When I was out doing ministry with the team we hosted from The Falls Church, we saw God do the miraculous!

On our second day in Qwa Qwa, my group saw a woman sitting on her front step, eyes covered with her hands. We introduced ourselves and found out her name was Maria. Her eyes were horribly bloodshot and had a slight cloudiness over the pupils. She said she had been in pain for over two years. And then she pointed to her feet and told us she couldn’t wear shoes because her feet had been painfully swollen for a long time. We asked if we could pray and she said, “If you pray for me, I will be healed.”

We were all instantly encouraged by her incredible faith, and we prayed for her. When we finished praying, she told us the pain was gone! We were so excited and told her that we would keep praying, because by the end of the week, she was going to see us coming, clearly.

Sure enough, we went back the next day, and her eyes were no longer cloudy, and there was still no pain. And then the next day, God had healed the pressure, and the blood vessels had relaxed and her eyes were no longer bloodshot. She thanked us repeatedly and told us she thanked God for bringing us to Africa. We left with our spirits high and our hearts encouraged by God’s healing grace. He is not just alive and moving, He is alive and moving in the small corners of the world, like Maria’s house in Qwa Qwa. We thank God that Maria can see perfectly and pain-free again.

Oh, and she can wear shoes again, too.

The Passion Conference came to Johannesburg, and we were lucky enough to be a part of it. The entire day was electrifying, and the shadow of it still impresses itself on our hearts and minds. We were with 6,000 other students praising the name of our Lord, and the best part was that we weren’t even in our home country. We had the opportunity to unite ourselves with thousands of South African students in the Name of Jesus, and it was absolutely breathtaking.

In case it wasn’t clear enough, Passion’s purpose is to ‘glorify God-uniting students in worship and prayer for spiritual awakening in this generation’, and that’s exactly what they’re doing. Passion is uprooting students all over the world and bringing them to a point of awareness where they can begin making a monumental difference even in their generation, and the excitement is catching.

See photos of us unloading the container.

Originally, the books were to go to another ministry, but they had difficulty facilitating getting the container through customs and then housing all the books, so CRI found us. With the books finally in South Africa we’re going to do our part to get this other ministry a portion of the materials so they can also get them in the hands of South African pastors.

I urge you to check out the Christian Resources International and read about all the other ministries they are helping send books to. Thanks, Fred, for this huge donation!

After much prayer and seeking (of both the Lord and people) we’ve found a pool of local Basotho students whom are know to be leaders in their schools. This week Kelly, our LaunchPad Director, gets to train them to become Small Group Leaders. As LaunchPad kicks off in a few weeks, they will become known as part of our class leadership and we know God will use them and stretch them mightily!

We’re definitely looking forward to all that God has in store for this second term of the year! So many changes are taking place and I know that God is up to something good!

“The Leadership Summit team went to Manapo Hospital. Our purpose was to visit the patients, to give them words of encouragement, to tell them that God loves them, and to pray with and for them. We started by paying a visit to the children’s ward. Then as guys we went to the men’s ward. We met more than eight patients who were suffering with different diseases like chest pains, TB, etc. We encouraged them that they are healed by the power of God. I want to thank God for giving us the chance to visit patients and pray with them.” -Joseph

“I got to the children ward to pray with them; then I met a young boy who was very ill. He didn’t speak with me because of his illness. I prayed with him and it touched my heart when I saw that boy in the situation. But I spoke the Word of God into his life and I know that God healed him because He is the healer of every sickness. After that I went to the female ward and I met an old lady who has had heart problems since 2006. She told me that she went to lots of doctors but none can help her. I told her that Doctor Jesus is here right now to meet her needs because everything is possible with God. She must never give up in that situation because God is there for her and she must allow Jesus to touch her life because she will never be the same again. I thank God for giving me this time to visit at the hospital.” -Mosia

Amidst many tears and heavy hearts, our Outreach Staff left Monday for debriefing and will soon leave for the States. They served alongside us for these past two months, and have impacted us and the many teams that came through more than they’ll ever be able to understand.

Your servant hearts have made this summer’s ministry possible. The early mornings, late nights, and hectic days have all come to a close in a bold and passionate statement of God’s love. Through your works He has been made evident in every aspect of life and ministry, and I’d like to hand-deliver a heartfelt and genuine thank you from all of us here; each one of you has made a lasting impression not only on us, but on this ministry as well.

We’re so glad to be a part of the lives they change while they’re here with us. Take a look in our photos section to see even more!

We spent two full weeks in ministry, but towards the end I could have sworn that no more than two days had passed. I usually struggle to see immediate fruit in relationships. This time, however, it seemed as though every single man and woman we met had been specifically set aside for us. Walking from house to house, we did more than help with chores and share a couple Scriptures; the Holy Spirit took our words and placed them directly in these people’s hearts. In short, we reclaimed souls for the Kingdom. We brought light into places that were drowning in darkness, and hope to homes that were shrouded in despair.

During this whole trip I didn’t just witness Basotho lives change, I watched as every single Thrive Tripper became someone greater than they’d arrived here as. They flew in as timid, nervous students, and left as fierce, powerful warriors for Christ. They changed lives. They conquered. They healed. They changed a little piece of Africa. How many people can say that?

If you ask me what my favorite or most memorable moment was, it would come to a three-way tie. The first was seeing the Word of God alive. All Scriptures are God-breathed and boy, does that give it some oomph. I have witnessed Scriptures wielded like a sword, fighting false teachings and lifting the blindfolds of purposelessness. The second would be the day we took part in Leadership Summit. I had the honor and privilege of working with 20 of Qwa Qwa’s best and brightest. In them was a fire that will fuel the light that is consuming the darkness in South Africa. Lastly, the pediatric ward at Qwa Qwa’s regional hospital broke my heart. When you hold babies whose heads aren’t even as big as your palms and you pray with the only conscious child in isolation who knows he’s been abandoned, how can you walk away without being pierced by their situations?

I admit it was tough—tougher than I could have ever imagined—and it would have all been a fruitless effort without the hope that is in Jesus Christ. To know that there is more, to press onward because there is more—that is what will change South Africa.

He came through Thrive on the tail-end of a trip through a few African countries, and spoke in our Leadership Lab as well as preached at our church service. He was here because he wanted to fully grasp Thrive Africa and the things we stand for before sending a team our way, but he ended up doing much more for us than we could for him. The things he had to say about leadership, church, and life in general struck such true chords, and resonated all throughout his time here.

He spent his last day here with the young leaders of South Africa; with the leaders that will change this nation. He spoke at Leadership Day about clarity, and impacted many with his words. We were blessed to have him here with us, and continue to be blessed by the words of wisdom he left behind.