South Africa Newsletter, April
Welcome to The Table
While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.” Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. Matthew 26: 26-27
Welcome to the first edition of The Table. With Table Mountain as the backdrop to our Cape Town office, the name is fitting for more than one reason. At the centre of our office is a long table where we gather for devotions, layout design plans and share meals together. It is a place of connection, collaboration and celebration.
If you just pulled up a chair, welcome, or if you have been with us since the beginning allow us to reintroduce ourselves.
EMI South Africa exists to advance the gospel by focusing on reconciliation and restoration through collaborative efforts with community-based ministries and NGOs in Southern Africa.
Our vision is to see people restored by God and the world restored through design. Our mission is to develop people, design structures and construct facilities which serve communities and the Church.
In this edition, we take a moment to reflect and celebrate what God has been doing through EMI South Africa since 2018.
The Table
A Moment of Reflection and Celebration
The last five years have brought tremendous growth as we went from a team of five architects and engineers to a multi-disciplinary team of sixteen full-time staff. As the number of projects, countries and people change, our core values continue to guide us in all that we do.
Our core values
Design
We have worked on over thirty projects in Southern Africa creating designs that fit the local context and are sustainable, affordable, and serve the larger community. These projects include hospitals, churches, and schools just to name a few.
Discipleship
EMI South Africa is intentional about discipleship and mentoring young design professionals. We have seen the impact on upcoming design professionals through the young professional development programme focusing on holistic development professionally and personally.
Diversity
As our office grows and connects with people of diverse backgrounds, and ethnicities, we witness the grace of embracing our uniqueness in God's love. Our team has six heart languages and has partnered with over seventy project volunteers from different countries, serving in God's Kingdom.
Below is a snapshot of the number of projects & countries we have worked in as well as the number of young professionals who have participated in the internship and fellowship programmes.
As we come to the end of this first edition
We hope you enjoyed the journey and look forward to sharing quarterly editions featuring the stories of our people and projects.
We are grateful for all God has done in the last five years and cannot wait to see what He continues to do. This would not be possible without our global EMI family and partners. You too are invited to join us at the table by contributing financially, joining a project trip, or praying with us.
Thank you for pulling up your chair and venturing with us on this journey of designing a world of hope.
