Dear Friends,

‘Walk in Love with our Companions’.
Our Companions in Iowa are planning a work visit to Swaziland later this year and have chosen the above theme for this visit. I hope to lead a group from Brechin Diocese to join them.

Purpose:
The first purpose is to help with construction of a priest’s house in Fonteyn, a suburb of Mbabane. The team will spend some days assisting with that project, or a similar project identified by Bishop Ellinah.
The second and equally important purpose is to continue to build and strengthen relationships and support networks with our Companions from Swaziland and Iowa, through sharing in work, worship, travel, visits and social time.
The visit will include several days working on projects, visits to parishes  in rural and urban areas, where we have shared projects and a day visit to Hlane Game Park.

Dates:
It is anticipated that dates will be from 12th September 2017 to 25th/26th September 2017. Dates  will be confirmed once best flight arrangements are clearer. It is likely that the Brechin group will fly to Johannesburg and then travel on to Swaziland by hired coach, since internal Air Link flights are extremely expensive.

Group Membership:
Iowa plans to have a group of 10 – 12 people: a Brechin group is likely to be smaller.
Group membership  is open to clergy and laity,  young and not-so- young, those who have been to Swaziland before and those who have not. The minimum age for this visit is 18.
Group members should be healthy and reasonably fit and will be responsible for arranging their own vaccinations, malaria prevention medication  and travel insurance.

Accommodation:
There is likely to be an overnight stay in a guest house in Johannesburg on arrival. We need to make the drive to Swaziland in daylight.
In Swaziland we will stay at Thokosa, the Diocesan Conference Centre in Mbabane. The accommodation is quite basic by our standards, but clean, comfortable and well run.

Costs:
The total cost of travel and accommodation is likely to be around £2,000. Flights are expensive and Thokosa costs around £39pp, per night on a B&B basis. Lunches and suppers are available there and charged accordingly. We will also have transport costs while there.

Group members will be responsible in the main for meeting their own costs. Our diocese can offer only very limited financial support.
It is an expensive trip, but there is time to seek sponsorship and/or to fund raise.

Those who have visited Swaziland have been filled with gratitude for the experiences they’ve had there and have found their lives transformed by the time spent with their Companions.

If you are interested, or have questions, please get in touch.

Best wishes,
Pat

Patricia A Millar
Companion Links Officer
Diocese of Brechin

Tel. 01382 532972
Mob. 07734800968

patricia.millar@btinternet.com

Categories: Companion dioceses