We are currently interns with Africa Revolution , a small nonprofit that serves a number of Sub-Saharan churches and communities. We spend a large portion of our time working with a church in Mamelodi called the Powerhouse.

Mamelodi is a black township—comparable to a U.S. inner-city—located just outside of Pretoria (near Johannesburg). It is the community that Nathan documented in his master’s thesis project “HIV Stories: AIDS, Poverty and Faith .” Through Nathan’s continued relationship with the Powerhouse Church and their pastor Vincent Nyathi, God, in His mysterious way, laid on Nathan’s heart the desire to return to Mamelodi. It soon became clear to both of us that God was indeed calling us to step away from the comforts (and distractions) of the United States to serve this precious, broken community for a time.

We are excited that God provided a means by which we are serving in Mamelodi, matching us with Allan and Annie Greig, founders of Africa Revolution. Allan and Annie share a vision to bring about a revolution of holistic redemption through God’s Church and are inviting Christians to join them in this work by spending a year serving various communities in Sub-Saharan Africa. Africa Revolution’s innovative philosophy of ministry involves building caring relationships and relying on indigenous leadership. To find out more about this ministry, we encourage you to visit Africa Revolution’s website.

The yearlong Africa Revolution “internship” program is designed to serve various communities, including Mamelodi, that are suffering under the consequences of Apartheid, the AIDS crisis and the complicating effects of poverty. We are part of a small team of people, led by Allan and Annie, who are based in Pretoria. We share daily devotional time and meals as a group, and each person serves the community of Mamelodi as the Lord leads.

Our goal in serving is not to impose our own set of solutions or quick fixes to problems, but instead to come alongside the local churches, learning from them how best to serve their communities. This approach ensures that the work we do has a lasting impact beyond our short year there. There are many opportunities to serve, including teaching skills development classes through the Powerhouse computer school, spending time and praying with those suffering from AIDS and other illnesses and working with children and youth through Powerhouse after-school programs. We know that as God takes us beyond the comforts we learned to rely on, we’ll learn to live in the place where only faith in Him can answer the demands laid before us.

We are excited about what God is doing in Mamelodi and communities like it, and are very grateful for the opportunity to have a small part in it. We’re also eager to extend you the opportunity to come alongside us, joining in the amazing work that God is doing.

Please join this adventure by continuing to read this blog, which features many different stories—with photos, audio and video—about those we are serving as well as our own experiences there. By following along and participating through comments, we trust you will get a more complete picture of life there and along with us, be compelled to grieve with those who are suffering, pray for those in need and most of all rejoice in God’s unending mercy and love.

Thank you in advance for your prayers and support.

Page created: 01.22.08