On 20 November 2019, the friends and leaders of Life Abundant, a student support fund nested within the Faculty of Theology and Religion at the University of Pretoria, spent an afternoon reviewing their collective work during the past year and rejoicing over all the ways in which they were able to assist students through this project, a summary of which has been captured in the keynote address, delivered by Mr Dana Mahan, as featured below.

Dear Partners, Supporters and Friends,

With this report, we mark the end of our third year together as the Life Abundant community, people committed to ensuring the Kingdom of God continues to advance because those who chose to lead it have access to the best theological education and ministry training available in Africa.  During this time, from the day we launched the fund until today, Life Abundant has not faltered or waivered from this singular purpose, which may be why the growth it has experienced is nothing short of miraculous.

You need not take my word for it though, in so far as the signs and wonders of growth are concerned, when we can let the facts speak for themselves:

Three students in the Faculty of Theology and Religion have served as administrative assistants, developing both personally and professionally over the course of their respective year-long internships.

Our donor base has grown from one income generating project to a team of supporters that include mission agencies, charitable foundations, local churches and more than thirty individual contributors.

A total of eight professors, lecturers and administrators have willingly participated in the Life Abundant advisory council, freely offering their time and expertise in guiding the allocation of our limited resources toward the most worthy of applicants.

Speaking of those applicants, seventy-five men and women, both young and old, local and foreign have been provided with financial assistance in the form of tuition grants, rent payments, travel stipends and even food vouchers.

Along the way, well over five-hundred-thousand rands have passed through the account held by the fund, with the one-million mark expected to be reached by the year 2021.

Of course, the catalogue of blessings could continue, but our understanding of the path Life Abundant is on would remain the same.  The increase of our presence within the Faculty of Theology and Religion at the University of Pretoria, and the growth of our ability to engage with the students that know it as their academic home is not simply a matter of good fortune or fitting circumstance.  It is not merely surprising in nature or uncommon in potential, but rather, as mentioned above, nothing short of miraculous.