My name is Lukha Thirion, and my journey is a testament to God’s unwavering faithfulness and redemptive power. I was born and raised in Pretoria, South Africa, until the age of 8 when my family immigrated to the United States. We settled in Arizona and began attending Scottsdale Bible Church, where my faith in the Lord was first cultivated. I gave my life to Jesus in fifth grade at a youth night, and though my walk with Him hasn’t been without struggles, I can confidently say: God is good, and my life is living proof of His grace.

At the age of 13, I began battling depression and suicidal thoughts. Though I believed in the Lord, this season refined my faith in ways I could never have imagined. I learned that Jesus is good even when my circumstances said otherwise, and I came to understand that my life had a purpose beyond myself. The next five years were marked by therapies, medical treatments, and a diagnosis of Major Depressive Disorder. Doctors told me this chemical imbalance would be something I’d battle for the rest of my life. I stood at a crossroads: give up or live my life for Jesus, holding onto everything I knew to be true about Him. In the depths of that struggle, God built a foundation of faith and dependence on Him that remains unshakable today.

During those years, I drifted. By the time I entered high school, I fell into habits that were not good for my soul. At age 14, I had my first drink, and for the next four years, alcohol became a stronghold in my life. At 17, I found myself in an abusive relationship and felt far from God, filled with shame and disappointment for running from the One who had saved me. I still remember moments when the Lord would speak to me during this season—gentle whispers that brought me to tears, even when I felt unworthy of His love. Then the Lord did what only He could do: He rescued me.

God called me out of the darkness and into missions. I had been on youth mission trips to Mexico before, but this time was different. I signed up for a two-week trip to Kitwe, Zambia, not knowing that God would radically change my life there. In Zambia, the Lord softened my heart, healed me in ways I thought impossible, and set me free from Major Depressive Disorder—a healing that can only be described as miraculous. I returned home as a new person, transformed by His power and grace.

From that moment, missions became the heartbeat of my life. The following year, I spent three months traveling across Zambia, sharing the gospel and allowing the Lord to continue His redemptive work in me. I have seen firsthand how God takes what the enemy meant for evil and turns it for good. My story is not about perfection but about the faithfulness of a God who restores, redeems, and saves.

Even before I was born, the Lord gave my parents my name—Lukha, which means “bringer of light”. That name has become my identity today: to bring the gospel and the good news to the broken because I was once broken. The gospel isn’t for perfect people; it is for the broken—those overwhelmed by shame and heaviness, as I once was. The Lord is good, He is our Bridegroom, and He longs for His bride to return to Him, to adore Him, and to walk in His love.

Today, I know without a doubt that God has called me to be a missionary. He has given me a heart for the nations and has shown me that the journey from the isolation of my room as a child to the vast fields of Africa, the land where I was born, is only the beginning. My life stands as a testimony to the goodness and power of a God who never gives up on His children.

“The Lord has done great things for us; we are glad.” – Psalm 126:3

Thank you for partnering with me as I continue to follow God’s call to share His love and truth with the nations. This is only the beginning. To God be the glory!

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Lukha Thirion
Redeemed and Renewed