Sharing Hope
When you think of Africa what do envision? If poverty, hunger, disease, AIDS, massive numbers of orphans, and corruption are part of your mental picture, you’re getting close. Expand your picture, though, to include generations of bitterness, racial conflict, and hopelessness. Give your picture depth as you consider the tragedy of a five year-old girl left alone because her parents have died of aids. The twelve year-old boy who is trying to lead a household of children living in a shack, surrounded by an entire community of shacks. Does this picture grab your heart? Do you want to make a difference? Because you can! While the poverty and other problems are overwhelming and won’t be changed in a day, you can share the real source of hope, truth, comfort, and heart-level change: Jesus Christ! Join with long-term national missionaries to share the Gospel with people of South Africa this summer!
Team Activities
Goodbye comfort zone, hello world changing activities! We will be teaming up with Jubalani Africa Ministries to work in the Transkei area with the Xhosa people. Activities will include a kids’ program for about 80-100 children, soccer outreach (We could use some good soccer players! This will be a big interest right after the World Cup.), work in local school teaching about abstinence and AIDS awareness, and home visits. The goal in all of these activities is relationships that lead to sharing the Gospel, telling others of God’s truth, and letting His love flow through you to change the lives of others.
Safety issues: South Africa has been fairly stable politically for over a decade and violence directed toward Americans is extremely rare. The primary issues of concern are crime-related, as violent crime is a problem in South Africa. However, most American who travel to South Africa do so without incident and the team will be working with locals who know the area and know what is safe. Working in a group also eliminates many of the situations in which problems are likely to occur. The team will be taking appropriate measures for the safety of everyone involved, but ultimately our protection is from the Lord.
Training
Team members will receive training in the children’s program curriculum, coaching in sharing the Gospel, and basic instruction in the culture, history, and language of South Africa. You will return from this trip with a toolbox of ministry and cross-cultural communication skills that you can put to use anywhere. As you show Christ to others, you will also find that your relationship with Him will be challenged and strengthened. As you teach others of His love, your own experience of Him will take on whole new dimensions.
Team Leadership
Rob Bennett and Elizabeth Fox will lead this team. Both of them have many years of experience in ministry and international work.
Sign Up for South Africa!
Ready to sign up for the trip? Go to our online registration page!
Need more details? Download the info packet. (This is a large file, so give it a minute or two to download, especially if you have a dial-up connection.)
Interested but not quite sure yet? Send an email to info@globalencounter.net or use our contact form to let us that know you are interested and we will keep you updated on the details.
