Mission Trip to Africa: Mozambique, You Are Beautiful

Table of Contents

• My First Mission Trip to Africa
• Experiencing Mozambique
• What Is Your Africa?
• Why Africa?
• Defining Your Africa

My First Mission Trip to Africa

I had the life-changing opportunity to attend a mission trip to Africa. While in college, I encountered a speaker from Africa, missionaries to Mozambique that was sharing of the miracles that are taking place in their country.

The tales felt like scenes straight out of a movie—dodging bullets from guerrilla warfare soldiers, bringing in news reporters to uncover the civil war’s truth, and surviving a tragic plane crash that claimed their son’s life before his 21st birthday was just astonishing to me.

Their book, “Beyond the Shadows,” captivated me, and I devoured it in a week. Little did I know, the Heins would become a significant part of my life for the next two decades.

There was a trip set for Mozambique , I prayed fervently for the funds, and miraculously, they came. I will forever be grateful to those who helped make this dream a reality. We even took Portuguese lessons to prepare for our adventure.

Coincidentally, the missionaries’ daughter, Deborah (or Debz), was sponsored to be a student at my college, Christ for the Nations.

We spent time together, and I peppered her with questions about her adventurous life growing up in Mozambique. Her stories only deepened my excitement.

Experiencing Mozambique

The two weeks I spent in Mozambique were life-changing. We camped on the beach in tents under the breathtakingly bright, starry skies—a sight made even more vivid by the lack of electricity in the region.

I remember looking up, and making a promise to God: I would continue to travel the world wherever He sent me.

From South Africa, we flew into Mozambique and boarded a large truck we fondly called “Bigfoot.” The journey on Mozambique’s rugged roads was long, with potholes tossing us about, but it was worth every bump.

At Afrika Wa Yesu, we helped clean and paint a church building, participated in a graduation ceremony, and spent time with the beautiful children. Their laughter and joy left a lasting imprint on my heart.

What Is Your Africa?

Mark Twain once said, “The two most important days in your life are the day you were born and the day you find out why.”

We may not be able to choose the family and culture we are born into, but we can choose the path we take moving forward into our future. As I look back to my life’s journey, I see that small decisions have swung big doors of opportunity in my life.

Opportunities come and go quickly, and our response to them will determine how we set the pace in the race of life.

Thousands of people go about their day allowing circumstances to dictate their rhythm. When there is no one steering the ship of our lives, we simply float in the massive ocean of longing.

The successful, however, use their instincts and actions to alter their unfortunate circumstances through a lot of hard work and courage; they become the agents of the change they see in the world. 

Through our careers, many of us will be part of another person’s dream. The people who work for Facebook are part of the dream of making the world a more open place.

The ones that work around the clock for Google intend to increase the connectivity of the world. 

There are trendsetters like Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Oprah, Steve Jobs, Winston Churchill, Rosa Parks, Dr. Martin Luther King, and many more that have changed how we live.

They have dedicated decades of their lives to make our world a better place. 

What about a regular Joe or Jane like us? How can we make a difference next to these big-name game changers?

Within the core of who we are, lies an inner assurance of why we are alive. It may take a lifetime for us to discover what it is, but as we live day to day, we will discover why we are here on earth.

If we only knew 5% of our purpose, that would be a good start.

In this context, a mission trip to Africa was a life-changing experience for me. Today, I encourage you to take time to ask yourself these questions. It will make you a fulfilled human being.

Once you discover the blueprint of being you, you can work on converting it into an adventurous future. Trust your inner GPS. 

Why Africa?

“Go to Africa and it will change your life forever!” These are the words of people that have been to Africa, where wealthy celebrities are converted into saintly activists, fighting for the freedom of the voiceless. 

What in the world is in Africa that impacts so profoundly the most selfish people on this planet? Rawness of life. 

You see, in Africa there is no BS or fakery, especially in the bushes of Africa. Life is raw and real, and isn’t that what we humans strive to achieve in first world countries? To find the real and the genuine. 

I believe that not only the rawness of life and the suffering in Africa changes us, but also that the bright, shining stars under the African skies set our hearts on fire. Africa penetrates our hearts to remind us that we are standing on holy ground and that there is bigger purpose for us than just living day to day. 

It was under the African sky, behind a pickup truck, when I made my commitment to purpose 26 years ago. I knew I was given great health for a purpose.

What could I do with my life A mission trip to Africa was my catalyst for change, and it revealed the true meaning of life and purpose for me.

Asking these questions will help you reveal your Africa.

 

Defining Your Africa

Your “Africa” doesn’t have to be a mission trip to Africa or even traveling abroad. It might mean moving to an inner city, supporting local shelters, feeding the homeless, or raising extraordinary children.

Whatever it is, let it inspire you to make a difference to who you encounter daily. Take time to define what your Africa is. Let it change your daily routine by converting your ceiling into a platform for the next generation. 

If this resonates with you, and you feel called to explore how you can make a meaningful impact, I’d love for you to check out my humanitarian visit at Asia. I share my experiences of serving in Southeast Asia and how those trips brought a whole new perspective to my life.