Hey everyone! I am very excited about an opportunity the Lord has given me to go to Zimbabwe this summer. I’ve never been on an international mission trip before and really have no idea what to expect, but I’m trusting that the Lord has a reason for me to be there and I’m leaving the results up to Him!
I’ll be helping to run a music camp for a group of kids just outside the capital city of Harare in coordination with a ministry called Hands of Hope. We’ll get to minister to these kids through teaching them about music while also presenting the Gospel to them and sharing hope in the midst of otherwise hopeless circumstances. Please be in prayer for me and our whole team as we prepare for this trip in August, that the Lord’s will would be done and His name would be glorified above all else.
If you would like to support me financially there is a link at the bottom of this page that will allow you to donate directly to my trip fund. Currently I need to raise about $2000 in order to cover travel expenses and airfare. If you are interested in finding out more about my trip feel free to email me at [email protected]! Thank you so much!!
Zimbabwe is one of the most economically depressed countries in the world and AIDS has ravaged the adult population, leaving many orphans without training, parenting, or provision. The Global Encounters team is flying to Africa this summer to love the kids of Zimbabwe and show them Jesus through camp-style ministry. Our 2022 music team will run August 20-September 4!
Why does Zimbabwe need missions?
Zimbabwe was once the “breadbasket of Africa,” the most prosperous sub-saharan African country. Now it is deeply mired in poverty, since their economic collapse in 2007. Hyperinflation and corruption cripple the economy. In addition, Zimbabwe has one of the highest AIDS infection rates in the world and very little medical care, which has resulted in millions of orphans and tens of thousands of child-led households. These children desperately need practical help to meet their basic needs and people who will love them and show them the love of their Heavenly Father.
Global Encounters partners with Hands of Hope, a ministry that has established feeding stations for orphans all over Zimbabwe. These feeding stations keep the kids alive physically, but also provide community, mentoring, and discipleship. Each feeding station is run in connection with a local church that helps take on the responsibility for caring for the orphaned kids.
Hands of Hope also owns a camp facility. Global Encounters teams have been going each year to run summer camps for the kids at the feeding station. We bring them to camp in groups of fifty at a time to be loved, trained, and fed (physically and spiritually). Because the kids at each camp come from the same feeding station and village, we get to see the real life relationships. We help the older ones learn to be protectors rather than bullies and teach all the kids to work together rather than fighting.
We are praying for salvation for any kids who come who may not be saved yet, and for opportunities to disciple each of them in the Lord. We are so grateful for the last two years of fruitful ministry and are excited to be a part of what God does this trip!
