Why NICARAGUA?
Nicaragua is the largest geographic nation in Central America, and yet is also the second poorest in the Americas (behind Haiti) as more than 48% of its 5.9 million people live below the poverty line and 79% live on less than $2/day (even though its standard of living and relative inflation make such income even less practical than elsewhere in the region). Its history over the past 100 years has been marked with brutal dictatorships, hostile guerilla-warfare oriented insurgencies and revolutions, natural disasters, international scandals, political instability and relative political and physical isolation, despite its access to both the Pacific Ocean (on the West coast) and Caribbean Sea (on the East Coast). It is at least partial home and host to the Miskito Indians, a people group scattered throughout both Nicaragua and Honduras, and while they are not considered a specifically “unengaged” or technically “unreached” people group due to large-scale Roman Catholic, Moravian and Western missionary presence over the years, the people functionally represent an eclectic mix of Christianity, traditional tribal religions, shamanism and “Voodoo”. Despite considerable foreign aid and NGO presence throughout in the country, much of its largely village-based inhabitants exist daily in desperate darkness, both spiritually and materially.
What is NICARAGUA FMT ‘12?
The NICARAGUA FMT (Family Mission Team) ‘12 is a short-term mission experience to Verbo Ministries in Puerto Cabezas, Nicaragua. Puerto Cabezas, commonly referred to as Port or PC, is on the Eastern Coast of Nicaragua and located on the shores of the Caribbean Sea. We originally heard about the ministry in Nicaragua through a ministry partner who oversees the mission department at Christian Fellowship Church (CFC) in the Washington D.C. (Ashburn, VA) area. After learning directly from GCC’s staff about our ministry initiatives in India, CFC has sought to replicate the model in Nicaragua. GCC as a whole is entering a new partnership with Verbo Ministries, facilitated by CFC, and has plans for students and families to travel there this year. The FMT will be going to Nicaragua from June 16th through June 23rd, 2012. This Mission provides an opportunity for families to go BE the church and fulfill God’s call to us to GO and make disciple of ALL nations (Matthew 28:19).
What will we be doing on NICARAGUA ‘12?
Our time spent in Nicaragua will be focused in two main areas. The first is working with the orphanage, school and church, which all exist on the Verbo property. Our time spent will be relational with the kids living in the orphanage, but there will also be work-based projects to improve the property and the living conditions of the children. The second focus will be an outreach with food to poor communities, assistance with a feeding center and a self-sustaining farming initiative, hospital visitation and/or construction projects. We’ll be developing the exact details of the trip over the next few months…so stay tunedJ
Here’s what a typical day will look like:
8 a.m. Eat Breakfast
10 a.m. To orphanage or work projects
12 p.m. Break for lunch
12:30 Continue work on projects/play with kids
5 p.m. Head back to dorms/cleanup
6 p.m. Dinner/Free time on base
7:30 p.m. Team debrief time
9:30 p.m. Lights out
How much does NICARAGUA ‘12 cost?
The cost is $1,500 per person. Here’s where that goes:
· Team Trainings - $100 (food, materials, etc.)
· Expenses while in Nicaragua - $400 (food, transportation, lodging, donation etc.)
· Airfare - $800 (from the USA to and from Nicaragua)
· Leadership/Team Expenses - $200 (Busing to and from O’Hare, travel insurance, etc.)
How am I going to come up with $1,500 per family member?
· Family Support Letters
· Garage Sales
· Be Creative!
Don’t let money become the obstacle that prevents you from pursuing this opportunity for your family. The majority of families are not able to cover the financial cost of the trip out of their own pocket. We will help and provide some training in this area so that you can create a network of people to financially partner with you and your family. It provides a great opportunity for people who aren’t physically able to participate on the team to have a positive and lasting impact on the children in Port through you.
What about all the other details?
· Travel
The team will travel together, to and from Nicaragua. Everyone will meet at the church on the day of the flight, and then be bused to the appropriate airport (probably O’Hare). You’ll then fly to Managua, Nicaragua, with a short stop in a US city. Early the next day you’ll take a short flight from Managua, Nicaragua (on the West Coast) to Puerto Cabezas, Nicaragua (on the East Coast). The team will then be bused to the Verbo property. The team will likely follow a similar travel pattern on the way home…only opposite of what is stated above.
· Lodging
We will be staying at Verbo’s facilities. They have separate men’s and women’s dorms as well as accommodations for families to stay together with restrooms and shower facilities. The orphanage, school and church are located on a separate side of the compound.
· Food
Breakfast typically consists of fresh fruit, rice and beans, eggs and even pancakes. Lunches and dinners typically consist of fresh fruit, rice and beans and a main dish with chicken or pasta. The kitchen staff of Verbo prepares food and the food is very easy for Americans to handle. We will have access to a large supply of bottled water for the teams while at the Verbo dorms and while out on work projects. We encourage you to pack snacks that you and your family will enjoy. There is a small restaurant across the street from the church that serves as a favorite hangout for teams staying at Verbo. You can get French fries, a slice of pizza and Coke for just a couple bucks.
· Passports
A passport is REQUIRED for adults and children travelling to Nicaragua. It can take 8-10 weeks to obtain a passport so you won’t want to delay in requesting it. Traveling without a passport is NOT an option. For more information on obtaining a passport, please visit the following site: http://travel.state.gov/passport/passport_1738.html
· Immunizations
The Health Department recommends obtaining vaccinations for Hepatitis A & B, Typhoid and Tetanus, as well as taking Anti-Malaria Medication that comes in simple pill format (we recommend taking Malarone and staying away from Lariam). You will want to check with your family doctor for their recommendations as well. (All this is optional, but we STRONGLY recommend taking the Anti-Malaria medication).
· Medical Facilities
While in Puerto Cabezas there is access to several private clinics that have specialty in various areas of medicine as well as having a fully stocked pharmacy. For more serious emergencies or health issues there are several large, reputable hospitals in Managua.
· Travel Insurance
We purchase travel insurance for everyone travelling with us. The cost for this is included in the overall cost of the trip.
· Other Travel Money
You may want some spending money while in Nicaragua for souvenirs and other items such as snacks and beverages at local restaurants. Souvenirs can be purchased either on the base or from vendors at the airport.
· Medications
Any prescribed medications will need to be brought to our attention. For all other medications we will have a team kit with Tylenol, Aleve, Ibuprofen, band aids, antiseptic, Imodium AD and Pepto Bismol.
Is it a problem if we don’t speak Spanish?
Not at all! Most people living in Port speak Spanish as well as Miskito and many also speak English. The children at the orphanage will enjoy teaching you Spanish words! Also, our team leader, Bruno, is fluent in Spanish and will also be able to communicate for the group when needed. Despite us having access to translators, we will encourage our team to brush up on conversational Spanish so that we can engage in basic pleasantries such as “please” and “thank you.”
When are the Team Meetings?
Attendance and participation in 4 of the 5 team-meetings is required for every team member (so sending one person as a “representative” for your family doesn’t countJ). The team meetings are as follows:
- Wednesday, March 14th, 6:30-8 p.m., GCC, Great Room
Topic: Support/Intentions/Questions
- Wednesday, April 4thst, 6:30-8:30 p.m., GCC, Great Room
Topic: Culture/Language/Country
- Saturday, (end of April)- date TBD, 8:15 a.m.-6:15 p.m., GCC, Atrium
Topic: Service Day – We will serve together and then attend the 5 p.m. service at GCC.
- Wednesday, May 23rd, 6:30-8 p.m., GCC, Under the Sea Room
Topic: Potluck dinner, go over trip details
- Friday, July 5th, 6:30-8 p.m., GCC, Great Room
Topic: Trip “aftermath” debrief
When are the Financial Deadlines?
- Sunday, February 26th- $50 per person over the age of 18 (non-refundable application fee)
- Wednesday, March 21th - $300 per person
- Wednesday, April 18th - $700 per person
- Wednesday, May 16th - $1,100 per person
- Wednesday, June 6th - $1,500 per person
What do I do now?
If you feel that this is the next step for you and your family, please follow the instructions below:
1. Go to http://www.gccwired.com/missionsapplication to pay the application fee. Please note that the application fee is $50 per person (over the age of 18) and will not go towards your support total (it is also NOT refundable if you later decide not to participate). The fee is used to process background checks.
2. After you pay the application fee you will be e-mailed the link to the on-line application. Please fill out the application for yourself and each member of your family (under the age of 18) participating on the team. Each person over 18 years of age will need to pay the application fee and fill out a separate application. **Applications and application fees are due by Sunday, February 26th.
3. Once you submit your application it will be sent to Jeanna Tripp, who will then contact you to confirm receipt and to inform you of your next step in the process. Please note that submitting the application does not guarantee membership on the team and that acceptance is contingent upon the results of a criminal background check (adults only). If you have questions, please contact Bruno and Lisa DeJesus at brunoandlisa@yahoo.com or Jeanna Tripp at 574.243.3500, ext. 318 or at jtripp@gccwired.com.
