Friday, April 11, 2008

Build Homes, Feed the Hungry in Mamelodi, South Africa

... and never leave your home! Jeff and I have commited to going to Mamelodi, South Africa this coming November. How can you help and what will we be doing? We're glad you asked! (Well, maybe you didn't ask, but I'm going to tell you anyway!)Please read on. (The following is the FAQ from our church's website. (The links in the copied FAQ below are disabled. Please click on the GO Mamelodi website for access to more information.)



GO ahead and ask.


Quick Facts
DESTINATION: Mamelodi, South Africa
DATES: Nov 13-22, or Nov 20-29, 2008
DAMAGE: (breathe in) $3000 for one week. $4500 for two weeks. (breathe out…more below)
DEADLINE: 5/5 at 5pm for all applications and deposits
The Important Stuff
(You should know this)

Where are we headed?
Mamelodi, South Africa—A community of one million people about a half hour outside of Pretoria, the capital city of South Africa. This is where our partner church, Charity & Faith Mission Church, is located. It’s a place overrun with serious problems like HIV and extreme poverty, as well as serious (serious!) dancing, singing and joy. We guarantee you’ve never been anywhere like it. If you're interested in more background on our South African partnership, you can read this.

Why are we going?
Because when a lot of us GO, God shows up…and we want to see what happens this time around. Also, we are in year four of our partnership (see background document) and we want to throw some fuel on that fire. We are specifically going to create more friendships, build homes, plant food, develop more infrastructure, love on kids and do pretty much anything else we can think of to make a difference.

When are we going?
Group 1 leaves Cincinnati on Thursday, November 13, returning on Saturday, November 22. Group 2 leaves Cincinnati on Thursday, November 20, returning on Saturday, November 29 (two days after Thanksgiving). You can preference either week, and, if we have space, people can go for both weeks at an additional cost. We are going in November because 1) it’s cheaper to go in the fall (see below), 2) it takes less vacation time if you use the Thanksgiving holiday, and 3) based on current plans this is probably your last chance to travel on a big trip to Mamelodi until early 2010…don’t miss it!

***Jeff and I will be heading out for the second week. What's especially cool about this week is that it is our 5th wedding anniversary and it falls on the same exact same day as the day we got married in 2003; the same Wednesday before Thanksgiving on November 26 (Thanksgiving is the 27th this year), just like in 2003 when we got married! What an awesome way to spend celebrating our love for God and each other ... by sharing that love with the people in South Africa!***

Who can go?
We have space for up to 200 participants each week. If we have more than 400 sign up we will hold a random lottery to pick who gets to go (though that has never happened). This trip is for anyone—Crossroads people, non-Crossroads people, friends and family from out of town, people from all over the faith spectrum—basically any person who wants to serve others. The only requirement is that you are 18 years old (or 13 years old with a parent or guardian). And groups of two or more, like families or small groups, can let us know they'd like to travel and work together.

How much does it cost?
$3000 for one week. $4500 for two weeks. This covers your flight, hotel, meals, work supplies and activities. Stuff not covered are things like souvenirs, snacks at the airport, passport fees (if you need a new one) and shots (if you decide to get them). Also, because we are going in the fall, our per person trip cost is $500 cheaper from what it was the last two years. Wahoo! Love those fall airline prices!

What if I don’t have that much money?
Join the club. We have a handshake. Close to 90% of people who have been to Mamelodi did not have the funds sitting in their bank account when they decided to go. And nearly everyone raised the funds. Don’t let money stop you. Raising money is actually a very cool part of this experience. We’ll talk a lot more about the finance stuff—and help you generate ideas for how to raise funds. We have an awesome web system that helps with this process, and a little faith goes a long way. Have some and see what happens.

Is there a deposit?
Of course. Airlines and hotels demand one and so must we. The deposit is $300 per person ($450 for two weekers) and is due with your application. It can be paid online via credit/debit card, or via check (mailed to Crossroads or dropped off in the office with “GO Mamelodi – your name” in the memo). And the deposit is non-refundable (unless you lose a lottery) because it costs us that much to change your tickets if you cancel. If you don’t have this much money readily available, but truly feel called to go, please talk to us.

How do I sign up?
Fill out an application no later than May 5 at 5pm. We’ll ask you all kinds of questions like if you’re part of a group, who you’d like as your roommate, what you want to work on, if you smell and so on. Once you complete your application, you will need to pay your deposit of $300, either online or by mailing a check. Applications are not complete until the deposit is received in the Crossroads office. All applicants will be contacted by May 9 to confirm their trip participation.


The Other Stuff
(More info to convince you that we know what we're doing)

What work will I be doing?
We’re not totally sure. Most participants will be put on one of our three main teams: construction, planting food or working with kids. We can’t guarantee where you’ll be working, or exactly what you’ll be doing because our work changes based on need (as identified by Titus). People have had awesome experiences on all three teams. Also, we form small teams of trained professionals (i.e. medical, business, IT, etc.) called SWAT teams to help transfer skills and do more specialized work. See the application for more details.

***The teams we plan on serving on will be different for both of us. Jeff will be on the IT SWAT team, helping to set up computers and teaching the South Africans how to use them. This is huge in helping them get online in more areas, helping to create jobs and businesses, foster independence, and move towards relieving the devastating poverty of Mamelodi. I will most likely be spending time serving the children there. Children in poverty and AIDS stricken Mamelodi rarely get the love and attention they desperately need. The percentage of children orphaned by AIDS is staggering and the percentage of children stricken with AIDS is devastating. Those who are fortunate to not be orphaned are often left on their own as the parent(s) work hard to support their families. Then again, I may be planting food gardens or building homes! Both of us will be available to serve where the need is the greatest.***

What else are we doing in South Africa?
Seriously? Geesh. We will go on a safari, go to an African market, go to the Apartheid Museum, some of us will celebrate Thanksgiving African style (do they even have turkeys?), go to worship services in tents, eat bugs (joke), stay a night in people’s homes (only if you want to) and generally have a seriously awesome adventure. Let’s just see what happens.

Will I have to preach or pray in front of people?
Not unless you want to. This trip is for everyone, regardless of where you are on your spiritual journey. You will not be required to do anything you are not comfortable doing back at home.

What is the travel like?
It takes about 24 hours to get there. It’s a great time to catch up on sleep, talk to the 100 or so people you are traveling with, read, watch movies on your 21st century in-seat entertainment system, listen to every song on your iPod twice, or just do nothing…which you probably haven’t done in a long time. Everyone departs from Cincinnati or Dayton (out-of-towners need to get themselves here) and lands in Johannesburg. And you will fly on a commercial airline, most likely Delta or South African Airways.

Can I use miles, fly in first-class, or make my own travel plans?
Nope. We are taking this trip as one group with one mission. And that means we work together, eat together and travel in the back of the plane together. Because of the complexities of getting 400 people to the other side of the world, all of our travel plans are centrally booked. No exceptions. You will, however, earn many thousands of miles for your flights. So that’s kinda cool.

Where are we staying?
In a Holiday Inn-type hotel in the city of Pretoria, about 30 minutes from Mamelodi. You’ll have access to the basic stuff – showers, beds, food, strangely compelling Afro-Euro TV programming, etc. We will eat breakfast and dinner together at the hotel. And yes, you will have a roommate. And no, there is no shacking up in co-ed rooms unless you are married.

Is it safe in South Africa?
Of the hundreds of people who have been to Mamelodi before, not a single person has had a serious incident. If you are smart, you will be perfectly fine. We will always travel in groups, and we will always have people with us who speak the many languages (English is common). You’ll probably need to get some standard shots (that’s up to your doctor), and we’ll have plenty of water available. And the only place you will see an animal that is capable of eating you is on the safari…where you’ll be in a big truck.

What if I can’t do the work?
While we have jobs for all skill sets, ages and 5k times, please know that the trip can be exhausting. We will be on our feet a lot, getting up early, and the 18 or so hours in a plane is an obstacle we can’t change. If you have concerns about your physical situation, please talk to us. We want everyone to go, but if you ignore your physical limitations up front, you could end up being miserable.

What is the trip preparation like?
We will have a series of meetings (approx. one per month) leading up to the trip, where you will learn more about South Africa, learn more about what we are doing, meet others who are going on the trip and just have a good time. We also have a website full of trip resources. Out-of-town people will have a special coordinator assigned to keep them in the loop via e-mail so they don’t have to keep coming to the ‘Nati.

Anything else you really want to tell me?
Thanks for asking. If you want to take a vacation to South Africa, then we encourage you to do so. It’s beautiful. That being said, this is not that trip. Deciding to go with us means you want to be a part of our mission to change the world. In pursuit of that group goal, however, you may not get to do everything you want to do in the way you like to do things. It’s a posture of submitting to something bigger than yourself. But if you do it, we promise an incredible experience! We can do more together than we can as individuals.

***How can you help us change the world? Well, we need your prayers and we need your money! Please ... if you were considering any gifts to us this year (birthdays, anniversary, Christmas ... or even if you weren't!), we ask that you please redistribute that money towards this trip. Checks can made out to Crossroads and are 100% tax deductible. Once our deposit is raised and paid (by May 5th, in case you forgot. Hehe.), contributions can be made online to our account. Your contributions go far beyond changing our lives and rocking our world forever ... they go towards combatting poverty, providing health care, shelter, food, love, and so much more to an entire village impacted by life-shattering poverty, sickness, and oppression.

Checks should be made out to Crossroads and mailed to Crossroads,ATTN. GO MAMELODI, 3500 Madison Road, Cincinnati, Ohio 45209. Please write our names (Jeff and Joyce Kendrick/Go Mamelodi) in the memo).

We thank you in advance for your prayers and financial support! And please know that no contribution is too small (or too large. We like the large contributions, too!)

We love you!***

3 comments:

Dromedary Hump said...

It will be my priviledge to contribute to your and Jeff's trip. Do good stuff.
Hump

Anonymous said...

Joyce and Jeff,
Way to STRETCH your faith! I think the 18 hours straight on an airplane would be a mission trip in itself for me or anyone who had to put up with me on a plane that long. This is an incredible opportunity and a part of me wishes I was up for it myself. If anyone can spread the love, you can. Go and be the salt and light of the world! Be the difference you wish to see in others. Supporting you in every way...
Love you-
Ginger

Joyce said...

Drom, I was going to say that you have no idea how much this means to us ... but I think you do. Thank you. So very much.

Ginger, you know how much I love you. Thank you for loving me back in so many ways.

We can't wait!