here.
And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age.”
- Matthew 28:18-20
What's new this week
New Issue Alert!
One distinct feature of Africa's growing Christianity is the belief in supernatural acts and works of power, and the African mission movement is no exception in this experience. Biblically, miracles, signs and wonders accompanied the proclamation of the gospel message as its confirmation. Despite the affirmation of miracles in Scripture, however, there's a growing concern about its pitfalls. In this issue of AfriGO, we delve into the crucial topic of miracles in missions, and bring you real-life stories of people's experiences with (and without) miracles, and articles to help you cultivate a healthy view of miracles. Enjoy reading and share with others!
new for you
Missionary profile – Mukululi and Maude Ncube
Six years ago, I learned that the man who brought me up, the man I called “dad” for over five decades, wasn’t my father. He had never treated me like I wasn’t his son. I experienced the adoption Paul talked about, and my ministry was strengthened as I explained that adoption with a deeper understanding to the people I serve.
Together with my wife, Maude Ncube, I’m now a missionary and disciple-maker serving with IFES in eSwatini. The main goal of our ministry is to work ourselves out of the job, as we strive to disciple people who can sustain themselves spiritually and in leadership. I’m working among students and also part-time at a local church, teaching the Bible and strengthening the Christian students’ movement in the south.
My passion for young people stems from my salvation experience. I got saved in my second year of high school at a Scripture Union gathering. I had planned to attend the meeting to make fun of the people.
Missionary profile – Tshepang Basupi
I work with Africa Inland Mission (AIM), supporting those in the field from Nairobi. I’m the Executive Director for Southern Region mobilizing African missionaries. I oversee a team of about 100 missionaries, visiting, offering pastoral care, member care, vision, and strategy.
I grew up in Botswana as a middle child. My mom was a nominal Christian and she took us to the Zion Christian Church. It’s here that I first heard the gospel from teenagers who had met Christ in Scripture Union meetings in School. They preached salvation, and the church leadership was uncomfortable. They were kicked out of the church, but the seed had been planted.
At the age of 14 while in junior secondary, I attended a camp by Scripture Union and heard the gospel from Romans 3. The simple message pierced my heart, and I got saved.
There was no discipleship and no gospel-preaching churches where I lived. It was trial and
The GO movie - by YWAM
Based on true events in lives rescued from violence and suffering, GO Africa is screening now in 240+ locations on 6 continents! Directed by David L Cunningham, the movie shows the real life or death origin story of YWAM in Nigeria. GO Africa depicts first hand accounts of faith overcoming militant violence and healing victims of persecution in Nigeria. [for clarity, English subtitles & more languages available in settings] Please - DO NOT SHOW THIS TO CHILDREN because of depiction of the real stories of violence and demonic spiritual rituals.
An African missionary in the Middle East
By Arthur*, an SIM missionary
The Middle East is full of contrasts. Home to ancient towns but also ultra-modern business hubs; political turbulence and grinding conflict but also pockets of stability and investment; humanitarian catastrophe but also vast riches from natural resources. It’s the region in which Christ was born, lived and taught, was crucified and rose again. But it’s also now a region in which huge majorities have never heard his good news, and where following him can come at great personal cost.
Mission made simple - The Gospel Coalition Africa
An article by Fredrick Imbayi: It’s tempting for local congregations to focus inward—after all, the needs are immediate, the faces familiar, and the stories close to heart. On top of this, small local congregations might harbour the misconception that missions are solely the responsibility of large-scale, foreign, and financially flush organisations or churches. But all of God’s people should consider what goes on beyond the four walls of their local church. We are one body, though scattered across neighbourhoods, languages, and countries (1 Corinthians 12:12–14; Ephesians 4:4-6). Rethinking missions invites us to a bigger vision, to God’s vision: local churches supporting other local churches in faith and resources.
Reflections by an African missionary kid
Being a missionary kid is a journey shaped by movement, cultural diversity, and ministry involvement. For example, some children grow up moving between tribes and adapting to new environments. An example is growing up among the Maasai people, living a simple but deeply communal life where relationships matter more than things. Living among the Alagwa people, a community strongly shaped by Islam, teaches a missionary child how to respect other beliefs while sharing Christ with gentleness and wisdom. Watching churches begin in a place that was once fully Muslim becomes a powerful reminder of God’s transforming power. Living among the Hadzabe, one of the most unique hunter-gatherer tribes in East Africa, demonstrates how vital Scripture is when it finally reaches people in their own language.
The good gift of intercultural humor
This joke was recently shared, to great effect, with a group of local men in my living room. What made it even better was that the one telling the joke was himself ethnically Wermahi*, a member of one of our minority language groups. The joke is, of course, so funny to other locals because the Wermahi language is so different and unintelligible to the other language groups around it, even though they all consider themselves members of the same regional ethnicity.
Missionary profile – Rosemary Athanas
On my first day on the mission field, my host cooked a newborn lamb that had been dead for a few days. Everyone waited to see if I’d eat it. I did. When it was time for bed, I was shown my sleeping quarters—a corner at the cowshed with a cowhide for a mattress and goats and chicken as roommates. They were testing me, and by the third day, I had passed the test and was accepted into the community.
I’m a missionary among the Datoga people in Tanzania, sent by my church, Tanzania Assemblies of God (TAG). I have been here for two years, and there was not a single Christian here when I came. Now, we have quite a number.
I was born in Tanzania to a Ugandan dad and a Rwandan Mom. I grew up with ‘Christian parents’ who also didn’t mind visiting the witch doctor once in a while. My nephew’s delayed development was the catapult for my salvation. When he couldn’t walk for almost two years, even after seeing witch doctor after witch doctor
Missionary profile – Tawanda Masango
My wife, Shupi, and I serve with SIM Zimbabwe, reaching out to students in Bulawayo. We are the only full-time student workers in the SIM ministry.
My dad died when I was just 15, and as the firstborn, I was given the staff to take my father’s name and all the responsibilities that came with that.
I had been brought up in a Christian home. My mother, Violet, was and is a devout Christian. She took us to church each week. My father, Wellington, identified as a Christian but struggled with syncretism. He sometimes consulted traditional healers. Mercifully, by the time he died, he had come to a complete understanding of who Jesus is.
My home was only a few minutes’ walk from Rusitu Mission, the very place where some of the pioneer missionaries first came to Zimbabwe in 1897. They established a Bible college, a school and a hospital. I attended the Baptist boarding school as a day boy.
10 Mistakes I made as in my missionary journey
By Lucky Mogakane at The Gospel Coalition Africa: A few months back, I had the privilege of reminding my friend of the gospel that saves us. He’d found himself watching some YouTube videos about the rapture. These videos were making him fearful and leading him towards a works salvation. I responded to this by explaining to him how we are saved by the work of Christ, with faith that is itself a fruit of God’s grace (Ephesians 2:8-10). When I’m asked to report on my missionary experiences, those are the kinds of testimonies I’m more excited to reflect on. But in this article I’ll instead be reflecting on ten of the mistakes I’ve made as a missionary. These are stories that don’t make it into the newsletters.
I am changing the face of global mission
From Ryan Shaw at GMMI: A Prophetic Impression
In November 2011, shortly after moving from Izmir, Turkey to Chiang Mai, Thailand, I experienced a moment of profound clarity. While driving, I sensed the Holy Spirit impress a phrase upon my heart with authority: “I Am Changing the Face of Global Mission!”
In the 14 years since, this phrase has been confirmed by scholars and practitioners alike, from both western and majority world backgrounds. While “global mission” is often viewed through the lens of history, God is wanting to bring shifts in how the Church – particularly in the Global South – perceives and engages in His Great Commission.
Missionary profile – Ezèchiel and Judith Adjai
The preacher asked, “Why are you on this earth?” It suddenly hit me that I didn’t know. I was embarrassed, and so I took three days to pray and ask the Lord why he sent me to the earth. The Lord gave me the purpose of my life – reaching the unreached people with the gospel.
My wife, Judith, and I are now missionaries with CAPRO. We serve in Benin where I am CAPRO’s National Coordinator. We do mobilization, discipleship and coordinate all the mission work in the country. We hope to reach three more unreached people groups in the next couple of years.
Having grown up in a large, nominally Christian (but polygamous) family, I was a confused young man. My parents weren’t born again, although they were Methodists.
I got saved after following a group of young men in hopes of getting a new Bible. It turned out to be an IFES Bible study meeting. There I came to