Swaziland,
Africa - First Year Missionaries
Radical discipleship for college students wanting to follow Jesus'
model
Trip Details:
Dates:
Fall 2008
Length: 9-months
Airfare and travel: One
round-trip ticket per semester, estimated at $1,700.
Cost: $6,750 + airfare
Team Size: 6-10 participants
aged 18-22
Read
trip reports & see pictures from Swaziland
Questions? Contact us by email
or phone, 1-800-881-2461.
Come join a small group of college age-students in Swaziland, Africa!
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Swazi student
marking
his commitment to abstain. |
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God has been providing opportunities to do his work faster than we can respond here in Swaziland. The need for First Year Missionaries is pressing: hunger, poverty, HIV/AIDS, and the resulting large number of orphans are among the critical issues this small nation must address. Nearly 40% of the adult population is infected with HIV; only 10% of 15-year-old Swazi youth will celebrate a 35th birthday.
This isn’t just food: it’s
income, status, and
a measure
of security. |
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During the summer of 2004, from May until July, God brought students from many nations together to begin a full-scale attack on the spread of HIV/AIDS among high school students. Every one of nearly 200 high schools in the nation was visited by a Dream for Africa team. Each trained team of four to 12 presented a week-long program promoting abstinence as the only effective method of combating HIV/AIDS. The presentations culminated in a call for students to sign their names to an abstinence pledge. The response of the students was phenomenal.
Ministry in Swaziland:
Each First Year Missionary will develop a personal ministry internship averaging about 15 hours per week. Orphanages, soup kitchens, hospitals, churches, and schools are among the organizations that will provide incredible opportunities to put your faith to work. With a population of just over a million, experts believe Swaziland will have over 120,000 orphans within the next five years. Only a handful of orphanages provide services today, so many children are left to fend for themselves on the streets. You will be able to witness to these children, showing the love of God through your care for them. With such a high HIV infection rate, hospitals are flooded with dying patients—people forgotten by the world who will experience Jesus through your compassion. Many of the nation’s evangelical churches are fighting the effects of poverty, hunger, and HIV, but they lack volunteers to adequately address the need. You will partner with Swazi Christians providing care for the hurting and hungry.
The
Importance of Discipleship:
A major focus of the FYM program is personal discipleship. You will be mentored by a godly man or woman, someone committed to helping you mature on your personal faith journey. This mentor will then assist you to develop mentoring relationships with young Swazi nationals. Regular group discipleship will focus on growing as a community of believers. Emphasis is placed on daily surrender and releasing anything that may keep you from close communion with God.
Location Description:
About the size of New Jersey, Swaziland is home to beautiful mountain ranges, valleys dotted with mud huts and small villages, and luscious sugarcane fields. Tourism is a significant source of revenue for the kingdom as game parks and the vibrant, beautiful culture draw the attention of travelers.
Swaziland
and the Swazi Culture:
The Kingdom of Swaziland is a nation that has struggled to preserve cultural traditions while undergoing recent modernization efforts. Many of the traditional ceremonies have been successfully sustained. These include annual festivals and many of the dances; others have been adapted with less success. For instance, in traditional Swazi culture, virginity was long respected as a highly desirable and valuable trait for unmarried men and women. In today’s society, little value is placed on a decision to abstain until marriage.
Polygamy is practiced among much of the population, contributing to the spread of HIV\AIDS. Marital infidelity is generally expected, and remaining faithful to one’s spouse is a foreign concept to many.
The family and the local community are highly regarded institutions, but as HIV/AIDS devastates families, these establishments are crumbling. Most orphans are no longer raised within their villages, but are forced out into the street or into institutions not rooted within a community. Grandparents who had expected to be taken care of in their old age find themselves raising another generation of children.
 Although Christianity is the dominant religion statistically, many who claim to follow Christ are still involved in various forms of syncretism and witchcraft. Some pastors still consult witchdoctors rather than Scripture. About one-fifth of the people practice African Traditional Religion, which is incorporated into every aspect of their lives.
Read
trip reports & see pictures from current and previous FYM trips
to Swaziland.
Click on a date for more information:
Fall 2008
If you have any questions contact us by email
or phone, 1-800-881-2461.
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Streaming Video:
