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Margot DeSouza

Sent from Christ Church at All Saints Wandsworth

Margot grew up in South Africa. Although she went to church as a child, it was in late 2009 when she first understood that her sin separated her from God and she accepted Jesus Christ as her Lord and Saviour. Even at this early stage, Margot had a desire for mission work in Africa.

In 2011 Margot moved to London, UK, and lived there until she began serving as a missionary with AIM. During her time in London, Margot’s desire for mission work in Africa grew and, in 2017, doors began opening. A trip to visit mission partners in Rwanda in 2017 confirmed this desire, as well as conversations with other missionaries.

Margot began contacting mission organisations and commenced Bible studies at the Proclamation Trust in London. In 2019, Margot was sent by her home church, Christ Church at All Saints, to become a staff member at The Bridge. The Bridge Church is based on an estate in Battersea and gave Margot the opportunity to evangelise and disciple in a cross-cultural context.

Over the years, Margot’s desire for mission work began to focus more on unreached people groups in Africa, leading her to reach out to AIM. In 2020 Margot was accepted as a member of AIM, supported by her sending church.

From 2021 to 2023, Margot was part of a Training in Ministry Outreach (TIMO) team in a rural village in Tanzania, where she and her teammates built relationships and shared the gospel with their Muslim neighbours.

In 2023, Margot met Fernando, another AIM missionary working in Chad. Margot and Fernando got married in December 2023 and now have two children together. As a family, they are preparing to move to Chad where they will live and work among the K-people, an unreached Muslim people group. Their desire, along with their teammates, is to see a church planted among the K-people.

Latest Prayer News

In her last update, Margot shared that she and her family will no longer be moving to serve in Chad as previously planned. Margot and her husband, Fernando, just returned from a trip to the UK and US to visit supporters and discuss a proposal for future steps. They came away reflecting on God’s faithfulness to them through all the highs and lows – although they are not in Chad now as they expected, they can testify that God is in control and they trust that his plans for them are for their good and for his glory, even if they don’t see the full picture now. Praise God for a safe trip and an encouraging time away, and for the clarity they now have about moving forward. They reached out to the AIM office in South Africa, where they live, and learned that they needed help in the communications team of their mobilisation office. This seems like a good fit for them as a family. Please pray for them as they progress in this new but unexpected opportunity and continue to wrestle with their hearts’ desire to be on the mission field. Ask the Lord to help them take life one day at a time and find joys and encouragements in this new season.  

In her last update, Margot shared that they will no longer be moving to serve in Chad as previously planned. It’s been a long time since they have been able to catch up with Margot’s sending church and supporters in the UK and over a year since they have been in the US with her husband, Fernando’s, sending church and family. After some time in the UK, they will be heading to the US on the 5th of July, before ending the trip with an AIM Conference in Atlanta. Since the decision to step back from ministry in Chad, they have many questions about their future. Margot and Fernando have been having conversations with their sending churches and AIM to discuss what potential options there are moving forward. Please pray that God will give them wisdom and clarity.

In her last update, Margot shared her hope to move to Chad with her family at the end of April. However, as they were preparing to go, it became evident that this would not be the right decision for them at this time. Please pray for them all as they come to terms with this difficult decision and seek to trust the Lord and honour Him above all else. Ask that they may experience the Spirit’s comfort and know His guiding hand in the weeks and months ahead.

Chad

Chad became independent from France in 1960. Since then, its politics have been characterised by violence, coups and insurgencies. It is a secular state with freedom of religion. Muslims are dominant in government, trade and the army, although they are only just the majority religion (approx 53%).

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Church Planting

Our desire isn’t just that there will be individual Christians among every people group in Africa but that there would be Christ-centred churches among all African peoples.

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