Earlier this year our adult Thrive Trip brought people together to work alongside us in South Africa. Before the trip, the team members didn’t know each other, after spending two weeks working together to further the Kingdom, they have a lifelong bond.

Here’s what some of them had to say about the experience:

“It’s amazing what God will do when you make yourself vulnerable to His word. The trip has truly helped me to pray, obey, and allow Him to make a way…Everyone inspired me to push into the Lord’s will and seek to know him more.” -George Washington III

“That trip was amazing. My first mission trip. Our team was great and worked so well together. Which is so good since none of us know one another. The ministry was awesome; I loved the people, especially the locals! I definitely made lifetime friends and met people who will live in my heart forever.” -Mindy Miller

We still have spots open for 2010! The application deadline for December 15th. Interested? Why wait? We’ve even gone paperless, you can now complete the entire application online, apply here now.

Our interns have spent a lot of time with the kids from Limakatso this year. Our Next Step interns worked hard this summer to renovate their physical buildings. And over the last few months, the Twenty4Seven interns have spent a couple hours with them every Thursday.

It was a huge blessing to be able to host their Christmas party on the mission base on Friday. They had a braai and were able to open Christmas presents with the interns.

You can see pictures from the Christmas party and the rest of our year-end celebrations here.

We have been encouraged and amazed at how the Lord has been using LaunchPad to raise up young leaders.

Not only are young men and women learning to apply scriptural truths in their daily lives, they are also learning valuable lessons about commitment, using their God-gifted talents, and giving 100%.

Abram, a long-time Thrive Africa staff member our Thrive Church Pastor, teaches two of our village discipleship classes. He ended both of his classes this term by encouraging his students to live lives that model Christ.  He also challenged them to be witnesses and to put what they have learned into practice.  “It’s important for young people to be committed to learning about God and God’s purpose for their lives, and to be committed both inside and outside of class.  I’m glad to be teaching the next generation how to help others in their homes, schools and communities.”

We had a great American Thanksgiving dinner today! It was a great opportunity to reminisce on all we’re thankful for and share a traditional Thanksgiving meal–complete with all the trimmings!

We hope you have a great Turkey Day!

Our interns have been working on an Adopt-a-Family project for the past few months.

They built a house for a local family from the ground up. At the beginning, there were many labor filled days of making mud to form bricks. Then, our interns took the dried bricks and stacked them up to make walls. Eventually, a door was set in place and, even more recently, the roof.

Then the fun really started! Ditema, a mix of mud and cow dung, was spread over the outside walls. Designs were drawn on the walls and, once dried, they were painted.

After all the time they’ve put into the project, they are excited to report that the interns have finished the project. Not only was it a great opportunity to serve the family, but the interns were also able to learn even more about Basotho culture!

Our Leadership Summit department is busy going through our students’ feedback forms from this term. Here are just a couple of the responses so far:

“After attending Leadership Summit I have committed to become a Christian. I decided everything that I was doing stop doing wrong things. Now I know how I can choose friends and I must be a good leader to others.” Kekeletso – Grade 8

“I became a Christian because I learned more about God…what God meant to me and what God made me for.” Alice – Grade 8

It’s such a blessing to see how God is using the AIDS Prevention Program to impact the lives of so many young people!

It’s always amazing to hear how our students are impacted through our LaunchPad classes. But many times, as we teach and pour into others, our lives are also deeply impacted. Here’s what one of our interns, Chelsea, had to say about her experience teaching our village discipleship classes:

“I have learned so much from LaunchPad. I have been changed by the opportunity to teach and pour my life into the students that I got to meet. I learned what it means to lay my life down for someone else and I learned so much from the students I met. They taught me what it means to persevere, to hunger and thirst for God, to be teachable. I was blessed to see the changes that took place in each person that came to our class!

I was amazed to watch them come to Christ, grow in Christ, and learn who they are in Christ. It was absolutely beautiful to see them come up and ask for prayer as they go out and share what God has done in their lives with their families, friends, and peers. I will never forget the people I met because I had the opportunity to teach LaunchPad. There are lessons I learned teaching LaunchPad that I could have never learned anywhere else. I will never be the same because of the students I met, the lessons I taught, and the opportunities I had to share my life with these amazing people.”

As we wrapped up our LaunchPad classes last week, it felt bittersweet–we know it will be a couple of months before we see our students again. But, it’s a huge blessing to see all that God has done in their lives throughout this year!

“God takes my broken down, messed up life and rebuilt it. He sits faithfully at the gate of my heart, He encourages me to do the right things and gives me strength. He redeems me from sin, sickness, shame and makes me. He leads me wherever He wants me to go and provides all my food, water, shelter and protects me.”  –Mokoena Mmakhoya Esther

“Through this course God has provided me a light upon me that even through I may find life difficult sometimes and sometimes forget about Him during happiness. He is always beside me and knows that I’m not perfect and has patience with me. Thus I shall open my heart and let the Holy Ghost guide and bless my life for past times, at present, in the future and forever.“ –Mokoena Handsome

We’re currently accepting applications for our next adult Thrive Trip! The two-week mission trip, for people age 20 and over, runs from February 25-March 9, 2010.

During Thrive Trip, team members from all over North America join us in South Africa to participate in relationship evangelism, run an after-school kids’ club and learn more about South African culture. It’s a great opportunity to experience missions first-hand!

Click here to see pictures from the last Thrive Trip.

Interested? You can apply here now. Or, if you have questions, send us an email, we’re happy to help!

Our Thrive Africa family spent yesterday celebrating all God has done throughout this year.

One of our interns, Katy, took the opportunity to be baptized in South Africa before she and the other interns leave in early December. Our staff and interns were honored to be able to share the experience with her.

It was a huge blessing to be able to cook-out, enjoy the water and spend quality time together!