In May 2016 we are planning to visit Swaziland with a group from our church. And we are awfully excited about it. We will be visiting a little hill called Mkhombokati (Mah-comb-bo-cot-ee should get you close enough). Read on for the details and/or contact us if you would like to know more.
Mkhombokati was one of the first eight CarePoints established in Swaziland for the purpose of providing food and education for orphans and children at risk. Capital Church has been the official sponsor of Mkhombokati since 2007 and groups from Capital have visited every year since 2008.
Over the last decade the Children's HopeChest support network in Swaziland has grown to 35 CarePoints that support over 6,000 children, many of whom are orphans due to the AIDS/HIV epidemic that has struck Swaziland particularly hard. Our church community has made a practice of sponsoring every child who relies on the Mkhombokati CarePoint for two meals a day and a safe place to play and learn. Full time missionaries work with Adventures in Missions and Children's HopeChest to help the current network of CarePoints support more children, establish more CarePoints throughout Swaziland, and develop local leaders through the Swaziland Leadership Academy.
The exact nature of the project for this May is yet to be determined. Projects at Mkhombokati in years past taken on by the teams from Capital have included helping build a garden and greenhouse, painting buildings, getting thorns out of and shoes on as many feet as possible, helping build a new home for one of the leaders, and organizing a few days of singing, playing, and learning with the kids.
Why Make a Website?
For several years we have talked about participating in a trip like this and we have been intentional about saving for it. We are not oblivious to the fact that we both have jobs and we do not yet have children. However, the cost of the trip is not small (a total of $7,500 for the two of us). If you are interested in partnering with us, the link below can be used to provide tax-deductible financial support for members of the trip.
Capital Church: 2016 Swaziland Financial Support
But more than financial support we want to use this blog to share the experience and work in Swaziland with everyone we know for "the praise of his glorious grace" (Ephesians 1:6).
Why Make a Website?
For several years we have talked about participating in a trip like this and we have been intentional about saving for it. We are not oblivious to the fact that we both have jobs and we do not yet have children. However, the cost of the trip is not small (a total of $7,500 for the two of us). If you are interested in partnering with us, the link below can be used to provide tax-deductible financial support for members of the trip.
Capital Church: 2016 Swaziland Financial Support
But more than financial support we want to use this blog to share the experience and work in Swaziland with everyone we know for "the praise of his glorious grace" (Ephesians 1:6).
- We are convinced of the value of caring for orphans and widows (James 1:27).
- We believe that knowing God offers happiness of the greatest quality and quantity (Psalm 16:11).
- And, most importantly, we hope that people in every nation come to know how extraordinary Jesus is and see the beauty of his sacrifice on our behalf. We want people to know and love the words of Jesus in John 3:
“And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”
Though sometimes it is not immediately apparent, we see and believe and love these truths and want to help people see and enjoy them with us.
Finally, all previous groups have relied on the prayers of others in preparing for and participating in the trip. Please pray for us, the members of our group, and the community we will be visiting in Swaziland.
Some Common Objections to Address
A plane ticket for a short-term mission trip is a waste of money.
Each year Capital asks the local missionaries with Adventures in Missions and the leaders at Mkhombokati what they need. As mentioned before, there is always a project component to the trip and details are flushed out and plans made. But the overwhelming message from the leaders working at Mkhombokati is, “Please come and visit us," not “Please send money.”
Of course there are other costs associated the projects that we will organize in the coming months as we learn more about what Mkhombokati needs. Our church is intentional about purchasing materials for our projects in Swaziland for the purpose of supporting the local economy rather than purchasing in the US and transporting them into the country. If you would like to contribute directly to the costs related to the humanitarian projects we will be working on, please use the link below.
Capital Church: 2016 Swaziland Financial Support : Below the names of the members of the trip is "Swaziland Projects."
Short-term missions create dependence of impoverished communities on the wealth of the West.
This is true about a disappointingly high number of short-term mission trips. It is a very important consideration and one that Capital is taking very seriously. The crew signed up for the trip in May will be reading the book When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty Without Hurting the Poor and Yourself as a group over the next few months.
Ultimately, it is easy to make the case that long-term commitments are the most helpful way to make a lasting and positive impact on a community, in terms of meeting both spiritual and physical needs. Appearing and disappearing does not often contribute to lasting transformation. I (Joel) have participated in four trips that would be categorized as short-term missions. I am well aware of the way these types of trips can quickly turn into a tool rich white people use to feel good about themselves. But there are a number of ways that the leaders at Capital and leaders in Swaziland have intentionally avoided that pull.
The visits to Swaziland have been short in duration but the relationship between Capital and Mkhombokati is nearly a decade long. People who have visited Mkhombokati have described it as meeting up with an extended church family. The focus of each trip has been to meet a direct need that the leaders at Mkhombokati have communicated with our church. We will get our direction from the leaders and missionaries who live and labor in Swaziland for the sake of the gospel. Each short-term trip has built on work accomplished by previous groups and the work of the leaders at the CarePoint.
Many projects are intended to help the Swaziland CarePoints become autonomous, such as building the garden and greenhouse to help teach agriculture and to provide a source of food and income for Mkhombokati. In the past few years a significant amount of effort has gone into developing the Swaziland Leadership Academy.
“The Swaziland Leadership Academy (SLA) is a three-year educational program to provide discipleship and skills training to orphans and vulnerable children at Children’s HopeChest CarePoints. Program participants will receive formal training and education, as well as hands-on leadership opportunities at their CarePoint. Through the SLA, young adults will realize new opportunities for service, leadership, and possible long-term employment as directors of individual HopeChest CarePoints.”
All this is to say, we and our church are approaching the work at Mkhombokati with our eyes wide open. We are looking for ways to care for a group of people in the best way possible with their best interest at heart.
Why Swaziland and Why Now?
Cross-cultural missions has been a hope and intended trajectory for me (Joel) since first becoming involved with a group in 2004 at Hope College called Hope for the Nations. While at Hope I visited a school for missionary kids in Ukarumpa, Papua New Guinea, knocked down dilapidated houses near a reservation in Oklahoma, hung out on a farm with recovering addicts in Pennsylvania, and played with inner city kids at an after-school program in East Palo Alto, CA (not to be confused with Palo Alto). While at Hope I regularly met with friends and mentors to pray for the nations to see the beauty of the Christ and his gospel.
As Julia finished school in Fairbanks and we prepared to move to Utah, we often discussed our goals for graduate school. Becoming more useful and developing expertise that can directly help people, near and far, rose to the surface in our conversations.
There are a number of reasons we are excited to be a part of the group heading to Swaziland. Here is a not-so-brief rundown of a few:
1) We began supporting a child at Mkhombokati through Children's Hope Chest in 2012 and are looking forward to meeting her. Several members of previous trips to Mkhombokati have described the joy of meeting the child they have been sponsoring and being introduced to their family. It is a special kind of happiness that has produced humility, not arrogance.
2) Grad school provided us with more skills and experiences than we anticipated. It was very challenging but eventually very rewarding. Julia learned a lot about helping people feel better and I learned a lot about water and rocks and sediments. Now that we are on the other side of grad school, we have had a year to work on becoming even more useful. Julia has developed the ability to move a person's head in just the right way so that they are not dizzy anymore, among other things. I have learned even more about water and rocks and how these resources are managed and utilized. We are hoping and looking forward to seeing how these skills will be useful in Swaziland.
3) We are waiting for word about what specifically the leaders at Mkhombokati would like the group to accomplish. The way the trips are organized is by asking what they need done and matching the skills of the members of the group with the tasks.
Julia has something to offer nearly everyone she runs into. As a physical therapist, in addition to the aforementioned head tilt thing, often she only needs a flat surface to help someone not hurt so much. She also really likes kids. I may have a chance to use my brains to help out as well. The company I work for builds a better world by providing a variety of services related to water resources. About a year ago we learned that the well at Mkhombokati was slightly contaminated. Not enough to pose a serious threat, but enough that it needs to be monitored.
In the past month or two a few more details have emerged. Swaziland is in the midst of an extended drought. There is some concern about resilience of the well at Mkhombokati during the drought. I have training and experience addressing these issues. Additionally, the solar power system that powers the pump was recently struck by lightning. I am not sure if it is back up and running but I have a cursory knowledge of this type of system. At the very least, I am able to talk to an engineer or two in the office to get some suggestions about how to keep the system from getting fried if lightning strikes twice.
4) We began to discuss finding a way to be involved in a mission trip in the past year. Participating in short-term trip like this was recommended by a friend from Capital who went to Swaziland with Capital a few years ago and recently relocated permanently and is working with Adventures in Missions in Swaziland. We are excited for the opportunity to meet up with him and his family. He and his wife help out with IT and other organizational concerns related to the Swaziland CarePoints.
As we learn more we will be adding details through the blog portion of the website. But we wanted to provide a relatively clear picture of what is happening in Swaziland that we are hoping to be a part of. Please contact us if you want to know more.
Finally, all previous groups have relied on the prayers of others in preparing for and participating in the trip. Please pray for us, the members of our group, and the community we will be visiting in Swaziland.
Some Common Objections to Address
A plane ticket for a short-term mission trip is a waste of money.
Each year Capital asks the local missionaries with Adventures in Missions and the leaders at Mkhombokati what they need. As mentioned before, there is always a project component to the trip and details are flushed out and plans made. But the overwhelming message from the leaders working at Mkhombokati is, “Please come and visit us," not “Please send money.”
Of course there are other costs associated the projects that we will organize in the coming months as we learn more about what Mkhombokati needs. Our church is intentional about purchasing materials for our projects in Swaziland for the purpose of supporting the local economy rather than purchasing in the US and transporting them into the country. If you would like to contribute directly to the costs related to the humanitarian projects we will be working on, please use the link below.
Capital Church: 2016 Swaziland Financial Support : Below the names of the members of the trip is "Swaziland Projects."
Short-term missions create dependence of impoverished communities on the wealth of the West.
This is true about a disappointingly high number of short-term mission trips. It is a very important consideration and one that Capital is taking very seriously. The crew signed up for the trip in May will be reading the book When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty Without Hurting the Poor and Yourself as a group over the next few months.
Ultimately, it is easy to make the case that long-term commitments are the most helpful way to make a lasting and positive impact on a community, in terms of meeting both spiritual and physical needs. Appearing and disappearing does not often contribute to lasting transformation. I (Joel) have participated in four trips that would be categorized as short-term missions. I am well aware of the way these types of trips can quickly turn into a tool rich white people use to feel good about themselves. But there are a number of ways that the leaders at Capital and leaders in Swaziland have intentionally avoided that pull.
The visits to Swaziland have been short in duration but the relationship between Capital and Mkhombokati is nearly a decade long. People who have visited Mkhombokati have described it as meeting up with an extended church family. The focus of each trip has been to meet a direct need that the leaders at Mkhombokati have communicated with our church. We will get our direction from the leaders and missionaries who live and labor in Swaziland for the sake of the gospel. Each short-term trip has built on work accomplished by previous groups and the work of the leaders at the CarePoint.
Many projects are intended to help the Swaziland CarePoints become autonomous, such as building the garden and greenhouse to help teach agriculture and to provide a source of food and income for Mkhombokati. In the past few years a significant amount of effort has gone into developing the Swaziland Leadership Academy.
“The Swaziland Leadership Academy (SLA) is a three-year educational program to provide discipleship and skills training to orphans and vulnerable children at Children’s HopeChest CarePoints. Program participants will receive formal training and education, as well as hands-on leadership opportunities at their CarePoint. Through the SLA, young adults will realize new opportunities for service, leadership, and possible long-term employment as directors of individual HopeChest CarePoints.”
All this is to say, we and our church are approaching the work at Mkhombokati with our eyes wide open. We are looking for ways to care for a group of people in the best way possible with their best interest at heart.
Why Swaziland and Why Now?
Cross-cultural missions has been a hope and intended trajectory for me (Joel) since first becoming involved with a group in 2004 at Hope College called Hope for the Nations. While at Hope I visited a school for missionary kids in Ukarumpa, Papua New Guinea, knocked down dilapidated houses near a reservation in Oklahoma, hung out on a farm with recovering addicts in Pennsylvania, and played with inner city kids at an after-school program in East Palo Alto, CA (not to be confused with Palo Alto). While at Hope I regularly met with friends and mentors to pray for the nations to see the beauty of the Christ and his gospel.
As Julia finished school in Fairbanks and we prepared to move to Utah, we often discussed our goals for graduate school. Becoming more useful and developing expertise that can directly help people, near and far, rose to the surface in our conversations.
There are a number of reasons we are excited to be a part of the group heading to Swaziland. Here is a not-so-brief rundown of a few:
1) We began supporting a child at Mkhombokati through Children's Hope Chest in 2012 and are looking forward to meeting her. Several members of previous trips to Mkhombokati have described the joy of meeting the child they have been sponsoring and being introduced to their family. It is a special kind of happiness that has produced humility, not arrogance.
2) Grad school provided us with more skills and experiences than we anticipated. It was very challenging but eventually very rewarding. Julia learned a lot about helping people feel better and I learned a lot about water and rocks and sediments. Now that we are on the other side of grad school, we have had a year to work on becoming even more useful. Julia has developed the ability to move a person's head in just the right way so that they are not dizzy anymore, among other things. I have learned even more about water and rocks and how these resources are managed and utilized. We are hoping and looking forward to seeing how these skills will be useful in Swaziland.
3) We are waiting for word about what specifically the leaders at Mkhombokati would like the group to accomplish. The way the trips are organized is by asking what they need done and matching the skills of the members of the group with the tasks.
Julia has something to offer nearly everyone she runs into. As a physical therapist, in addition to the aforementioned head tilt thing, often she only needs a flat surface to help someone not hurt so much. She also really likes kids. I may have a chance to use my brains to help out as well. The company I work for builds a better world by providing a variety of services related to water resources. About a year ago we learned that the well at Mkhombokati was slightly contaminated. Not enough to pose a serious threat, but enough that it needs to be monitored.
In the past month or two a few more details have emerged. Swaziland is in the midst of an extended drought. There is some concern about resilience of the well at Mkhombokati during the drought. I have training and experience addressing these issues. Additionally, the solar power system that powers the pump was recently struck by lightning. I am not sure if it is back up and running but I have a cursory knowledge of this type of system. At the very least, I am able to talk to an engineer or two in the office to get some suggestions about how to keep the system from getting fried if lightning strikes twice.
4) We began to discuss finding a way to be involved in a mission trip in the past year. Participating in short-term trip like this was recommended by a friend from Capital who went to Swaziland with Capital a few years ago and recently relocated permanently and is working with Adventures in Missions in Swaziland. We are excited for the opportunity to meet up with him and his family. He and his wife help out with IT and other organizational concerns related to the Swaziland CarePoints.
As we learn more we will be adding details through the blog portion of the website. But we wanted to provide a relatively clear picture of what is happening in Swaziland that we are hoping to be a part of. Please contact us if you want to know more.
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