Three years ago this month I came to the AIM campus for my first training camp. I have spent a lot of time reflecting over all that God has done in my life since then. He has shown me more of who he is and who I am. I’ve learned to walk in the authority that Christ gives me. I have reaped the benefits of being in community with other believers, living with people who call out the best in me and point me to Christ in all circumstances. I am learning to walk in step with the Holy Spirit, following his leading and not my own.
I am not the same person who walked onto campus with a giant pack of gear ready to take on the world. And for that I am forever grateful to the Lord!
Throughout my time on the race, God has been revealing my strengths and giftings. He has also brought me to a place to dream with him about the future. I love discipleship, even though it’s really hard and messy. There is so much beauty and life within that. I have the opportunity to pour into people, to teach them and walk beside them as they pursue Christ, and then they get to do the same for me.
God has also grown my heart and passion for evangelism and reaching the lost. I want to share the gospel with people who have never heard it. I want to go to places where few have gone, or where people are afraid to go. If God calls, I want to say yes. No matter the cost.
Along with that, my heart is burdened for the unreached people groups in the 10/40 window. So when I heard about an opportunity for alumni racers to go to the Middle East this next spring, I felt a jolt of excitement and expectancy in my heart. I immediately prayed and told God how much I’d love to do something like that. And he told me to go, to move forward. I experienced many doors closing this year and had felt discouraged. But after these two months with the serve team and now this open door ahead, hope is blooming in me again.
In January, the plan is to return to the AIM base in Gainesville, GA for a month of training before launching to the field for 4 months. We will be going to Kyrgyzstan, Egypt, and Jordan with the intention of living out our faith and boldly sharing the gospel. We will be applying what God has been teaching us through our time in missions. I’m excited to see how God leads and guides us, as well as how he challenges and grows us. Plus, being with other alumni will be a cool change.
I hope to gain knowledge and experience working with these people groups that will help as I move into long term ministry. God has been talking to me a lot about preparing for the future, even if I don’t know what I’m specifically preparing for. In that, he has put it on my heart to pray about and pursue raising long term support as I see what ministry opportunities he presents. I’ll be sending out an email with more information soon. Otherwise, see the info below.
In other news, AIM is switching over to a new website and blog platform. I am moving my blogs over and will be using the new site for fundraising and updates. If you click on the donation links on this page it will connect you with the new site automatically, but I will post the link for my new fundraising profile and blog site below. You may have to create your own profile in order to view my blog, but its fairly simple and painless. If you have any questions about all of this, let me know!
Visit my new profile here.
Blog site here.
SO PROUD OF YOU!!!!!
Love you,
AWM
So excited for you Alayna! I know that the Lord has such great plans for you life. We’ll be praying. Love you!
What an exciting opportunity! God seems to be giving you your heart’s desire, a lifetime of missionary work. I remember you praying for this way back when we were teaching together. Keep us posted!
Alayna,
Thank you for another update. I am excited for you adventure and ministry opening up in the Middle East. I also appreciated how you shared that you ‘are not the same person’. Isn’t it amazing what God does in us, when we are submitted to Him? For our family devotions we were looking at the great acts Steven did in Acts 7, because he was faithful in little things in Acts 6. Continue to serve Him in the boldness of the great and mundane.