GHANA
Next Departure: Winter 2024
Deadline: September 2024
What to Expect
City of Refuge is home to 70 boys and girls that have been rescued out of extremely difficult situations- and some out of slavery. There are many ways to connect and serve here, whether at the school, church, playground, or with the women of CORE (City of Refuge Empowerment), who are being discipled in Christ and in a trade. Our serving opportunities are adapted based on the strengths of our team and our partners' current needs.
Training (discipleship) for this trip begins 12 weeks prior to the trip. As a team, we will choose a biblical book study to read and discuss together over Skype. We will do online bible plans together and finish up our training with an in-person 72 hour intensive weekend which will include orientation, team building, and discipleship training (growing in knowledge of who God is and who He has called us to be). Overall, your time commitment will primarily be for the 4-day training as well as the actual trip dates. Because it is mandatory, we wait to choose the intensive training dates until after the team is formed, so as to work best with everyone's schedule.
Once in-country, each day will begin with devotional and end with a team debrief. You will sleep safely and comfortably, eating standard meals, and meeting amazing people as you witness God's handiwork already being done. The goal of this trip is to remain flexible to what God would like to do in you and through you as a team and to leave our partners feeling more of the love of God than they did before we arrived.
Partner Video: City of Refuge Ministries
Training & Preparation
A great deal goes into preparing for a short-term mission trip and we are here to help. Through team building exercises, we'll make sure the team knows each other well before leaving home. We will also conduct an in-depth training that includes sessions on cross-culture, evangelism, spiritual warfare, and how to serve others with dignity. You'll have a checklist of items to take care of on your own (like passports, immunizations, and raising support). We will help you stay on track with it all. *As of Jan 2023, Ghana law does NOT require visitors to be COVID-19 vaccinated.
Service Projects
Lake Volta is the world’s largest man-made reservoir and is home to nearly 20,000 children enduring brutal conditions and working as fishermen slaves, Thankfully, many of these children are being rescued. When they are, our partners in Ghana help provide safe housing, schooling, and restoration counseling. They also offer preventative education and job training for the local community so as stop this issue before it starts. As a volunteer team, you will help support our partners efforts by helping in the school, with sports activities, reading & homework, as well as service through outreach. Teams will interact with people of all ages and backgrounds, and share the love of Jesus Christ in word and in action. December is an especially joyous time as we celebrate the birth of our Savior and ring in the New Year celebrating Him with our new friends.
Partner Video: Compassion
Finances
The all-inclusive cost of each trip is $3500. Children 10 and older are welcome to join a parent or guardian on the journey. We will help you with the fundraising and you can set up a payment plan early. You can secure your spot on the team with just a $200 deposit which will go towards your trip. The cost includes round-trip flight, in-country flight, training materials, training space, visas. traveler's medical insurance, team building, funds tracking, meals, in-country transportation, lodging, ministry opportunities, and a local ministry donation. Set team dates will have a certified Faith Journeys leader.
volunteer family