RISE International

One of the elements that makes RISE unique is its focus on people and relationships. Keeping our mission on a personal level, RISE teams travel to Angola on a "Pilgrimage of Service" to provide workshops and educational programs for all ages that are designed to motivate, unify, encourage, enrich and empower. The philosophy at the heart of the pilgrimage is that "we eat dust with them." We live like those in the rural areas of Angola when we're with them--grass/mud huts, outhouses, no electricity, no running water, bathing in a basin, limited food options... We want to challenge our vision of "the good life" and what really matters.

Through our work and our interactions, the impact on individuals is powerful, and even life changing, as personal friendships are formed and relational bonds surmount the cultural gap. The benefits cannot be overestimated. Team members give of themselves to share their resources, knowledge and skills with others in need, and in the process discover enrichment and blessing beyond measure through relationships formed with people they came to work with and to serve.