We are blessed with an incredible team. We have missionary and national full-time staff as well as interns, coaches, interpreters, and other indigenous staff. Together, each one helps accomplish what God’s called us to do here in South Africa.
Be sure you also meet our AIDS prevention coaches.
Introducing our Full-Time Staff
Amy’s passion for Southern Africa was ignited during her first missions trip to Botswana in 1996. In 2000, Amy and her husband Dave became Thrive’s first missionary staff and together they experienced the joy of doing relationship evangelism amongst the street children and underprivileged in the Harrismith community. After her staff commitment, Amy returned to the United States and obtained her Masters of Social Work in 2005. Amy has served on the Board of Directors for Thrive Africa since 2006 and her family returned to South Africa in September 2008.
Never thinking he would be a full-time missionary, Dave was surprised that not a year after his first missions trip to South Africa in 2004, he decided to move from his home in Jacksonville, Florida to serve alongside Thrive Africa. After spending time with the families he met in the villages, Dave could simply not resist the calling God put on his heart to come back. Dave is part of the Thrive Africa leadership team and manages our Finance, Creative Media, and Internship Departments.
When God called Jennifer to serve on the mission field in South Africa, she pulled out a map to see just where God was sending her. And then she came. Before joining Thrive Africa staff in 2007, she was utilizing her Master’s degree in Speech and Language Pathology in the public school system in Hawaii. Since serving with us, Jennifer has been the Director of Leadership Summit, utilizing her passion for teaching t to impact students, coaches, and schools in Qwa Qwa. In January 2009, Jennifer joined the leadership team of Thrive as a Ministry Administrator, providing supervision for our Outreach programs.
Kelly began her missionary journey at the age of 15 when she went on a mission trip to Kenya, Africa. Since then, she has been on 8 mission trips to various parts of Africa and Mexico. After spending 2004 as an intern in Thrive Africa’s Twenty4Seven program, Kelly felt the call of God to once again return to the mission field. She moved from Stockton, California in 2006 to join Thrive Africa’s staff team as the LaunchPad Director. She also heads up our Twenty4Seven internship.
Since her first mission trip at the age of 19, Charlene knew that her life would involve missions. She spent most of her twenties in college, receiving a BS degree and an MBA. After visiting Thrive Africa on a short-term trip in 2006, Charlene knew that God was leading her to make a full-time commitment. Her life mission is to “help leaders stay where they are called”, and she joins the Thrive Africa team as the Director of Human Resources and Next Step, while also serving as an Administrative Assistant to the leadership team.
After spending a summer as a Next Step intern and a year in the Twenty4Seven internship, Aimee joined our staff team in February 2008. Listowel, Ontario is her hometown, making her our only Canadian staff member in a sea of Americans and South Africans. Aimee is our Finance Manager and assists in the development of Leadership Summit.
As a graphic designer in the Creative Services department, Marc is able to combine his passions for youth and creative design. After leading a short-term missions trip to South Africa with students from his church in Michigan, Marc knew this is where he needed to be. Less than six months later, he came back to South Africa as a Twenty4Seven intern and he joined the staff team in 2009.
While leading a missions team in 2007, Matt felt called to serve in Africa. A year later, Matt joined our Twenty4Seven internship program, and he joined the staff team in 2009. Matt works in the creative department and serves as our video editor, which gives him an opportunity to combine his love of film with his passion for the people of South Africa.
Pastor Abram joined Thrive Africa in 2001 after proving himself faithful as a student at our early LaunchPad classes. Having been with us the longest of all our staff, Pastor Abram is very involved in many aspects of the ministry. He coordinates ministry and follow-up for our Outreach department and oversees the activities of all our interpreters. He also teaches weekly at LaunchPad classes and liaises with the local pastors in our Hand in Hand program.
Cassie has had a desire to be a missionary since she was a young girl, and has always been planning and preparing to go to the mission field. She graduated from Olivet Nazarene University and then interned with Thrive Africa in 2007. After spending a year in South Africa, answering God’s call to return full-time was easy. Cassie’s childhood dream of becoming a missionary came true in January 2008 when she joined Thrive Africa as the Coach Development Manager in the Leadership Summit department.
Amanda joined our staff team in February 2006 after faithfully volunteering for a year in our Leadership Summit department. She continues to assist in our school outreach by teaching in the schools, training coaches, and helping with program development. Amanda also teaches a weekly LaunchPad class, interprets for ministry events, assists with office work, and is involved in writing curriculum and other ministry publications.
Diane has played an important, behind-the-scenes, supportive role in the ministry since its inception and became our Stateside Administrator in 2005. Diane’s multiple trips to South Africa and lengthy experience in church administration, office managing, and non-profit work have proven invaluable to her role in Thrive Africa. Based on Long Island, New York, Diane manages our Stateside office: processing donations, keeping the books, handling accounts, fielding information requests, and facilitating the mailing of all ministry publications and mailers.
Katie fell in love with the people of South Africa while traveling here with friends. She always knew that she would be back, but never anticipated working in missions. A few months later, Katie was headed back to South Africa to start our Twenty4Seven internship program, and she joined our staff team in 2009. Katie is a graduate of the University of Tampa, with a degree in communication, and she is currently serving as Amy Riep’s Administrative Assistant.
As a white South African pioneering a ministry to the underprivileged in Africa, Niel’s life is a testimony to the life-changing power of God. In 1998, after attending Bible College at Waterberg Training Centre and serving as the youth pastor and missions director at Wellspring Ministries, Niel founded Thrive Africa. His passion has always been duplication leadership — training leaders who will train other leaders — maximizing the long-term impact and effectiveness of ministry. Believing that Godly leaders can change not only communities but entire nations, Niel has committed his life to empowering indigenous leaders in Africa and around the world.
Having been involved in missions since her early teen years, Alece’s heart beats for the lost. On her first trip to Africa at age 16, the Lord broke her heart for the people of Africa and gave her a passion to return long-term. In 1998, at 19 years of age, Alece obeyed the call of God and moved from New York to South Africa as a missionary. Living by faith, she helped Niel pioneer Thrive Africa from the ground up. Alece’s heart is burdened by the AIDS pandemic ravaging Africa, and she has given her life to turning that tide by raising up a new generation of Godly leaders who will change the destiny of the entire continent.
Our staff team also includes many other Basotho men and women that help maintain and manage our mission base. They serve in various functions, including maintenance, teambuilding facilitation, office work, and meal preparation for teams and conferences. We also have a wonderful team of interpreters who translate for our mission teams, and our Leadership Summit coaches facilitate our school program by teaching in the schools on a weekly basis. As our heart is to equip and empower local leaders, our indigenous staff are vital to the accomplishment of the vision!
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God has blessed us with an amazing 2,500 acre property. See the photos.