Mission Trip 2023 Overview and Details
Step by Step, I will take you there...
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Below, you can read and get an idea of the process of planning and booking your visit to Bulembu. I will guide you through the steps you will need to take to book your trip. I will attempt to give you an understanding of our trip's content, deadlines and prices.
Click here to get on my mailing list for updates and more information on the next trip to Bulembu...
Below, you can read and get an idea of the process of planning and booking your visit to Bulembu. I will guide you through the steps you will need to take to book your trip. I will attempt to give you an understanding of our trip's content, deadlines and prices.
Understanding the BASIC Mission Trip Package without any side trips or excursions...
High Level Summary:
Fly Non-stop on Delta to Johannesburg, South Africa Departs around 7 pm and lands the next afternoon around 5 pm.
Stay in a nice hotel near the airport, the City Lodge, the first night. We all eat supper together and there is an ATM near by so we can get our dollars changed into Rand. I suggest only getting about $100 worth of Rand as you can use a credit card everywhere.
The next day we travel to Mbabane and stay in the Mountain Inn
Settle in and have lunch
After lunch one of the Pastor's at Potter's Wheel Church will explain "How all this got started"
Time permitting and it can be arranged we will visit an ICBC site.
ICBC — In Community by Community — A site where a starter orphanage is beginning to take shape
Tour the headquarters of Challenge Ministries, Potters Wheel Church
You will learn how all of the ICBC sites and Bulembu got started
Lunch at Mountain Inn and then off to Bulembu, Swaziland — now formally called Eswatini
We will drive about two hours over some interesting terrain and roads to reach Bulembu, Eswatini
We will check in the Bulembu Lodge and Tour the Child Care as well as the Honey House and watch a movie about the history of Bulembu's beginning as a mining town and have Dinner at the Lodge
Then each day we will start the day with Breakfast in the Lodge and then a half day work project.
We will have a chance to meet the kids at their supper time in the main dining hall of Dvudvusi on the last Friday we are in Bulembu
Stay 6 nights in the Bulembu Country Lodge
Work days at Home Renovation and other jobs as needed at the time we visit,
Spend time with the Orphans
On Sunday, we will attend church for about 1 1/2 hours.
We will check out and head to the Skukuza Lodge for the next two nights.
We may have the time and option to take a night safari - More info after we get to the lodge.
The next day we will leave really early for an eight hour photo taking safari
The next day we will check out and a leisurely drive to the Joburg airport
The Flight back home is late in the afternoon so we will not be rushed to get back.
Costs per person: Note: All rooms assume two people sharing the cost of the room
Airfare about $1500 or less
Use Google to set up and track your airfare: FLIGHTS GOOGLE TRACKING
Rooms, meals, Van transport, Safari, Tips and Misc. Cost: about $1,400 per person and will be frozen after August 13th when we know the exact head count for the 2023 Mission. Currently we are planning to have a total of fourteen. Estimated the Dollar to the Rand was $1 to 16 ZAR.
NOTE: Costs shown in red are estimates and as the airfare fluctuates it is recommended you follow the cost of the airfare and book when you feel it is at it's lowest. I first paid over $2,000 on my first trip, then in 2015, I got the fare at $1,283. This was a Co-Inky-Dink also, which I explain on the web page called... wait for it... Co-Inky-Dinks!
Fly Non-stop on Delta to Johannesburg, South Africa Departs around 7 pm and lands the next afternoon around 5 pm.
Stay in a nice hotel near the airport, the City Lodge, the first night. We all eat supper together and there is an ATM near by so we can get our dollars changed into Rand. I suggest only getting about $100 worth of Rand as you can use a credit card everywhere.
The next day we travel to Mbabane and stay in the Mountain Inn
Settle in and have lunch
After lunch one of the Pastor's at Potter's Wheel Church will explain "How all this got started"
Time permitting and it can be arranged we will visit an ICBC site.
ICBC — In Community by Community — A site where a starter orphanage is beginning to take shape
Tour the headquarters of Challenge Ministries, Potters Wheel Church
You will learn how all of the ICBC sites and Bulembu got started
Lunch at Mountain Inn and then off to Bulembu, Swaziland — now formally called Eswatini
We will drive about two hours over some interesting terrain and roads to reach Bulembu, Eswatini
We will check in the Bulembu Lodge and Tour the Child Care as well as the Honey House and watch a movie about the history of Bulembu's beginning as a mining town and have Dinner at the Lodge
Then each day we will start the day with Breakfast in the Lodge and then a half day work project.
We will have a chance to meet the kids at their supper time in the main dining hall of Dvudvusi on the last Friday we are in Bulembu
Stay 6 nights in the Bulembu Country Lodge
Work days at Home Renovation and other jobs as needed at the time we visit,
Spend time with the Orphans
On Sunday, we will attend church for about 1 1/2 hours.
We will check out and head to the Skukuza Lodge for the next two nights.
We may have the time and option to take a night safari - More info after we get to the lodge.
The next day we will leave really early for an eight hour photo taking safari
The next day we will check out and a leisurely drive to the Joburg airport
The Flight back home is late in the afternoon so we will not be rushed to get back.
Costs per person: Note: All rooms assume two people sharing the cost of the room
Airfare about $1500 or less
Use Google to set up and track your airfare: FLIGHTS GOOGLE TRACKING
Rooms, meals, Van transport, Safari, Tips and Misc. Cost: about $1,400 per person and will be frozen after August 13th when we know the exact head count for the 2023 Mission. Currently we are planning to have a total of fourteen. Estimated the Dollar to the Rand was $1 to 16 ZAR.
NOTE: Costs shown in red are estimates and as the airfare fluctuates it is recommended you follow the cost of the airfare and book when you feel it is at it's lowest. I first paid over $2,000 on my first trip, then in 2015, I got the fare at $1,283. This was a Co-Inky-Dink also, which I explain on the web page called... wait for it... Co-Inky-Dinks!
Understanding the Mission Trip Deadlines
The final dates have been confirmed by Bulembu Ministries Swaziland, now the Tour Van Company has to be hired and a final head count of how many mission volunteers are going. We will make room reservations for everywhere except the first night at the City Lodge in Joburg.
Here are the major mile stones that lay before all of us:
STEP 1. You must commit to go by August 15 by sending Larry a deposit of $500 with the balance due on August 30th.
Final payment of $X,XXX per person due: August 30, 2023
THE FINAL AMOUNT DEPENDS ON HOW MANY COMMIT TO GO and will be determined after the August 15th deadline.
STEP 2. July - Sept 2023 - Book your flights we suggest three to four months prior to planned departure date.
Check prices HERE. If you are traveling from Atlanta to JoBurg on our planned dates for 2023 without excursions.
Step 3. Deadline to Book your room in City Lodge on Barbara Road for September 13th, 2023
Book City Lodge Via Expedia or Book on the Hotel's Web Site.
Make sure you book City Lodge Barbara Road for November 4th, 2023
The Hotel's Web site only shows cost in RAND!
NOTE: Check here for current African Rand to Dollar Conversion
Step 4. Deadline to go on line and pay $20 for a police background check requested by Bulembu Management: October 13, 2023.
NOTE: An email will be sent out with a web link to a web portal to request the background check.
5. Deadline to sign and email Childcare Policy and BMS Liability Release: October 13, 2023 Watch for an email.
6. Packing list and other details
Click here to get on my mailing list for updates and more information on the next trip to Bulembu...
Here are the major mile stones that lay before all of us:
STEP 1. You must commit to go by August 15 by sending Larry a deposit of $500 with the balance due on August 30th.
Final payment of $X,XXX per person due: August 30, 2023
THE FINAL AMOUNT DEPENDS ON HOW MANY COMMIT TO GO and will be determined after the August 15th deadline.
STEP 2. July - Sept 2023 - Book your flights we suggest three to four months prior to planned departure date.
Check prices HERE. If you are traveling from Atlanta to JoBurg on our planned dates for 2023 without excursions.
Step 3. Deadline to Book your room in City Lodge on Barbara Road for September 13th, 2023
Book City Lodge Via Expedia or Book on the Hotel's Web Site.
Make sure you book City Lodge Barbara Road for November 4th, 2023
The Hotel's Web site only shows cost in RAND!
NOTE: Check here for current African Rand to Dollar Conversion
Step 4. Deadline to go on line and pay $20 for a police background check requested by Bulembu Management: October 13, 2023.
NOTE: An email will be sent out with a web link to a web portal to request the background check.
5. Deadline to sign and email Childcare Policy and BMS Liability Release: October 13, 2023 Watch for an email.
6. Packing list and other details
Click here to get on my mailing list for updates and more information on the next trip to Bulembu...