Andy Mason (00:00)
Hey, welcome everybody. I'm Andy Mason, and you're listening to the Heaven in Business podcast, where we're helping you navigate the messy intersection of faith, family, and business. And I'm just actually back with Janine from Zimbabwe and Mozambique. And I've got with me in the studio here a couple that live locally that I get to walk with and have walked with for probably more than a decade in terms of walking and seeing their lives.
Andy Mason (00:28)
But actually, there's some fun overlaps too, because we were just in Pimba, Mozambique, with Iris ministries. That's Heidi and Roland Baker. And I've got with me Keith and Alexis Fedor. So, Alexis, you just jump in first. You would you did harvest school in Pimba, is that correct?
Keith & Alexis (00:47)
I actually did YWAM.
Keith & Alexis (00:49)
But yes, I was in Pemba with Iris and Heidi and experience.
Andy Mason (00:53)
Now
Andy Mason (00:53)
you're an you're a beautiful California girl. Iris Pemba Mozambique is not the most common place you would find a California girl. How did you get on in Pemba, Mozambique and what would the Lord speak to you there?
Keith & Alexis (01:11)
so I was a missionary for a few years and I didn't know when I was there it was gonna be my very last trip that I took for many, many years after that. but I just went through a season of becoming a missionary, learning who I was, learning more about the Lord and the world and yeah.
Andy Mason (01:31)
And and what what happened there that changed you from not being there anymore?
Keith & Alexis (01:37)
So it was my very last day, and I remember Heidi praying over our group before we left, and I had known that the Lord had called me to be there and I was really invested into my season. So what she said startled me. But she said, you know, God has not called you to the poor. He's called you to the poor in spirit.
Keith & Alexis (02:01)
And I remember thinking, well, Heidi's just a person. She probably got that wrong, but I'm gonna write it down anyways, and I'm gonna steward this.
Andy Mason (02:06)
He
Keith & Alexis (02:08)
And she went on and on to kind of explain. And I'm like, no, I hear you, but I don't get what you're saying. But she said, God has called you to the poor in spirit. And there's a lot of people around the world who have many, many things, but they don't have the Lord, and you're called to them. And yeah.
Andy Mason (02:27)
That led you and launched you on a journey where I I guess you then met Keith subsequent to that. And I knew these guys first in Reading, California. Actually, Janine and I got connected when Keith was working delivering pizzas at West Side Pizza. Now, if you're listening to this and you're thinking, what is this even about? Is what do you do when the provision of God doesn't come the way that you expect?
Andy Mason (02:55)
When you're actually serving the Lord, wanting to see him walk on your work on your behalf and it's not happening. How do you wrestle and navigate that? We're gonna hear that story. But I think there's a second level of this conversation, which is how do you know what God God has called you to? We just heard from Alexis. She thought, I'm gonna be a missionary. I l that's gonna be awesome. And she lands in Missionary Alley, which is serving the poor of the poor, Pemba, Mozambique. And
Andy Mason (03:25)
Heidi Baker is the one, stop for the one, is giving her life for the poor, tells Alexis, yeah, you you're not called to serve the poor, but the poor in spirit. And that shifted and shaped some of what they're doing today. And you can hear some of the story. I want you to listen. And as you listen, be listening for how did God shift and shape them and even maybe stumbling their way into.
Andy Mason (03:55)
who they are today that's actually then multiplying so much beyond them. So Keith, go back. You guys were recently married. You ended up in Reading, California. I think just before that, you were cleaning pools. You got pregnant on honeymoon. Give us a little bit of a snapshot of what that was like and then what happened as you came to Reading, California.
Keith & Alexis (04:19)
We were both really young when we met. God was really in the middle of our meeting and we got married very quickly. so we were, you know, 21, 23 when we got married. I basically had zero work background, career background, or anything. And, you know, just trying to follow Jesus, you know, he brought us together. We got married, pregnant on the honeymoon. So we're
Keith & Alexis (04:48)
We've known each other less than a year. We're married and she's pregnant. And we're both kids, basically. just you know,
Andy Mason (04:55)
Yeah.
Keith & Alexis (04:56)
trying to follow Jesus and don't under don't have any wisdom yet. And so after having our first baby, I realized, well, even before that, but especially after the baby came, my gosh, I need to figure out how to make money. Because we can't live if we don't have enough money coming in, because there's all these bills that
Andy Mason (05:15)
He
Keith & Alexis (05:16)
are starting to accumulate.
Keith & Alexis (05:19)
And I remember at the time I needed $2,000 a month. And I was thinking, how am I supposed to make that much money? This felt like impossible, which is so funny. But at the time I was cleaning swimming pools and I was making $10 a pool. So at the math didn't really add up. I was like, this isn't gonna work. how do people do this? You know, and so that started me on this journey of, okay, I want to follow Jesus. I have this family now, how do I provide? And
Keith & Alexis (05:47)
So from there we were in Arizona, but you know, we Bill Johnson came to town and he ended up praying for us and we decided we're gonna move to Reading. we didn't know anything about Reading, so but we were hungry for God and we saw that you know these people are are hungry and and walking it out, so we decided to move and we just we just left and went to Reading. And while we were there,
Keith & Alexis (06:18)
Well, before we moved, I I actually got a job. kind of long story short, a recruiter found my application that I resume that I put online and I was looking for a job to try to make 2,000 or more a month. And I was applying for tons of sales jobs and and entry level positions, and I didn't have any real experience other than cleaning pools and a few things like that. So no one wanted to hire me. I applied for probably
Keith & Alexis (06:48)
50 places or something. it was just no one won no one even hardly ever called me back. And then this recruiter called me and said, hey, I've got a a job, I think you'd be a really good fit for it. And I ended up getting hired as a financial advisor, which didn't really make any sense because I didn't have the typical background for that.
Andy Mason (07:06)
Yeah.
Keith & Alexis (07:08)
But the people at that company, I think just saw something in me and it was just God's plan and it ended up working out.
Keith & Alexis (07:17)
And my dad, who's a business guy, connected me with a bunch of his friends who are really wealthy. And I was, you know, very quickly like, you know, have this job, and I'm meeting with these wealthy people, and I'm thinking, wow, like God's really blessing this, you know. Then we just then you know we decided to move to writing and we leave, and kind of our hunger for God felt like it was more important than.
Keith & Alexis (07:46)
just the money stuff. So we left. And when we got to Reading, we realized, well, there's not, I don't have any, I don't know anyone here. I don't have
Andy Mason (07:53)
No.
Keith & Alexis (07:54)
this kind of network. And so it was very difficult to continue doing that and be successful in Reading. And that's where I ended up working at the pizza shop. So I was I was thinking about quitting and a friend of mine who owned the pizza place, mutual friend,
Keith & Alexis (08:12)
He said, we had breakfast once and he said, Hey, don't quit. I know what it's like to start your your business and entrepreneurial type of journey. He said, Why don't you come work for me at night, deliver pizzas, you'll make some tips, and you can work during the day trying to build your practice. So I would work all day and deliver pizzas at night. And I would also commission based. So you'd work all day and not get Yeah, I wasn't making anything. So the first year I made like eleven thousand dollars. So
Andy Mason (08:38)
ouch,
Andy Mason (08:41)
yeah.
Keith & Alexis (08:41)
I didn't even didn't even make the $2,000 a month that I needed. so delivering pizzas, I would take the the tips from, you know, if someone gave me a five dollar tip, it was like, yeah, I made five dollars. I'm so excited because I could go put gas in the car to keep going that night. So I could keep driving
Andy Mason (08:59)
wow.
Keith & Alexis (08:59)
and delivering. And I'd have a little bit of money to go swing by the store to get food for the family. And you know, so it was just
Keith & Alexis (09:07)
Yeah, really tough times at that point. But that's the beginning of how we ended up in Reading and
Andy Mason (09:12)
Yeah, so pause on that. So for you listening, if you're young and listening and wondering, how do I find what I was called to, this is an amazing one, seek first the kingdom of God and and he adds all things to you. So isn't it amazing in listening to this story that number one, it was driven by need. I mean, you're you're doing whatever's necessary. You applied for 50 jobs. It's interesting, second, that you you you get gripped.
Andy Mason (09:42)
With a desire to grow in your relationship with God. Now, some people think if I grow with God, if I do this, then it's like a slot machine and all the money's gonna fall out and it's gonna amazing. In many ways, it was the opposite for you. People don't go to Reading, California to be financially prosperous. It's it's not the most economic well-being. It's a great lifestyle, but there's not a whole lot of economic advantages other than.
Andy Mason (10:11)
Just a beautiful environment to live in, as long as it's not boiling hot and there's wildfires. Alexis, what was that like you? You've got a brand new baby, you're in Reading, California, it's it's new friends, great church, but your husband is working, I don't know, eighteen hours a day for five dollars. How how did you wrestle through God, where are you in this and where's the provision?
Keith & Alexis (10:36)
It took time to get answers to those questions because those are the questions I had. I remember him working all day and I had gotten pregnant on our honeymoon and then when she was nine months old I got pregnant with our son Asher. And so
Keith & Alexis (10:51)
we had two little ones. I don't think I was pregnant with Sage yet.
Keith & Alexis (10:55)
And he'd work all day. And I remember he would come home with those tips. And I remember I'd be at Trader Joe's down the street. And you chicken is weighed. And I remember trying to shave off any sense that I could off the chicken. Or we couldn't afford the big box of diapers. We had to get the little tiny travel size because that was all we could afford. And so we were learning then to be faithful and little. And the Lord continued to say over and over and over.
Keith & Alexis (11:23)
Seek first the kingdom of God, be faithful with little. my strength is made perfect in weakness. There is core biblical gems that the Lord brought out in that season that I wouldn't change it for anything, but we walk through.
Andy Mason (11:41)
So so many would say this wasn't two weeks. I mean, this was more than a year in possibly yeah. How many years?
Keith & Alexis (11:48)
Years. Years and years. Well
Keith & Alexis (11:51)
we were we were in in Reading for four years and most of that time was like that.
Andy Mason (11:58)
Just
Andy Mason (11:59)
barely enough to live. So how do you reconcile that with a God who Psalm 23, here the Lord is my shepherd, I always have more than enough. And you're like, we've got barely enough. How
Keith & Alexis (12:12)
Yeah.
Andy Mason (12:13)
did you reconcile this? And what kept you going on when it felt like God, where are you? The God of provision is not providing.
Keith & Alexis (12:23)
Yeah, that was the thing I struggle with the most was I had I had my own personal opinion of what it looked like to be provided for. And I also I don't know why I d by default I had these boundary lines to say, yeah, God is never gonna let me go past this per certain threshold because that would mean he's not providing for me.
Keith & Alexis (12:50)
And I really did believe that he would he would provide even if it came down to the last minute. But it was just a very uncomfortable time. And there were times he didn't. There's times where we didn't get what we needed, but at the same time, like we didn't die. Like everyone ended up okay. It was just
Andy Mason (13:09)
Yeah.
Keith & Alexis (13:09)
very uncomfortable. And you know, I always think too, perspective, people go through much harder things than we went through. So it's, you know, there's there's a
Keith & Alexis (13:18)
For us it was, yeah, it was uncomfortable and it was hard, but people got through way worse than that. but as far as God providing, I think a lot of the time it was, I just thought that there's no way that our electricity bill would not get paid on time to where it gets turned off.
Andy Mason (13:36)
Yeah.
Keith & Alexis (13:37)
And then it gets turned off. And we're like,
Andy Mason (13:39)
Yeah,
Andy Mason (13:39)
for those that didn't hear that, their electricity bill got turned off. They've got two kids. It's in Redding, California. Now, was that summer or winter?
Keith & Alexis (13:50)
Summer.
Andy Mason (13:51)
so summer
Andy Mason (13:52)
in Redding, California, you're talking thirty seven plus degrees Celsius, a hundred and ten degrees Fahrenheit. You need AC to survive. What was what what what happened? What did that confront in you and what was the outcome?
Keith & Alexis (14:11)
For me, the that was just one example. There is also other things like this. like a car got repossessed. On my birthday. But it, you know, it's like, okay, I'm doing everything that I know to do. I'm not being lazy. I'm working really hard. I'm I'm trying. I even thought, well, maybe I need to switch jobs. This isn't working, you know? Like maybe I need to try something else. And I I tried, but
Keith & Alexis (14:37)
There wasn't anyone who wanted to hire me. There wasn't any opportunity. So it's like, all right, I guess this is the only thing that I'm that I'm gonna do. And now I know, you know, that's because I was meant to stay in this path. But but I think you know, power getting turned off, car getting repossessed, you know, it's like three months late on rent. we didn't get kicked out because they were landlords were so awesome. But yeah, I mean, we basically had
Keith & Alexis (15:04)
Friends help us out here and there. We had friends literally brought us food. We had brought us gross food stamps, which felt so conflicting, but people were like, that's what it's for. You're like the person this is actually meant for. So we were on that for a little bit and got off. And with my relationship with God, it was like
Keith & Alexis (15:26)
trying to fight for what I knew was true, that God is good and that he loved us and that he was going to provide for us, even though it didn't look like it. And you know, eventually things changed, but yeah, going through that, it's it's it was a ballow for me to continue to just hold on to what I knew was true.
Andy Mason (15:46)
Yeah, so everything that you believe is being challenged. And and Alexis, you're buried in babies and diapas and scrambling. But you've also got a word from God that was you're not called to the poor, you're called to the poor in spirit. Well, it pretty much feels like you are poor. It sounds
Keith & Alexis (16:07)
Yeah.
Andy Mason (16:08)
like the story of Joseph. You're called to lead leaders and minister to kings and rulers.
Andy Mason (16:14)
And then you get sold out and you're a slave. And then you go from there bad to worse. You're being obedient. You're doing everything you can. For those that are listening, I got to observe this. They were being mentored by a leader in the industry. Keith was doing everything he could in terms of to make a dollar to feed his family. So the hard work thing, I can just validate that.
Andy Mason (16:42)
my wife and I got to see that, experience that, and walk with them from a slight distance, but seeing that applied, but this gap at the time you shared it, God was it's most like he was what is that the scripture that talked about Jesus learned obedience through the things that he suffered. How do you reconcile God as good and the suffering of having a car repossessed, electricity turned off?
Andy Mason (17:10)
And just having to work your guts out just to put food on the table.
Keith & Alexis (17:13)
Can I answer that? I wish I I have it in my phone, I can get it to you later. But there's two words in Hebrew. one is gosh, naha, n-a-c-a-h, I believe, and the other one is B-A. Something. But they're both about testing, and there's two different types of testing in the scriptures. And one of them is the Lord, He talks about Himself. Don't test me, don't tempt me. And that's one.
Keith & Alexis (17:43)
The other one is test me in this in Malachi. See that I won't pour out so many blessings over you. And so we had to learn, in my opinion, the difference between what trials were coming from the Lord.
Keith & Alexis (17:57)
And what the enemy was doing in our lives to tempt us. Because
Andy Mason (17:59)
Very good, yeah.
Keith & Alexis (18:00)
they look similar often, and you need discernment and you need wisdom to know what is going on in my life, what is from the enemy, what is from the Lord. And during that time, I took pleasure in getting vision from God to know what he was up to in our lives, to know what he was doing and leaning into that and getting to experience his power and his spirit and learning who we were and our identity. That could be done every day. So every day I woke up, I'm like, okay, you've got good.
Keith & Alexis (18:27)
Plans for me? What are your plans that you have for me? Because the enemy can't take away what the Lord has. He can't close any door God wants to open. And so it was just this childlike faith every single day trying to discern the difference between the two and walk in the plans that the Lord had while rejecting the temptation to believe God was bad.
Keith & Alexis (18:48)
Because the enemy was doing things in our life, or because we were going through trials. Because I remember we were going through all this stuff, and some people would be like, Well, what did they do? Like, what did
Andy Mason (18:58)
Yeah, what'd you do wrong? Yeah.
Keith & Alexis (18:59)
you do wrong? How did you sin? It's like the the man, I think in John chapter 9, verse 3, it's like, okay, this man is blind. What did he sin or did his parents sin? And the Lord is like,
Andy Mason (19:10)
Yeah, neither. Yeah.
Keith & Alexis (19:11)
neither, but so that the works of God could be made manifest in this person's life.
Keith & Alexis (19:16)
And I feel like it was the same for us. obviously we weren't perfect, obviously we didn't sin along the way, we didn't do things perfect, but it was for the works and the purposes of God to be established in our lives. And knowing that I think got us through so many of those trials.
Andy Mason (19:31)
So, I and I like what you said. sometimes it is that is the devil. It's probably a lot less than what we think it is. So sometimes it is the Lord who's
Keith & Alexis (19:38)
I agree. Mm-hmm.
Andy Mason (19:42)
doing it to work something in us. And sometimes it's our own stupidity or lack or ignorance where we do something dumb. And so
Keith & Alexis (19:47)
All do that. Yeah.
Andy Mason (19:50)
in this case, you've identified that. And what you've said, which everybody can do is seek the Lord. Keep turning your face towards him and Lord, what are you doing in this?
Andy Mason (20:01)
And go and read the story of Joseph because that forged something in them. we're gonna jump forward and then back. Fast forward to today, you have got a very successful, by every external measure, financial advisory company that's doing incredible. And it almost like you can't recognize it. Did that really happen? W at the time it was painful and difficult. No hardship seems pleasant at the time, but.
Andy Mason (20:30)
painful, but afterwards it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace to those who are trained by it. Looking back, what with your perspective that you have now, what did that do or build or forge in you that could have never been forged otherwise?
Keith & Alexis (20:48)
probably lot, but the first thing that comes to mind is I don't feel like this is something that I built by myself. You know, like this is all because of the grace of God. And obviously, I had
Keith & Alexis (21:04)
Effort, time, investment. I had to to learn a lot and grow as a person to get to this point. But at the end of the day, it wasn't just me building it all by myself. you know, starting from that place and trying to follow him through the process. I don't want to have success.
Keith & Alexis (21:31)
Outside of what he's doing, if that's not what he's doing in my life, I don't wanna I don't wanna go and get it myself because I know that when he brings that increase, he brings it without sorrow. And you know, it's like, yeah, we have the business is awesome right now, but also like I have a wife and four kids, and they're we're doing well. We are part of a great church and in community, like our lives are whole because it's not
Keith & Alexis (22:01)
trying to win business at all costs with while sacrificing everything else. And so that's what I'm mostly thinking about in the journey.
Andy Mason (22:12)
What about you, Alexis? What what could you look back and say now? What what did God forge in you that you could have never learned otherwise?
Keith & Alexis (22:21)
I think his lordship, he's lord over everything, he's lord over trials, he's lord over success, he's lord over our identity, our purpose, our calling, our years, the the seasons that we walk in. He's lord over all of it. And if I could spend time with the Lord and hear his thoughts towards me and his thoughts towards the plans he has for me, there's nothing better.
Andy Mason (22:51)
that this is so good so I want you both and we're jumping around here but speak to young people who are listening to this and maybe it's not so young and they're not so young that are listening and that are in the middle of a struggle like this right now you mentioned yourself there's there's it there's three things one sometimes it is the enemy attacking us sometimes it's actually the Lord himself forging something in us
Andy Mason (23:21)
And then sometimes it's just their own stupidity, ignorance, you you drive too fast, you get pulled up by the police. That is not the devil. and that is not the Lord. That is that is your own issue. If someone's walking through pain, difficulty, adversity right now, they're walking in obedience, but they're seeing things not turn out like they were expect. What would your wisdom, advice, or encouragement be? Let's start with Alexis and then Keith, you jump in.
Keith & Alexis (23:49)
would say stay stay faithful. There's no other where to turn. There's nothing else you can do. We've talked about it so many times we're like there was no other choice. There was no other way. Jesus, John 10, 10, he came to give us life and life abundantly. Jesus did. Not breakthrough, not finances, not the praises of people, not the type of car you have.
Keith & Alexis (24:13)
It's Jesus, and that doesn't change whether you have much or you have little. And I think that we all go through trials according to our purpose based on where we went and where we came from and where we're going. And the Lord knows I think how to craft an individual
Keith & Alexis (24:33)
He custom curates our trials based on
Andy Mason (24:36)
Yeah.
Keith & Alexis (24:36)
what he's called us to. And I think the more you can lean in and the more you can say yes to him and the more you could receive from him, the more joy and delight you'll have even now in hardship. So
Andy Mason (24:48)
Yep. So stay in the arena,
Andy Mason (24:50)
stay in the ring, keep standing, keep listening. Keith, what about you? What would you say?
Keith & Alexis (24:58)
what I've learned is that there's certain actions and things that that are important to do and to do those things consistently and to just keep going. one is the practical side. So I guess it depends on, you know, if you're starting a business or if you're in a certain career. I mean, but continuing to develop your skills practically and to become
Keith & Alexis (25:24)
more valuable in business. I mean, if you don't have those skills and you're just praying, sometimes it's a lack of like you gotta get better at what you're doing. So that's one piece. And then and then I think the spiritual side, it's like what we've been talking about. But one of the other things that I'll add is praying. So like praying with authority and praying with like if it's a spiritual thing especially,
Keith & Alexis (25:54)
And if you're trying to grow a business, for example, you're literally taking ground that you didn't have before. So it's like warfare sometimes. And what we've seen is that when you pray, when we pray together, every day together, and we pray with authority and we command things, the mountains to move and stuff like that.
Keith & Alexis (26:16)
That has been very helpful tool that has really made a big difference. But then really just don't stop. Keep going every day. Keep going. And it may take years, but you have to have to. I think a huge thing also is being in prophetic community.
Keith & Alexis (26:33)
Because there was people in our life, our our closest friends, they walked with us through those trials. They were the ones bringing us my daughter, her favorite food was warm corn. Bringing us warm corn for our daughter, literally out of a can.
Andy Mason (26:47)
He
Keith & Alexis (26:49)
and like
Keith & Alexis (26:50)
They came over and prayed over our brand new house with us this past weekend and they've been faithful with us. But it was so cool because when you're in community with people who are connected to the Lord and prophetic, they could see the future. They could see the plans that the Lord has for you. They don't have pity on you. They empower you. So back then, you know.
Keith & Alexis (27:11)
way before we could in the natural see a dime of anything, they were seeing into what we're walking in today and they're encouraging us. And it's just beautiful to be in prophetic community with believers that, you know, see you according to what God has, not to where you are.
Andy Mason (27:29)
So how would you encourage people that are listening to this to find a community like that?
Keith & Alexis (27:35)
Yeah. Do you have an encouragement on that? Or no, that's been sometimes a hard thing. I would say just a g like anything, where we live, you know, there's so many factors that can go into finding community, but the Lord knows how to find it and He knows how to situate you into where you need to be. And so I would just even start praying that God
Keith & Alexis (27:56)
Would you please bring me this community of believers that love you and will love me well in this season? Because they didn't have pity on us. They were so empowering. I was like, man, we have nothing, but they they never made me feel like I was less than because of where I was at. And I I mean it's a gem, gem of a relationship.
Andy Mason (28:20)
Yeah. And and I I would agree is that ask the Lord to find it. obviously in person is the best, but you
Keith & Alexis (28:27)
Mm-hmm.
Andy Mason (28:28)
can find people online as well. So ask the Lord to show you where can I find that? Who is that online? Be careful of the voices that you are listening to. God lead me to those that are Romans sixteen, nineteen, excellent at what is good, innocent of evil, and have seen God crush Satan under their feet. So do that. And I mean it's so fun.
Andy Mason (28:48)
To connect with you guys in person here in Nashville, Tennessee, and the church we're a part of. That's pretty cool. So I'm seeing this. Fast forward, there's so many other stories in the middle of this, but how many years of barely maintenance before things actually started to really move?
Keith & Alexis (29:12)
when you say there were several turning points kind of. Yeah, but I think there's probably f every year I made more, but it was like the first four or five years was fairly slow, and then it started to pick up, and then years you know six through ten were definitely like better, and then ten through fifteen were like really good, so
Andy Mason (29:38)
So how important is it, especially for people younger, to stick at it, stay at it, and trust the process is being formed in you. And this is repeated again and again and again. I remember for me personally starting as a business consultant the first three years, my my wife was earning more as a meter maid in the first year. And it was slightly embarrassing. And I was learning, but I was learning and growing and growing and growing and growing. And I mean I've I've just seen that.
Andy Mason (30:08)
Well, actually for us it it went up and then God brought us to the States and went to nothing. That's a whole nother story. But for you, you stuck at it and you've seen now exponential growth. How important is that perseverance, diligence, determination?
Keith & Alexis (30:26)
Well, I tried to give up and if I did, I would never have gotten to this point. I would have just moved into some other thing that, I'd have to figure out and probably would have sometimes the thing that looks appealing in that moment is really gonna put a ceiling on you. And then you're you know, you're kind of sacrificing the blessing that God may have for your future for something today, kind of like the bowl of soup for your inheritance.
Keith & Alexis (30:56)
But yeah, if you don't if you do if you give up then you give up. If you don't give up and you just keep trying, I think, if you give it everything you've got, God's gonna b eventually bring you there, so
Andy Mason (31:09)
Yeah. Alexis, what about you? One of the things that full circle, we started off with the story of you thinking you're going to be a missionary and serve the poor and hearing the Lord say, I've called you to the poor in spirit, and some of them are wearing suits or fancy clothes. And you guys are now in a position where it's very different. Two questions for you. One, what does that look like for you?
Andy Mason (31:36)
Now and two, how do you maintain a dependence on the Lord when the provision is at a whole different level?
Keith & Alexis (31:45)
I think dependency on the Lord is easy when you realize your best days are the days that you spent with him. I'm like, in lack or in much, my best days are the days where I hear his voice and his heart and his affection toward me, the plans he has for me, in every season. So that's easy. what was the first question again?
Andy Mason (32:12)
And
Andy Mason (32:13)
and then what does it look like now that a refinement of what you are called to? You're called to the poor in spirit.
Keith & Alexis (32:22)
it's interesting because I was raised in Orange County and Living a Beach, and I was raised around a lot of wealth, and then I saw wealth as evil, I saw it as bad because I was raised in a not Christian place with not Christian people and saw money used for selfish ambition. And so when I became a missionary, I thought
Keith & Alexis (32:45)
Well, that is the holy thing to do because these people are actually serving the Lord. And I didn't have a paradigm of what it looked like to serve the Lord in little and in much. And I will say the serving the Lord in a place where there's more finances and there is more breakthrough is is hard in a different way.
Keith & Alexis (33:06)
Because you're like, man, it's so holy and the church loves me and the church celebrates me when I don't have very much. And now it's like, I feel like the church sometimes judges me or the church doesn't, you know, so there's different things you run up against in different seasons. but I don't remember if I just went on a tangent there. but
Andy Mason (33:26)
No, that that's okay. W what about you
Andy Mason (33:29)
are Keith? Yeah, sorry, Alexis, you're gonna finish that?
Keith & Alexis (33:32)
No, you're good. Keep going.
Andy Mason (33:34)
Keith, what about you? How do you maintain a dependence on the Lord when you've moved from I have to be on my knees, otherwise we don't eat through to how do I create and and sustain that dependence on the Lord when we do have more than enough?
Keith & Alexis (33:51)
Well, I'm starting to think these days more about like beyond just my own needs and saying, God, what is your vision for the something bigger than just me and my family? Like what is it that you want me to participate in that that is something that you're doing in the world?
Keith & Alexis (34:12)
And so, making more money, for example, isn't just because I want to do stuff or use it for like my own purposes, but it's because I'm like, gosh, I'm like keep seeing all these needs around me with church and missionaries and stuff. And I like that's more exciting and driving for okay, I have this business now, and if I grow it, it can do more for the kingdom and for eternal things. And
Keith & Alexis (34:42)
So it's it went from me thinking more about myself and my own
Andy Mason (34:46)
Yeah.
Keith & Alexis (34:46)
and my family. first it was just me, but then once I had the family, like okay, I gotta take care of the family. But now it's like, okay, how do I participate? Because it's what God is doing. It's not something that I'm doing, but what is he doing and how what does he have me to kind of align with with what he's up to? And so that's way more exciting. And but that puts me in a position where when I'm thinking about my life.
Keith & Alexis (35:12)
I don't want to just live for myself. that's not the I didn't that's not what I got into. I got into this all of this because I'm trying to follow him. That's true. And I don't really care about anything else. Like if I don't have him, I don't care. I don't want anything if don't have him. So it's it's to me, it's not. And then I also feel like, man, like this could all go away in a moment. Like this is he's the one sustaining this. Because I can't sustain it either without him.
Andy Mason (35:36)
Yeah. Yeah.
Andy Mason (35:39)
So a final word from each of you for for people listening to this saying, I want to know what my kingdom assignment is or what role to get into. You guys stumbled in a sense. A recruiter reached out to you and said, Do you want to do this financial advisory? You had no idea, no background in it, but you've actually stumbled into something that really you were born for. You are excellent at what you do.
Andy Mason (36:04)
What would you say to someone younger or still trying to work out what or where do I aim my life?
Keith & Alexis (36:13)
Say, don't measure your success today against the calling and the plans that you feel like the Lord has for your life because that isn't a good measuring stick. And the Lord is the only one who knows the future and that which he chooses to reveal, and the more you want to build something, we have to continue to build it on the Lord and what he reveals to us.
Andy Mason (36:40)
So so
Andy Mason (36:41)
you would say literally it starts with surrender, lay your life down, seek him first, and trust that he would lead and guide. And that's exactly what your life demonstrates. What about you, Keith? What would you say?
Keith & Alexis (36:51)
Yeah.
Andy Mason (36:54)
Someone younger saying, Where do I put my life? I want to become a financial advisor because look what God's done with them. It's a very different story. How does someone
Keith & Alexis (37:02)
Well
Andy Mason (37:02)
find out where they're called to aim or serve?
Keith & Alexis (37:07)
Well, I think it starts by just just moving forward and doing something. Oftentimes when I was younger, what I observed around me was this was my own experience, so I don't know if everyone has kind of seen this, but for me it was everyone was like, don't do anything unless you feel like it's God. And I'm like now realizing that if you just start taking steps, he'll start to guide you.
Keith & Alexis (37:33)
So it doesn't really matter where you start. I started cleaning swimming pools and ended up here. So it's like you just have to start doing something. And so pick something and then just start doing that and let him guide you.
Andy Mason (37:47)
Yeah. And and if anything, listening to what you guys are saying is seek first the kingdom of God, his righteousness, and these things will be added. But it's not just that. Seek this with your whole heart. That's Colossians three. Whatever you do it, do it wholeheartedly, as it as unto the Lord. And that's what I see in your life. You sought the Lord with all that you are. You grew in your ability and you said, I'm gonna give myself and apply myself to grow in this. And you're seeing the fruit of that now.
Andy Mason (38:15)
The other thing that has been echoed again and again and again is the importance of community, of walking with people that won't just give you compassion, but they're actually or sympathy, but they'll give you empowerment, wisdom, advice, correction, adjustment. And so I wanna if you listen to this and you're saying I don't have a community like that, check out the upcoming Heaven Business Conference. We're gonna be in Nashville. It's coming up in March.
Andy Mason (38:44)
That's live now. You get to meet people like Keith and Alexis. It's gonna be fun, but I encourage you wherever you are, you can find those people. But just pray, Lord, show me who and you might be surprised who that is. Any final words, Keith or Alexis, to those that are listening.
Keith & Alexis (39:05)
I think the thing I'm thinking about is just don't give up, you know, keep going. Just because if your circumstance is kind of in that hard time right now, God has a full story. You're not at the end yet. So if you knew where you're going to end up, you'd be encouraged.
Andy Mason (39:22)
Yeah. Good. Alexis?
Keith & Alexis (39:24)
I would say I I know it sounds sad, but it's happy. Just lay your life down.
Andy Mason (39:32)
Yeah.
Keith & Alexis (39:32)
that's what the Lord asks us too. He says, when you lay your life down, he will raise it up. And I think that the areas of the hardest trials, the most difficult things that we've ever walked through, the most intense pruning, those tears, the fear, all those ungodly, messy emotions, all those times have led to the greatest breakthroughs that we have today. And so I think that if you lean into the trials and you just surrender your life to the Lord.
Keith & Alexis (40:02)
he will raise it up and he'll do something more beautiful than you ever thought he would do.
Andy Mason (40:06)
Wonderful. Thank you. A final word from me. It would be the end of the story with Joseph. And he just says this, What you meant for evil, God has used for good. And I love that. And we see that story. So I encourage you, go and read that story in the book of Genesis. Powerful, powerful story of great dreams, great calling, and great challenge, suffering, and difficulty that forged something in Joseph.
Andy Mason (40:35)
But he kept his heart right the whole way through and God used him powerfully in his time. May that be the same for you. Thank you so much, Keith and Alexis.
Keith & Alexis (40:46)
Thanks, Andy.
