Dear AE friends,

Well, we made it to December! We do realise that turning a calendar page doesn’t change everything, but it does bring a measure of restored hope and fresh determination…may you experience that blessing of the Lord in abundance as you transition into 2021!

I look forward to more in-person ministry next year, and will hopefully be shelving my trusty facemask sooner rather than later!
Thank you for standing with us in 2020. AE is always about TEAM, and you are an essential part of the AE TEAM!

Last month we had a little fun with our “Movember” mission challenge, see the pics below of the brave men as promised.

Enjoy the letters that follow, and be sure to have a blessed Christmas, remembering the miraculous incarnation of God’s only begotten Son.

Matthew 1:23 NLT

“Look! The virgin will conceive a child!
   She will give birth to a son,
and they will call him Immanuel,
   which means ‘God is with us.”

Much love,
Theuns Pauw
CEO | AE South Africa
t.pauw@aeint.org

“This IS the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it”. (Ps 118:24)

How wonderful it is to acknowledge that each day is a gift from our sovereign God, and we can always rejoice – no matter what the circumstances – that we are a part of His eternal family.

To those of you who have faithfully supported AE as we bring the Good News and the hope of Jesus Christ to all the world, and especially Africa, a heartfelt THANK YOU. Being part of this exciting ministry enables each one of us to reach into far corners, both locally and nationally, with our prayer and financial support, as we strive to enrich lives with fruit that lasts in both a practical and spiritual way.

2020 for all of us has been a tough and challenging year, and yet the Lord continues to bless us. We, like you, have had to deal with surprising changes and unexpected setbacks, in a world of volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity. But Jesus goes before us and behind us, is always unchanging, ever loving, and always faithful.

On behalf of the AESA Board, I would like to earnestly ask that you consider making a special donation to AE as a Christmas gift this year. A sacrificial gift in difficult times! The words of three Johns come to mind: John Calvin: “The only right stewardship of money is that which is tested by the rule of love”; and John Wesley : “Earn as much as possible. Save as much as possible. Give as much as possible”; and John 3:16: “For God SO LOVED the world that He GAVE His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life”.

Thank you again for your support. May the light of Christ illumine your life and your world afresh this Christmas as His Word brings fresh truths to you.

Yours, in Christ,

Rob Langley
Board Chairman | AE South Africa

What a year 2020 has been, rough and traumatic for so many. The Bible speaks, in the book of Ecclesiastes, about a time for everything that happens under the sun. We give thanks to God for everything that He has given to us and continues to give: we are called to be peaceful in everything knowing that He is in the midst of every area of our lives.

As a result of the pandemic and resulting Lockdown the Foxfire team ‘lost’ at least 4 months of their ministry and development time with AE. Though we may not have all the answers as to why the year imposed such a challenging experience on us, we all went through some form of change in our lives, whether personal, family, community or at work, despite the challenges. The Foxfires enjoyed open-air ministry which took them out of the indoor-comfort of church. It was an experience that taught them to be innovative and creative in the sharing of the Gospel.

Due to Covid-19 lockdown restrictions our impact this year only touched Kwa-Zulu Natal and, in the closing stages of the year, Cape Town. We managed to reach 2169 lives from which 566 people made first-time commitments to Christ. God continues to be faithful in these strange times we have experienced and now live in.  

We thank God for the time we spent in Cape Town, and the friendship that we have built with Jabulani African Ministries. We were inspired by how deeply they are involved in relationship building and mentorship which they offer to children and young people. The reality of discipleship through safe space is evident in the impact that they are making on these young lives.

The Team took some time for a bit of sight-seeing which included climbing Table Mountain, during which each of us found ourselves reflecting on who God is, and how much we need Him.
To all our donors, thank you for all the support which you have given to us during this year, and for holding us up in prayer throughout our journey.

We are so proud of our Foxfire Youth Team of 2020! We pray that after they have graduated, and return to their families and life in the world out there, they will remain steadfast in their faith and apply all that they have learnt and experienced in the Foxfire program, to meet and overcome life’s challenges much like they have met and overcome the challenges of 2020.  

This year has been a very exciting one for the Michael Cassidy and Friends Legacy Foundation.

We have formalized our structures under AE International, and it is great to have that sense of covering and endorsement and to be able to glean from our senior colleagues’ strategic wisdom. We have also developed a local SA Legacy team with expertise in various fields. Our vision has been brainstormed and clarified, and we have begun presenting our ideas to various stakeholders, including all the AE Team Leaders and AE International directors.

Areas we are now developing are the physical archive, the online archive, and the brand, which will then translate into a social media presence and a redesigned website. We have also come to the final production stage of our documentary, The Miracle of South Africa’s Democracy, focusing on the 1994 election and Michael Cassidy’s book A Witness Forever. We will soon be sharing with you about our release dates!

We greatly appreciate your ongoing friendship with Michael and Carol Cassidy, and African Enterprise! Over the years of working closely with Michael it has been wonderful to see the longstanding friendships, characterized by encouragement, prayers, coming alongside the work in various ways, and also generous giving. You are a much appreciated and needed part of the work!

Do remember Michael’s Memoirs, Footprints in the African Sand, or any of his other great titles while you are out Christmas shopping. A friend recently commented about Michael’s Memoirs “It did not just inspire me. It fed me.” It will be the type of gift that will enrich and bless its recipients deeply.

May God bless you richly over this Christmas season.

Warmly in the love of Christ,
Charlene Pauw
Legacy | AE South Africa
cpauw@ae.org.za

To our wonderful supporters!

We the staff here at African Enterprise take this opportunity to say a heartfelt Thank you!
We are deeply grateful for all the love and support shown from each of you during this challenging year through your prayers, calls, emails and monetary gifts. We sincerely appreciate the kindness and zeal you have for the Lord’s work to continue across Africa. We are blessed to have you part of our AE family!

On a personal note, thank you to the many of you who have prayed for, and wished us well on the birth of our daughter, Shekhinah-Glory, earlier this year. We appreciate it and are so thankful for a healthy, happy baby girl.
From the Partnership Department we wish all our supporters a very happy Christmas and a peace- filled New Year!

Danica Dorasamy
Partnership Development Officer | AE South Africa
danica@ae.org.za