Quotes from famous people:

"Young people are going off on Xplore and they are changed, and coming back really wanting to change the world. And it is mostly young people at the heart of change in the world today. I root for young people - you are fantastic! Don't allow yourselves to be infected with the cynicisms of oldies like us. Believe that you can make this world a much, much better place and I know you will succeed….God depends on you!" Archbishop Desmond Tutu

"Xplore is an exciting and dynamic gap year for all those wishing to grow deeper in their faith; for those who are passionate to be challenged, stretched and encouraged to live radical, wholehearted lives"  Tim Hughes

Xplore 2010/11

Written by Jo after her 2010 trip to Romania

Our trip to Romania is not like anything I have ever done before, having never been on a mission trip before I was excited yet scared before we went. I had no idea what to expect and I never expected to enjoy it as much as I did! I am not highly known for my manual labour so when on the first day we were thrown into practical hard work it was a shock to my system. However, knowing that what we were doing would help others gave me motivation to keep working even when I was tired and just wanted to put the spade down!

The first full day we were there we were helping to make a house liveable for the girl volunteers out there. At first this felt like we weren't really being used in the way we had hoped because we weren't helping the community directly but over time we realised that if the volunteers didn't have somewhere to live then there wouldn't be any help for the community at all. It felt good to know that we were needed and to be able to put so much hard work in. Every single person on our team was motivated enough and worked through all the aches, pains and blisters.

However, for me the most valuable day of the trip was the final Wednesday. I had been ill on Monday so had to stay at home whilst the others went to work on the School in the community. Here they saw the local gypsy kids whilst they were working and saw, from the outside, the poorer houses. When I got to the school on the following Wednesday I wasn't sure what to expect. Ed and I were taken around the poorest houses in the communities and spent time sitting with the families, playing with the children and helping with anything they needed help with. This ranged from fixing a phone that wasn't working, to teaching a young girl how to write in English. When I got back to the School to carry on with the digging the rest of the team swapped and they all went to visit the houses.

As Neville and I stood and took shelter from the rain, I was overcome with emotion for the children I had met. They had all been so happy and full of joy and yet they had nothing. The houses we went into were just one room for the entire family and some of them could only afford clothes for 2 out of their 6 kids. Seeing all this and seeing how happy they were didn't make sense to me and I couldn't understand why it had to happen. Why we are able to have wardrobes full of clothes when people only a 3-hour flight from us can't dress their children? The injustice hit me like a wave of emotion and I cried for all the kids I had seen that day.

It was a real wake up call for me. I have never been on a mission trip before so have never seen any of that first hand. To sit in their homes, to be welcomed in so warmly and see all their smiles despite everything they suffer was overwhelming. I will never forget Romania and words cannot describe how glad I am that we had the opportunity to go and experience it.

Xplore 2009/10

"Xplore for me is pushing the boundaries, getting out there and telling people about God." Jeni

"I'm on Xplore because God is the most awesome part of my life, and I want to share how wicked he is with everyone." Thom

"For me, Xplore is about having fun, but also learning, improving my relationship with God and learning about people from different communities and backgrounds." Tom

"Xplore is a group of young people really going for God, learning how to tell others about God, having a laugh and becoming good friends." Abi

"Xplore will challenge you from day one. It helps you see what else you might want to do with God." Joe

Xplore 2008/09

"In many ways I don't know what this adventure with Xplore is going to bring because everything is new and exciting." Winnie

"My passion in life is to serve the least, last and the lost and to tell them the good news about Jesus." Ryan

"It's really good, we're getting involved so much and getting closer to God as we do it." Mike

"As soon as I began getting the thirst for Jesus, that's when I really became on fire. That is what I want to happen, people to have a thirst for Jesus." Damien

Xplore 2007/08

Phil Clark, the former prgramme leader, writes about Xplore for Inspire Magazine.

The video below is from the Global Gap Year scheme in Australia - see what their young people have to say: