While Nathan was here with his team, Frontline, he had a unique opportunity to spend a few days with a South African witchdoctor. His experience is a testament to the power of a few simple words, and how easily they can change lives:

When we arrived (at the witchdoctor’s house), we offered to help out with chores to get a better understanding of the culture, but that offer fell on deaf ears as we found ourselves sitting in the kitchen discussing the differences between the two cultures. It seemed like the first day was more of a spiritual test — an attempt by the witch doctor and her husband to see whether or not we were true Christians and to test our depth of Biblical knowledge.

We returned the next day to open arms. The small talk quickly turned to deep conversation regarding the AIDS pandemic, why God allows the virus to run rampant, and other hard questions. To be completely honest, I had no idea what I was getting myself into, but it was by divine intervention that I was able to come back with Biblical examples and answers to each of their difficult questions. By the end of the day, we had built a sincere bond with the family. They understood that we were “disciples of God” and were able to offer them encouragement through the Bible. Although I do not know whether or not the witchdoctor has stopped practicing her ancestral worship, she did swell up when we explained God’s forgiving love and she noted that she “wished she had never been born with such a gift”.

Since it was apparent the family had limited resources, we decided to purchase a Bible for them. But, when we went to present the Bible, we discovered her brother had passed away. She was an emotional wreck. So, after giving her the Bible, we got into group, laid hands on her and prayed for her. I hope that our presence and our conversations have led the family to a new level with God and that the Bible has been able to bless them with a deeper understanding of the true Word of God.

Kelly is very involved in leading the interns in Twenty4Seven. One major way she does that is by teaching a class called ISOM—International School of Ministry. She recently shared this great story about an experience in class:

While in ISOM the other day we talked about different ways that God will lead us, specifically focusing on how God communicates with our spirits. It was awesome to see the interns delving into discussion and even some debate on the topic.

We discussed everything from “Does God always warn people before something bad happens - and what about natural disasters?” to “Why do some people experience the prompting of the Holy Spirit so easily and frequently while others don’t?”

I have no doubt that all of our interns walked away from the class with new ideas, new beliefs and new questions. It’s amazing to witness the Lord as He teaches our interns new and exciting things about Himself and about His Word, the Bible!

A guest post from Megan Irwin, one of our 2007 interns:

Living with, working with, eating with, and hanging out with the same group of people for a year has its challenges, but it also has many benefits. That close-knit community is one of the things I miss most from my time as an intern with Thrive Africa. Yes, it was challenging at times, but I wouldnʼt change it for the world. The friendships that developed were the most genuine relationships Iʼve ever experienced. As an intern class, we experienced our share (sometimes more than our share) of trying times, heartache, and transition. We also shared many laughs, fun times, and ministry opportunities. But, most importantly, we kept God at the center through it all and allowed Him to shape our friendships. My year with Thrive Africa mirrored to me what true Godly relationships are to look like. And it reinforced the importance of community in my life.

When I came home, that close-knit community of people that had surrounded me for a year was suddenly gone. And I knew the community I was coming home to had also changed, along with the people in it. At debriefing, I remember Alece telling us that reconnecting with people takes effort. I didnʼt want to believe that. I wanted things to be the way they had been. When I realized the reality of change in the community I found myself in, I felt overwhelmed and found it easier to hold on to the Thrive family that I had come to know so well. And thatʼs just what I did. I found myself living on the memories and stories of my year in Africa. But living on memories and the relationships of the past left me feeling empty and even more disconnected.

Iʼm not saying my Thrive family became extinct when I came home; Iʼm just saying that theyʼre no longer the community in which I live. When I came to that realization, I knew what I had to do. I had to start putting the lessons I learned in Africa into practice. I needed to step out, put some effort in, and start reconnecting with people and rebuilding relationships. Putting that effort in has been scary and challenging at times, but it has been greatly rewarding. I was made for relationships—with God and with His people. And I thank God for that.

At Thrive I felt and experienced what it means to have friendships centered on God and bringing Him glory. That is one of the experiences and lessons that I treasure most from my internship. Because of the friendships that developed, I know that I have the support and prayers of my fellow interns and the staff at Thrive as I step out and start living the lessons I learned and implementing them in my life. And I pray that my Thrive family knows my prayers are with them. We may be miles apart, but prayer can cross the ocean and touch the heart.

Jody, one of our interns, loves working with the kids at Hope House. Here’s a glimpse at what’s been going on there, through her eyes:

A few weeks ago, we began to paint the inside of Hope House. The interns spent a full Saturday painting while the Outreach Staff played with the kids outside (although a few did end up with paint on them accidentally!). By the end of the day, we had finished a first coat on half of the building: all of the girls’ rooms and half of the hallway.

This week, we were able to continue the project. Half the interns spent time with the kids, while the other half painted a second coat in the hallway. We will continue to do this until we finish! The end goal is to have the kids pick themes for their rooms that we can paint for them, and I really look forward to the chance to do that.

I love this opportunity to leave a tangible, lasting impact at Hope House. We get to serve not only the kids, but also the caretakers of Hope House as we make it a brighter, cleaner, more enjoyable place to work. It filled me with joy to see the caretakers smile and excited about the “new” Hope House! One caretaker in particular seemed to be filled with such a great pride that she worked in a place that looks so good! I am glad to get to be a part of that.

Our coaches are not who they once were. They used to be quiet and reserved, and showed little self-confidence. Through teaching students on their own and continued weekly training, they have a newfound confidence in themselves that they never thought they could have. Much of their growth has been self-taught, self-discovered, and self-motivated through their seeking of God’s strength and wisdom for their daily lives. This is a huge step towards becoming the spiritual leaders that most of them never dreamed they had the potential to be!

“Since I have become a coach, I pray time and time again. I pray before and after class. I learned to ask God, because He will give you everything you need. I was shy before. Now, I am proud and have no more shyness. I have even talked in my church. I have improved so much.” -Patricia

“My life is different now since becoming a coach. Now I have that passion to stand in front of 100 kids, lecturing them about how they can reach their dreams. When I taught them I realized that I can reach my dreams too.” -Rebecca

Matt Peirce, one of our interns, wrote something on his blog recently that really resonated with my heart. You need to read this. It’s that good.

This morning I started binding thousands of curriculum with 5 other interns. At first glance, this is obvious behind-the-scenes work for the ministry. I see no people, I talk to nobody except the other interns, and I’m in the office close to 8 hours a day sitting in a chair. But I refuse to accept that the work I’m doing for the next three weeks is behind-the-scenes. Here’s why.

The books we are binding are Leadership Summit curriculum, specifically the Save Sex book. This curriculum teaches young people in Qwa Qwa how to save sex for marriage. It is full-color, interactive, and effective in changing the lives of youth. Teen pregnancy rates have dropped drastically in many of the schools where Leadership Summit has been taught for the past few years.

Every time I bind a book I’m giving a high school student a chance to learn how to make choices that will change their life. Every time I bind a book I’m helping a young person avoid AIDS. Every time I bind a book I am not behind-the-scenes, I am on the front lines of the battle to help change the continent for the better. God has privileged me with this work. Far be it from me to say that God was wrong in putting this task before me.

Here’s to an Africa that is not just a stereotype, but an Africa where people are strong, healthy, Godly, and completely sold out to Jesus Christ.

Interns, thank you for your dedicated hard work and positive attitudes. It’s all Kingdom business, and you are changing the continent of Africa. I am so proud of you!

We didn’t just celebrate the Fourth of July this year, we celebrated it.

Complete with sparklers, too much good food, ice cream, and rousing choruses of our national anthem, it couldn’t have been more perfect.

The mission teams, Outreach Staffers, interns, and staff were all treated to cheeseburgers and ice cream on the Fourth, and we filled out a local restaurant. Everyone else in the restaurant seemed to enjoy our glee and one little girl had the privilege of having Happy Birthday sung to her not just by the restaurant staff, but by the entirety of Thrive.

All in all, the evening was brilliant; everyone seemed heady with freedom, even though we weren’t on the free soil we were celebrating.

One of our staff members, Brittany White, has headed back to the States for a few months on a furlough trip. The rest of our team of staff and interns miss her a lot already. Please join us in praying for Brittany’s time at home to be refreshing and fruitful, and for all of her needs to be met.

Africa misses you, Brittany!

Anyone who has ever served the Lord in ministry may ask a similar question: Do we ever know the difference the Lord makes in the people we disciple? Well, today we found some answers.

Leadership Day is an opportunity for students who have been recognized as leaders by their teachers to come and hear teachings on different leadership qualities. Today, the students were asked to bring an essay about what they have learned from past Leadership Day workshops, and how they have impacted their homes, schools, and communities. Reading their essays gave the Leadership Summit Department insight as to how the students have changed from their Leadership Day trainings. Several students were able to describe the leadership qualities that have been taught, but through their personal stories we were able to see how their lives have really changed.

Nthatisi wrote about students from her school that were orphans and could not afford to buy their own clothes. Therefore, she organized a project to have other students donate clothes, and now they have started a garden to grow food for them.

Thandi wrote about a time when she was walking down the street and came across 20 fellow students who were smoking. She told them that they should make the most of their opportunities in life, and that they could go to rehab. She told them about Leadership Summit and invited them to come learn with her. Now they have stopped smoking and thank her for what she has done for them. She wasn’t just telling them how they could be leaders, but she was showing them by transforming her words into actions.

Portia hosts workshops in her community. She teaches her peers about the beauty of the Lord and how He loves them. Everything she learns from Leadership Summit, she teaches her community.

Sometimes we never get to see the fruit of our ministry. But when we do, we thank the Lord for the glimpse He gives us!

I’m sure we’ve all found ourselves so caught up in our daily lives, that we lose sight of what it really means to live a life of purpose. As we’ve been teaching our Leadership Summit students, it takes intentionality to live a purposeful life.

Our coaches are working on intentionally living their lives to reflect what they are teaching their students. Each week they write down a specific thing they did that helped them live a life of purpose. The stories they have shared have been an encouragement to themselves, their fellow coaches, the Leadership Summit Staff, and even their students!

Jwalane: One of my friends came to me and told me that they have no food. My sister left me bread for breakfast, so I took the bread and gave it to my friend.

Thembi: I helped someone who couldn’t read. I went with him to the bank to explain the rules of investment to him, and filling out the forms for him because he doesn’t know how to write.

Joseph: Last week I met a boy who was having a problem with transport. I gave him taxi fare so that he didn’t need to walk a long distance.

Mapuleng: The last two weeks, a friend of mine was telling me her problems. She is married to an unbeliever, so I gave her my Sex, Love, and Relationships book to read and know more about what God says about marriage.