During the recent 3-week school break a lot of the kids at Hope House, the orphanage our Twenty4Seven interns visit weekly, went to visit relatives or neighbors. With only about 10 of the 35 children staying at Hope House during the break, our interns were forced to get creative with their lesson plans and crafts. What started out as a challenge quickly turned into a blessing as all the interns realized the potential for deeply impacting each of the remaining children.

During the final week of the school holiday, the interns decided to do something special for the small group of 10 children. So, they put on a spaghetti dinner – complete with sugar cookies for dessert! It was a huge blessing to see how the kids felt valued and loved as the interns took turns cooking and serving the dinner.

All work and no play…makes interns restless!  So, that is why we believe it is important to work HARD and PLAY Hard. Our interns have spent many hours climbing up the mountains on our mission base and we decided that they needed some fun going down them.

Yup, you guessed it… they went repelling (or abseiling as it is called here in South Africa). 19 of the 24 summer interns and 6 Twenty4Seven interns braved the winds and climbed half way up Mt. Everest so that they could enjoy the rush of sliding back down again with the help of a harness and some rope. Now this is hanging-out, African style!

Our Next Step interns have been working hard, serving hard, and playing hard over the past two months. And we realize, that sometimes pictures can convey so much more than words- so we want you to have a look at all that they’ve been up to.  Our Next Step photo gallery can be found right here!

A few weeks ago our Twenty4Seven interns began a new type of ministry that we’re calling our Adopt-a-Family project.  For the next six weeks on Thursdays and Fridays our interns are helping a family near Intabazwe build a house from scratch.  Starting with dirt and cow pies (smashed dung), they are learning how to make the bricks, construct the house, and traditionally decorate the exterior through the process of litema (”dee-tay-ma”-  texturizing and painting the mud exterior).

The task is great but our interns are prepared to see it through to completion! They are continually eager to work and they are demonstrating their servant hearts. Our interns have an amazing opportunity to show, not just share, Christ with this family through their hours of physical labor. So far it has been an amazing experience for them all- and their experience of living in S. Africa has just gone to the next level!

Last week we picked up 24 Next Step Interns that will be staying with us for the next two months.  The days following were filled with orientation, “getting to know you” activities, and the Lifeline Retreat- two days of intensive inward focus to prepare for them for all of the ministry they’ll be doing.  Sunday was commissioning.  We blessed, encouraged and prayed over each of our summer interns that they may walk in the fullness of all God has for them. What an honor.

This week has been spent introducing the Next Steppers to Qwa Qwa and relationship evangelism. They’ve been meeting new friends, learning new cultures, and sharing in new experiences. They’ve been challenged as they’re stepping out into ministry.  They’ve been hungry to experience more of God and they are focused on making the most of every opportunity that the next two months will provide.

Join us in praying for these interns. Pray that God’s boldness, wisdom and knowledge fills each of them as they walk in faith, and trust in Him.  Pray that He will lead them every step they take and uphold them as they encounter tests or trials along the way.  Most of all, pray that the love of Jesus flow through them during each and every encounter they have both in the villages and at “home” on the base.

The beginning of a new term for our Twenty4Seven interns means a few changes to the class and ministry schedule.  As term 3 begins, our interns are unenthusiastically taking a break from LaunchPad but looking forward to some of the new ministry opportunities that are presenting themselves.

Over the next two months our interns will tutor students at a local farm school, strengthen relationships in Intabazwe and build a one-room house for a family that lives nearby.  We are excited to see God at work in new ways while learning a few new skills!

- Kelly Corder, Twenty4Seven Director

Ladies night looks a little different here at Thrive than it does elsewhere.  Our Twenty4Seven female interns get together with Jenn, a member of our leadership team- and talk about all things girly;  in terms of how they relate to God and to one another.  Over the last month, ladies night has focused on the book Captivating: Unveiling the Mystery of a Woman’s Soul by John and Stasi Eldredge.  Our Thrive ladies are learning about what it means to be uniquely created by God, with aspects of femininity that make women both complex and beautiful.  They are learning what it means for Christ to be the lover of their souls- and how to passionately love Him in return.  This is ladies night- pursuing God together.

As our time here in Swaziland is winding down we are tired, sore, and happy. We have spent hours and days transforming properties, with the bulk of our work going into houses that will be, or are already being used as homes for local orphans. What an amazing time we’ve had painting, digging, raking, machete yielding, and so much more! We’ve all walked away with not only a sense of what has been accomplished but also knowing that so much more will be done in the hearts of those who live in the places we’ve renovated. It’s so encouraging to know that the children we see walking around Bulembu will soon have a home and a nicer place to play after school. As we return home at the end of this week, we will remember that the homes we’ve painted, gardens we’ve built, and overgrown fields we’ve seen transform into lawns are all just outward symbols of lives that will be strengthened, empowered and touched with the love of Jesus in each of those locations.

During our time in Swaziland our interns have experienced first hand what it means to serve one another and to put others before yourself. The sunburns will fade, the blisters will heal, but hopefully the lessons learned will last a lifetime.

~ Kelly Corder, Internship Director

Our 24/7 interns are on an outreach trip to Bulembu, Swaziland where they are serving Bulembu Ministries.  This ministry is working towards the revitalization of the town where they are located. Bulembu had been a bustling mining town of 10,000 people that was deserted in 2001 after the mines shut down. The renovation and rejuvenation of Bulembu started in 2006, and for the last ten days, our interns have been investing their hard work and sweat into the vision of seeing this community restored.  In the heat of the Swaziland sun, our interns have already painted two homes that are used as orphanages, dug irrigation trenches for 12 homes, and worked on landscaping.  Through their  hard work, they are blessing another ministry and literally helping to rebuild a community.

As our 24/7 interns teach LaunchPad, we continue to hear encouraging stories about how God is impacting and changing lives through this outreach. Here is a testimony from Mahoa Sipho, one of our students at the Club View class:

Launch Pad has really taught me about how much Jesus really loves me and cares about me. The reason I come to LaunchPad is because there’s always something new to learn about Christ and I have found my purpose through this class- it turns lives around. ~Mahoa Sipho

And here is what 24/7 intern, Sam Behrman has to say about her LaunchPad class:

From the beginning of LaunchPad classes at Mampoi High School, god has been raising up leaders within our group. During the first week, each of the students expressed a desire to become small group leaders. One of the learners, Tefo, has been translating for each of our lessons. Even though the topics of love, sex, and relationships are taboo in Basotho culture, the students have been very interested and involved by participating in discussions and asking questions. They are not afraid to approach these issues with honesty and without timidity.