“My goal on the mission trip was to show God’s love to the Batwa people. I saw the hope of redemption in their eyes and felt it in their hugs. Through Jesus Christ and the people willing to be His hands and feet, Hope Ministries Uganda is restoring lives and helping the Batwa to have hope in their future.”
Mission Trips
Currently we offer short term mission trips that last 10-15 days. You can sign up either as a SHORT TERM TEAM or OPEN SHORT TERM TEAM (specific dates).
Mission Trip Information
Going on mission is an exciting God adventure, but it can come with a lot of questions and concerns about going to an underdeveloped country and the people that you will encounter. Below is information that will probably answer most of your questions about your potential trip. We try to keep our information as up to date as possible. Most of this information can be found in our handbook. The handbook has all forms that need to be turned in prior to the trip, gives an introduction to Hope Ministries Uganda, the country, the Batwa, what to bring. We also have a team leader handbook that helps with organizing your trip.
Mission Teams from Hope Ministries Uganda USA
2017 was a year of great excitement as Hope Ministries Uganda USA brought over their first two mission teams. Some of their work is highlighted below.
July 2017 Discovery Mission Team
The first Discovery Mission Team came in July. They had a team of nine from the USA and seven from Kampala. The team ministered to the hearts of the people and lives were transformed because of the work they did. These are just some of the things they did and we praise God for this team and all who partnered with them to make this happen.
- Evangelism
- The Mukungu community was trained on the importance of clean water and taught them how to use Sawyer Water Filters that were donated through Wine to Water
- Our HDC pastors received first aid training
- First aid supplies and medicines were also brought
- Sewing classes were offered to the women and the craft cooperatives were encouraged to use these skills for design and production
- The team had an opportunity to speak with Members of Parliament and the Minister of Finance
- A general health clinic was run by the team
- Updating pictures were taken for the children’s records
- Shoes that Grow were handed out to all of the children
- Many recreational games were brought for the children, including jump ropes, soccer balls, parachutes, and much more
November 2017 Discovery Mission Team
In November Hope Ministries Uganda USA brought over a team of 8 from the USA and 7 from Kampala. This team came over to work on our farm project. The team preached, conducted home visits, prayed over the sick and the lost, and loved on all of the children. Despite the rains and the road conditions, this team worked so hard!
- Built two barns, rabbit cages, and purchased animals
- The first barn was built for meat goats and our pastor in Kasovu was trained on how to take care of the goats
- The second barn was placed at the Rubuguri campus and was built to house 60 chickens, 5 roosters, and many rabbits
- The team took our younger children from the Rubuguri Campus and gave them there first hot baths. The children were over joyed as they felt so loved.
- Some of the team also attended a burial of one of our Batwa men. We thank Hope Ministries Uganda USA for helping to make sure this man had a proper burial.
- Coats and overalls were also purchased and handed out to the children.
How do Mission Trips work?
For these trips, you gather a team of 10-15 team members from your church, school, or organization and then partner with us to serve in Uganda.
If you are interested in coming on mission, but do not have a team of your own, you can sign up for one of our open teams.
Teams of 10-15 are a great size for a team. Teams can split up into two smaller groups if desired to work in different areas. We can possibly go up to 20 in a group, but this would have to be approved beforehand. Our hope is that your group will have similar ages, job skills and activity levels. This will help make the team more productive.
Short Term Teams generally stay anywhere from 10-15 days, which includes travel. 10 is the minimum. Depending on your flight you typically lose about a day coming. You may also need a rest period for jet lag.
Any time of year is a great time of year to take a trip to Uganda. The weather in the Kisoro District during the day is in the mid 70’s and a night it drops down into the mid 40’s. During rainy season it does sometimes drop to the upper 30’s. The temperatures are lower in this part of Uganda because we are located at higher elevations. Airfare varies greatly throughout the year, however. Generally March/April and Sept/Oct are the cheapest times to travel. Winter is the second cheapest, and summer is the most expensive time to travel. Your specific airfare will depend on the airport you fly out of, the carrier you use, and the flight pattern you choose, but generally it will range between $1100 and $2,000. You will fly into Kigali, Rwanda. You will have to apply for an East African Visa which will allow you to cross over the boarder into Uganda. You can book this, or we can book your tickets for you for a truly all inclusive trip cost.
Cost will vary based on what type of team you bring. For instance, if its a medical team, the project supplies may be more expensive. Running a full children’s camp will be more expensive than a light construction trip. In general, though, all in-country expenses generally run at $1500 US dollars per person plus project expenses. This is inclusive of all in country expenses. It does NOT include airfare, your East African Visa fee to enter the country ($100) and any pre-trip vaccinations you choose to get. An exact per person cost will be given to you when you complete the preliminary booking form for your trip.
There are many opportunities for ministry here so that regardless of what your gifting is, there is a place you can make an impact. Here’s just a sample:
- Ministry to Teenagers
- Ministry to Children
- Orphan Care
- Medical
- Educational
- Clean Water Projects
- Church Planting
- Pastoral Training
- Evangelism
- English as a Second Language
- Sports Ministry
- Worship/Music/Preaching
- VBS (camps for children or teenagers)
- Light Construction
- Heavy Construction (professional builders only)
- Counseling
- Skills Training (such as sewing, crocheting, automechanics, woodworking, etc.)