After speaking with our contacts who live in Swazi, this is our new updated ministry supplies list. As you’re collecting ministry supplies, don’t go crazy. If everyone committed to bringing 1 or 2 of these items, we’d be covered. 
There are suggested amounts on each item for good reason. If the suggestion is to bring 40 glue sticks, please do not bring 140…bigger is not necessarily better in this case. 🙂 Know that when you get here to GA, we’re going to combine all of our ministry supplies in as few bags as possible. This is to make extra space for baby quilts we’ll be taking over to the orphans in Swazi. I know that a few of you have been working on getting all of this organized, and I thank you! Please run with this updated list now. Whoever wants to step up and spearhead this, that’s great! Just make sure the entire team (and leaders) are on any emails. I don’t really care how it all breaks down, just make sure that on June 14th when our team convenes in GA that we have all the needed ministry supplies. Thanks guys for your help with this!!
Ministry Supply List:
1. Household scissors: 20-30 some kid sized and some adult sized so we can precut stuff so the kids don’t have to handle scissors too much.
2. about 40 glue sticks
3. a few bottles of Craft Glue/Tacky Glue
4. Construction Paper – just get loose leaf…from a package…sparkles, marble, and bright colors are fun. We’ll go through tons and tons of this. So we can almost all just bring 1 or 2 packs and we should be fine
5. Paper Plates- just the cheap ones will work…again a 300+ will work Great
6. Sharpies of all colors- again a very useful thing for name tags especially.
7. Tape- scotch tape, masking tape, duct tape, packing tape (clear kind) are all good and useful. Multiple rolls of colored masking/duct tape for the kid’s name tags was a hit last year.
8. Buckets of craft foam- some times they even have foam stickers…kids love those things…there are also crosses and religious shapes you can get. The kids love all kinds of stickers!!
9. Small paper bags…brown and white lunch bags are good i brought like 400 last year we made puppets with them…again lots of fun!
10. Felt, Ribbon, Extra Materials- it’s always fun to see what random stuff you can make out of these things.
11. Animal balloons and a pump.
12. Regular balloons. Lots and lots!!!
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3. Crayola markers and crayons- washables are best…just a bunch of standard 8 or 12 packs of markers and larger 8 packs or the normal 24 packs of crayons will work for the kids- good for anytime they draw.
14. Crayola stampers
15. Coloring pages!!! Make a bunch of copies of some Bible story color pages…the kids love to sit and color with you and their friends. Or bring some books along
16. Balls- deflated soccer balls, basketballs, volleyballs, kickballs, nerf balls, frisbees, footballs, etc, are fun for games with the kids. Oh…don’t forget a needle and pump…or else they will be useless. **Soccer balls, Frisbees and jumping / skipping ropes are big favorites in Swazi.
Please do not bring:
- Popsicle or Craft sticks…PLEASE DO NOT bring more of this!!!! We have more than what we now what to do with!!!! If you want to use it for ministry we have it for you!!
- Multi-colored or florescent typing paper… Not really a need for this.
- Yarn…PLEASE DO NOT bring yarn. We have lots and lots.
- Packs of craft floss… not really a need for this.
- Pipe cleaners…We don’t really need more.
***If there are any questions with this, please comment here.
I can get the buckets of craft foam
I will get the sharpees and the tape of all sorts!! =]
I have a friend who was wondering if there were kids that needed clothes, cause his mom has a bunch of old childrens clothes (from I think it was like age 4 to 11)
I think the pump is for animal balloons.
and some of us aren’t skilled at blowing up balloons! haha
I love french toast as well!
anyone here ever try a pepperoni roll..you prolly only have ever heard of it if you like in states surrounding WV. lol.
I have received all of my support money and some donors have even given me money to buy supplies, so I can buy several deflated playground balls, soccer balls, frisbees, etc. I’ll even buy a pump and needle with the extra money they have donated.
This is great!! Exactly what we need to be happening here. Keep it up guys!
I can get glue and construction paper.
Another thing a couple people in my church have given me little toys like barbies, little cars, and some fold-up cloth frisbies I didn’t know what to do with them.
I have about a BILLION bible story coloring books and the like.. so i got the coloring pages
also i can get animal balloons, regular balloons and a pump 🙂
I’ll bring paper bags.. I’ll probably come up with more things I can bring if anyone wants me to bring anything tell me
This is great guys. According to your responses, we still need someone to bring:
-paper plates
-animal balloons & pump
-regular balloons (probably everyone should bring some of these so we have lots)
-markers & crayons
-other random craft stuff we could use with kids. Ideas??
If you’re finding that you don’t have something specific to bring assigned to you, just bring whatever supplies you can. Talk to people and see what they’re willing to donate for the trip.
i’ll take markers and crayons as well as the balloons (normal kind)
oohh Ballons… HA! I love ballons! but why do you need a pump that takes the whole fun out of ballons..
do they actually have pumps for them? Cause I was not aware of this..
well… I think we got some Brass players in the house..
AKA: Rob and I
Tuba and Trumpet
Haha… I dont know if anyone noticed.. but above where i left my first comment I said i got both regular and animal balloons 🙂
as well as a pump and coloring pages
ok you win sarahlaine!!
sorry… LOL! I like to be a source of kayos it’s the joy of life…
I apologize for my weirdness.. and eh.. yeah….
Anybody here like French Toast?
cause.. I love french toast
haha… yall are so hilarious!.. i can bring lots of paper plates and markers and stuff…..
pepperoni roll?
is that like stromboli or somethin like that?
what’evah it is sound’s real good to me…
I’m always hungry…
anyway.. about the ministry supply list…
For those of you who haven’t committed to bringing something on this list…what are you filling your ministry supply suitcase with?? You don’t have to get everything on this list…it’s just some ideas. But don’t wait until the last minute.
Here are some more ideas…
-Bring extra soccer balls and outdoor toys. They can never have enough soccer/sports balls.
-Bring a lot of really cool strings/hemp/bracelet material and multi-colored, multi-sized beads to make bracelets and jewelry with the women. Not your typical boring colored Jesus beads, either. Be creative!
In Swazi, the English is so bad among the little ones, that we do lots of hands-on stuff with them. Bracelets are always a huge hit because you can make them anywhere. Tons of people just sit and sit at the hospital, especially those with small sick children. You could teach them how to make bracelets and do it together.
These are the people that have not posted here what they are brining…
Sarah, Tawney, Bekah, Rachel, Jennifer, Kirstie, Lauren, Peter, Derek, Chris.
If you don’t know what to bring, refer back to the list on this post. You each have a designated bag for ministry supplies, so be thinking what you’ll pack. Or get creative and bring something fun that could be useful in ministry…even if it’s not on the ministry supply list.