Ministry Backdrop
The Adventures Base in Eswatini (formerly Swaziland) has been there for almost 20 years! This long-term Base focuses on orphan care and has created different hubs called Carepoints that focus on local infrastructure, discipleship, church growth, and sustainability projects.
Ravaged by the HIV/AIDS pandemic, Eswatini has the highest HIV/AIDS rate in the world, leaving thousands of children — 12% of the population — without parents. In addition, 40% of all Swazis live on less than $1.25 per day, which is below the international poverty line.
But we believe God has a redemptive plan for Eswatini.
The key to a nation’s future is its children — in the care for their physical well being, the fulfillment of basic needs like food, clean water, and shelter, and in their education.
We see a generation of children raised up to take leadership of their country and go throughout the world to preach the Gospel, following Jesus with passion and character. We see communities with healthy families characterized by healthy relationships, leading towards an abundant and holistically healthy future for their nation.
We want to see children become well-adjusted adults living abundant lives through Christ and contributing in productive ways to their society through church, work, family, and community. We address this vision through our partnership with Children’s Hopechest and the neighborhood Carepoints where they have access to food, discipleship, clean water, education, and healthcare.
Within every community, we want to see vital, reproductive churches that reach across generations to help people grow spiritually. We do this through Adventures’ focus on church planting and church partnerships.
Through efforts in leadership development and sustainable agriculture, we are also able to use micro enterprise to build people up in their current lives, as well as come alongside them, as they learn and grow for the future.
Ministry
While in Eswatini, you and your team will play a crucial role in the Kingdom work happening in the Manzini area. Your team will be strategically placed with one (or a few) of our 39 CarePoints. There will also be the occasional side project as well.
-
Kids Ministry: Minister to kids by helping teach, play games, or compete in sports with them. You’ll be able to build relationships with them, love them, and bring hope and joy to their life.
-
Feeding Program: Our CarePoints offer meals for kids who may not receive much food outside of our programs. You will be able to assist in these feeding programs by helping cook, and serving the children who come for a daily meal and a safe place to just be kids.
-
Work/Service Projects: Occasionally, our partners need help with more hands-on and work oriented projects. This may include painting, landscaping, or light construction work.
-
Community Outreach: You will get to visit homes and hospitals in the community to meet people, hear their stories, and pray for them.
-
Agricultural Ministry: Our Carepoints work to develop sustainability within their communities and a major project is gardening. *Your team will potentially have the opportunity to help tend this garden depending on the time of year.*
Sample Ministry Schedule
Project Leader and Team
An adult Project Leader will be assigned to your team and will live with your team and engage daily with you throughout ministry and day-to-day life. This leader will have strong missions experience, leadership experience and a demonstrated competence in the area of discipleship of youth and young adults. Your Project Leader will be assigned to your trip and you’ll have several virtual conversations with them and your team during the weeks leading up to your trip.
Each trip will have 15-20 people (a mixture of male and female) and an adult Project Leader. You will also engage daily with your ministry partners, translators and get to know them well.
Training
You’ll have several virtual conversations with your Project Leader and your team during the weeks leading up to your trip. These conversations are meant to help get you prepared for your trip and get to know your teammates.
Additionally, the first couple of days in-country will act as a time for orientation and training in ministry, culture, team building and more.
Lodging
You will be staying on a homestead with a local family. There are two small houses with bunk beds that you will use. There is a small kitchen and bathrooms in both houses. There are also outside bathrooms and showers available to use.
You will need to bring blankets or a sleeping bag and a pillow (temperatures can get in the 40s at night, so plan for cooler weather).
Your team will do laundry by hand-washing with buckets. There will be purified water easily accessible. There is wifi located in town, which is about 20-30 minutes from where you will stay. A hospital is 20 minutes away in case of an emergency.
Health & Safety
The safety of our participants is a top priority for us. We have both an internal Risk Management team and external Risk Management consultants. We use a multi-pronged approach to risk management – including monitoring information from reporting agencies and relying on the knowledge of our ministry partners. In addition to our own protocols (e.g., students must be with an adult at all times), our ministry hosts and partners will provide trip specific safety guidelines for the particular trip location. Our Project Leaders are trained in risk management and have access to both on-field and home-office support.
Travel and Local Transportation
You will fly into Johannesburg together with your team and your Project Leader. From the airport, you’ll be picked up by a trusted bus driver. They will travel in a bus to Swaziland/Eswatini (about a 5-6 hour drive). Throughout the week, teams will use a bus and local drivers for transportation. Ministry sites will be about 20-30 minutes from the lodging site.
Cost of the flight and local transportation within the country is included in the price of the trip. You will just need to get to the departure city (usually Atlanta or Toronto), where you’ll meet your team and Project Leader before the long flight to Africa! In some cases there may also be an overnight stay at the departure city before the long trip begins. These details will be given no later than two months before the departure date.
Registration and Donations / Payments
All financial contributions toward your trip are considered donations and, as such, are non-refundable. Many Ambassador trip participants fundraise for their trip by inviting their church, family and friends to donate.
$500 Deposit: This deposit is required to reserve your place on the trip. At this point, you will lock in your trip and we will keep in touch with you going forward about preparation. This deposit is applied to the total balance of your trip.
50% Deadline: Half of your total balance will need to be paid 3 months before your trip.
100% Deadline: The remaining balance is due 2 months before your trip.
Are you feeling stirred?
Experience firsthand the voice of God, serve others in high-need ministries, and make a real, tangible difference in the lives of others in Eswatini! No country on earth has been more devastated by HIV/AIDS than this country. The Adventures Base in Eswatini, formerly named Swaziland, has been there for over 10 years, engaging with others, meeting felt needs, and sharing hope with those in despair.
This long-term base primarily focuses on orphan and widow care and has created different hubs called Carepoints that focus on local infrastructure, discipleship, church growth, and sustainability projects. Over 40% of Eswatini’s children are orphans. The future is in its children.
At each of these Carepoints, you and your team will have the opportunity to participate in a variety of ministry opportunities- from feeding or teaching children to gardening with the community! You will be able to live like a local and build relationships, wash clothes by hand, and visit homes and hospitals, offering prayer and hope to those in need.
Is God calling you to be a part of changing the future of this nation?
Check out these blogs from Eswatini
More Articles in This Topic
