Missions Manual
Table of Contents
Who Is ORPHANetwork? 3
Having a Life Changing Trip 5
Trip Details
Preparing to Go 6
Packing Checklist 9
While You Are There 11
Team Roles 14
Nicaragua Info 15
Frequently Asked Questions 16
Our Board of Directors 17
Staff 18
Who Is ORPHANetwork?
Who We Are and What We Do
ORPHANetwork’s vision is that every orphaned and at-risk child would fully reach their God-given potential.
Our Mission:
1. Rescue abandoned, abused, and orphaned children.
2. Prevent at-risk children from becoming orphans.
3. Create opportunities for a new life.
4. Share Christ with everyone.
Our Values:
1. FAITH - This is our Spiritual True North. Our primary commitment is to God and His Word over and above strategy and human wisdom, as stated in Proverbs 3:5-6. We are followers of Christ and seek to live out His vision for a broken world, leading people to Know Him and make Him known.
2. LEADERSHIP - This is our Commitment to Serve. We see local leaders being ultimately responsible to maintain ministry and create systems for ministry. Where there is need for consultation, resources and church teams to plug into ministry, we bring servant hearts to what local leadership decides are ministry priorities.
3. CONNECTION - This is our Ministry Architecture. We believe in building long term relationships with orphans and ministry partners. We believe relationships grounded on biblical principles are the foundation of quality ministry/missions. Trust, Respect and Responsibility create a network of relational integrity that honors God and inspires people. Connecting US churches to orphanages is a high priority, because the local church is the hope of the world.
4. TRUST - This is our Commitment to Organizational and Fiduciary Excellence. God’s work done in God’s way will not lack God’s supply. We are humbled to receive monetary and other tangible gifts that are intended to weave a tapestry of compassion for orphans and others who are poor, forgotten and marginalized. We take great care to apply all gifts, for maximum ministry impact and touching the hearts of children with God’s love and grace.
Our History
ORPHANetwork began as a mission project of Spring Branch Community Church (www.springbranch.org) in Virginia Beach, Virginia. The student ministry began making trips to Vera Cruz, Nicaragua in 1995. Soon parents were noticing a change in their students who were now making repeated trips to the region to care for orphans at Casa Bernabe orphanage. Spring Branch senior pastor Michael Simone traveled to Vera Cruz and returned home to share the story of what was happening in Nicaragua with his congregation.
The Spring Branch congregation responded by giving. The church developed a “Christmas Wish” program to provide orphans with a rare opportunity to shop at their local marketplace for clothes and toys. Hundreds of people participated, enabling Spring Branch to partner with other churches and businesses to make Christmas special for many children.
As the mission grew, Simone realized that there was an enormous opportunity to have a greater impact on Nicaragua, and to share this ministry with other churches.
Spring Branch spun off its mission program to establish ORPHANetwork as an independent nonprofit organization in 2000. Today we are a network of individuals, organizations and churches helping care “for the least of these.”
Our Affiliations/Accreditations
· Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability
· National Points of Light Foundation
· Christian Alliance for Orphans
Having a Life Changing Trip
A mission’s trip can be one of the most amazing weeks of your life, but it does take some work on your part to prepare emotionally and spiritually, and to discern if going to Nicaragua is God’s plan for you. Here are some quick pointers:
1. Pray about your decision and vision for going:
a. Seek God’s guidance in whether or not a service trip to Nicaragua is right for you. He may be calling you to some different type of service, and in seeking him, this will be clearer to you.
b. Consider your desire to stay engaged post trip. Our ability to support our Nicaraguan partners, and their children, depends on this! ORPHANetwork has a mantra “YOU Are ORPHANetwork.” This is true, we are able to accomplish our mission, and support our partners, because of the individuals who are called to God’s work in Nicaragua. Our trip-goers are ORPHANetwork’s best advocates, and often their most meaningful impact comes post-trip as they take up the cause to continue to support the children they met while they were in Nicaragua.
2. Pray - Spend the time to bring your trip before the Lord before you go. He will begin to prepare your heart for the things he will show you, and better equip you to serve the children both in country and after your return.
3. Learn about Nicaragua, ORPHANetwork, and our partners
a. It’s always best to spend a little time in books or on the internet learning about the place you will be serving. ORPHANetwork has basic materials available, but there are plenty of other resources to learn about the city you will be serving and Nicaragua as a whole.
b. Taking the time to learn about Nicaragua as well as ORPHANetwork allows you to have the necessary cultural sensitivity to serve well.
4. Get to know your team
a. It always helps to know the people with whom you will be serving. God will teach you a lot through your serving as a body, and will often use these trips to form deep friendships.
b. Consider serving with your team on something local before you leave. It will bind you together as a group and teach you about what God has called you to do in Nicaragua.
5. Understand you are there to be servant’s, not saviors - We follow Christ’s model in entering a broken world, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:45)
6. Before you leave prepare a plan to communicate with all the people that supported you - Spend time before you leave considering how you will communicate you experience to the people that supported you both financially and prayerfully. Consider taking pictures or keeping a journal that can bless them, and bring them into the experience.
Trip Details
Preparing to Go
One of the keys to a successful short-term mission trip is being properly prepared.
Age
We customize each trip based on the group and how they are best equipped to serve. We will not accommodate children under the age of 16 unless accompanied by parent or guardian. We recommend a minimum age of 14 for all trip goers.
Trip Costs
A 5-7-day trip to serve one of our Nicaraguan partners ranges in price between $1,400 to $2,000 depending on airfare and the goals of the trip. Trip costs include: transportation (both roundtrip airfare and travel within country), food and boarding, activities, supplies for onsite projects, and staff-related supervision costs.
Payment
All payment deadlines will be set with your church leader. Checks will be handled within your church allowing for more immediate accounting support. All deposits and payments are non-refundable, though refunds will be considered on a case by case basis.
State Department Travel Information
Nicaragua is a young democracy with a developing economy. ORPHANetwork maintains an ongoing presence in Nicaragua through our Nicaraguan Field Office. We are in constant contact with our onsite staff and national partners about travel conditions and we receive ongoing updates from the U.S. State Department on travel conditions in Nicaragua. We register all trip participants with the State Department, so in the case of an emergency, they know who is in country and their contact information. To learn more about State Department travel advisories visit their website at www.state.gov.
Flights
Within our trip package ORPHANetwork works with each group to find the most affordable and comfortable flight arrangements. Trips to Managua generally fly through Miami, Atlanta, Houston, or San Salvador depending on the season for groups and location of the church.
Health Insurance
ORPHANetwork purchases insurance coverage on a case to case basis as discussed with the trip leaders from each church.
Other Health Information
In the interest of your best health, you are urged to drink only bottled water while in-country and to take precautions with 30+ SPF sunscreen and possible (although rare) malaria on the East Coast by applying insect repellent frequently.
Medical Requirements
The U.S. State Department strongly recommends that individuals traveling to Nicaragua ensure that all their routine vaccinations are up to date. Vaccination against Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B are recommended by the CDC, although not required. Travelers taking prescription medications should bring an adequate supply with them when coming to Nicaragua. Information on vaccinations and other health precautions, such as safe food and water precautions and insect bite protection, may be obtained from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s website at www.cdc.gov/travel.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends being vaccinated for the following:
Hepatitis A
Hepatitis B
Typhoid
And that you have already received booster doses for:
Tetanus
Diphtheria
Measles
You should bring any prescribed medications as well as any over the counter drugs you may need. Always consult with a physician before taking any medication.
Required Documents
In order to go on an ORPHANetwork trip you must have:
q Valid picture ID
q Current Passport
If you do not have a passport, you can pick up an application at any Post Office. Be aware that it can take up to 8 weeks to process and receive your passport.
You will also need to complete and sign the following document:
q Trip Application & Consent Form (all in one document)
Devotional Material
Going on a short-term mission trip can be a life-changing experience. Engaging in cross-cultural missions can also be complex, and if not conducted wisely, it can be more harmful than helpful. Before you board the plane, you should make sure that you are spiritually and and culturally prepared. ORPHANetwork provides Bible study material as well as a structure for processing your time in country. However, we highly recommend you invest the time in reading a few of the books below before you take your trip to help you prepare:
q When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty without Hurting the Poor or Yourself (Brian Fikkert, Steve Corbett, and John Perkins)
q Toxic Charity (Robert D. Lupton)
q Good News About Injustice (Gary Haugen)
q Compassion, A Reflection on the Christian Life (Henri Nouwen, Donald Mcneill, Douglas Morrison)
q No Greater Love; Total Surrender (Mother Theresa)
q The Hole in Our Gospel (Richard Stearns)
q Radical (David Platt)
Packing Checklist
Clothing
q Short sleeve or T-shirts (no spaghetti straps or low-cut tank tops)
q Lightweight shorts (no short shorts – no shorts above the fingertips of your hand when laid by your side)
q Swimsuit (one-piece, no bikinis)
q Beach towel
q Flip flops or sandals
q Tennis shoes
q Casual dress or skirt (for church or meetings with ministry directors in Nicaragua)
q Hat (for sun and rain protection)
q Sleep wear
q Pair of pants or jeans
q Shell/rain jacket for rainy days
Note: Some of the clothing recommendations are made to be sensitive to the culture you will be visiting (i.e. no tank tops or bikinis). Please consider it a small sacrifice to better serve and respect our partners.
Toiletries
q Sun block, lip balm
q Soap, shampoo
q Insect repellent
q Others (toothbrush/paste, deodorant, etc.)
Miscellaneous
q Alarm clock
q Bath towel and bed sheets (consider leaving at orphanage)
q Bible
q Journal/notebook and pen
q Camera
q Flashlight
q Extra batteries for flashlight
q Sunglasses
q Water bottle
q Hand sanitizer (i.e. Purell)
q Photo of family
q Snacks
First Aid/Medications
q Aspirin or pain reliever (i.e. Tylenol, Advil)
q Band-aids
q Antibacterial ointment (i.e. Neosporin)
q Imodium AD
q Pepto-Bismol
q Eye drops
q Any medications you require
Packing Requirements
Baggage restrictions vary based on location. Most international flights allow at least one piece of checked luggage per person (please check on your airlines website). ORPHANetwork will work with each group to deliver donations and letters in the available checked bags. Here are some simple packing tips:
· Pack all personal items in carry-on if at all possible
· If traveling with checked bags, pack 2 days of clothing and toiletries in carry-on
· Do not pack valuables in checked bags
· If you are flying to the East Coast after arriving in Managua (Puerto Cabezas or Bluefields) - Each passenger is allowed a maximum of 50 lbs (ticket roundtrip) and 25 lbs (one way). Any excess baggage is subject to a charge of US$1.00 per lb. We will coordinate with ministry partners to ship donations by land if necessary; please have ensure all luggage and materials you need when you arrive fits within these restrictions.
ORPHANetwork is not responsible for lost or stolen items in the airports, though, if needed, we will help you replace them while in country.
Donations
If your group would like to bring gifts or supplies for the children and orphanage staff we recommend:
q Twin-size bed sheets
q Towels
q Diapers
q Baby wipes and formula
q Delousing shampoo
q Spanish-language books
q Spanish-language DVDs, computer games
q Clothing (all sizes, good condition)
q Tennis shoes, flip flops
q Basic medical supplies (band-aids, gauze, children’s Tylenol, rubbing alcohol, thermometers, etc.)
q Basic toiletries (shampoo, soap, toothbrushes, toothpaste)
We also have an online registry, www.simpleregistry.org/orphanetwork, which includes other needs that our partners have shared with us. When teams arrive in Nicaragua, ORPHANetwork collects donations not collected for a specific location so we can distribute donated items to our partners based on who has the greatest need.