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Here is everything that’s happening at Life Abundant Niagara.
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Our First Week
Our first week, in the books I’m writing to you on late Friday night, sweat on my brow, stars in the sky. Our first week in Uganda is coming to a close. We travelled all of Monday and Tuesday, arriving in the Pearl of Africa late Tuesday night. The boys did as well as we could have hoped during our air travel, and our 5 hour trek to Jinja on Wednesday felt like a breeze. We’ve settled in nicely here. We’re staying in the home of some American missionaries who call Uganda home. They’re back in the US for the summer, so they opened their doors to us. We have a little extra space here, so Verity (our British friend that we met in Uganda back in 2011) is staying with us for the next two weeks. She arrived on Thursday. Today, Verity and I (Alexander) travelled to Hanak International School to teach first aid training to primary and secondary students. It’s the last day of their school year, but the teachers were so eager at the opportunity for us to teach these emergency skills that they brought us in to end their year. We spent the morning teaching about 30 primary students, roughly grades 1-3, and the afternoon with a group of secondary students. We taught them emergency first aid skills like CPR, choking, wound care, snake bites, and drowning. Verity is a first-aid instructor for YWAM in Australia where she lives and works. What’s Next 💡 Next week, we’ll be connecting with Pambazuka Ministries to serve pregnant teens in their care. Rebecca will be teaching prenatal and postpartum care, breastfeeding and newborn care, and bringing menstrual education to schools. She’ll also be teaching nurses some midwifery skills. Ebola Update 🦠 The Ebola outbreak in Uganda is completely under control. There have been no new cases reported in the country since we arrived. Life in Jinja is business as usual. Stay Updated I’m planning to write one of these posts every other week or so while we’re away (depending on internet access). To stay up to date on our trip in real time, subscribe to these posts below to get them sent directly to your inbox whenever we write. Grace and peace. Alexander, Rebecca, Asher & Aiden To get in contact with us directly now or while we’re away, email alexander@lifeabundantniagara.com. We’ll be checking in regularly.
June 19, 2026 • 2 Minute Read
Our First Week
Our first week, in the books I’m writing to you on late Friday night, sweat on my brow, stars in the sky. Our first week in Uganda is coming to a close. We travelled all of Monday and Tuesday, arriving in the Pearl of Africa late Tuesday night. The boys did as well as we could have hoped during our air travel, and our 5 hour trek to Jinja on Wednesday felt like a breeze. We’ve settled in nicely here. We’re staying in the home of some American missionaries who call Uganda home. They’re back in the US for the summer, so they opened their doors to us. We have a little extra space here, so Verity (our British friend that we met in Uganda back in 2011) is staying with us for the next two weeks. She arrived on Thursday. Today, Verity and I (Alexander) travelled to Hanak International School to teach first aid training to primary and secondary students. It’s the last day of their school year, but the teachers were so eager at the opportunity for us to teach these emergency skills that they brought us in to end their year. We spent the morning teaching about 30 primary students, roughly grades 1-3, and the afternoon with a group of secondary students. We taught them emergency first aid skills like CPR, choking, wound care, snake bites, and drowning. Verity is a first-aid instructor for YWAM in Australia where she lives and works. What’s Next 💡 Next week, we’ll be connecting with Pambazuka Ministries to serve pregnant teens in their care. Rebecca will be teaching prenatal and postpartum care, breastfeeding and newborn care, and bringing menstrual education to schools. She’ll also be teaching nurses some midwifery skills. Ebola Update 🦠 The Ebola outbreak in Uganda is completely under control. There have been no new cases reported in the country since we arrived. Life in Jinja is business as usual. Stay Updated I’m planning to write one of these posts every other week or so while we’re away (depending on internet access). To stay up to date on our trip in real time, subscribe to these posts below to get them sent directly to your inbox whenever we write. Grace and peace.
Alexander, Rebecca, Asher & Aiden To get in contact with us directly now or while we’re away, email alexander@lifeabundantniagara.com. We’ll be checking in regularly.
June 15, 2026 • 2 Minute Read
Aaaand we're off!
You’ve sent us off. That was the word at church yesterday: we’re not just going to Uganda, but our community is sending us. That delineation matters. We feel it, too. Your prayers, your kindness, your generosity. They are the wind in our sails. What’s Happening This Week We’ll arrive in Uganda late Tuesday night. We’ll spend what’s left of that night in an airport guesthouse, and then we’ll finish the final leg of our journey to Jinja on Wednesday. We’ll take some time to settle in before our work begins on Friday. Verity, a British friend of ours from our first time in Uganda, will be flying in on Thursday to spend two weeks with us. This Friday, Verity and I (Alexander) will be leading first aid training in a local school. We’ll teach CPR, wound care, and other basic life saving skills. Fun fact: Verity works full time with YWAM Medical Ships in Australia and Papua New Guinea! Ebola Update 🦠 The WHO reports that the Ebola outbreak in Uganda is completely under control. As of today, there have been 20 confirmed cases, all in isolated care in the capital city. Life in Uganda is business as usual in every district. How to Pray For Us 🙏 Our Travel – pray that our travel day, although long, will be smooth. Let’s believe that our bags and our boys will arrive to our destination in one piece. 🙏 Our Arrival – pray that the boys will ease into their new environment gracefully and easily. 🙏 Our First Week Of Work – pray that the first things we put our hands and hearts to will be fruitful. Stay Updated I’m planning to write one of these posts every other week or so while we’re away (depending on internet access). To stay up to date on our trip in real time, subscribe to these posts below to get them sent directly to your inbox whenever we write. Grace and peace.
Alexander, Rebecca, Asher & Aiden To get in contact with us directly now or while we’re away, email alexander@lifeabundantniagara.com. We’ll be checking in regularly.
June 2, 2026 • 3 Minute Read
We're going to need your prayers now
Since the last time we wrote you, a lot has changed. In late May, the WHO Director-General determined that the Ebola disease in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda constitutes a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. That’s a high level of concern. A few quick things to put that into perspective: The outbreak is critical in the Congo, and neighbouring nation to Uganda. The border between the Congo and Uganda has been closed. As of today, there are 15 confirmed cases in Uganda. The disease is currently very under control where we’re headed. The Ugandan government is suggesting business as usual for daily life. No school closures, no districts under lockdown. With all of that in mind, we’re still planning to take our trip. It won’t be without adjustments, however. The Canadian government (in coordination with the WHO) have instituted a mandatory 21-day isolation period upon return from Uganda. For that reason, we’ll be adjusting the length of our trip, heading home about three weeks earlier than planned to account for our isolation. Our airline KLM seems to have stopped sending planes from Amsterdam to Entebbe. It’s unclear how this will impact our travel route, but we have yet to be notified about any changes to our itinerary. We need your faith, wisdom, and prayers to navigate these new challenges well. We want to make good and mindful decisions while also following the wind of the Spirit. We’re trusting God with this.Support Our Trip Stay Updated I’m planning to write one of these posts every other week or so while we’re away (depending on internet access). To stay up to date on our trip in real time, subscribe to these posts below to get them sent directly to your inbox whenever we write. What's Next We'd love your specific prayer over these next few weeks. How to Pray For Us 🙏 The Ebola virus – Pray that the healthcare professionals in every country affected are well equipped to temper the spread of this virus, and that the infected will be recovered. 🙏 Our final vaccinations – The boys have one more shot left. Pray that their bodies know exactly what to do. 🙏 The rest of our supplies – we’re still collecting everything we need for ourselves to be in Africa for the summer, as well as the things we want to bring to donate to others. We’re so grateful for you. We wouldn’t have as much courage to follow the Spirit if we didn’t know that you were on the journey with us. Grace and peace.
Alexander, Rebecca, Asher & Aiden To get in contact with us directly now or while we’re away, email alexander@lifeabundantniagara.com. We’ll be checking in regularly.
May 20, 2026 • 2 Minute Read
Less than a month to go
We’ve gone from counting down the time in months, to weeks, and now days. We’re heading out on June 16th, which is less than a month away. Here we go! A Couple Updates We’re in the final stages of packing now. Here are the things we’re still collecting to bring along: Post partum diapers Baby aspirin for pregnant women Belly bands We’re currently fundraising to raise money for birth kits that we’ll be hand delivering to the village. Each kit is worth $10 and gives a pregnant woman everything she needs to be accepted at the hospital for delivery. Any support helps make a measurable difference in someone’s life.Support Our Trip Our boys did so well with their Yellow Fever vaccines last week. We’re so grateful for the support that we’ve received from The North York Travel Clinic as we have prepared for this trip. We only have one more shot for the kids to get, second week of June. Stay Updated I’m planning to write one of these posts every other week or so while we’re away (depending on internet access). To stay up to date on our trip in real time, subscribe to these posts below to get them sent directly to your inbox whenever we write. What's Next We have to finish packing of course, prepare our home to be away for the summer, and set our work up for success as we take unpaid leaves. We'd love your specific prayer over these next few weeks. How to Pray For Us 🙏 Our final vaccinations – The boys have one more shot left. Pray that their bodies know exactly what to do. 🙏 The rest of our supplies – we’re still collecting everything we need for ourselves to be in Africa for the summer, as well as the things we want to bring to donate to others. We’re so grateful for you. We wouldn’t have as much courage to follow the Spirit if we didn’t know that you were on the journey with us. Grace and peace.
Alexander, Rebecca, Asher & Aiden To get in contact with us directly now or while we’re away, email alexander@lifeabundantniagara.com. We’ll be checking in regularly.
May 19, 2026 • 3 Minute Read
Stepping into our next season
This is your one-stop spot for everything happening in our church family. From kids to adults, small groups to special events, here's how you can grow in connection with our faith community. On the brink of a new season This time of year finds us in a new season, both on our church calendar and the meteorological one. This Sunday is Pentecost, the day we’ll re-tell the story of the pouring out of the Holy Spirit. It marks the end of our six-month journey of telling the story of Jesus from his incarnation through to his ascension. For us in Niagara, that also coincides with moving from springtime into summer. Summer is full of all kinds of glories like fresh strawberries and peaches later, family camping trips and simply staycations. It’s a season defined by sunshine, rest, and play. During the summer season as many of us are engaged in resting, playing, et cetera, our weekend gatherings tend to take on a different complexion. They are often smaller, shorter, and simpler. That’s good, too. No less glorious than any other Sunday. It’s perfectly permissible to relax into the rhythm of the summer while still staying connected to community. So enjoy your summer, practice justice, love mercy. Walk in the grace of God and keep your eyes open to see glories revealed in every step you take. Each Sunday we will continue to re-gather and re-member. We have the church picnic to look forward to, and the impromptu post-service picnics each week. We’ll see you this season at the corner of Concession 7 and Queenston Road. Thursday, May 21st 🙏 Join us every Thursday at 1:00pm in the sanctuary for prayer. Bring your own prayer requests, your prayers for others, and your willingness to be formed through the practice of prayer.New here? We'd love to connect. Community Prayer We are a people of prayer. Here’s what we’re praying for this week: 🙏 Jim Mills – Jim is in the final stage of his battle with cancer. Pray for God’s nearness to be known and felt. 🙏 Alexander, Rebecca, Asher & Aiden – Our pastors are heading to Uganda in less than a month. Pray for their provision and peace.Read The Latest On The Mills' Trip 🙏 Our Students – As the school year draws to an end, pray for our students that they would have the strength to finish well. Submit your own prayer request here. Giving Your generosity makes our work in Niagara possible. We’re so grateful for you.Give Now Here Stay Connected 📩 Subscribe to this Collection to get these updates delivered directly to your inbox. 📸 Follow us on Instagram 💬 Pastoral care or questions? Connect with us here. Services: Sundays @ 10:30am
384 Concession 7 Rd., Niagara on the Lake
May 19, 2026 • 3 Minute Read
Not the update I ever expected to write
I’m writing you to tell you about something that I truly thought would never occur. Back in February I told you about the caterpillar that lives on my desk. Well, I used the word “lives” rather generously, because that caterpillar spun himself up into a sandy sarcophagus last summer and has neglected to emerge. Our hope of that caterpillar transforming into a brilliant Easter Swallowtail butterfly has been indefinitely suspended.I might've killed it We’ve been holding our hope, but only because the internet suggested that we could. “Although most caterpillars emerge from their cocoons within four to six weeks, they will sometimes (albeit rare) overwinter without any explanation.” What is happening (or not happening) inside that jar on my desk has been completely beyond my control. My confidence that anything has been happening at all has been slim. Which is why I was startled to the point of literally saying “Oh my God!” out loud last week when I looked up from my computer and saw a butterfly. What I said to you back in the winter is still true. “Whether that caterpillar ever emerges or not, of this I can be sure – God does his best work in the dark. I believe that there is a caterpillar transforming into something entirely new in that cocoon, but even if there isn’t, my hope is in the grace of God that is always leading me into new life.” So many of the outcomes of our daily lives are completely beyond our control. Many of the things we hope for don’t come to fruition. But sometimes, they do. If we’re paying attention, we are sure to be surprised by hope and startled by grace. God is not a silent spectator—a watchman on the sidelines of the game of your life. God is an active agent in the fabric of your being. The animating force of everything we enjoy. He is the wind that blows and the fire that burns. He is the creative imagination that dreamt up butterflies from caterpillars. Want I really want to say to you today is that hope is worth holding onto. God is worth believing in. There is glory and grace and goodness to be held if we would only open our hearts and our hands and believe. That’s easier said than done, which is why we practice believing in community. It’s easy, sensible even, to discard your last grain of hope in the dark when there seem to be no signs of life worth living. That’s when you need someone to believe for you, hold onto faith with you, and walk along in the grace of God alongside you. This letter is about a butterfly, it’s about me, and it’s about you. Grace and peace,
Pastor Alexander P.S. here’s a picture of a very proud five-year-old who is full of hope and completely void of cynicism.
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May 19, 2026 • 3 Minute Read
Not the update I ever expected to write
I’m writing you to tell you about something that I truly thought would never occur. Back in February I told you about the caterpillar that lives on my desk. Well, I used the word “lives” rather generously, because that caterpillar spun himself up into a sandy sarcophagus last summer and has neglected to emerge. Our hope of that caterpillar transforming into a brilliant Easter Swallowtail butterfly has been indefinitely suspended.I might've killed it We’ve been holding our hope, but only because the internet suggested that we could. “Although most caterpillars emerge from their cocoons within four to six weeks, they will sometimes (albeit rare) overwinter without any explanation.” What is happening (or not happening) inside that jar on my desk has been completely beyond my control. My confidence that anything has been happening at all has been slim. Which is why I was startled to the point of literally saying “Oh my God!” out loud last week when I looked up from my computer and saw a butterfly. What I said to you back in the winter is still true. “Whether that caterpillar ever emerges or not, of this I can be sure – God does his best work in the dark. I believe that there is a caterpillar transforming into something entirely new in that cocoon, but even if there isn’t, my hope is in the grace of God that is always leading me into new life.” So many of the outcomes of our daily lives are completely beyond our control. Many of the things we hope for don’t come to fruition. But sometimes, they do. If we’re paying attention, we are sure to be surprised by hope and startled by grace. God is not a silent spectator—a watchman on the sidelines of the game of your life. God is an active agent in the fabric of your being. The animating force of everything we enjoy. He is the wind that blows and the fire that burns. He is the creative imagination that dreamt up butterflies from caterpillars. Want I really want to say to you today is that hope is worth holding onto. God is worth believing in. There is glory and grace and goodness to be held if we would only open our hearts and our hands and believe. That’s easier said than done, which is why we practice believing in community. It’s easy, sensible even, to discard your last grain of hope in the dark when there seem to be no signs of life worth living. That’s when you need someone to believe for you, hold onto faith with you, and walk along in the grace of God alongside you. This letter is about a butterfly, it’s about me, and it’s about you. Grace and peace,
Pastor Alexander P.S. here’s a picture of a very proud five-year-old who is full of hope and completely void of cynicism.
February 24, 2026 • 2 Minute Read
I might've killed it
I have a problem that’s completely beyond my control. It taunts me daily from behind the glass, motionless yet powerful. It’s a caterpillar in a cocoon, and I don’t know if it’s ever going to emerge. The reason that’s a problem is because I have an inquisitive almost-five-year-old who regularly asks me about it. Just this week, he asked me pointedly: “Dad, what happens if it doesn’t turn into a butterfly?” It’s beyond my control. I just don’t know. Despite my greatest efforts or most earnest prayers, I can’t make that inch-long caterpillar that we harvested off the dill in the backyard and so tenderly took care of complete its metamorphosis and turn into the brilliant Eastern Swallowtail butterfly that we have so longingly hoped for. It was supposed to emerge about six weeks after it entered its cocoon, the internet says, but the internet also says that sometimes they overwinter without explanation. All of our hope is suspended in that papery brown sarcophagus. 17th-century pastor-theologian Samuel Rutherford famously said that “Grace grows best in winter.” The Scottish winters were certainly dark and long. In Niagara, too, we feel constrained by an arctic grip. We look desperately for signs of spring, wishing the wintry weather away in exchange for green grass and brilliant blooms. We wish our winters away. Whether that caterpillar ever emerges or not, of this I can be sure – God does his best work in the dark. In this Lenten season, whether we enter the wilderness willingly or if it comes upon us, our hope is that God’s grace is always at work, and it seems especially when we perceive it the least. When the ground is covered in a blanket of snow, and the sun hasn’t shone for what feels like an eternity, what’s true is that the earth is still stirring and brimming with life. Beyond our sight, there is all sorts of microbiology that is coordinating to burst forth with new life at the first feel of thaw. Grace is always growing. I believe that there is a caterpillar transforming into something entirely new in that cocoon, but even if there isn’t, my hope is in the grace of God that is always leading me into new life. This grace will lead us home. Grace and peace,
Pastor Alexander
April 21, 2026 • 3 Minute Read
How to see God
My dad takes a conservative approach to giving and using nicknames. For the most part, he’ll call you by your given name. That was my experience as a child with one exception – he affectionately called me Farsight. Born from the imagination of C.S. Lewis into the land of Narnia, Farsight was a talking eagle who served as a messenger to the King. True to his nature and name, his eyesight was spectacular. He saw what others couldn’t. I guess I garnered the name thanks to my ability to notice. The deer on the field edge, the chickadee perched, the missing lego over there. By nature it seems, I’m often able to see what others can’t. Yet here’s the truth – I’m not eagle-eyed. My ability to see is no more than 20/20, in fact without my glasses, it’s much less than that. I’m convinced, however, that seeing—and more importantly, noticing—is a nurtured ability. It’s practiced and perfected. It’s work. The poet says, “to pay attention is our endless and proper work.” The priest agrees: “My only prayer practice is attention.” There’s a sacred discipline to the art of noticing. Paying attention to the budding branch, the singing bird, the forming storm, is no doubt an act of spiritual practice. This act of noticing makes an opportunity to at least acknowledge God, and at best encounter him. Worship him. See him, hear him, smell him, touch him, taste him. Worship him. And yes, this takes practice. It’s not hyperbole to say that there are more voices and visions vying for our attention now more than there ever have been, so this work may be more difficult than ever as well. Hard work is good work, beloved. Begin here with an intentional choice today: go for a walk,
get a house plant,
look up from your phone.
gaze at the gluten structure of a piece of bread,
think about your fingerprints,
look up from your phone.
listen to a bird song,
listen to a secular song,
look up from your phone. Look up, look around, look above and below. Open your eyes to see that there’s evidence of resurrection everywhere you look. But you have to look. God can be and is revealed in all manner of ordinary things, especially created things. There are reflections of his goodness in just about every corner, crack, and crevasse if you’re looking for him. May we be formed into a people who are always looking, noticing, and behold God wherever he may be found. Grace and peace,
Pastor Alexander
March 24, 2026 • 3 Minute Read
Who you're not required to love
There’s a new law of this land, according to the Lord of Love. One night at supper with his friends, he looked up from the table and said, “I’m giving you a new commandment, and it’s this: love one another! Just as I have loved you, so you must love one another.” And not just one another (that’s easy enough), or your neighbour (that’s doable), but your enemy, too. By this expression of love, the Lord says, will the world know you to be a follower of Jesus. Love your enemy;
Your rich enemy,
and your poor one too.
Your gay enemy,
your straight enemy,
your conservative enemy,
your liberal enemy,
your violent enemy,
your quiet enemy,
your black enemy,
your white enemy,
your familiar enemy,
your foreign enemy. Love every expression of an enemy that you can imagine, for an enemy is likely just someone whose story you haven’t heard yet. With one exception. There is an enemy that we all share, who is diametrically opposed to the aim of all of our lives. This is the only enemy exempt from the law of the Lord. It does not deserve a single sliver of our love. This enemy is death. Death is not simply the natural end to our lives, as secularism might say. Neither is it the glorious passageway to streets of gold as religion confesses. But it is “the final enemy to be destroyed” according to the apostle Paul. Not to be accepted or loved, but to be destroyed. I know I don’t have to convince you of this. There are many of you reading this who have tasted the sting of death very recently, and some of you already this week. It’s a stinging nettle, a bitter water, a gut punch. There is nothing to love about the enemy of our lives, yet on our own, we are powerless to destroy it. Thanks be to God that the Lord of Life himself has defeated death by death and, through his action, given us the gift of life. It is the source of our gladness this Easter. This is the law of love. To reach our gladness, however, we must first walk through the valley of death. On Good Friday, join us at church at 9AM for a quiet and contemplative meeting at the grave. Bring your boots, for after the service we’ll wander through the woods together on a community hike. On Holy Saturday, consider committing to some form of silence. Keep the TV off, put your AirPods in the drawer, give an hour to prayer and meditation. And then on Easter Sunday, we’ll meet again to worship the giver of life. We’ll receive his love, and then we’ll share it with each other as we join in a meal after the service. Grace and peace,
Pastor Alexander
March 10, 2026 • 3 Minute Read
The kinds of videos my mom sends me
Rarely does a day go by without me receiving a video on Instagram or Facebook from my mother. Whether it’s a recipe, an activity to do with the kids, or just something to make me laugh, she’s always sending me something. I don’t think she actually expects me to cook all three of the recipes she sent me yesterday, rather, I think she saw something that reminded her of me, and she wanted to share that joy with her son. I receive her videos as little tokens of affection. She’s not the only one, of course. My dad is notorious for sending me memes that balance on the brink of what is appropriate. My wife sends me parenting videos that make us laugh until we cry (or cry until we laugh). I send plenty of wrestling videos to the group chat with the boys. But on December 8th, my mother-in-law sent me a video with this note attached: “I thought this was such a great idea!” It was a great idea, and yesterday I finally did it. The journey that the Christian wanders over the course of a calendar year is a “vast and dramatic story-ing”. If you conform your life to the rhythm of the Christian calendar, your year will begin at Advent, journey through Lent and Easter, and find fulfillment at Pentecost. Telling time this way makes sure that we take our place in the story of Jesus. Eugene Peterson says that without this dramatic story-ing and sufficient liturgical support and structure, “we are very apt to edit the story down to fit our individual tastes and predispositions.” That’s why our Christmas tree didn’t make it out to the curb this year. It has been weathering the winter outside in the backyard, and yesterday I turned it into a cross. You’re right, Mom (and stranger who made the video on the internet), it was a great idea to save the branches and boughs of Christmastime to turn them into a memorial of God’s impending death. These wooden symbols – an evergreen tree and a bare torture device – and their coinciding dates on the church calendar, affirm what we believe are the most important events in all of time. God was born among us, and God died like us. The cross is the central axis point of our entire worldview, and now there’s one erected in our slumbering springtime garden. It’s dramatic, yes, it’s storytelling, of course, and it’s essential lest my own story become too important. Grace and peace,
Pastor Alexander
September 12, 2023 • 4 Minute Read
A peach in the mirror
Our little corner of land in Niagara is the northernmost latitude of peach growing on the globe. I knew this to be true conceptually, but it was confirmed to me as a fact while I perused the local newspaper last week. As I read the article entitled “New Varieties Are Bringing An Early Start to Niagara’s Peach Season”, my enthusiasm enlarged. My heart leapt not just at the prospect of enjoying peaches earlier in the year, but for the process of propagation at all. What a skill, what art. What a marvel to curate the creation! If you’ve known me for any length of time, you’ve likely been witness to one of my excitable tangents about flowering potato plants, the anticipation of the winter solstice, or the feeding habits of white-tailed deer. I’m enthralled by the glory of the cosmos - from the biggest bang to the smallest tender fruit (of which my favourite is the peach). While I read, I was increasingly impressed to learn about the creative work happening right here in our region at the Vineland Research & Innovation Centre. Mr. Subramanian spoke so caringly and convincingly about the necessity for new varieties of fruit in our region that my adoration for the peach was bursting through my ceiling until I was so suddenly devastated, depressed, discouraged. The last stanza of the article disappointed me to the point of writing this letter. “‘The next variety of peach Subramanian is working on will be targeted at generation Z and millennials,’ he said. He said that group isn’t fond of biting into a soft, juicy peach and getting messy — so he’s looking to fix that.” To their credit, my discouragement comes at no fault of the author or their subject. Somer and Jayasankar are without blame. I am to blame, and this short stanza revealed that to me by holding up a mirror to show me myself. We live in an age of instant gratification, information, and frankly indulgence. We feed on these things like drinking water from a firehose, attempting to quench our aching inside by the most questionable of means. You know the ache - the one that burns inside all of us, lamenting that the world is not right, things are not as they should be, and there must be a better way. I’m what is affectionately called a “digital native”. I grew up in this digital era, never knowing a home without a computer connected to the internet. Need to lighten my mood? I’ll watch a funny video. Need to answer a question? I’ll ask Google. Need dinner? I’ll order it and have it delivered before I could have ever defrosted anything from the freezer. This unprecedented access with unmerited ease is not without consequence, and it’s not for free. It comes at the cost of exchanging our humility for entitlement. I say this, because I feel this. If I can watch anything, read anything, buy anything, or be anything online in an instant, why can’t I have it all outside of the internet and in my embodied reality, too? So we try. We take diabetes medication to expedite weight loss, we run yellow lights, we work through weekends, and we create new varieties of peaches to appeal to our pride. In our arrogance, we forsake any measure of hidden glory. The best peaches are an embarrassing mess to enjoy, but so is life. The glory of a peach is the golden juice running off your chin and onto your shirt. The beauty and blessing of life is in the cracks, crevasses, and not-so-curated corners that we’re so intent on hiding or refining. It takes humility to truly enjoy a peach and all the glory it has to offer. It takes humility to walk through life faithfully and fruitfully. The Redhaven peaches have likely come and gone by the time you’re reading this, but in the last few weeks of September some Baby Golds can still be had at your local farmer’s market. Soon, all the peaches will have returned to the ground and the earth will rest until it awakens with the spring. It’s a vulnerable thing to be a seed sown into the ground, and humility often feels the same. It’s a relinquishing of control and a surrender to the Creator and the cosmos. Can we, can I, practice this humility until the next harvest? Grace and peace,
Pastor Alexander
August 28, 2023 • 3 Minute Read
A blessing for a new
The leaves are giving us cues, and the school schedules hung on the kitchen fridge agree, we’re turning a page and entering a new season. Green fades to yellow, amber gives way to red, and September comes around again dressed in the colour of a new year (of sorts). This week marks a new school year for the kids in our community, for their parents too, and school workers of all kinds. For many in our church, the new year starts today. It’s a new year according to the secular calendar, of course. The signposts of the secular are school years, fireworks, civic holidays, and summers. But there is a sacred calendar, a Christian Church calendar, that marks time much differently. It’s a way of marking our time throughout the year by telling the story of Jesus Christ. It’s necessary in a practical sense to coordinate our lives by the secular calendar. Our lives must be formed however by the sacred one. We’re drawing to a slow and steady end to our Christian calendar as well with Advent in our sights and Christmas ringing not far off in the distance. By any metric, a sacred or secular one, the seasons are changing. It’s in that seasonal spirit that I leave you with this, a blessing for a new school year. If you’re a student, go forward in grace. If you’re a parent, pursue peace. If you’re a school worker, the work of your hands is the labour of love. And if you’re none of the above, pray this blessing for the rest of them. The year is tilting
toward the start of school again,
but truth be told,
we’re not ready. We’re still hanging on to summer,
to the promise it held for
long-awaited connections and celebrations,
for refreshment for our bodies and souls
in water and sky and colour and sunlight,
and all those little moments given to us
where we could linger just a little longer. Now that it’s almost over,
we don’t want to let it go.
The beauty.
The freedom.
All that was life-giving. God, could you help us stretch it,
extend it,
and maybe even blend it
into this coming school year? Parents, students, teachers, all,
may your newly-structured days
breathe with creativity,
your new duties be infused with delight. As you write on those fresh new calendars
may you trust that your plans
are a lot like magic ink. Much may seem to disappear into obscurity,
but whatever is done in love will remain.
(Kate Bowler) Grace and peace,
Pastor Alexander
August 21, 2023 • 3 Minute Read
God loves you. So what?
I grew up in a home that had a tune to it. My dad was mostly at the helm of the sounds of our scene, whether it was at home, in the car, or anywhere in between - there was always music playing (and if it wasn’t playing, he was singing or humming his own). Some of his favourites were Rich Mullins and Keith Green, some of mine were Anberlin and TobyMac. So I guess I come by it honestly, having a home of my own now that rarely sits in silence. In the evenings its spinning vinyl that sings, but more often than not it’s something streaming over the interconnected network of networks and through the TV (I don’t think my dad could have imagined that this is how we’d be listening to music nowadays). Some of my favourites this week are Sam McCabe and Jon Batiste. Although most of the music in our home is streamed, some of it is still sung. For the last two years we’ve been singing a handful of songs with Asher at bedtime—the doxology, The Blessing, I Love You Lord—to name a few. One of the first ones he ever sang along to though is one that most of us are likely familiar with. “Jesus loves me, this I know…” For a while in his infancy he’d chime in on the me’s, so’s, and “strong”. It was as if his vocal cords were tethered to our heart strings. We swooned. Now as he’s getting older and his vocabulary is growing in step with his personality, the song has taken a bit of a turn. “Turn on Jesus loves me song!” I hear from the backseat before I can engage the car in drive. I turn it on. He sings, “Jesus loves you this I know…” Jesus loves you. For the last couple weeks he has routinely dropped the “me” and exchanged it for “you”. I’m not naive enough to believe that he is changing the words intentionally to convey some deep theological truth. He’s two, his brain is just barely online, and he has simply jumbled up the song. But this morning as he sang his scrambled song, I thought of you, and I just wanted to remind you that God does love you. I hope it’s not the first time you’re hearing that, and even if it’s not I hope you have the courage today to believe it. Rich Mullins famously said “I grew up hearing everyone tell me ‘God loves you'. I would say ‘big deal, God loves everybody. That don't make me special! That just proves that God ain't got no taste’”. I love Rich and I like his music (thanks, Dad), but that’s a view too cynical for me. God loves everybody, but He also loves you. You’re a chosen, cherished, child of God, and He’s not stuck with you. He has set a place at His table just for you, and He says come. Take your seat. Eat, drink, and be merry. So go ahead into your day empowered by the knowledge that God loves you. Grace and peace,
Pastor Alexander
August 1, 2023 • 3 Minute Read
Our commitment to community
Sometime in early 2019 a headline in the local newspaper tugged our hearts into action. “Niagara Falls in Desperate Need of Respite Care” it read, reporting on the urgent need for foster homes in the city. Respite (or short term) homes were of particular demand to help meet the emergent needs of newborns coming into care due to the increasing crisis of opioid use. That was the thread that towed our heart strings towards opening our home to foster care. Fast forward a few seasons, dozens of hours of training, and hundreds of pieces of paper work to Mary’s parent’s backyard in the late summer. In unconventional fashion and in complete secret, our friends and family threw us a shower. Rebecca and I had only been married for a couple of years, we had no kids of our own yet, and we had just moved into our first home. Our community gleaned that we had a lot of the same needs that expecting parents would, so they surrounded us with a shower as if we were welcoming our own. We received diapers, toys, and clothes, amongst a bounty of other things to prepare us for the journey ahead. What I remember from that day wasn’t the gifts though, it was the commitment that our community made. Much like when we dedicate children in our church, our community stood on the brink of this new season with us and said “we’re here for you too”. I believed them then, and they’re proving it now. Jump forward in time again and Rebecca and I have a toddler of our own, another on the way, and a life that is full to the brim. We’ve harboured countless children in our home since that shower in the summer. This week, the phone rang again. It’s rarely easy to say yes, but the good thing to do is often the difficult one. We said yes to a 9 month old little boy and for a week our house has been stretching at the seams. I’m writing this with that boy sleeping in my arms, and two of those aforementioned friends are currently walking out our front door. “Want us to bring pizza over for dinner tonight?” they asked earlier in the day, inviting themselves over with dinner in hand. We shared a simple and hectic meal - the adults laughed, the babies cried - and from across the table I saw Jordan and Jessica doing exactly what they pledged to do for us all those years ago. It was a promise fulfilled in a pizza. It was love, grace, and community embodied. We had an unspoken need this week and our friends perceived it. You’ll surely have a need that I hope to meet for you. This is the commitment we’ve made to each other in this community, and we are bound by the love of God that is building us up into his body. So if you’re reading this letter, consider this my affirmation of my commitment to you. I hope it also fans the flame of community life and love in your heart as well. Grace and peace,
Pastor Alexander
July 17, 2023 • 3 Minute Read
The portrait of a praying woman
It’s rumoured that she was younger than 8 years old when her parents dedicated her to a Benedictine monastery on the westside of Germany. There she would live and grow in the grace of God, leading her fellow nuns into the Light through music, visions, and connection to the earth. Her name was Hildegard of Bingen, she died in 1179, and her portrait hangs in our kitchen by the back door. I bought her portrait as a gift to Rebecca earlier this year as winter was melting into spring. We hung it by the back door intentionally, because the backdoor leads us to our garden. Saint Hildegard reminds me of Rebecca in all sorts of ways, but especially in the way that she revered the cosmos and everything within it. She was a gardener, a forager, and a medical plant practitioner. She didn't want to simply visit this world but wanted to be fully in it, embracing the wonder and goodness of God's creation. "Glance at the sun,” Hildegard says. “See the moon and the stars. Gaze at the beauty of earth's greenings. Now think. What delight God gives to humankind with all these things. Who gives all these shining gifts, if not God?" That reads like a poem, doesn’t it? A Psalm, even? We’re practicing praying the Psalms as a community, beginning each one of our worship services by praying an entire poem together. The Psalms are the training ground for prayer, and so we’re learning how to pray. One Psalm at a time. Today, pray this Psalm of creation with me. If you’re reading this, you’re surely looking at a screen of some kind. So take a step outside or at the very least move yourself next to a window, behold the cosmos, and let us pray: Hallelujah!
Praise God from heaven, praise him from the mountaintops;
Praise him, all you his angels,
praise him, all you his warriors,
Praise him, sun and moon,
praise him, you morning stars;
Praise him, high heaven, praise him, heavenly rain clouds;
Praise, oh let them praise the name of God—he spoke the word, and there they were!
He set them in place from all time to eternity;
He gave his orders, and that’s it!
Praise God from earth, you sea dragons, you fathomless ocean deeps;
Fire and hail, snow and ice, hurricanes obeying his orders;
Mountains and all hills, apple orchards and cedar forests;
Wild beasts and herds of cattle, snakes, and birds in flight;
Earth’s kings and all races,
leaders and important people,
Robust men and women in their prime,
and yes, greybeards and little children.
Let them praise the name of God—it’s the only Name worth praising.
His radiance exceeds anything in earth and sky;
he’s built a monument—his very own people!
Israel’s children, intimate friends of God.
Hallelujah! Psalm 148, The Message Translation Grace and peace,
Pastor Alexander
July 3, 2023 • 2 Minute Read
I didn't pray against the rain
It’s raining right now as I write this, as it has been since yesterday. The skies severely opened up above us this weekend as if the ground below us had its mouth agape in desperate need of hydration. Truthfully, that’s exactly why I couldn’t find a prayer to pray against the rain this weekend in anticipation of our church picnic - certainly I was outnumbered by the farmers praying for the exact opposite. Despite the weather, we had an absolutely splendid Sunday this weekend at our annual church picnic. It’s a joy to watch kids be kids, to connect with each other casually, and to enjoy the little corner of land that we steward at the corner of Concession 7 and Queenston Road. The rain was actually a pleasant balm of sorts, keeping us cool and lubricating the slide on the bouncy castle. The annual picnic serves as a mile marker for us - summer is surely upon us. My favourite season is whichever one we’re currently in, but I know that many of you are most fond of this one. Summer is full of all kinds of glories like fresh strawberries and peaches later, family camping trips and simply staycations. It’s a season defined by sunshine, rest, and play. During the summer season as many of us are engaged in resting, playing, et cetera, our weekend gatherings tend to take on a different complexion. They are often smaller, shorter, and simpler. That’s good, too. No less glorious than any other Sunday. It’s perfectly permissible to relax into the rhythm of the summer while still staying connected to community. So enjoy your summer, practice justice, love mercy. Walk in the grace of God and keep your eyes open to see glories revealed in every step you take. Each Sunday we will continue to re-gather and re-member. We’ll see you at the corner of Concession 7 and Queenston Road. It looks like the heavens are almost done drenching the earth for today, and the forecast for the rest of the week is looking bright. It’s my prayer that whatever God is watering in your soul will soon bloom to life in the sun that comes after the rain. Grace and peace,
Pastor Alexander
June 19, 2023 • 3 Minute Read
On prayer, honeybees, and petrichor
It’s odd, becoming a parent. In the job description is the daunting task of dreaming up an infinite list of things to teach your children (I say infinite because it grows in length each day), and the even taller task of ordering that list in a sequence of importance. What’s more important - teaching Asher to be kind or to brush his teeth? To look both ways before crossing the street or to pick flowers for his mom? Some days we work on kindness. Some days his teeth are clean. Near the top of my list of important things to teach our kids is the practice of prayer. That sounds like a tall task in and of itself, but maybe I can help alleviate some pressure with this - prayer is not a skill to be mastered, but a practice to be practiced. So that’s how I teach Asher, we practice. He’s learning by rhythm and repetition, as every morning as we turn into his daycare neighbourhood I turn off whatever we’re listening to, look at him in the mirror, and say “ok, it’s time to say a prayer”. Our recipe is simple - we practice thanksgiving. I begin by thanking God for the day, his mercy, and then a few things that come to my mind. He usually adds a few thanksgivings from the backseat like “balls, Aunt Roo Roo and Aunt Ray Ray, or meat sticks”. In Jesus’ name we pray, “amen!”. Henri Nouwen wisely confesses that “I am beginning to see that much praying is grieving”, and yes, I believe that to be true. I am beginning to see however that much of praying is thanksgiving. In fact, thanksgiving is a prayer enough. So, here’s ten things I’m thankful for today: Friends that turn into family The work of honey bees Mercy The way my dad hugs me every time I see him Petrichor (a pleasant smell that frequently accompanies the first rain after a long period of warm, dry weather) The song “I want to serve God” by Sam McCabe The privilege to steward a little parcel of land The wisdom of elders The wonder of children The baby dedication of Mary into the family of faith this coming Sunday Enter his presence with the password: “Thank you!”
Make yourselves at home, talking praise.
Thank him. Worship him.
For God is sheer beauty,
all-generous in love,
loyal always and ever. Psalm 100 Grace and peace,
Pastor Alexander
May 19, 2026 • 3 Minute Read
Stepping into our next season
This is your one-stop spot for everything happening in our church family. From kids to adults, small groups to special events, here's how you can grow in connection with our faith community. On the brink of a new season This time of year finds us in a new season, both on our church calendar and the meteorological one. This Sunday is Pentecost, the day we’ll re-tell the story of the pouring out of the Holy Spirit. It marks the end of our six-month journey of telling the story of Jesus from his incarnation through to his ascension. For us in Niagara, that also coincides with moving from springtime into summer. Summer is full of all kinds of glories like fresh strawberries and peaches later, family camping trips and simply staycations. It’s a season defined by sunshine, rest, and play. During the summer season as many of us are engaged in resting, playing, et cetera, our weekend gatherings tend to take on a different complexion. They are often smaller, shorter, and simpler. That’s good, too. No less glorious than any other Sunday. It’s perfectly permissible to relax into the rhythm of the summer while still staying connected to community. So enjoy your summer, practice justice, love mercy. Walk in the grace of God and keep your eyes open to see glories revealed in every step you take. Each Sunday we will continue to re-gather and re-member. We have the church picnic to look forward to, and the impromptu post-service picnics each week. We’ll see you this season at the corner of Concession 7 and Queenston Road. Thursday, May 21st 🙏 Join us every Thursday at 1:00pm in the sanctuary for prayer. Bring your own prayer requests, your prayers for others, and your willingness to be formed through the practice of prayer.New here? We'd love to connect. Community Prayer We are a people of prayer. Here’s what we’re praying for this week: 🙏 Jim Mills – Jim is in the final stage of his battle with cancer. Pray for God’s nearness to be known and felt. 🙏 Alexander, Rebecca, Asher & Aiden – Our pastors are heading to Uganda in less than a month. Pray for their provision and peace.Read The Latest On The Mills' Trip 🙏 Our Students – As the school year draws to an end, pray for our students that they would have the strength to finish well. Submit your own prayer request here. Giving Your generosity makes our work in Niagara possible. We’re so grateful for you.Give Now Here Stay Connected 📩 Subscribe to this Collection to get these updates delivered directly to your inbox. 📸 Follow us on Instagram 💬 Pastoral care or questions? Connect with us here. Services: Sundays @ 10:30am
384 Concession 7 Rd., Niagara on the Lake
May 5, 2026 • 2 Minute Read
Mothers Day at church – a multi-generation panel
This is your one-stop spot for everything happening in our church family. From kids to adults, small groups to special events, here's how you can grow in connection with our faith community. This Sunday, May 10th 🌸 It’s Mother’s Day, and we’ll be hosting a generational panel of moms in our church to share from their wells of wisdom. Each mom is parenting in a different stage, and they will all bring their individual journey with God to the table. Thursday, May 7th 🙏 Join us every Thursday at 1:00pm in the sanctuary for prayer. Bring your own prayer requests, your prayers for others, and your willingness to be formed through the practice of prayer.New here? We'd love to connect. Community Prayer We are a people of prayer. Here’s what we’re praying for this week: 🙏 Jim Mills – Jim is in the final stage of his battle with cancer. Pray for God’s nearness to be known and felt. 🙏 Alexander, Rebecca, Asher & Aiden – Our pastors are heading to Uganda in less than 6 weeks. Pray for their provision and peace.Read The Latest On The Mills' Trip 🙏 Our Students – As the school year draws to an end, pray for our students that they would have the strength to finish well. 🙏 Jordan, Jessica, Hazel & Margot – Jordan and Jess welcomed baby Margot to the family this week. Pray for health, healing, and a gentle adjustment for big sister Hazel. Submit your own prayer request here. Giving Your generosity makes our work in Niagara possible. We’re so grateful for you.Give Now Here Stay Connected 📩 Subscribe to this Collection to get these updates delivered directly to your inbox. 📸 Follow us on Instagram 💬 Pastoral care or questions? Connect with us here. Services: Sundays @ 10:30am
384 Concession 7 Rd., Niagara on the Lake
June 19, 2026 • 2 Minute Read
Our First Week
Our first week, in the books I’m writing to you on late Friday night, sweat on my brow, stars in the sky. Our first week in Uganda is coming to a close. We travelled all of Monday and Tuesday, arriving in the Pearl of Africa late Tuesday night. The boys did as well as we could have hoped during our air travel, and our 5 hour trek to Jinja on Wednesday felt like a breeze. We’ve settled in nicely here. We’re staying in the home of some American missionaries who call Uganda home. They’re back in the US for the summer, so they opened their doors to us. We have a little extra space here, so Verity (our British friend that we met in Uganda back in 2011) is staying with us for the next two weeks. She arrived on Thursday. Today, Verity and I (Alexander) travelled to Hanak International School to teach first aid training to primary and secondary students. It’s the last day of their school year, but the teachers were so eager at the opportunity for us to teach these emergency skills that they brought us in to end their year. We spent the morning teaching about 30 primary students, roughly grades 1-3, and the afternoon with a group of secondary students. We taught them emergency first aid skills like CPR, choking, wound care, snake bites, and drowning. Verity is a first-aid instructor for YWAM in Australia where she lives and works. What’s Next 💡 Next week, we’ll be connecting with Pambazuka Ministries to serve pregnant teens in their care. Rebecca will be teaching prenatal and postpartum care, breastfeeding and newborn care, and bringing menstrual education to schools. She’ll also be teaching nurses some midwifery skills. Ebola Update 🦠 The Ebola outbreak in Uganda is completely under control. There have been no new cases reported in the country since we arrived. Life in Jinja is business as usual. Stay Updated I’m planning to write one of these posts every other week or so while we’re away (depending on internet access). To stay up to date on our trip in real time, subscribe to these posts below to get them sent directly to your inbox whenever we write. Grace and peace.
Alexander, Rebecca, Asher & Aiden To get in contact with us directly now or while we’re away, email alexander@lifeabundantniagara.com. We’ll be checking in regularly.
June 15, 2026 • 2 Minute Read
Aaaand we're off!
You’ve sent us off. That was the word at church yesterday: we’re not just going to Uganda, but our community is sending us. That delineation matters. We feel it, too. Your prayers, your kindness, your generosity. They are the wind in our sails. What’s Happening This Week We’ll arrive in Uganda late Tuesday night. We’ll spend what’s left of that night in an airport guesthouse, and then we’ll finish the final leg of our journey to Jinja on Wednesday. We’ll take some time to settle in before our work begins on Friday. Verity, a British friend of ours from our first time in Uganda, will be flying in on Thursday to spend two weeks with us. This Friday, Verity and I (Alexander) will be leading first aid training in a local school. We’ll teach CPR, wound care, and other basic life saving skills. Fun fact: Verity works full time with YWAM Medical Ships in Australia and Papua New Guinea! Ebola Update 🦠 The WHO reports that the Ebola outbreak in Uganda is completely under control. As of today, there have been 20 confirmed cases, all in isolated care in the capital city. Life in Uganda is business as usual in every district. How to Pray For Us 🙏 Our Travel – pray that our travel day, although long, will be smooth. Let’s believe that our bags and our boys will arrive to our destination in one piece. 🙏 Our Arrival – pray that the boys will ease into their new environment gracefully and easily. 🙏 Our First Week Of Work – pray that the first things we put our hands and hearts to will be fruitful. Stay Updated I’m planning to write one of these posts every other week or so while we’re away (depending on internet access). To stay up to date on our trip in real time, subscribe to these posts below to get them sent directly to your inbox whenever we write. Grace and peace.
Alexander, Rebecca, Asher & Aiden To get in contact with us directly now or while we’re away, email alexander@lifeabundantniagara.com. We’ll be checking in regularly.
June 2, 2026 • 3 Minute Read
We're going to need your prayers now
Since the last time we wrote you, a lot has changed. In late May, the WHO Director-General determined that the Ebola disease in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda constitutes a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. That’s a high level of concern. A few quick things to put that into perspective: The outbreak is critical in the Congo, and neighbouring nation to Uganda. The border between the Congo and Uganda has been closed. As of today, there are 15 confirmed cases in Uganda. The disease is currently very under control where we’re headed. The Ugandan government is suggesting business as usual for daily life. No school closures, no districts under lockdown. With all of that in mind, we’re still planning to take our trip. It won’t be without adjustments, however. The Canadian government (in coordination with the WHO) have instituted a mandatory 21-day isolation period upon return from Uganda. For that reason, we’ll be adjusting the length of our trip, heading home about three weeks earlier than planned to account for our isolation. Our airline KLM seems to have stopped sending planes from Amsterdam to Entebbe. It’s unclear how this will impact our travel route, but we have yet to be notified about any changes to our itinerary. We need your faith, wisdom, and prayers to navigate these new challenges well. We want to make good and mindful decisions while also following the wind of the Spirit. We’re trusting God with this.Support Our Trip Stay Updated I’m planning to write one of these posts every other week or so while we’re away (depending on internet access). To stay up to date on our trip in real time, subscribe to these posts below to get them sent directly to your inbox whenever we write. What's Next We'd love your specific prayer over these next few weeks. How to Pray For Us 🙏 The Ebola virus – Pray that the healthcare professionals in every country affected are well equipped to temper the spread of this virus, and that the infected will be recovered. 🙏 Our final vaccinations – The boys have one more shot left. Pray that their bodies know exactly what to do. 🙏 The rest of our supplies – we’re still collecting everything we need for ourselves to be in Africa for the summer, as well as the things we want to bring to donate to others. We’re so grateful for you. We wouldn’t have as much courage to follow the Spirit if we didn’t know that you were on the journey with us. Grace and peace.
Alexander, Rebecca, Asher & Aiden To get in contact with us directly now or while we’re away, email alexander@lifeabundantniagara.com. We’ll be checking in regularly.
May 20, 2026 • 2 Minute Read
Less than a month to go
We’ve gone from counting down the time in months, to weeks, and now days. We’re heading out on June 16th, which is less than a month away. Here we go! A Couple Updates We’re in the final stages of packing now. Here are the things we’re still collecting to bring along: Post partum diapers Baby aspirin for pregnant women Belly bands We’re currently fundraising to raise money for birth kits that we’ll be hand delivering to the village. Each kit is worth $10 and gives a pregnant woman everything she needs to be accepted at the hospital for delivery. Any support helps make a measurable difference in someone’s life.Support Our Trip Our boys did so well with their Yellow Fever vaccines last week. We’re so grateful for the support that we’ve received from The North York Travel Clinic as we have prepared for this trip. We only have one more shot for the kids to get, second week of June. Stay Updated I’m planning to write one of these posts every other week or so while we’re away (depending on internet access). To stay up to date on our trip in real time, subscribe to these posts below to get them sent directly to your inbox whenever we write. What's Next We have to finish packing of course, prepare our home to be away for the summer, and set our work up for success as we take unpaid leaves. We'd love your specific prayer over these next few weeks. How to Pray For Us 🙏 Our final vaccinations – The boys have one more shot left. Pray that their bodies know exactly what to do. 🙏 The rest of our supplies – we’re still collecting everything we need for ourselves to be in Africa for the summer, as well as the things we want to bring to donate to others. We’re so grateful for you. We wouldn’t have as much courage to follow the Spirit if we didn’t know that you were on the journey with us. Grace and peace.
Alexander, Rebecca, Asher & Aiden To get in contact with us directly now or while we’re away, email alexander@lifeabundantniagara.com. We’ll be checking in regularly.
May 5, 2026 • 4 Minute Read
The countdown is on
When we started counting down to our trip in weeks rather than months, it started to feel real. In less than six weeks, our family of four will be heading to Uganda for the entire summer. The genesis of this trip was a moment more than a year ago. God met Rebecca in the car, and then Rebecca called me. “I think we’re supposed to go back to Uganda”, she said. “I’m not so sure about that”, I replied.
“Dear, I think God told me this.” “Oh,” I said, “then we’ll have to think about that.” We started following where the Wind was blowing, and sure enough, I can say confidently today that God is leading us where we’re headed. We want to take a moment to say thank you. Thank you for journeying alongside us, letting us borrow your faith and cash in your prayers, and of course, for all the practical ways you’ve helped us so far. Sure, the four Mills’s are making the trek, but we don’t go alone. You’re with us Here’s Where We’re At Making lists and packing, making more lists and packing some more. Our guest room has been overwhelmed by suitcases, voltage converters, and closed toe sandals. We’re putting everything together a little bit at a time. Our plan is to pack our personal suitcases as efficiently as possible so that we can have room to bring things that some folks have requested. Some things we’re planning to bring along: Post partum diapers Baby aspirin for pregnant women Belly bands Supplements Clothes We’re currently fundraising to raise money for birth kits that we’ll be hand delivering to the village. Each kit is worth $10 and gives a pregnant woman everything she needs to be accepted at the hospital for delivery. Any support helps make a measurable difference in someone’s life.Support Our Trip Our Trip Is Shaping Up Did you know that time is told differently in different parts of the world? Affectionately, there’s a way to tell time the African way, which simply means that things don’t always start on time or go according to plan. That being said, the schedule for our trip is shaping up. It’s not fixed, but here’s an idea of what we’ll be doing at any given time. We’ll be partnering with Pambazuka Ministries in Jinja to serve pregnant teens in their care. Rebecca will be teaching prenatal and postpartum care, breastfeeding and newborn care, and bringing menstrual education to schools. She’ll also be teaching nurses some midwifery skills. Alexander will be leading bible studies for the staff and women in the ministry, as well as discipling young pastors in the area. We’ll then go into the village to work with Redeemer Ministries to distribute the aforementioned birthing kits. The mortality rate of birthing women in Uganda is 1 in 47, and these life-saving kits can have a measurable impact on reversing that. What's Next We have to finish packing of course, prepare our home to be away for the summer, and set our work up for success as we take unpaid leaves. Our visas finally came through this week (thank God!), and we only have two vaccine appointments left. We'd love your specific prayer over these next few weeks. How to Pray For Us 🙏 Our yellow fever vaccinations – Rebecca and I are both vaccinated from our last trip, but the boys need their shots. This is big one, so pray for grace and gentle healing. 🙏 The rest of our supplies – we’re still collecting everything we need for ourselves to be in Africa for the summer, as well as the things we want to bring to donate to others. We’re so grateful for you. We wouldn’t have as much courage to follow the Spirit if we didn’t know that you were on the journey with us. Grace and peace.
Alexander, Rebecca, Asher & Aiden To get in contact with us directly now or while we’re away, email alexander@lifeabundantniagara.com. We’ll be checking in regularly.
Our church is situated on treaty land that has traditionally been home to the Hatiwendaronk, the Haudenosaunee, and the Anishinaabe peoples, including the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation.
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