Greetings family and friends. I am writing you today to update you on my decision to go to South Africa. So my journey to South Africa in many ways started with Mennonite Church USA Convention 2013. I learned a little about immigration when I was near the border in Arizona last summer and since then I have followed my urge to learn more about immigration and migration by going to a detention center in Georgia and traveling to Guatemala. After hearing peoples stories and seeing the lives of others I have become very interested in learning more about the cycle of poverty and how it interacts with the displacement of people.
On August 24th my journey to South Africa begins! I will be participating in the Mennonite Mission Network program called Radical Journey. I will be living with my host family in PieterMaritzBurg, attending their church, and I will be volunteering (where is TBA). The volunteer position will be through the church and I may be working with people who lost their land during the apartheid. I would be walking with these people by listening to their stories and journaling their experiences.
The cost of my trip is around $10,000. I have raised $7,500 dollars through the Nelson’s BBQ fundraiser in March, the job I had this summer, my graduation money, Walnut Hill Mennonite Church donation, and my savings. The $10,000 will go towards: my visa to be in South Africa, my flight to California (for orientation), my airfare to South Africa, and the stipend given to the family I will live with (so your contributions will be double fold). At this time I am $2,500 short of my goal which I need to raise as quickly as possible.
I will be returning to Goshen, IN in July 2015. I would appreciate your prayer support while I am in South Africa. I will be updating the Blog regularly. If you would like donate monetarily towards my journey please write checks to Trever Yoder and mail them to:
℅ Brenda Weaver
18392 CR 46
New Paris IN 46553
Thank you for your support,
Trever Yoder
