Short Term Opportunities for you and your church group
Short term trips designed for 1-3 weeks offer opportunities
for large or small teams, with outreaches such as:
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Evangelistic
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Medical
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Dental
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Youth
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Construction
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Men's outreaches
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Women's outreaches
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Family Ministry
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& More
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email us at flamesoffireguatemala@hotmail.com or click this link:
What is included in your in-country expenses :
Basically, everything is covered in your expenses- except for your airfare,
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You are responsible for your own airline tickets.
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We will coordinate and plan everything for your entire stay.
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We will be with you at all times, from the time that you arrive until you board the shuttle in Antigua for the airport.
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Transportation from the airport to Chiquimula and to Antigua as well as all travel to and from the villages
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Lodging at our ministry center for up to 6 nights
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3 Meals per day, including breakfast and dinner at the ministry center and sandwiches for lunch in the villages
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Purified water will be available at all times.
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You may want to consider bringing some snacks for in between meals!
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Translators are provided
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Travelers are advised to get traveler’s insurance. This can be purchased for approximately $30.
Travel Insurance Sites
www.insuremytrip.com
www.travelguard.com
www.travelinsurancecenter.com
www.tripinsurance.com
Important Information to make a Successful Trip
To make your missions trip a success, please take a moment to read the following:
First things first!
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All you need to know about your passport, visa and airport fees
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(please make sure that all bills are new, unmarked, and not torn. They can not have any ink, stamps, or writing at all on them and absolutely no tears. $100 bills preferred.)
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Accomodations while in Country
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Electrical outlets are normal 110 volts, no converter necessary.
Now that is squared away on to some specifics!
Do's
1. Only drink bottled water.
2. Use bottled water to brush teeth.
3. For women, knee length skirts or dresses must be worn at church services. Skirts must be knee length. No midriffs are to be shown. You must be able to raise your arms above your head without skin showing.
4. For women, pants are ok for anything but church.
5. Remember insect repellent.
6. Remember sunblock for daytime.
7. Use antibacterial hand gel frequently but discreetly.
8. Bring Poncho…..it may very well be raining and you will probably be in the back of the pickup!
9. A light jacket is suggested for rainy nights and Antigua
10 when riding in the back of the pick-up please remember to keep your knees and elbows
flexed do not lock them. one hand on the bars at all times and please no sitting on the bars.
Don'ts
1. Piercings other than ears may need to be removed.
2. For men, shorts are not recommended in the village, only at ministry center.
Start thinking outside your bubble.
On this mission trip you’ll see up close that not everyone thinks like you, lives like you, looks like you, talks like you, or believes like you. Recognizing that will help you deal with the differences between the people and cultures ahead.
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* Get the right attitude. There’s nothing like the intensity of a mission trip to bring out the best and worst in a person. Start praying about and
practicing these attitudes that will be so important in making your trip a success:
* Selfless: how can you put other’s needs above your own?
* Servant: who can you serve today that will take you out of your comfort zone?
* Flexible: how patient are you with unexpected changes and obstacles in your day?
* Teachable: how ready are you to learn different ways of doing things and looking at situations?
* CULTURE: Get ready to be flexible. Things in other cultures don't run on tight schedules, as things in the States usually do.
* Make use of the "waiting" time you're sure to have. Use the time to get to know your teammates better, or nationals who may be with you. Keep a bible/book with you to pull out during these times. Choose some Scripture to memorize and work on it while you wait.
* Greetings are very important in many cultures. Here, everyone always greets each other personally, either with a handshake or women with a hug and slight kiss on the cheek. it is considered rude not to greet everyone when you walk into the room. Please put this into practice.
* Remember that common body language says a lot. they may not speak English but they can understand facial expressions.
* make an effort to learn a few phrases. Learning the phrase, “How do you say…" "como se dice". Or my name is "me Llamo..." Even God bless you, "dios le Bendiga" can be very useful.
* Make sure to pay attention to any dress-code guidelines you may have been given for the culture you are visiting.
* Dressing appropriately can really have an effect on how people treat you. As well as how they receive from you!
* In many cultures, like here, showing respect to those older than you is very important.
* Hospitality can look different in other cultures. Our family-style way of serving meals and serving yourself is NOT common here and in many
other countries.
* If you're going to be eating meals prepared by nationals, be ready to have a full plate of food set in front of you, and be ready to eat it!
* Put aside any picky eating habits during your trip.
* Don't make promises you won't keep about staying in touch with people or sending them things, or even just saying I'll pray about it, etc.
* Sometimes even mentioning something as a possibility, "I'll pray about it" is understood as a promise.
* Long church services in languages you don't understand can be killers!
* To help pass the time, try to at least pick out what passage of Scripture is being taught and spend time reading and meditating on it. Also, let
everything be a cue to pray!
* Pray for the pastor as he preaches. During worship, pray that God would be glorified in the service. If a child cries, pray that he/she would grow
up to love and serve the Lord. If a chicken runs through, pray that God would provide adequate food for the community. Find at least 3 people to
make eye contact with during the service. You get the idea, stay spiritual.
MINISTRY
Almost anything can be turned into a creative ministry tool and open up a chance for you to talk to someone. If there is something you can do that you think may be of use during your trip, ask your team leader to find out if it would be appropriate where you are going. Here are a few ideas to get your mind thinking:
Singing or playing an instrument come in handy
Can you draw? Keep a drawing pad in your backpack and pull it out to entertain people. You can draw something and have someone tell you how to say it in the local language.
Do you like to take pictures? Some people never get a family photo taken. It can be a great ministry.
GIVING THINGS AWAY
You are going to a place where people are living in poverty, you may be asked for things, and you are probably going to want to give to help meet the need. Giving is good, but has to be done carefully or it can cause more damage than good. Make sure your giving is done appropriately. Be careful about not giving things in a way that will create jealousy or cause fighting.
If you give your watch to a child, all the others will want it and it may cause problems. It is best not to give away money to people. It may not be used for the purpose you intend. If you want to give away your clothes or other items, ask the missionaries for the best way to do so. The missionaries probably know the needs of the community best, and they can help make sure your donation gets into the right hands. Be aware that giving away donations can be a lot of work for others. Don't assume that the local pastor wants that responsibility. It's not that they don't want to help meet needs; they may just not have time. Bottom line...ask the missionaries what will work.