Short Term Outreaches
Interested and have questions? Before committing, please email missions@crossroadschurch.ca.
If you are committed to going on a trip please complete the application form.
Donate to a Short-Term Outreach here.
Please specify the team you are supporting in the notes!
Each financial contribution designated towards a specific team member will be used as designated with the understanding that if they reach their full support or withdraw from the outreach, the remaining restricted contributions will be used where most needed as directed by the Missions Office.
All donations over $50 will be issued tax receipts at the end of the year.
Africa Short Term Outreaches 2023
uganda - March 2023
Did you know Sir Winston Churchill termed Uganda the ‘Pearl of Africa?’ Uganda boasts the largest freshwater lake on the continent and the second-longest river in the world, the Nile. Uganda is also known to have some of the friendliest people in the world. We invite you to come see for yourself how special Uganda is!
Join our team as we go to support and encourage our friends and long-time partners at International Needs (IN). Our team will be based at the IN campus in Buikwe, Uganda which is 2-3 hours North East of Kampala, the capital. Due to our current focus on education, the majority of our time will be spent (but not limited to) supporting students and staff at the schools. This will be both formal (classroom time, meetings with staff or in community) and informal settings such as soccer or volleyball, hanging out at the dorms, running special activities, etc. Currently there are 3 schools on campus: an elementary, a combined middle/high school and technical school as well as an additional elementary school in Kiyindi, which is a nearby town IN also serves.
During this time in Uganda, you will be invited into the classroom and on campus to get to know the students and find creative and fun ways to support and invest in them and their teachers. You will have the chance to participate in a powerful church service held on campus and run by the students. You will have the beautiful opportunity to go on a home visit, which will show you what traditional life in Buikwe looks like through the lens of a local family being impacted by the support of IN. You will have a chance to learn about Uganda and experience some of its culture through some fun excursions. There will also be many more things (and people) that will shape this experience for you that won’t be in the schedule!
The team will leave March 8th and return the 22nd. The exact details of the trip will be designed with the partners over the next few weeks and months. A valid passport and Yellow Fever vaccination (as requested by Ugandan Govt) is required for travel. Once the team has been selected, we will set up opportunities for team building and training.
Rwanda - July 2023 (Apply here)
Come to Africa and enjoy seeing the stunning country of Rwanda with its complex history and beautiful lush green hills. Rwanda is one of the safest countries in the world and it is the smallest country in East Africa. When thinking of Rwanda, many only recall the atrocities of 1994 but that was nearly 30 years ago and this country has seen so many changes since then. In this landlocked country, they value animal and environmental conservation and make it a priority. Plastic bags have been outlawed for many years! They are proud that women make up over 64% of their parliament and they have one of the fastest growing economies in Africa. Come with us and encounter Rwanda's transformation and how our partner is playing a large role.
As you join this team you will be guided by a great team of World Relief staff, all of whom are Rwandan. You will start the journey with a day or 2 in the capital city where you will go through orientation from the HQ staff and also visit the National Genocide Memorial and Museum, a somber but rich experience. You will then take off for a cross-country road trip where you will see the urban centre turn to rural communities. Our team will then be based in the District of Nyamasheke (Southwest Rwanda) at a comfortable but simple guest house. We will visit various groups of people who will share with us how the work and ministry of World Relief has totally transformed their lives, families, churches and communities.
You will participate in a Savings for Life group and have a chance to meet vulnerable men and women who have started life-giving businesses through their financial growth in these groups. You will meet farmers who have walked through the Farming for Life training and have a chance to hear their personal stories of how their farming is now exponentially more productive. As we visit homes, we will share a cup of tea with pastors & vulnerable children, and listen to their stories. We will have the opportunity to pray over them and encourage them with the ministry of presence. We will participate in 1 or 2 traditional church services and have the chance to worship with our brothers and sisters there while they teach us a thing or two about dancing with joy! If the team is there the last Saturday of the month, we will participate in the country-wide community work initiative Umaganda, doing labor alongside those you have been getting to know.
Come and be inspired and encourage those we have been partnering with since 2013. This is open to anyone ready for an adventure! The team will be there from July 11th to 22nd and the application deadline is February 14th. A valid passport is all that is required to travel. Apply now to make sure you don’t miss out! Once the team has been selected, we will set up opportunities for team building and training.
Serving Ukraine Refugees in Moldova
Second Moldova Team
October 19th - November 2nd we sent out another team to Moldova with Partner's International lead by Kelvin Singh and Brenda Dahl. Their time there primarily involved assisting with Ukrainian refugees coming into Moldova. This team had the opportunity to support the efforts on the ground as they support partners in a number of ways. If you would like to learn more about their time, visit our blog which provides a day by day outlook on what the team did in Moldova. Or watch an interview with Jaycee, one of the participants in the Young Adult team we sent to Moldova last May. Their stories are incredible!
Previous Short-term Outreaches Have Included:
- Camp Moira - Lesvos, Greece
- Uganda
- Refugee Camp - Porto Astro, Greece
- Nyamasheke, Rwanda
- Haiti
