Guatemala 2013 Mission Trip Information
What: We provide an awesome kids camp in Rio Hondo, Guatemala. We minister to impoverished families who the Northwest team has built relationships with over the last 13 years. The kids camp includes worship, devotionals, crafts, games, and lunch, with separate activities planned for elementary kids and teenagers. We also have a program for mothers and very young children during camp. In the late afternoon, we lead a Bible study program for adults, small group sharing time for teenagers, and a game time for children. We spend one day conducting an outreach at local schools and a pastor’s conference and another day working on a service project that will benefit the ministries of FAM missionaries Julio and Lucki Garcia, whom we partner with in Guatemala.
Dates: Leave Friday, July 12:
American Flight 2137 DFW to Guatemala City 4:55 pm to 7:00 pm
Return Saturday, July 20:
American Flight 2138 to Guatemala City to DFW 8:30am to 1:00pm
Cost: $1,700 per adult and minor unaccompanied by an adult family member
$1000 per minor accompanied by an adult family member
If you provide your own transportation, $1,000 per adult and $300 per accompanied minor.
These amounts cover the cost of all meals except those in the airport and in Antigua.
Deadlines: March 28: Applications and a deposit of $500 per adult and $250 per accompanied minor.
May 19: Additional $1,200 per adult and $750 per accompanied minor.
Make checks payable to Northwest Bible Church and designate Guatemala, but not individual names on memo line.
Mail checks and applications to: Lee and Susan Riffe
3833 Villanova
Dallas, TX 75225
Leadership Team: Graham and Heather Dyer
John and Suzanne Gajdica
Brad and Connie Hairston
Amado Lozano
Lee and Susan Riffe
Dena Stanford
Ed and Suzanna Voss
Extra Copies of Handout and links to online videos about the trip and Julio and Lucki’s ministry can be found at:
http://www.northwestbible.org/newsevents/coming-soon/guatemala-mission-trip/15/
Questions: Lee and Susan Riffe
214-361-6380 (H) 469-569-5789 (Lee’s Cell) 214-728-1458 (Susan’s Cell)
(Lee) sriffe@ smu.edu (Susan)
Frequently Asked Questions
I feel called to go, how do I raise support?
Read attached support raising instructions and attach letter from Northwest to your support letters. Get started right away to give people adequate time to respond. If you pay for you own trip, please ask others to support you through prayer and by providing other items you need for the trip.
What should I do first?
(1) Make sure you have a passport that is valid throuh our travel dates.
Apply right away if you need one in case of complications with the process. Children need passports as well. The government link for passports is: http://travel.state.gov/passport/passport_1738.html
(2) Consult with your doctor about vaccines and get started on the process if you decide to get them.
You should be up-to-date with routine vaccines suggested by your doctor such as:
measles/mumps/rubella (MMR) vaccine, diphtheria/pertussis/tetanus (DPT) vaccine, poliovirus vaccine, flu shots, etc.
The official CDC recommendations for Guatemala are:
Hepatitis A and B (shot sequence)
Typhoid (shot or oral)
Up-to-date tetanus (every 10 years)
Malaria (you should consult with your Dr. for which medicine is right for you)
What if I don’t speak Spanish?
We bring in about 30 translators from a seminary in Guatemala City to help us. It is very helpful if you speak Spanish, but not at all necessary.
What are the accommodations like?
We will stay in a hotel that is somewhat like a Motel 6 in America; the rooms are air conditioned and clean. We eat breakfast and dinner in the hotel and swim in the hotel pool in the afternoon. We buy supplies for peanut butter sandwiches, trail mix, fruit, crackers, etc. to eat lunch at the camp location.
What about safety?
Anytime you travel to a third world country, there are safety concerns. We are in a rural area where there is less crime compared to Guatemala City, but there has been drug-related violence in the town where we serve. Trip members feel safe throughout the trip because the camp is on private property at a local clinic in an enclosed area among people we know well. As a precaution, we hire armed security guards to travel with us on the bus rides and to patrol the area while we are conducting camp.
Is it hot?
Yes, but we are from Dallas so we can handle it
What supplies will I need to take for the trip? We will go through an extensive packing list at the new members meeting on Sunday, April 7th, but here are a few notables.
*The team wears coordinated red, yellow, green and blue t-shirts. Any shade is fine.
* Major expenditures for trip supplies are reimbursed through the trip budget. However, you may need to make small expenditures for trip supplies. For example, team leaders buy small gifts ($1-$2 each) for their 15-20 kids for the last day. Those in a skit may need to buy a costume. You may ask others to help with these needs.
* For modesty reasons, women and girls must wear shorts that approach the knee or capri pants Saturday thru Thursday while we are in Rio Hondo. For example, short Nike athletic shorts are not allowed because they send the wrong message in the Guatemalan culture.
* Each adult and unaccompanied minor will be allowed one personal suitcase and will also be responsible to provide one supply suitcase. Accompanied minors only need to bring their own personal suitcase.
* There is Wi-Fi access at the hotel. We don’t recommend bringing laptops, but you should be able to use your phone for email. You will just need to check on costs given your data plan, etc.
* No adapter is needed for electricity.
* Each team member is responsible for providing hygiene kits in a sealed plastic bag that includes toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, and combs. Again, you can ask others to help with this need.
TRAINING MEETINGS
Training meetings will be held on the following dates in the Children’s Building at Northwest:
Sunday, April 7th from 12:15-2:15 for new adult and unaccompanied minor team members only. Accompanied minors are welcome but need not attend. Lunch will be served. We will go over packing and general trip information.
We will also have lunch training meetings for the whole team on the following dates:
Sunday, April 14 from 12:15-2:30
Sunday, May 19th from 12:15-3:30
Sunday, June 9th from 12:15-4:30
We pack the supplies for the trip the night before we leave on Thursday, July 11 at 6:00 at the church.
Please make every effort to be at the meetings so you will be well-prepared for the trip.
APPLICATION PROCESS
It is important for you to understand that you are applying to go on the trip. Ultimately, you should know that we pray fervently for God to call and equip a team of folks to serve in Guatemala, and we completely trust Him to put together the best team for this year. While it is our heart’s desire to accommodate all qualified applicants on the trip, we have to take into account practical factors like the number of airline tickets we have reserved, the number of seats available on the bus from Guatemala City, and the number of children that we can effectively use on the trip. Because Northwest sponsors this trip, those who attend Northwest are given priority over those who attend other churches.
TRIP PAYMENTS
Please get your application and deposit turned in by the deadline. If we are not able to accept your application for the trip this year, we will return your deposit. However, once we deposit your money with the church, it cannot be refunded to you even if you are not able to go on the trip, for whatever reason. For donations to be tax deductible, they must be nonrefundable. When you are raising support, please make the deadlines clear in your support letter.
PRAYER REQUESTS
(1) Pray for hearts ready to respond to the gospel in Rio Hondo and for the spiritual growth of the believers that Julio and Luckie encourage through Awanas, the feeding program and their teen discipleship program.
(2) Pray that God will call and enable a group of around 90 to serve with us this summer.
(3) Pray for 30 translators from Guatemala City.
(4) Pray for wisdom as we make planning decisions.
TENTATIVE SCHEDULE FOR THE WEEK
Friday Fly from DFW to Guatemala City and stay in Howard Johnson Hotel in Guatemala City
Saturday 3-hour bus ride
Get camp materials organized
Service projects and Youth Conference
Sunday Church service with the community
Hand out new pair of shoes to Awana’s kids
Walk through the community to meet the families, invite them to camp, and hand out hygiene kits
Worship service and take pictures of Guatemala families
Monday-Wednesday
Morning kids camp
Late afternoon adult program along with games and devotions for children and teenagers
Thursday Outreach program at local schools and Pastor’s Conference
Evening celebration with community (music, gospel presentation, Awanas performance, and snack)
Friday Travel to Antigua, a beautiful resort town surrounded by volcanoes
Team lunch to reflect on the trip
Free time for shopping and exploring Antigua
Stay in Guatemala City close to the airport
Saturday Direct flight back to Dallas
Tentative Camp Schedule Monday-Wednesday
6:30 Breakfast
8:00 Arrive at camp
9:00 Opening worship and drama presentation
10:00 Program for mothers and very young children.
Elementary children rotate with team leaders through devotional, craft, games and lunch stations.
Teenagers rotate with team leaders through devotional, lunch, sports, and activities stations.
12:00 Team eats lunch at camp
1:00 Back to hotel for relaxation and swimming
3:45 Return to camp
4:30 Worship
5:00 Men and women’s devotional time
Teenage small groups
Elementary games
6:30 Serve dinner to families/informal interaction time
7:00 Back to hotel for dinner
8:00 Team prayer and worship time
Guatemala Application: Adult and Unaccompanied Minors
Due by March 28, 2013 (along with a deposit of $500)
Mail to: Lee and Susan Riffe
3833 Villanova
Dallas, TX 75225
Or email to:
Name (as it appears on your passport)
Name you prefer to be called ______________________________
Home Phone __________________________
Cell Phone ____________________________
E-mail _________________________________
Address (city, state, zip)
Church you attend ______________________________________
Emergency contact information of someone not on trip
Are you planning to buy your own airline ticket through Aadvantage miles on the same flight as the team?
Yes or No
Do you have Platinum or Gold flight status on American that allows you to check additional bags for free?
Yes No
If yes, indicate your number here ___________________________________
Explain your plans for paying for the trip (paying for your own trip, raising support, or some combination)? _____________________________________________________________________________________
1. If God asks you why He should let you into heaven, what would you say?
2. Please describe your salvation experience.
3. How would you describe you spiritual walk now?
4. Do you feel comfortable sharing the gospel? Why or why not?
5. Have you ever participated on a mission trip? If so, where? What was your role?
6. Why do you want to go on this mission trip?
7. Are you currently involved in any other ministry activities? Please describe.
8. What are your spiritual gifts and God-given talents? How would you like to use them on the trip?
9. Would you be interested in working in one of the following areas:
____Worship Leader (guitar, drums and/or singing in Spanish)
____ Drama Team (help plan and act out a skit that is narrated in Spanish)
____ Lead a team devotional
10. Which areas would you prefer to work with during the MORNING. Indicate all that you are interested in and rank them as a 1st, 2nd or 3rd preference.
MINISTRY TO MOTHERS AND YOUNG CHILDREN:
____ Assist with a craft for the women, teach a lesson with the help of a translator, and care for preschool children.
ELEMENTARY:
____ Team leader (we need many team leaders to build a relationship with 15-20 kids in the indicated
age groups and escort them to crafts, games, devotional and lunch)
Indicate age groups you would like to work with as a team leader_______________________
____ Crafts station (small team plans crafts, help gather supplies, and lead crafts during camp)
____ Game station (small team plans games, gather supplies, and leads games during camp you must be
able to handle the heat well)
____ Devotional station (small team plans devotional games and activities to reinforce Bible points and
memory verse---the actual teaching is done by someone fluent in Spanish)
TEENAGERS (Females work with girls and males work with boys):
____ Team leader (builds relationships with a group of teens, escorts them to different activities
and helps plan crafts and games for teens)
11. Which areas would you prefer to work with during the AFTERNOON. Indicate all that you are interested in and rank them as a 1st or 2nd preference.
____ Women’s devotional (help lead a small group of women with the help of a translator, organize a
craft, and help with small children)
____ Men’s devotional (share your testimony or teach a Bible lesson)
____ Elementary children (help plan and implement games and a devotional)
____ Teenagers (help plan and implement games and a devotional)
12. Provide other information you would like to share about areas where you would either be excited about serving or uncomfortable serving.
13. How much Spanish do you speak?
____ None
____ Very little
____ Conversation only (I can converse w/o an interpreter.)
____ Yo hablo Espanol muy bien. (I can converse on a deep, spiritual level.)
Guatemala Application: Accompanied Minor
Due by March 28, 2013 (along with a deposit of $250)
Mail to: Lee and Susan Riffe
3833 Villanova
Dallas, TX 75225
Or email to:
Name (as it appears on your passport)
Name prefers to be called ________________________________________
For each participant, we purchase travel, accident and life insurance. Please provide the following
information:
Date of birth
Emergency contact information
Describe the spiritual condition of your child or teen.
Is your child or teen excited about going on this trip?
Are you confident that your child or teen can handle the trip schedule?
Can your child or teen be flexible and focus on the needs of others?
Elementary children are placed with an adult family member. Given the list on the adult application, indicate what job you and your child would enjoy doing together:
In the morning
In the afternoon