And sometimes our walk is like that.

Walking before Him, on the other hand, takes careful attention. I must be completely tuned in to His voice so that I will hear His leading. I must trust that He is watching my every step and that I am safe under His gaze, even though I cannot see Him with my eyes.

Whether you turn to the right or to the left,your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying,“This is the way; walk in it.” Isaiah 30:21

This New Year I will focus on listening. I will tune in to the voice of God behind me. I will walk forward trusting in His guidance. I will delight in the fact that His gaze is upon me. I will remember His faithfulness in the past and look to the future with great hope! Living coram Deo!

For You have delivered my soul from death,Indeed my feet from stumbling,so that I may walk before Godin the light of the living.Psalm 56:13

Live Free. Live Loved.

~Kerri

(This post was provided by Kerri Roberts and was written when her and her family were returning from Zambia after serving as missionaries for 7+ years. We pray that these truths learned during their transition will be a blessing to you as you approach the New Year.)

Does God Still Heal?

I’ve been studying through the book of Acts lately. It’s hard not to read that book of the Bible and see a church and body of believers who ministered in word and power. You see stories of God using guys like Peter, John, Paul, Stephen, Phillip, etc to bring physical healing. All were definitely leaders, but not all were apostles. If you then step back into the gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John), you see Jesus healing many and him sending out others to do the same.

I’m not here writing this blog to get into an online argument with those who believe these gifts have ceased. I’m not trying to teach and spread some form of theology of healing either, but I do want to testify to something that I believe is at the heart God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. I want to tell a personal story that is very real and very true, where the Lord showed up and touched someone in a very intimate way, healed them and saved them.

In the summer of 2018, I went with a small team on a mission trip to Zimbabwe. Our team stayed on a houseboat for almost 2 weeks and visited remote fishing villages along the shorelines of the Zambezi river on Lake Kariba. During the day, we would spend time in worship, prayer, teaching and just having fun together. But in the evening, we would visit different villages to teach, share the gospel, love on people and pray for the sick and oppressed. On this particular evening, we were visiting a village that our ministry partner had been to many times before.

In order to get into the village, we had to use a smaller fishing boat. The villagers knew we were coming and would line up at the shore to greet us. It was a very humbling experience seeing these dear people who have nothing, stop everything just to make us feel welcome. As we walked in, it seemed like the crowds continued to grow. We were headed to the center of the village. As we were setting up and finding places for our team to sit, I had something out of the normal occur. I started to feel pain in my right ear. It was weird though, because I immediately sensed that the pain was not my own. Our host, asked me to share for about 10 minutes. So, as I prepared and was rehearsing in my mind what I was going to say, I just couldn’t get it out of my mind that the Lord was trying to tell me something.

As I stood up to speak, I felt the gentle nudge of the Holy Spirit asking me to hold off on sharing with them until I addressed this word He had given me for someone. I stood there for a minute questioning Him and questioning myself. Was this pain a revelation of someone else’s pain or was it just a silly old ear ache? I’ve learned that God will sometimes give you words or impressions for others, but will not always show you their full meaning. He wants you first to step out in faith and respond before showing you the full context of the word. This pain was a word from the Lord for someone in that village. I didn’t know who, or the extent of his or her situation, but I did understand that there was someone present who needed to be touched by God.

Before I did anything else, I quieted the crowd and told them that I believed there was someone there with a problem with their ear. When I said this and began scanning the crowd, I noticed two drunk men sitting beside one another on a stump talking. They then looked across the crowd and pointed to one of the other men in the village. I believe he was a bit embarrassed at first because he just sat there for a minute before confirming he had a problem with his ear.

As he came forward, he mumbled something in Tonga to my interpreter. He told him that his ear had been hurting and draining for several weeks. He then proceeded to remove a small cotton swab from his ear and show us. Without much hesitation, I asked him if we could pray for him right there in front of his village, to which he agreed. My interpreter, Teech and I just said a short prayer. Nothing elaborate. We just asked Jesus to touch him by His Holy Spirit and bring complete healing to his ear.

After praying, we opened our eyes and looked at him. He was smiling. He said the pain had gone away while we were praying. He was excited. But then he did something peculiar. He took the cotton swab and stuffed it back into his ear. I then asked the interpreter to ask him something for me. I asked this man to take the cotton swab back out and leave it out while I spoke. If God had healed the pain, I believed that he would stop the draining as well. So, he took it back out and went back to where he had been previously sitting.

For the next 10 minutes, I shared about God’s love for us and how He sent Jesus to die in our place as a payment for our sin. I talked about how if we respond in faith and trust Christ with our lives that He would forgive us completely, give us new life that can never be taken and restore us to relationship with him. As I finished, I closed our time by praying for the crowd. After praying, I didn’t have to track the young gentleman down, because he immediately went and grabbed Teech and then cam back to speak with me. He told me that while I was speaking, the draining in his ear had completely stopped as well. Now, the pain and the draining were gone!

The Lord had this man on His heart that day. It was a divine appointment. I could see it, Teech could see it and now, the man was beginning to see it. After he told me that he had been healed, I immediately asked him if he knew Jesus. He responded that he did not. I explained to him that Jesus loved him so much that he gave someone else a word just for him that day that brought His physical healing. I then asked him if he wanted to know Jesus and receive spiritual healing as well. He didn’t hesitate. He said “Yes, I do!”

I don’t know why God chooses to heal some immediately and for others it’s a not yet and still for others it’s not this side of seeing Jesus face-to-face. I don’t know why He chooses to heal some people who we might would think are unworthy, but chooses not to heal some of those we esteem as saints. I don’t know. But that’s ok. Like I said at the beginning, my purpose isn’t to argue some theological point on healing. It’s just to share one specific story of how the Lord used an unworthy person like me to bring healing to someone he dearly loved in the middle of a village in the remote bush of Zimbabwe. It’s also to testify to the fact that God still LOVES to miraculously heal! He still uses healing to reveal himself and he uses ordinary believers like you and me to pray for the sick that they might be healed and turn to the one who Loves them completely!

Mosaic

Giddiness for takeoff filled her chest. This was it. She was embarking on a journey that the Lord had called her to 8 months earlier when a dear friend welcomed her to the missions team with the phrase, “Welcome to Zimbabwe.” Sitting in that airplane seat was a girl who had no idea what was about to come her way. A girl who did not know how to accept love. A girl who had only an idea of freedom in her head, but no concept of what the Lord intended freedom to be. A girl who definitely did not think she was beautiful, let alone supernatural. A girl who only wanted to give, give, give; she had no idea how much her soul was broken. The cracks in her heart had grown into great divides with some pieces barely hanging on. She had covered those pieces with the thoughts of her mind. Her self sufficient attitude rendered her “strong”, “able”, “healed”, when in fact, she was not any of these, at least not yet. The Lord had all these things for her, but was she ready to seek it from Him instead of within herself?

The thing is, is that I did not even realize the depth of my brokenness. God revealed to me in such a real way that brokenness is not always apparent, often times it is harbored so deep we forget it is there. I was living in a very broken state before I left for Zim. Fun facts about myself before Zimbabwe wrecked my life, I was restless. I could not spend more than a few hours in a certain place. I was unconsciously making myself so busy so that I would never have to face the root of my fear. The root of my pride. But most importantly, the root of my untrust. Lord knows that my trust issues were deep, deep rooted. At this point in my life, my untrust had grown into a tree so tall and so wide that I did not even know how to cut it down. Alone, there was no way for me to tackle a problem that had grown into something ten times the size of myself. I was striving. Definition: striving (v.): make great efforts to achieve or obtain something. To struggle or fight vigorously. I was striving for everything I wanted. I had to finish high school / my associates degree with a 4.0. I strived to pay every one of my bills by myself at the age of 17. I strived to be able to make a resume look good. I strived for the boy I wanted. I strived for each friendship I had to look perfect. I strived to be the perfect leader within my youth group and for the girls I mentored. Let me tell you, striving is the enemy of abiding and dwelling with the Lord.

Was I abiding in the Lord? No. Did I know God? Yes, but abiding and knowing are two different concepts. Through learning this, Zim changed me. Bruce, the man that led our team while we were in Zimbabwe, was the first person in a long time that was able to see me / my soul for who I was. And the Lord was able to use this in order to speak to me. Every lie. Every fear. Every shameful moment. All the guilt. All the pain. All the rejection. Came to the light in Zim. I find it humorous that the Lord took me 8,028 miles away and put me on a 55 foot boat with 11 other people to where I had absolutely nowhere to run anymore. I found myself in many moments laughing at the Lord because leaving me with nowhere to run meant one thing. I had to face what was before me. I had to take a deep breath and surrender my fear of being known before the Lord on a daily basis. Scratch that, a minutely basis.

I think that being known is a necessary step in being able to abide with the Lord. Because before Zim, my failure is what exerted the most power in my mind. My failure drove my want for perfection. My failure was the drive behind trying to have control. Now, the Lord is on my mind more times than not. I do not associate myself with my failure because it is no longer mine. I gave it to my Father. Now, the Lord is able to put all of the pieces of my past into a picture that is still being created. You see, before Zim, those pieces of my heart were without color. Beauty could not be found in them. But the moment that I reached my hands out toward Christ in complete surrender was the moment that the Lord was able to paint the color that those things would be to me from that point on.

Freedom was found in Zim. I became a different person, the Lord was renewing the color in my eyes and the joy in my spirit. But now it was time to go home. Going home presented itself with many new obstacles to overcome. It meant waking up in an empty house rather than waking up with some of the people you cherish the most. It meant not having a leader like Bruce at your side 24/7. It meant reality hitting. It was the feeling after leaving my first college class; unprepared, overwhelmed, and down in my soul, scared. Coming home felt like entering a world that never previously existed. Truthfully, I do not know what felt more foreign, America, or the way my heart was beginning to feel once I got home. Yet, the Lord gives more freedom.

I am finally starting to feel like both worlds actually exist, I am starting to be able to apply what I learned in Zim here in America, rather than feeling completely heartbroken about being home. I am starting to lean more into what God wants for the next season of my life rather than allowing my voice to be the loudest. With that comes a lot of hardship, a lot of hard conversations. A lot of lifechange and reality striking moments are hitting me like a ton of bricks. I guess that is what happens after you live on a boat in Africa for two weeks. And I feel like that is what the world is trying to make me believe. That Zim and America are two completely different worlds. That they do not connect, that I have to appear to be the American Abby here, and that the Abby that was transformed in Zim has to stay in Africa. How the enemy is trying to get me to believe that.

Today I feel like the Lord is giving me the upper hand over that lie. His freedom that He allowed me to find in Zim does not change just because I travelled thirty-six hours back home. The Lord does not waiver. That fact does not change because my location changes. His freedom. His grace. His mercy. His love, love that abounds, does not change according to our mood or our location. In our joy and in our pain, He still covers us with these beautiful attributes of Himself. He covers every one of our pieces. The pieces we thought were no good. Our insecurities. Our pride. Our shame. Our guilt. Our fear. Our doubt. He is shaping each piece, painting it a new color. Right now, you are seeing the up close. That is good. God is shaping you through allowing you to see every excruciating detail. But one day, one day, you will see the beautiful masterpiece the Lord made out of you.

Out of my restlessness. Out of my striving. Out of my shame. Out of my fear. He is continually making a mosaic out of me.

- Abby Pullicin

Surrender

In this season of my life, God is teaching me what it means to completely surrender everything to Him. And it’s a process that’s been VERY, VERY difficult!!!

In Matthew 14:29, Jesus calls out to Peter sitting in the boat and asks him to simply come, to walk on the waters towards Jesus. Listen to it in context. “Then Peter got down from the boat, walked on the water and came towards Jesus. but when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, ‘Lord save me!’ immediately Jesus reached out His hand and caught him. ‘you of little faith, why did you doubt?’”

At first glance this may seem insane. Who in their right mind would tell another human being to leave what seemed to be the safest place in the storm to step out into the water. To WALK ON WATER!?! BUT that’s exactly what Jesus did and it was genuinely one of the most beautiful and meaningful miracles Jesus ever displayed.

Throughout our lives we are faced with many storms. Wether that be problems within our family, issues with our health, loss of family or friends, struggle with mental health, etc., our storms can be big or small. But we have a picture of how we can weather these storms through the example of Peter. With his eyes fixed on Jesus, in the midst of a terrible storm, he surrendered everything and trusted fully in Christ. He didn’t take time to reason with his circumstances, but simply listened and followed.

Peter’s initial focus is what the Lord is calling all of us to.  Jesus desires that we would single-mindedly and wholeheartedly focused on Him. This doesn’t come with doing more good for Jesus, but by laying down more for Him. It doesn’t come with service, but with surrender!

When we are able to live in surrender to the Lord, laying everything at his feet (our desires, our aspirations, our shortcomings, etc.) and when we trust in His plans, His faithfulness and His promises to work everything out for our good, our focus shifts from our problems to Jesus! The problems fade away and the glory of His presence calms the storm.

Yes, we will fail at times. And there might be times when we stray away from Christ, and begin to drown within the gritty chaos of life. But we have a promise that is evident in this Scripture: all we have to do is call upon His name and just as He responded to Peter, he will respond to you and me. With an outstretched arm and with no hesitation, He will take our hand and saves us. Not because we deserve it, but He does so freely because His love is enduring and never ending. He is a God of abundant grace and mercy!

We MUST stop letting ourselves be consumed in our struggles because, they are just momentary afflictions. They are wind and waves. Though they look threatening, they are just opportunities for us to learn to trust Him more. No doubt, they seem difficult and overwhelming at times, but minute in comparison to the loving outstretched arm of the Creator of the Universe.

So, surrender everything to Him. Lay everything at His feet. Yield completely to your creator and allow Him to use you in any and every way. And after you’ve laid it all at His feet, look up. Take His hand and follow Him. Your life will never be the same!

Recently, surrender for me was applying to serve in Zambia with Africa Freedom Mission. I could have looked at the obstacles that stood in my way, been discouraged and went back to the boat. But I’ve chosen to sacrifice my plans and my way and run after Jesus. I don’t know what Zambia has to offer, but I do know that iff I’m in His arms, I’m safer than being in some rickety boat. It’s INSANE how God works in our lives when we choose to surrender to Him completely.

I guess you could say that surrender brings so much goodness!!! It provides opportunities like this! I’m going to Africa people!!! And I get to go with a company like this, Africa Freedom Mission! HE.IS.GOOD.

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Morgan Hendrix is 16 years old and is from Loganville, Georgia. This trip with AFM will be the first time she’s ever traveled outside of the US. If you would be interested in partnering with Morgan financially, you can do so at the following link: MORGAN