Drag to explore · Tap to turnFaith that reaches outward.
Relationships that build something lasting.
From Africa to the United States.
Ascend brings together our work in Africa and business development in the United States. Different settings. A common thread: people, purpose, and the possibility of what comes next.
Discover our Africa story ↘Our Africa work spans four countries.
Explore the places that are part of our story.
Where our story began.
Relationships that endure.
Our Africa story reaches back to 2001. Kenya, where we spent our honeymoon on mission, has been part of the heart of that story. Over the years, that connection has grown through local leadership, ministry training, and practical support for community enterprise.
Years of presence, practical projects,
and relationships that continue to matter.
We have been going on mission to Africa since 2001. Kenya holds a special place in that story—our honeymoon was spent there on mission.
Our work has brought ministry training and relationships with local leaders together with support for community enterprise. Helping people develop sustainable livelihoods has been part of the story alongside faith.
From Ascend’s 2019 global mission updateCommunity water projects sit alongside our work with local churches and ministry leaders in Uganda.
In 2019, an Ascend team ministered in Nakalama, Jinja, and Namutumba, visited completed community wells, and took part in leadership commissioning and local church ministry.
From Ascend’s 2019 Uganda trip recapVisits to displaced communities in Nigeria in 2015 and 2018 helped shape our commitment to local faith leaders and the people they serve.
Longstanding ministry relationships and community-enterprise work have informed how we approach partnership: listen first, build trust, and understand the local context.
From Ascend’s mission history and proposal backgroundSouth Africa is part of our wider Africa ministry focus, alongside Kenya, Nigeria, and Uganda.
The common thread is relationship—with people, local leaders, and the possibilities that grow from shared faith.
Connect about our Africa work ↗
These photographs come from Ascend’s original well-project update. They show a project taking shape through local leadership, donated resources, and work on the ground.
The later 2019 trip recap records visits to completed wells serving surrounding communities. It is a reminder that ministry can include the everyday needs that make community life possible.
A proposed civil-society network for religious-freedom accountability in Nigeria’s Middle Belt.
Drawing on years of relationships and visits in Nigeria, Ascend developed a proposal focused on ethical documentation, community reporting, and training for local civil-society partners.
The proposed focus included Benue, Plateau, Kaduna, and Nasarawa. The proposal was not awarded; the planned program is not presented here as a funded or delivered project.
Historical accounts are drawn from Ascend’s mission updates and trip records. The proposal section describes planning work, not an awarded program.
Four countries in Africa.
Relationships that reach beyond borders.
A place for business conversations
with purpose and perspective.
An architectural study in possibilityIdeas become more meaningful when the right people connect.
Alongside our Africa work, we’re developing business relationships here in the United States. Bring a question, an idea, or an opportunity worth exploring.
Tell us what you’re working on, what matters to you, and where you see possibility.
Explore shared interests, perspectives, and whether there is a useful next step together.
Move forward with clear expectations and a relationship built on trust.
Jared & StephannieWe’re Jared and Stephannie Walther. Our Africa story reaches back to 2001, including a honeymoon on mission in Kenya. Since then, faith, local leadership, and practical community work have remained closely connected.
As this next chapter develops, the heart remains simple. Be present. Build relationships. Stay open to where purpose leads.
