A gap for God

Alexina Erickson accepts a 9-month gap year to serve on a mission trip in four countries.

By Abbi Bates | Freelance Writer

Alexina Erickson sat at Eagle Brook Church in White Bear Lake May 10. With ears opened in the second row, she listened to one of her pastors, Steve Hupert, talk to graduating students about how to pursue their faith after leaving youth group. This particular Wednesday night marked “senior day” for the 13 students graduating from various high schools in the northeast suburbs of the Twin Cities.

All graduates plan to attend schools like the University of Minnesota or Bethel University. But not Erickson.

Erickson made the decision last fall to go on a 9-month mission trip through World Race, an organization based in Georgia that offers mission trips for young adults. Her thirty-five-person team will go to Eswatini, Cambodia, Guatemala and South Africa.

“I’m not really surprised she’s doing something like this because she has had a passion for missional ministry for a long time…It just makes sense that this is something she would want to do and be called towards,” Nate Watchler, one her childhood best friends, said.

Erickson first heard about World Race from her student pastor, Hart Olson. He recommended the program to her during her sophomore year of high school — the same year they met and she told Olson she was interested in missions work.

Olson has always sought out Erickson since they met. She babysits his three boys and she leads a group of eighth-grade girls every Wednesday night under Olson’s team.

“She’s more fearless than she thinks she is. She’s a student I’ve seen in multiple situations leaning to really hard relational situations. She doesn’t shy away from them, and she approaches them with a spirit of learning, humility and commitment to loving God and others,” Olson said.

In Eswatini, her team will be located in a city called Manzini. Eswatini is located right northeast of South Africa and has the highest HIV/AIDS rate in the world, leaving thousands of children — 12% of the population — without parents, according to the World Race website. They also claim that 40% of all Swazis live on less than $1.25 per day, which is below the international poverty line. Her team will partner with the already established programs that have been working in Manzini for 20+ years. They will serve at care points for families, assist with children’s ministry and education programs along with food distribution and agriculture projects.

“Even if I’m only there for like a week or a few weeks, I’ll just be someone for even a short amount of time that they can lean on and they can trust and they can, go to if they have any problems, honestly, I just can just be someone they can trust,” Erickson said.

In South Africa, her team will be stationed in a city called Cape Town. South Africans struggle with segregation of race and ethnicity, especially in a tourist-flooded city. Erickson and her team will serve in after-school programs, like Beats & Books, which helps African students grow in their reading abilities and allows them to discover music and other forms of art. They come alongside their native partner, Global Leadership Academy, in practical projects around the school that will create a safe and welcoming environment for their continued ministry.

“I am excited to be someone that they can ask questions to. Even if I don’t know everything, just trying to be a source for them. I can be someone that help them, you know, read better or do math or whatever to like, help them with their education. I don’t know if those few weeks will do anything…I want them to like grow up to have good jobs and be smart. I am hopeful that I can have some kind of impact,” Erickson said.

In Guatemala, her team will be based in a city called Antigua. Erikson will spend her days building relationships with youth who are at risk for falling into gang violence, teach English and also kick a soccer ball around in the lush rainforest terrain with volcanoes dotting the skyline. Her team will help meet physical needs with water filter and stove installation. They will help to build and paint new churches that local believers are already working on. Guatemala has a high rate of malnutrition. 1 in every 2 children suffers from chronic malnutrition, according to the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund. Meeting physical needs remains an important part of ministry within this country.

“If they’re going through hard times in life and they don’t want to do school or whatever is going on, they can just like, you know, go play some soccer and actually like, know how it’s not just like kicking a ball around…that would be really cool to just show them how fun it is and that it’s a really good outlet to get away from like crazy, scary, stressful life,” Erickson said.

Erickson planned on going on a mission trip to Dallas in the summer of 2020 but COVID-19 forced a cancelation of the trip. This gap year mission trip will be her first.

Erickson will graduate from White Bear Lake Area High School early June. She has spent the past year at Bethel as a PSEO student, taking primarily general education courses.

While she is nervous about the culture shock when she settles back home, she is excited to see what God has in store for her and her team. Erickson is aware of the fact that most people back home will not be able to understand a lot of her experiences but is still eager to share them.

She talked to an alumni who went on the same gap year mission trip who told her about a moment she experienced when she returned home — finally in her own kitchen with tears rolling down her face, shocked by the fact that she had a microwave and stove, full fridge and clean water.

“I’m excited for her to come back with a rooted sense of purpose, more full identity, of who she is in God, and for her to tell us all stories about what God is doing around the globe in places where they’re far less dependent on institutions and finances,” Olson said. “I think it’s incredibly healthy for all Christians, but especially her peers to hear those stories.”

“I think she’s a person who can really joyfully bring the Word of God to other places… [she] can just show people what life filled with God is and obviously it’s not perfect, she’s not always happy, but she really does display that joy and that knowledge of just that it’s all gonna be okay in the end. Because the Lord has it in his hands,” Watchler said.

Erickson is considering pursuing a missional ministry degree when she returns. However, she doesn’t want to put anything in writing because she is unsure about where she will be mentally. “There’s so much pressure on high school seniors to do something to take a step towards their career and I think Alexina is taking a step toward God and his plans for her by doing this,” Olson said.

Erickson is excited to return Wednesday nights at youth group — especially serving her now eighth-graders, who will be tenth-graders when she returns.

“Alexina has an incredible eye and instinct for the one — the student, peer, friend, or family member that might be on the outside,” Olson said. “She doesn’t forcefully get them into the group, she sits with them. I have seen it so many times over the past 2 ½ years, and it’s honestly so encouraging to me as a pastor to watch her do that.”

Erickson said when she feels most anxious she thinks about the advice her dad, Chris Erickson, gives her frequently, “Work like it depends on you, but, pray like it depends on God.”

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