Job at Thrive:

Outreach Coordinator

Hometown:

Birmingham, Michigan

What’s your favorite part of living in Africa?

It’s hard to choose - The people, the land and the animals are all so beautiful!

Tell us the best part about your job.

My first mission trip had a HUGE impact on my life, and each one since then has taught me more about God’s heart for the poor and how He wants to use us to help.  So I love equipping mission teams to serve in the villages, and am so excited to see them discover amazing things about God and themselves along the way.

If you have a few hours free on a Saturday, what will we find you doing?

Likely going for a long walk or hike.

What’s your favorite African animal?

Zebra

Share one of the most impactful moments you’ve had in South Africa.

Recently, it was a visit to the Manapo Hospital pediatrics ward.  It was a heartbreaking experience because some of the children were so sick and weak.  But at the same time it was a joyous occasion as our team loved on the kids - playing, praying and giving out gifts.  The hard-working nurses and overtired moms seemed encouraged as well.  The Lord blessed us all that day!

What do you miss most from home?

Besides my family and friends…my favorite TV shows like House, Bones, CSI and Fringe.  Sorry, I like the creepy dramas.

What’s playing on your iPod these days?

A bit of a mix.  Chris Tomlin, Casting Crowns, Carrie Underwood, Rascal Flats, and some Disco and Funk favorites.

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

Steel Magnolias

Share something unique about yourself.

I’ve had a lot of unique and memorable experiences traveling for work and missions trips…one that comes to mind is hiking up the Great Wall of China at sunrise.

Since we arrived for our yearlong internship in December, we’ve been so blessed to experience beautiful, hot, African weather. The sun has been warm and inviting, the mountains beckoning us to climb, the days have called to us to come play and bask in the beauty of God’s creation… until now. Yes, winter is upon us and suddenly the days no longer call us to come and play. Instead, they encourage us to stay inside next to a warm heater, curl up in a blanket and sip on some hot cocoa. The sun is sparse and gray skies are more frequent- but the beauty of God’s creation is in the cold and gray just as it was in the warm and blue. God’s beauty is always all around us, it’s just that now we get to enjoy it from the comfort of a windowsill.

~ Chelsea Ray, Twenty4Seven Intern

Job at Thrive: Administrative Assistant

Hometown: Forest City, IA & Orlando, FL

What’s your favorite part of living in Africa? It’s gorgeous. I’ve been really blessed to have visited some amazing places, but Southern Africa tops the list.

Tell us the best part about your job. It’s amazing to be part of something bigger than myself. I spent all this time working before, just for a paycheck-now, what I’m doing is having a Kingdom impact. It’s really humbling.

If you have a few hours free on a Saturday, what will we find you doing? I wish I could say something active like hiking or running. But, I’m a big couch potato-so probably watching tv.

What’s your favorite African animal? It’s a tie-elephants and leopards. But, African birds are pretty cool too.

Share one of the most impactful moments you’ve had in South Africa. Last summer, I was in Qwa Qwa and we had a really candid conversation with a woman about HIV & AIDS. I think moments like that make it all real. Suddenly, it becomes more than just numbers and statistics.

What do you miss most from home? Tijuana Flats, hands down.

What’s playing on your iPod these days? Charlie Hall, Phil Wickham, Marc Broussard, Duffy

What’s a movie you can watch over and over? The original Parent Trap

Share something unique about yourself. I like African birds, a lot. So, I’ve decided to take up birding (South African for bird watching).

Job at Thrive: Creative Department Video Editor

Hometown: Royal Oak, MI 

What’s your favorite part of living in Africa?
What I love most about living in Africa is the people and the variety of culture here.

Tell us the best part about your job.
The best part about my job is that I am constantly in the villages working with the beautiful people here.

If you have a few hours free on a Saturday, what will we find you doing?
Hiking or climbing one of our mountains here on the base.

What’s your favorite African animal?
Zebra

Share one of the most impactful moments you’ve had in South Africa.
Last year’s Thrive Trip team lead a 60 year old man to Christ. He was sick and could only walk a few steps at a time. They prayed for healing and the next day when they returned he was walking and his sickness had left him. He was completely healed and God was the only answer to that amazing miracle.

What do you miss most from home?
Starbucks Coffee

What’s playing on your iPod these days?
90’s one hit wonders. All the classics.

What’s a movie you can watch over and over?
The Green Mile

“I want to be in class!” exclaimed a student in Mapuleng’s Leadership Summit (LS) class.  Many of the students have other after school activities like sports and choir, but several have decided that they can give those up in order to learn what God has to say about the life-topics they face everyday.  “They just told their captains that they wanted to be in Leadership Summit class.  I thank God for that,” commented Mapuleng.  The students know there is something different about our classes.  They are finding out that the difference between their academic classes and Leadership Summit is that they are learning the Truth of God. In a recent LS class, Busisiwe explained how God can be on our side to fight sin if we ask Him and 27 students ended up receiving Christ that day! The Spirit of God is upon the coaches and lives are being changed because of it. ~ Cassie Phillips, Leadership Summit Coach Development Manager

Our first-term attendance numbers for Leadership Summit have been calculated:  We have 3,567 youth attending our weekly classes. That means 3,567 kids are being impacted by the truth of God’s word and are learning about how to grow as leaders in Him.

God is amazing!  He knows just where we need to be to make the greatest impact.  Thanks to all of you for your prayers, it is obvious they are blazing the path of ministry for us!

~ Amanda Radebe, Leadership Summit Assistant

During a weekly excursion to Qwa Qwa for Leadership Summit, we encountered an unlikely event. While driving we noted a large black mass coming towards us down the mountain highway. As we continued to get ever closer we could discern that the mass was in actuality a herd of fleeing black cattle. These cattle were running at breakneck speed towards us while taking up almost the entire highway!

Cautiously we slowed the vehicle down and with a lot of horn honking and laughing we made it safely past the runaway herd. Just another awesome example of how BIG God is as He protects us from the unexpected that occurs with missionary life!

As strange as it may seem Superbowl Monday is correct for us here in South Africa. Although we could have watched the game in the wee hours of the morning (1:30 am) we opted to record the game and enjoy it after work on Monday evening.

Interns and staff alike squeezed into one of our houses to cheer their team on, enjoy party trimmings and eat all kinds of sweets. Even those not crazy about the game (can you imagine such a thing?!) joined in. It was an amazing and relaxing time, even for the unfortunate Cardinal fans!! Our Thrive Africa Superbowl Monday tradition continues.

Even those of us who didn’t participate in the horribly filthy action enjoyed watching everybody else have fun in the mud on Thanksgiving. I think we possibly started a new Thrive tradition with this one…

Be sure to check out all the pictures…

We love the sense of family we have with our staff and interns, and Thanksgiving is always a fun holiday for us, even though we’re all far from loved ones back home. We know how to do it up right — with a feast of all the traditional trimmings. It takes some serious advance planning to get stuffing and pumpkin pie cans brought over from the USA in time for the holiday, but it’s definitely worth all the effort.

One of our Thrive family traditions is the wall of thanks. Using post-it notes and markers, everyone adds things they’re thankful for all throughout the day. This year’s was especially fun and interactive, and provided lots of laughter.

Check out the Thrive Thanksgiving family pictures >

I’m thankful for my Thrive family. What are you thankful for?