3. What is there to do if I want to go partying?
Getting around without a car is tricky, specially at night. Bring a book to read.

4. Do the local people like having missionaries around?
As anywhere, they like you as long as you are polite.

5. So why should we come?
Joburg is the biggest city in Africa, and we have a huge number of immigrants. What happens here spreads through the continent. It is a great way to reach lots of people without spending your life in a bus.

Safety:

We really do want staff and teams, but please, before you come here,  check out the news on South Africa from a reputable source. The crime statistics from our local police station are here.

We do have a high crime rate in Joburg. For this reason, many of our visitors from the northern hemisphere feel that their movements are restricted because they cannot travel on public transport at night. Pray before you come to make sure that this is where you should be; Joburg is a hard place and is a challenge for people who have never been away from home on their own before.

Comments from a team, June 2006.... What we wish we had known before we came:

Petronella, Namibia:
I thought that Joseph Project was working with orphans, and I didn't know that it was part of YWAM because the name didn't have "YWAM" in it. I thought that the kids stayed here.

Pip, England:
Before I came to Joburg, the only things I ever heard about it were negative, saying how dangerous it is and unsafe. But since being here and especially walking around at night it really is beautiful and I felt very comfortable. No-one gives it the recognition it should have for the positive parts but instead they linger on the negative!

Narooma, Scotland:
I didn't realise just how cold it was in winter in Joburg. It feels sometimes more like Scotland (where I come from) than Africa! I am really enjoying the minstry here and I think that it has a lot of potential and is greatly impacting the community for Christ. I am happy to be a part of it as an outreach team.

Janis, Canada:
Some helpful tips for Joburg novices:
    -    acknowledge well in advance that four-square (a game played at Joseph Project) is an art form. It would also be helpful to come to terms with the fact that you will never be as good at it as the kids here at the centre. That simple.
    -    there is a common misconception that Africa is always hot. Not so my friends. Throw out the swimsuit and and sunblock - a scarf and thermal underwear would be much more appreciated. Cheers!

Emma, Sweden:
I was happily surprised over the fact that Joseph Project is quite a small ministry that makes it possible to come very close to the core of it. I love how you can interact with the staff that is working here, you can easily share your opinion, ask questions and get a great insight in how the project is working and that makes you learn a lot.

Jenny, USA:
I wish I had known about the kids I would be working with, common problems of the community and family life. And, what I could do to help them while I was here. Then I wouldn't have had to figure it out the first week.

For more information, please email thom_at_josephproject.org.za (remove the "_at_" it is for spam protection)