GO Mamelodi

Are you ready to GO?

We hope so, because you are going to Mamelodi!

Important dates to keep in mind:
Now, the important details you need to know:

1. We have filled over 400 trip spots (this includes our two-weekers).

However, we do have a little wiggle room in the numbers. Therefore, we are leaving signups open and still taking people on a first come, first served basis. If you know of anyone else who would still like to GO, please get them to sign up ASAP. We will then confirm their spot via e-mail.

2. We will give you all the info you need at our first mandatory trip meetings.

They will take place on Monday, June 9 and Tuesday, June 10 from 7-9pm in CSM. Both sessions are exactly the same. So you start to recognize your team's faces, we ask that week one participants try to attend on Monday the 9th and week two participants try to attend on Tuesday the 10th. Two-weekers should also try to attend on Tuesday the 10th. Please come to the other session If you cannot make it on your designated night. Childcare will not be provided during these times.

These meetings are where we will reveal all you need to know about the coming months. We will also spend a lot of time on fundraising and the online fundraising system. Please note that the online system will not be operational until these meetings. If you are already raising money, please collect paper checks and bring them with you to the first meeting. If you fear something bad will happen to your checks if they are in your possession for too long, then you can drop them off in the Crossroads office.

"Mandatory" means that you need to attend one of these June meetings. This is where you will find out stuff like what shots you need. If for some reason you happen to be out of town during these times, we will be posting information online in the days following each mandatory meeting.

If you do not live in the Tri-State area, then we assume that you will not be flying in for the meetings. We promise to do whatever we can to keep you up to date. Please watch your e-mail closely in the days following the meeting times and be sure to check our website regularly to keep informed on trip happenings.

Our contact e-mail, gomamelodi@crossroads.net, is open for your questions, however, please know that we will answer everything about the upcoming trip at the mandatory meetings. Therefore, please do not e-mail us about stuff like work teams, roommates, flight schedules, fundraising ideas, shots, etc. All will be talked about in June. Questions about signups, deposits, trip status, etc are encouraged.

3. Between now and the June meetings there will be a handful of awesome opportunities for you to get your South Africa on.

In case you didn't know, around 40 people from Charity & Faith are coming to Crossroads in two weeks for Host Mamelodi. As part of that , there will be a free concert of South African music, hosted by Hospice of Cincinnati and featuring the Charity worship team, to benefit the AIDS hospice in Mamelodi. The concert is at Crossroads on Sunday, May 18 at 6pm. The concert is free, though they will ask for donations to help benefit the hospice. This is a sweet opportunity to get a taste of what you'll be experiencing in Mamelodi, and to butter-up some potential trip donors, so please bring your friends and family with you. If you want to volunteer at the concert, please e-mail Marianne at mecafaro@gmail.com.

Second, our South African friends, including Pastor TItus, will have a major role in the May 17-18 services at Crossroads. Please try to get to a service that weekend to hear what Titus has to say about our partnership and to hear some incredible music.

Third, on Sunday, May 25 from 1-4pm, there will be a GO Mamelodi Tailgate in the Annex parking lot. All of the Host Mamelodi people will be there, and all past and present Go Mamelodi participants are invited. It's just a great time to party it up in a parking lot and to meet people from both sides of the ocean who are involved in this ministry. Everyone should bring their own food, cornhole, etc. (just like at a Bengals game).

4. GET YOUR PASSPORT!

We told you in the info sessions that you would hear this A LOT. You need to get a passport if, 1) you don't have one, 2) your current passport expires before JUNE 1, 2009 (Yes, 2009) or, 3) your current passport does not have two consecutive blank pages in it. It can take a very long time to get a passport so DO IT NOW. At the June meetings we will be asking you for proof that you either have a passport or that you have applied for one. You can start the process here.

If you have a non-US passport, please e-mail us immediately with the name of the country that issued your passport. This has been a problem for people in the past.

That's it for your first edition of the GO Mama Gazette. Expect a lot more of these.
It's awesome to have you on-board! Let's GO change the world.

Love,
The GO Mama Leadership Team