AIM Missionary Steve Peifer was nominated as one of six CNN Heroes, an awards program spotlighting individuals making significant differences in the world around them. Steve’s nomination for "Championing Children" comes for his work in feeding Kenyan children in 25 schools and establishing solar-powered computer training centers in remote areas of Kenya.

Aim International has established the Kenya Crisis Fund to help finance the Mission’s response to the humanitarian crisis brought about by Kenya’s post-election violence. It is estimated that over 250,000 Kenyans were displaced, and 600 men, women, and children lost their lives.

Aim leadership established a Nairobi-based Crisis Management Team (CMT) to monitor, and respond as necessary, to the ongoing unrest caused by December’s disputed presidential election results.

In a report issued, a CMT spokesman said that all Aim missionaries were safe and were not impacted by the day’s events. Aim's Kenya leadership has restricted travel for personnel flying into the country. Further information of this will be posted as we get it from Kenya.

The BBC News website’s Africa pages carry current information on the crisis.

Thank you for your ongoing prayers for the situation in Kenya.

Nicola first went to Southern Sudan in 1998 and stayed for three years working in a health programme of a Christian development organisation. The work as part of a small international team in this war-torn region was challenging but the need overwhelming. “In the midst of all the activity my goal was to keep the focus on Jesus and to be a witness to the love of Christ.” In those years the people of Southern Sudan touched her heart and she returned there for a further two years. Nicola joined Aim and has returned yet again to the land of Cush, where she was invited by the church in Rumbek/Bahr-El-Ghazal. “The war may be officially over and yet the country really struggles to come up out of the rubble. My hope and prayer is that in whichever way my ministry will work out, it will bring hope and show people the love of Christ, inviting them into a close relationship with the Lord.”

Neil grew up in Kirkcaldy and went on to study Forestry at the University of Aberdeen. After a short while working for the Forestry Commission in England he moved to Glasgow to begin working for a land management company. He began to feel a call from the Lord to use his forestry to further the gospel and so made enquiries with Aim. Neil says: “When I moved to Glasgow I had no idea that God would call me to service in Africa, but there is a real need for reforestation and sustainable agriculture practices in Africa. It is also a great way to spread the gospel through building up trust and meaningful relationships with local farmers.”

He is planning to leave for Uganda in January to work with a Church of Uganda agro-forestry and development programme at Goli in the north-west of the country.

Before coming to the UK in 1999, Thorsten worked as a bank manager and Kerstin as an administrator in the Africa department of a Christian relief and development agency. A strong sense of calling into ‘full-time’ Christian ministry then motivated them to give up their respective careers. They came to England where Thorsten studied theology at St John’s College, Nottingham and Cliff College, Calver. They planned to return to Germany, but God had other plans. “God taught us many lessons during this time and gently prepared us to take steps of faith we would not have taken eight years ago.”

Their contact with people from many different nations at their church, and Kerstin’s role in the personnel department at Aim International impressed on them again the great need for biblical teaching and training – not only in Germany, but all over the world. They have both invested much time and energy in pastoring the German Lutheran Church and more recently, Nottingham Chinese Christian Church as well as discipling international students.

They are now looking to go to Windhoek, Namibia where Thorsten will teach at the Namibia Evangelical Theological Seminary (NETS). Kerstin is looking forward to combining her people skills and gift of administration and hospitality with her desire to disciple young believers.

"There is probably no other African Christian leader who has a broader or more thorough knowledge of the church in Africa than Dr Tokumboh Adeyemo."

This years summer teams are currently out in Africa. The different teams are involved in ministering to the children and others living on the Sese Islands, helping the Dwelling Places project (work amongst street children) and working alongside missionary and national health care providers and local communities. You can find out more information about the teams and read their latest journal entries by visiting our synergy short-term missions website.

We have just finished our latest magazine – an extended edition of the African Connection. If you’ve signed up to receive our magazine, it should be with you within the next few days.

If you would like a copy of our recent magazine or any of our publications, please fill in this form.

Within the next few weeks, we will also be posting all the main articles on the articles and feature page of this site.

Marsali Campbell, who is a serving with Aim in Kampala has recently had an article about her posted on the BBC website. The 38-year-old, who has worked as a nurse for 20 years, spent time at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London and has a diploma in child health, specialising in children with cancer and HIV. She has recently been working with Dwelling Places, which helps street children, abandoned babies and high risk slum families. Read the article on the BBC website. To find out more about the Dwelling Places project, click here. If you want to find out more about Marsali Campbell, she has her own website. Visit Marsali's website.

John Brand, Aim International’s UK Director since 1999, has been appointed Vice-Principal of the Faith Mission Bible College in Edinburgh. He will take up this position in September.

John was the Mission’s representative in Scotland before he became UK Director and he, with his wife Caroline, will have spent over 14 years with Aim. We are grateful to God for the leadership and vision that John has brought to us and we wish him and Caroline all God’s blessing as they move to this new ministry.

Aim’s Board of Trustees have begun the process of identifying a replacement for John. In the meantime Neil Pheasant, our Operations Director and John’s deputy, will act as UK Director.