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!

Matt Peirce, a current intern and resident go-to guy for any international news, wrote about the current turmoil in South Africa.

Recent headlines about South Africa have not been very encouraging. Stories about violence, xenophobia, and army involvement have probably left many Americans feeling at the very least a bit concerned about South Africa as a nation. I just want to assure everyone that we here at Thrive Africa are quite safe. Living on a remote game reserve three hours from major cities does have its advantages. The violence is fairly contained to poor township areas around Johannesburg and is rooted in complicated issues of poverty and immigration. It’s not as if the general consensus in South Africa is a hatred of foreigners. As a matter of fact, I was just in Qwa Qwa the other day and it was as safe and calm as it always is. I plan to return next week without any fear or apprehension. South Africa needs prayer (as does every country) but it is by no means falling into anarchy.

In fact we at Thrive are more than safe here in South Africa; we are blessed.

We are blessed to teach LaunchPad classes that disciple youth in seven locations. We are blessed to take part in an amazing Leadership Summit program that helps students at six different schools in Qwa Qwa. We are blessed to facilitate mission teams from America that do ministry house-to-house and village-to-village passionately and effectively.

Most of all we are blessed by a God who has given us the opportunity to have an eternal impact in a place where no one else is ministering. My prayer is that no one who is committed to coming to Thrive this summer will be persuaded to stay at home because of the headlines on CNN. God is going to do great and amazing things this summer. Come be a part!

Irene Mamohapi Ramakatene
Job at Thrive: Limakatso Disabled Center Director
Hometown: Qwa Qwa, South Africa

What do you like best about your job?
Working with kids is a blessing to me. I find many times I learn more from them than they learn from me.

What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
I enjoy reading, baking and watching T.V. I also enjoy spending time with my family and shopping.

What is your favorite food?
My favorite foods are rice, chicken, stew, and salads.

What’s it like working with so many Americans?
It is a great pleasure to work with Americans. I teach the interns a weekly Sesotho language class, and it’s a lot of fun.

What music do you like to listen to?
I like Gospel music, both from South African and America. I also enjoy R&B.

(See Irene’s official bio.)

Aimee Jean Hurtubise
Job at Thrive: Finance Manager
Hometown: Listowel, Ontario, Canada

What’s your favorite part of living in Africa?
That I get to meet and work with a huge variety of people. Their unique differences in culture and personality is something you cannot find anywhere else.

What do you like best about your job?
That I am a part of something that is making a difference in people lives, both eternally and immediately.

What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
I like to hike, read, and watch movies with friends.

What do you miss most from home?
Well, definitely not the snow or the -20 wind chill factors… Probably my family and friends.

What’s playing on your iPod these days?
Third Day

What’s a movie you can watch over and over?
There are a couple: Pride and Prejudice (the Colin Ferth version), The Princess Bride, and the Hunt for Red October. I like a variety of genres, so it prevents me from getting bored.

Share something unique about yourself.
I really like jigsaw puzzles. I can spend hours trying to figure one out. The larger and more difficult the better.

(See Aimee’s official bio.)

Joshua Armstrong Sutton
Job at Thrive: Property Supervisor
Hometown: Lynchburg, VA

What’s your favorite part of living in Africa?
I love how there are so many different cultures here and how you have to have a sharp eye to know how to act with each person. And its so beautiful.

What do you like best about your job?
I love how we all have to step up and work together to make it happen.

What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
Horseback riding, playing games with other staff, dancing, hiking, any sports, watching movies, swimming, and sleeping. Well, I like just about everything.

What do you miss most from home?
Wal-Mart and McDonalds

What’s playing on your iPod these days?
Shuffle

What’s a movie you can watch over and over?
Moulin Rouge

Share something unique about yourself.
I have a weird obsession with sunrises. I don’t know why, I just love sunrises.

(See Josh’’s official bio.)

Charlene Rae Garrett
Job at Thrive: Executive Assistant to Alece van Rensburg
Hometown: Fort Worth, TX

What’s your favorite part of living in Africa?
There are too many favorite parts…the hospitality and openness of the people, the summer nights, the amazing animals, the exchange rate when it is in my favor…..so many favorite parts…but if I had to pick one, it would be the precious people.

What do you like best about your job?
The variety. There is never a dull moment and I get to be involved in many aspects of the ministry. I also enjoy taking things off of Alece’s plate, so she can do the things that she enjoys the most!

What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
PLAYING GAMES!! I love card games of any kind and really enjoy hanging out with the other staff. I also enjoy watching a good movie or spending time out in the sun.

What do you miss most from home?
Starbucks…my church…watching my best friend’s kids grow up…and missing big events (weddings, birthdays)…did I say Starbucks?

What’s playing on your iPod these days?
The new Caedmon’s Call CD, Overdressed

What’s a movie you can watch over and over?
Return to Me….funny, romantic, and a little sad…what more could you want!

Share something unique about yourself.
I have always loved wind. When I was a kid, I would beg my parents to let me keep the window down in the back of the car so I could feel the wind in my hair. I love sailing because of the wind, and I always feel I can hear God speak to me in the wind. Since I moved to Africa I have a different perspective on wind… since they are stronger and more sudden than anywhere I have ever been, I have decided what I really like are gentle SUMMER breezes….not so much wind.

(See Charlene’s official bio.)

Jennifer Marie Marion
Nicknames: Hawaii 5-0, Jenn, Nif… Just not Jenny!
Job at Thrive: Leadership Summit Director
Hometown: Tacoma, Washington and Kaneohe, Hawaii

What’s your favorite part of living in Africa?
Being right where God wants me to be, doing what He wants me to be doing.

What do you like best about your job?
Working with the coaches who are learning their potential in Christ; seeing them grab hold of what God has created them to do and then helping them share Jesus Christ with other potential leaders. And watching the students learn that they are somebody in Christ.

What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
Chillin’ = sleeping, reading, baths, scenic drives, watching sports, relaxing to a movie, being by myself, laughing with others…or by myself! Ha!

What do you miss most from home?
Warm weather all day long all year round…

What’s playing on your iPod these days?
Country music - Along God’s great countryside of rolling hills, rocky mountains, and vast fields of South Africa, country music just seems to fit. Plus it makes me feel good. You might also hear some Hawaiian hits to remind me of home and place me back in warm, summer days…

What’s a movie you can watch over and over?
Dirty Dancing and The Holiday

Share something unique about yourself.
I think it would be fun to live in a musical. Sometimes I pretend I do!

(See Jenn’s official bio.)

Abram Moloi
Job at Thrive: Outreach Assistant
Hometown: Qwa Qwa, South Africa

What do you like best about your job?
I get to meet with a lot significant people, and build great relationships.

What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
I enjoy reading challenging books a lot.

What is your favorite food?
I really like chicken and lamb.

What’s it like working with so many Americans?
It is real good to work with a lot of Americans because I learn about their culture and their lifestyle.

What music do you like to listen to?
I like to listen Gospel and worship music.

Share something unique about yourself.
I like to spend most of my time alone.

(See Abram’s official bio.)

Brittany Marie White
Job at Thrive: Leadership Summit Assistant
Hometown: Mint Hill, NC

What’s your favorite part of living in Africa?
My favorite part of living in Africa is learning as much of the Sotho language as I can through daily conversations with the Basotho staff who work around the base.

What do you like best about your job?
I love researching the various topics that are included in each of the curriculums.

What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
I really enjoy cooking and baking and doing anything creative or outdoors.

What do you miss most from home?
STARBUCKS!!!

What’s playing on your iPod these days?
Anything and everything that is not rap or hard rock; definitely a lot of praise and worship!

What’s a movie you can watch over and over?
The Lake House, The Notebook, and Patch Adams

Share something unique about yourself.
I can do the “wave” with my belly. (I do it best lying down.)

(See Brittany’s official bio.)

Cassandra Nichole Phillips
Job at Thrive: Leadership Summit Coach Development Manager
Hometown: Hamilton, OH

What’s your favorite part of living in Africa?
I really love being able to take part in another culture and seeing some of the unique things of the culture become a part of me.

What do you like best about your job?
What I like best about my job is that I have the opportunity to not only influence someone’s life here and now, but for eternity as well.

What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
I really enjoy going on walks or just relaxing on the couch.

What do you miss most from home?
I miss pancake syrup the most; it’s just not the same here.

What’s playing on your iPod these days?
Shawn McDonald has been playing more than anything else these days.

What’s a movie you can watch over and over?
I could watch Cinderella over and over and never get tired of it.

Share something unique about yourself.
I literally get chills when someone takes a scoop of butter out of the tub instead of neatly scraping some off the top. That’s strange!

(See Cassie’s official bio.)