Dear Mission Trip Potential Participants, Beacon of Hope is planning our upcoming mission trip for February 9th-26th, 2023.  Registration for the trip is still open but we would like to have a good idea of who the participants are going to be by October 31.  The first week will be at a conference center in South Africa. Our plan for the first week is to bring all of our African partners from South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Uganda together at one location for a week of training and encouragement.  The conference center is situated on a game farm (Wild life preserve) about 2.5 hours north of Johannesburg. The conference will be held at the Hippo Lakes Conference Center, This video gives you an idea of accommodations and surroundings.  Included in our accommodation will be a one time open truck safari drive with a game ranger to view the wildlife.  Additional Safari drives can be taken at your own expense for $14 per outing.  This conference facility is owned and operated by a Christian operation named "Teach Every Nation" (TEN), founded by Bruce Wilkinson, well known Christian book Author.  The President and CEO of Teach Every Nation, Martin Deacon, presents a short video describing their purpose for this conference center and to introduction their program Bible School on Wheels. " The Teach Every Nation's / Bible School on Wheels training program" Agenda for week 1 activities: February 12-17 (a) Bible School on Wheels Introductory presentation by Teach Every Nation. (b) Discipleship as instituted by Jesus. (c) Vision Cast event for our Johannesburg team that will double as a training exercise to all of our other partners. (d) Presentations of Micro Enterprise Programs being implemented by our partners. (e) Fiscal, Business, and management consideration for starting and operating a Micro Enterprise business to support ministries. Second Week activities: February 18-25 For the second week the US contingent will split into two teams, one going to Kitwe, Zambia, and the second going to Iganga, Uganda to observe and participate in the ministry activities of our partner organizations PLAEP, CASP and IPM. (a) Partners for Life Advancement and Education Promotion (PLAEP) Kitwe Zambia. See the Ministry or Enterprise activities you could observe or participate in: PLAEP promotional video (b) Canada Africa Schools Partners (CASP) Iganga, Uganda. Some of the Ministries or Enterprise activities we will participate in are: Smart Choices HIV/AIDS prevention program, Discipleship classes, Bible School on Wheels student graduation ceremony, visit the Goat Farm Micro Enterprise business. (c) International Preservation Ministry (IPM) Iganga, Uganda. IPM, led by Naura Doreen, is attempting to care for 40+ abandoned street kids, many with special needs.  We want to observe the situation with these kids, evaluate her needs and determine if we are able help her more. We will also observe and evaluate her Micro Enterprise of planting crops. Raising Support Everyone who participates on the mission trip are required to raise their own support to cover their trip expenses.  This cost will be $4,400 and covers all airfares, accommodation, in country ground transport, travel insurance, and visas. Click this  Support Letter link to download a sample support letter This letter is just a sample to provide you most of the salient information that a supporter might be interested in.  You can customize the first page of the letter to say whatever you like to portray to your potential donors what is on your heart about going on the trip. Anyone paying their own way is not absolutely obligated to send out the support letters but as was said it the presentation, there are a number of very good reasons to do so.  Not sending a letter might deprive someone the opportunity to participate in the mission without actually going.  Your friends and family will be more likely to follow the activities of the trip if they are also contributing. People who donate to a mission trip participant can quite easily become a long term donor to Beacon of Hope.  Second Page Support Policy: Try and keep the letter to one page.  If you are familiar with using mail merge you can replace “Supporter” with the supporters name using mail Merge, or you can just delete Supporter and hand write the supporters name.  The second page must remain as it is except for placing your name on the top line by replacing the italic text “your name” Return address envelope. Include a return addressed envelope with your letter addressed to the Beacon of Hope mailing address: 24851 Costeau St, Laguna Hills, CA 92653.Return address labels can be provided for you if that would streamline your support letter mailing.  

There is a mission trip information meeting on Sunday July 24, 2022 from 2:00-4:00 pm at the Smiths' house in Laguna Hills, California for those who are local.  We will also activate a zoom call for those who are out of the area.  Specific address and zoom call details to follow closer to the time. We will also record the zoom call and post it for later viewing for anyone who is unable to attend in person or on Zoom on July 24.  If you already competed the Trip Participation Form last time please do it again because  questions and options are added so it will also double as the Information Meeting RSVP. Trip Participation Form and Info Meeting RSVP