team manual - brentwood baptist july 2011

The Shalom Foundation

Guatemala Mission Trip

Team Member Manual

July 8-16, 2011


INTRODUCTION

Thank you for choosing to go to Guatemala. We are glad you will be joining us in the

work there. It is our prayer that God will challenge you spiritually and help you grow in your

faith as a result of this trip. God is actively at work in Guatemala, yet much work remains to be

done. Your interest in helping is an answer to prayer.

Short-term teams have been partnering with us

since 1995 for the purpose of outreach to the people of

Guatemala through evangelism, construction, medical,

dental, and educational activities. Regardless of your area

of outreach, most people find the greatest rewards are in

the relationships that are made. The most significant work

that you will do will be loving people and spending time

with them being a witness for Jesus Christ, rather than

building a wall or helping someone meet a physical need.

The people of Guatemala know that you have

spent a significant amount of money and time to come and

they feel honored you would choose to do that for them.

Let us encourage you to focus not only on the tasks of this

trip, but also on the relationships that will develop along the way.

We have put together this manual to help you prepare for the trip. This manual is

prepared to provide you with practical information that will help make your trip successful and

enjoyable. Please read it, commit to attending the scheduled team meetings, and follow the

guidance of the team leadership. Even if you have previously participated in a Guatemala

mission trip, it is important to attend all meetings to help build team spirit.

We ask that you be patient and flexible as you prepare, travel, live, and work with the

team. Evaluations from those who have gone before indicate that any inconveniences you may

experience will be overshadowed by the gratitude of the people you will serve. You will find

the Guatemalans friendly and easy to get to know. The work you do will be a great help to

them and will bring hope to many. Our team leadership is ready to assist you in any way we

can.


The Shalom Foundation’s History in Guatemala

The Shalom Foundation has been active in Guatemala City

for more than decade serving acutely poor children and

sharing the Gospel. Through our supporters and

volunteers, Shalom has touched thousands of lives, have

completed more than 70 homes, conducted 170 surgeries,

and have helped build a Christian school serving over 700

students.

The Shalom Foundation currently sponsors more than 130 students providing for their tuition

and other associated education expenses. Through the years 475 missions team members have

traveled to Guatemala City with The Shalom Foundation in God’s service to others.

In June, 1991, several founding

members of The Shalom Foundation

Board took their first trip to Guatemala

City. In 1995, a 22-‐member team

provided construction assistance and

conducted the organization’s first

Medical/Dental “clinic”. Annual

Missions Trips were planned and led

each year since that time. In June, 1996

a 26-‐member Construction Team began

work on Shalom Church with Pastor Alvaro Perdomo. In May, 1997 a 48-‐member Missions

Team provided construction work on Shalom Church and provided much-‐needed medical

treatment -‐-‐ the largest Shalom team to travel to Guatemala at the time. The Construction

Team traveling in May, 1998 began construction on Shalom School. In January, 2000 Shalom

Missions Team members attended the Shalom School Dedication with the traditional beginning

of the new Guatemalan school year (January 15). Construction Team members traveling in


April, 2001 participated in Shalom Foundation’s first Home Construction project building 6

homes. In 2003, Shalom Foundation outfitted a commercial kitchen for the “Food for Thought”

Nutrition Program. In May, 2004, 48 Shalom Team members provided medical and dental

services, eye exams, computer programming as well as home and school construction.

Construction Teams have continued to travel to Guatemala building on average 6-‐7 houses

each year, renovating Shalom School and Shalom Church. The Medical Missions Initiative has

seen 7 medical trips to Guatemala

City with the cooperation of

Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s

Hospital at Vanderbilt and Belmont

University. With the purchase of

the Shalom Surgical Center in 2008

even more trips are in our future!


GUATEMALA – An Overview

Guatemala is a beautiful country decorated with mountain peaks, rivers, valleys, volcanoes, beaches and

jungles. The country and its people have survived decades of turmoil to experience now a time of hope and healing. With the help of people like you, the future for the children of Guatemala can be bright and full of possibility.

Guatemala is located in Central America, bordered by Mexico, the Pacific Ocean, Belize, El Salvador and

Honduras. The country covers an area slightly smaller than Tennessee. It is located in the Central Time Zone. Several airlines including Delta Airlines, American Airlines and Continental Airlines fly from the United States into a newly modernized airport in Guatemala City.

As for the weather, Guatemala maintains a tropical climate and is called the “Land of Eternal Spring.” Average year-‐round temperatures run 75 degrees Fahrenheit during the day and 50 to 60 degrees at

night. June through October is the rainy season, while November through May sees the drier, most pleasant conditions. Guatemala operates under a democratic constitutional government. President Alvaro Colom began his presidency January 15, 2008 and will be president for 4 years. T he vice president, Rafael Espada, is a well known heart surgeon who practiced medicine in the United States for many years.

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine,

or nakedness, or danger, or sword?

Romans 8:36


Guatemala Facts

Population: 13,002,206 (2008)

Comparative Size: Slightly smaller than

Tennessee

Climate: Tropical; hot and humid in

lowlands; cooler in highlands

GDP: $67.45 billion

GDP per capita: $5,400

Ethnic Groups: Mestizo (mixed Amerindian & Spanish/ called “Ladino”), European 59.4%,

K’iche 9.1%, Kaqchikel 8.4%, Mam 7.9%, Q’eqchi 6.3%, other Mayan 8.6%

Religions: Roman Catholic, Protestant, Indigenous Mayan beliefs

Languages: Spanish 60% and Amerindian languages 40%

Major exports: Coffee, sugar, bananas, clothing, petroleum

Life expectancy at birth: 69.69 years

Independence: September 15, 1821 (from Spain)

Currency: quetzal; quetzales per US dollar average 8.15 in 2009


Prayer

PRAYER is the foundation of our ministry. Invite others to support and join you in prayer for your trip

and your team.

Pray that…

We will be equipped with every good thing to do His

work. (Heb. 13:20-‐21)

All spiritual, physical and financial needs will be met.

(Phil. 4:19)

We will be pleasing to Him in everything.

(I Thess. 2:4)

We will be united in spirit, looking out for one another with love.

(Phil. 2:2-‐4)

Our words will be full of grace and encouragement.

(Eph. 4:29)

There will be protection for us and our families.

(Psalm 91: 9-‐10)

We will be flexible and content in all circumstances.

(Phil. 4:12)

We will be filled with compassion, kindness, humility and patience. (Col. 3:12)

We will be completely useful to the Master.

(II Tim. 2:21)

We will be light to the nations, so His salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.

(Is. 49:6)

My focused vision prayer/verse is:


My Prayer Partner, who will prayerfully journey with me in preparation before and during the trip, is:

My Prayer Team: Name: Email:

Name: Email:

Name: Email:

Name: Email:

Name: Email:

Name: Email:

Name: Email:

Prayer Requests


Cost of the Mission Trip

Approximately $1,500 (depending on airfare) per person + contributions for the construction. You will only need money for personal purchase while there (gifts, souvenirs, etc.) and for meals and incidentals during travel to and from Guatemala. The cost of your trip includes:

o Airline ticket

o Guatemala airport exit tax

o Ground transportation, including vans and fuel

o Lodging, including room and access to related facilities

o Meals

o Insurance

o Team building events

o Team manual

The team is also responsible for raising the funds which will pay for the costs of building a class room for the Las Conchas School. These funds will be raised by the team collectively. Raising funds for this purpose is not raising funds for you. Please feel confident in your efforts, knowing that the funds will be put to God’s service and will used to help others in desperate need of assistance. Please make all checks payable to The Shalom Foundation.

Online Donation pages:

http://theshalomfoundation.donorpages.com/CommunityBuildingBBC/2011Team2/

Click “Join This Team” to create your own page


Guatemalan Mission Team Meetings

The pre-arranged, scheduled Team Meetings are a required part of your preparation process. These meeting provide an opportunity for you to meet the other individuals participating in this Mission Trip to Guatemala. Team members will come from other church congregations in the community as well as from inter-personal contact and encouragement from past missions trip participants, Shalom Foundation Board Members and Staff, Shalom Partners, many different “walks of life”. Important information will be reviewed and shared with the group during each meeting. There will also be time for open discussion and time to answer questions each week. You should commit to attend every meeting. Links:

www.TheShalomFoundation.org

www.Facebook.com/ShalomFoundation


Recommended Planning Schedule

3 to 6 Months Prior:

• Meet with your team, begin planning and praying together (please make this a priority). • Plan your financial needs for this trip. Be timely in turning in request for money. • Ensure passport is ordered and updated. • Make an appointment for your immunizations with The Global Clinic or your private doctor • Put all meeting dates on your personal calendar(s) • PRAY

3 Months Prior:

• Start reviewing your packing list. Locate your passport, or confirm process timeline. • Begin preparing for activities in which you will be involved such as your fundraising efforts. • Think through materials, supplies and gifts you will want to bring. • Prepare and send out support letters in order to obtain funds in a timely fashion. • PRAY

1 Month Prior:

• Complete immunizations and fundraising efforts. • Assemble items on packing list. • Obtain all materials and gifts to be packed. Remember weight limitations are strictly enforced. • Confirm finances for the trip. • PRAY

1 Week Prior:

• Pack luggage -‐-‐remember flight restrictions are strictly enforced by airport staff. • Attend the team packing party a couple of days before departure to pack group supplies. • Review this manual and ensure you have thought through all necessary preparations. • Make sure you are eating well, getting rest and exercising for optimum health. • Have family and friends praying for you and the team. • PRAY

Day of Departure:

• Prepare for the unexpected! (Flights do not always run on time.) • Be flexible! • Allow yourself plenty of time so you arrive “on time” at the airport. This is very important for your entire

group. • PRAY

Return:

• Know what additional follow-‐up vaccinations you may need (Hepatitis A/B) usually within 6-‐12 months of return.

• Share your journal, photos and stories with family, friends and supporters.

• Prepare for post-‐ministry letdown and reverse culture shock.


Mission Trip Participation Guidelines

Team Members that participate in The Shalom Foundation mission journeys are reminded that they are ambassadors of Jesus Christ (2 Cor 5:20). As you go on your mission journey, you represent Jesus Christ, The Shalom Foundation and the United States. This is a tremendous responsibility. For this reason, we ask that each team member seeks to be above reproach in his/her actions and attitudes. Each team member must agree to the following:

• Submit to the team leader’s authority in all aspects. Respect the decisions made by the team leader for the benefit of the whole team and the ministry effort.

• Please do not, under any circumstances, counsel families or individuals you meet. You could endanger family members or destroy work that’s already being done by the pastors and church/school staff. Refer any situations that may need attention to the team leader only.

• The daily schedule for the trip will NOT be revised, adjusted or changed for any reason once the team leaves the US.

• We require everyone to abstain from the consumption of alcoholic beverages or any use of tobacco or illegal drugs while on the trip. No exceptions.

• Please do not give out or promise money to anyone in the local community or to those to whom we are ministering. Also, do not solicit monies from team members for such a cause without approval of the team leadership.

• Do not give out the personal information of a fellow team member to anyone in the host country.

• Do not take with you a particular personal agenda when participating in a Foundation mission trip. You will be participating as part of a team trip. Each team will have a unique experience that is especially inclusive of each of the team’s members. The focus will be placed on what God wants to accomplish in this week.

• Due to the volatile worldwide political climate, please refrain from discussing political issues or wearing clothing with political messages (including US flags).

• Never venture away from the group alone under any circumstances. Always go with a group and always let your team leader know your whereabouts.

• Do not offer to fix someone’s home or provide funds for something outside the scope of the trip. Team members with good intentions have done this in the past, and then forgotten to provide the funds. This creates problems between the families and church staff.

• Do not, under any circumstances, give your address and phone number to nationals. Having your address is taken as an invitation to come stay at your house at any time, without notice, and perhaps for an indefinite period of time. You may be asked to help with visas, etc.

• Be careful in all areas of dress. Due to cultural respect, no shorts or tank tops will be worn on the mission sites. Skirts must be below the knee. No shirts with inappropriate logos (US flags, military, etc.). Shirts must be worn at all times.

• Be careful as to the language you use. What may be acceptable in our community may not be acceptable in the community you are visiting. Please avoid the use of profanity.

• No public display of affection between unmarried couples. • Do not pursue dating anyone in the local community or in the host country.


• Do not pursue dating a fellow team member during the trip. • The Board approved minimum age policy states the minimum age for

participation in a Shalom Foundation mission trip is 15 years of age. No exceptions.

If a team member’s behavior is destructive to the team, the ministry or the host community or distracts the team or the leadership from their responsibilities, the team leader reserves the right to ask and require the team member to return home. Any additional cost incurred as a result of this action, including but not limited to, airfare penalties, changes in airfare prices, taxi rides, etc., will be solely at the team member’s expense. I have read these statements, understand the guidelines set out above, and agree to behave accordingly. ___________________________________________________________________________________ Signature ______________________________________________________ ________________________ Printed Name Date


Team Support

There is something you should not leave home without – A SUPPORT TEAM. A support team is made up of those people who are committed to joining you in ministry through prayer, finances and encouragement. Support “discovery” is the process of identifying these people around you. Those who support you need to see themselves as a part of the team. In a team concept, everyone has a responsibility. In short-term missions, those who serve through giving and praying are just as important as those who serve by going and working. You should identify those people you need on your team and send them a support letter. In this letter, they should be made aware of the following information:

Where are you going and with which organization?

What will you do?

Why are you going?

What are your prayer needs?

What do you hope to learn?

How does this fit in with your life plans?

How much support do you need?

What is your support for (airfare, materials, etc.)?

Are gifts tax deductible?

Where is support sent?

Who should be the payee on the check?

All gifts and correspondence should be acknowledged promptly. To show your appreciation, a small gift from Guatemala would be appropriate – pictures, stamps, coins or currency. A follow-up letter upon your return should be included with your gift. Early into the meetings, the costs of the trip and fee due dates will be provided to all team members. Each team member is asked to turn in monies as soon as possible because reservations for lodging, airline tickets, and team materials must be purchased in advance to secure the most reasonable rates available and to accommodate our travel schedule. We will discuss team support in more detail in the fundraising section of this manual.


Suggestions for Funding Your Trip

Biblical Principles:

A. Paul urged the church at Corinth to give financially. (II Cor. 8,9) B. Paul thanked the Philippians for their support of his ministry, knowing that they

would benefit by giving (Phil. 4:17) and that God would supply their needs according to His riches. (Phil. 4:19)

C. Jesus taught His followers to seek God and His kingdom first and material needs would be provided. (Matt 6:33)

D. God’s plan is to provide support for His work through Christians who give of their finances. (Matt. 10:20, III John 5-8)

What to Do:

A. Pray…ask God to provide. (I John 5:14-15) B. Be willing to use your personal finances, for yourself and others. Be sure you have

an eternal perspective. (Matt. 6:19-21) C. Realize many Christians would cheerfully contribute to your need because:

a. It is personal; they know where the money is going. b. They are eager to give to something that will accomplish results.

D. Make a list of every possible avenue of support, and take steps to make them aware of your need. You are not raising funds for yourself but to serve others, to bring the gospel to those who will hear.

a. Family b. Friends c. Teachers/Administrators d. Businessmen e. Church Acquaintances f. Community Leaders g. Employers

E. Contact them by phone, letter, appointment (or a combination of these).

What to Include in your Letter:

A. A personal greeting. B. How you are growing in your Christian life. C. Why you are writing – to ask them to prayerfully consider investing in your summer

and the lives of these people living in desperate conditions. D. What you expect to get out of the trip. E. The cost involved in the project ($1,400). F. A request to consider an amount (i.e., a range of $25, $50, or $100). G. Who they should make the check payable to: (with your name & “Guatemala”

on the memo line). H. Words of appreciation for considering your opportunity. I. A handwritten signature and/or note on your letter. J. See sample letter for further suggestions.


Follow Up:

A. Call people back in a timely fashion. Be positive, don’t put this off. B. For those who invest in your summer, send them a handwritten thank you note in

a timely manner. We also highly recommend sending a follow-up letter after the trip giving an account of what you did in Guatemala.


Sample Support Letter

(Date) Dear _______________________________, In __________ I will have the privilege of participating with a team of adults and students from my church and other local churches on a short-term mission trip to Guatemala. Guatemala has tremendous needs due to its poor economic and social conditions. We are partnering with The Shalom Church of Guatemala to help the local church members by __________________________________________. I am very excited about this opportunity. Our team will be working with the Guatemalans, but we will also be working on building relationships. But as much as we are going to give our lives away to serve the Guatemalans, I know this trip will deeply impact me personally and I look forward to the growth I will experience as well. Realizing that a trip of this type does not happen without the involvement of many people, I am asking you to consider how you might support us as we pursue what we feel God is leading us to do. There are two areas of need: prayer and financial. Prayer for unity and safety with our team, for us to be sensitive and obedient to God’s leading and that God would change lives — ours and the people in Guatemala. You can help financially by contributing to help offset the costs of the trip and supplies. Will you please consider joining our support team? If you wish to help, please detach and return the form below to me in the enclosed envelope by ______________. If you would like to write a check, please make your check payable to _____________________________________. Thank you so much for considering this. Warmest regards, _________________________________________ (Your signature here) o Yes, I will commit to pray for you leading up to and during your trip to Guatemala.

o Yes, I will make a financial contribution to your trip, as indicated below.

________$500 ________$250 ________$100 ________$50 ________Other gift Name _________________________________ Address ____________________________________ E-mail _________________________________ Phone ______________________________________


Mission Trip Support Tracking Form

Your Name: ______________________________________________________

And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches In Christ Jesus…

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Culture Shock

Recognizing and coping with the differences between your culture and the culture of the host country can do much to lessen the stress of travel. Several ways to enhance your travel experience before leaving are to learn several words and phrases in the language of the host country, meet and talk to an individual from that country, or visit a worship/church service where they speak the language of the host country. Try to understand why you do things the way you do in your culture and why others do things differently in another culture. Be careful how you compare one culture to another. A desire to learn and understand not only helps you become informed and adjusted, but also communicates servant-‐hood to your host culture.

Tips for Communicating through a Translator

Speak to the audience, not the translator.

• Speak slowly and clearly. • Speak loud enough for the translator to hear and understand you. • Use short simple sentences. Allow time for the translator to speak. • Be conscious of the time factor. Remember, everything has to be repeated. Avoid slang. Slang confuses the audience because it does not translate well.


Cultural Research

The more you understand about the culture of Guatemala, the more effective you will be. It is possible to gain a great deal of understanding about Guatemala, and begin adjusting yourself personally for entering that culture. As you research and study, look for ways to creatively impact your host culture with the message of Jesus Christ. Speak with nationals from the host culture, the Internet, libraries, travel brochures, and periodicals for your research. Creatively prepare a report for your team.

Religious Background: Study the religious beliefs of the people. How do these beliefs differ from Christianity? How devout are the people? What are creative ways to communicate

the message of Jesus Christ to these people?

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Political Background: What is the primary political system of the culture? How long have they

operated under this system? What would be the major differences in thinking politically from your

home culture?

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Social Background: How is the social structure set up? Family? Male roles? Female roles? How do

the sexes interact? Dating? How should your team adjust to honor their social structure?

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


Geographic Background: What is the basic geography and climate of Guatemala? How does this

climate affect the people? (For example: A hot culture often shuts down during the afternoon and has

events late into the night.) What can your team expect to experience as a result of the geography and what adjustments will they need to make?

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Historical Background: Research and historical overview. Has the country been war torn? Is it stable? Is there a strong world influence? How does the history affect the way the nationals view themselves? What, if any, recent changes have occurred?

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Economic Background: What drives the cultural economy? Industry? Agriculture? Tourism? What is

the standard of living? Average income? What can your team expect of the culture’s living conditions?

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Cultural Background: Investigate the country’s cultural celebrations. Holidays? Arts, drama, music?

Is their culture tied to the religious beliefs? How do they celebrate?

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Statistics and Other Facts: Population? Crowded living conditions? Racial mix? Etc.?

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________


Spiritual Development

Your initial motivation to go on a mission trip may be self-‐centered. Before leaving, you may have the

thought that you are going to change someone else’s life – that they will be the recipients of your efforts. However, upon your return, you may realize that you were changed by the ones you went to help, or possibly, you both were changed. As stated earlier, “It is our prayer that God will challenge you

spiritually and help you grow in your faith in Jesus Christ as a result of this trip”. Also, you will find the greatest rewards are in the relationships that are made on the trip. Most importantly, this includes a deepening relationship with Jesus Christ.

Journaling

It is recommended you take a pen and journal to record the events of your trip on a daily basis. If you keep a journal, you will find yourself referring to it for many years. Journaling is an important way for

you to process what you are experiencing and learning on the trip, as well as revealing areas where you may need to experience spiritual growth and maturity.

You may want to begin your journal before you leave in order to record what God may be revealing to you. Once you’re on the trip, you will want to journal daily. Some of the information you might want to

include might be: (1) your relationship with God, (2) your relationship with others, (3) your impressions of the host culture, (4) special people, places, events, food, (5) what you are learning about yourself, (6) and what you are learning about “kingdom building”. Later on, your journal may help you realize that

you did not understand all you had experienced on your trip. Allow God to use this journal as a tool to grow spiritually. This journal will help strengthen your witness to others about your relationship to Jesus Christ and what He means to you – how your faith in Him is growing and changing your life.

(Journal pages are provided for you in the Appendix of this manual.)


Health & Safety Tips

• Before you leave, give copies of your passport and any credit cards you plan to use to a family member or trusted friend.

• Several days prior to departure, begin drinking plenty of water. Guatemala City’s elevation of just less than 5,000 feet is significantly higher than Nashville’s elevation of 746 feet.

• Once in Guatemala, drink only purified water; use only ice that has been made from purified water.

• Your team’s leader will have a first aid kit; see him/her for first aid needs. • Do not eat ANY foods from street vendors. • Eat only fruits that can be peeled. • Take hand sanitizer and use it often. • NEVER go anywhere alone; remain with the group AT ALL TIMES. • Clean out your wallet. Take only necessary identification, credit cards or cash. It is

advisable to purchase a special pouch or belt for the purpose of discretely carrying your valuable items.

• If you don’t need it, don’t take it. • We strongly suggest you leave all non-‐necessary valuables at home, including ALL

jewelry EXCEPT an inexpensive watch. • You will be expected to be “on time” to all meetings and all group functions. • When possible, always ask permission before you take a picture of someone:

“¿Un photo, por favor?” • While traveling in vehicles in-‐country, always wear your seatbelt.


Immunization Information

Required Shots and length recommended time between shots Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B are good for 20 years once you have completed the series correctly. Tetanus is good for 10 years Typhoid is good for 2 years

Global Outreach Clinic Brentwood Baptist Church 7777 Concord Road Brentwood, TN Schedule: Clinic hours are between 6-‐8 pm with check in from 6-‐7 pm Information at http://www.globaloutreachclinic.org/1.0.12/

Notes:

• You must make a reservation to attend this clinic • They prefer cash – if you pay with credit card a 5% surcharge will be added • Enter at door “B”. There will be signs directing you to our location within the

building. Pricing: Hep A -‐ $79.00 (2 shot series to be completed within 1 year.) Hep B -‐ $55.00 (3 shot series to be completed within 6 months.) Twinrix (Combo A & B) -‐ $118.00 (3 shot series to be completed within 6 months.) Tetanus (TDaP) -‐ $55.00 Typhoid -‐ $66.00


Immunization Information, cont.

Shots, Etc. 7648 Hwy 70 South at I 40 (exit 196) suite 15 Nashville, TN 37221 (615) 469-‐7413 Office Hours Monday -‐ Friday 9am to 5pm Saturdays 10am to 2pm Pricing: Hep A -‐ $80 per dose x 2 doses Hep B -‐ $75.00 per dose x 3 doses Twinrix (Combo A & B) -‐ $125 per dose x 3 doses Tetanus (TDaP) -‐ $65.00 Typhoid -‐ $80.00 injectable or $85.00 orale Note: All of their services can be obtained on a walk-‐in basis but you may want to call just to make sure they have all the vaccines. You may pay by cash, check credit or debit card. They do not accept insurance but will give you a receipt that you can file on your own. Vanderbilt Travel Clinic 1301 Medical Center Drive TVC Suite 2501 Nashville TN 37232 Phone: (615) 936-‐1174 Office Hours: Monday and Thursday 8 am to 5:30 pm Wednesday and Friday 8am to 2:30 pm Appointments Only Hep A $82 per dose x 2 doses Hep B $77 per dose x 3 doses Combo $122 per dose x 3 doses Tetanus $53 Typhoid $77 Note: They do not accept insurance


Travel and Packing Tips

Travel light—you carry what you pack. Take only what you need.

• Leave valuables at home. Clean out your wallet. Take only necessary legal photo identification, credit cards or cash. If you plan to bring your cell phone with you, check with your cellular phone carrier well in advance regarding international phone service and equipment requirements. Your cell phone will not complete calls in Guatemala without the proper service options which are often free or inexpensive while other systems may be more costly.

• Pack a carry-‐on bag for necessities and a change of clothes, prescription medications. Consider sharing a carry-‐on bag with a teammate. Be aware of current Transportation Security policies.

• Each piece of luggage should have a highly visible tag for easy identification. Do not leave team luggage unattended.

• Remember your manners when traveling—be courteous and considerate of those around you. Remain as a group. Team leadership does not need to organize any search parties.

• Know where you are supposed to be, what time and be there. • Consider taking clothes and shoes you can give away. The nationals can use the clothing and

you can gain space to bring back souvenirs. • Put a copy of your passport in each piece of your luggage and leave a copy at home with a family

member or friend. • We will provide airline baggage restrictions when tickets are booked. One of your checked bags

will be for team supplies and donated items for the mission.


Packing List

GENERAL CLOTHING ID/Passport/Copies of passport Pants/Jeans Bible Long or short-‐sleeved shirts Notebook/Journal T-‐shirts Pen/Pencil Skirts (below the knee) Cash/Credit card Work shoes Snacks Other comfortable shoes Wash Cloths/Bath rug Scrubs Soap Belt Insect Repellant Jacket or fleece Sunscreen Sleepwear Sunglasses Socks Camera/Film/Batteries Alarm Clock PERSONAL Extra Mirror Pain Reliever Flashlight Pepto-‐Bismol Water bottle Contacts/Glasses Small extension cord Toilet paper roll Hand sanitizer Small pack Kleenex Baby wipes Personal hygiene items Deck of playing cards Personal medications Devotional book Vitamins Cell phone and charger Lotion


Saying Goodbye

Value the moment. Tell your new friends good-‐bye. You may or may not ever see them again.

• Leave a picture or small gift as a token of friendship. This would be better if done in a private

setting. • Hugs and words of appreciation of expressions you will not regret. You have probably made

some close friends and it will be appropriate to give a good-‐bye hug.

• Don’t make promises you can’t keep. Don’t get so emotional that your words become “intentions”, and you

fail to fulfill your promises.

Reverse Culture Shock

The person that returns from a mission trip is

not the same person who left earlier. When you come home, you will feel like you have returned to a

different country. You will be experiencing reverse culture shock. Some suggestions for helping to cope

with what you are experiencing are: 1) express your feelings to a person who has been through the re-‐

entry process as well as your team mates. 2) talk with team leadership or a pastor that can help sort out

your emotions, and 3) read through your journal. There may be information that you recorded that will

help you readjust to your home culture. Plan to attend any discussion activities or “reunions” of the

team members you traveled with. This communication process may help you share your experiences

with others with joy, peace and hope. Your work will have blessed many lives and many families.


Missions Trips without “Guilt Trips”

Imagine that you’re on a celebrity’s luxury boat, cruising through the warm turquoise waters off the coast of Palm Beach – only days after serving and weeping over the poorest of the poor in Mexico. How could you allow yourself to indulge in such a frivolous activity, knowing that a village could be fed for a week on just the cost of fuel for this two-‐hour jaunt? That nagging question hung over me like a cloud that even the swiftest boat couldn’t outrun.

I had recently returned home to Palm Beach County, Florida, from Reynosa, Mexico, where our church team had worked with people who lived in shanties built over the town’s abandoned landfill. Children with rawhide feet ran without concern over shards of glass and metal that worked their way to the packed-‐dirt surface. I drank purified, bottled water while toddlers mouthed the solitary, rusty spigot.

Now I was having great difficulty reconciling myself to my affluent surroundings. As our cruiser left the inlet for the open sea, I thought of those delightful, dusty children who would never lay eyes on an ocean. My conscience roared louder than the dual inboard motors.

Like me, you may have participated in a short-‐term mission project that exposed you to disturbing conditions and underprivileged people. Then what? What are you supposed to do when you return from the land of scarcity to the land of plenty? How are you supposed to feel?

Got Guilt?

Many missions veterans report experiencing reverse culture shock when they return to their home country. After adjusting to a foreign (often impoverished) culture that likely is more relationship-‐driven and less frantic than their own, participants are thrust back into a culture of excess that wastes much and seems grateful for little, a commercial world enslaved to clocks and cell phones.

Some returnees become severe social critics who attack all that seems wrong with their homeland. Others struggle to find meaning in their daily work. Ron is an architect who recently returned from a project in Romania. “After experiences that seemed weighty with eternal significance,” he said, “it was hard to come back and get excited about calculating the measurements of an elevator shaft.” Many returnees simply feel confused as they try to reconcile opposing worlds.

I had my first missions experience as a 14-‐year-‐old when I went to Haiti with my church youth group during Christmas break. We were a typical noisy throng of teens when we boarded the bus at the Port-‐au-‐Prince airport. Minutes later we grew silent as we drove through the city streets. The sights and smells of abject poverty opened our eyes wide and clamped our mouths shut.


During that trip, I experienced a hybrid of compassion and guilt. Days earlier I had been a gift-‐greedy teen enveloped in the abundance of an American Christmas; the lingering holiday memories only accentuated my guilt. I could almost imagine myself back home ripping into my pile of Christmas packages while homeless and disabled Haitian street children peered in through the living room window. I remember feeling as if I needed to apologize for my decent clothes and good health, for having my own room in an actual house. I almost wanted to blurt out, “I’m sorry for being born in the United States. I couldn’t help it!”

Fifteen years later I again found myself ambushed by guilt and feeling apologetic. However, with a friend’s help, I learned that such guilt is counterproductive. Rather than impressing God as an admirable form of humility, it only robbed me of joy and kept me in bondage. Feeling guilty for enjoying an elegant anniversary dinner with my wife, a round of golf with a friend, or a spectacular morning on the water did nothing to honor God – or improve the plight of the children in Mexico. Instead of guilt, my friend helped me discover healthier, more productive responses that can bring peace, honor God, and genuinely help others.

Giving Thanks

The first response is deep gratitude. The disparity between the world we visited and the world we live in should provoke a profound recognition of our undeserved blessings. Moses warned the Israelites.

You may say to yourself, “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.” But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth. (Deut. 8:17-‐18)

Gratitude acknowledges that we did not earn our geography or parentage. After all, did you or I strategically orchestrate our births to dodge delivery into impoverished regions where famine, disease, and perpetual danger are the inheritance? We simply received the advantages we were born to. Everything that we enjoy is a lavish gift from God, as undeserved as our salvation. Gratitude recognizes and throws its arms around this grace. Instead of giving in to unfruitful guilt, thank God for what you enjoy and perhaps take for granted: a stable government, constitutional liberties, medical care, your comfortable home, clean water, leisure, and entertainment.

Giving Resources

Second, I realized that genuine gratitude leads to generosity. As recipients of undeserved blessings, we are to be good stewards. And stewards are generous – not guilt-‐ridden.


Many years ago, Calvin Miller spoke at a conference I was attending and asked me for a ride to a nearby store. As I opened the passenger door of my old Toyota Corolla, Miller patted the faded roof and chuckled, “You must give a lot of money to missions.”

Truth be told, apart from a meager year-‐end check to my denomination’s fund, missions giving was far from my mind.

The Reynosa experience attuned me to hear God’s heartbeat for the world. Now my wife and I discuss our monthly contribution to missions at the beginning of each year and decide how to make adjustments and sacrifices to free up that amount.

Does that mean we shun lattes, boycott entertainment, and ride mopeds to work? No. The point is not to become pleasure-‐shunning misers, but to be willing to make changes that release valuable resources for others in need. We are becoming deliberate spenders who desire to see our money flow toward what we value.

At times, missions giving may be short-‐circuited by the reasoning: “What difference will my small contribution make in the face of such a huge need?” True, your donation is unlikely to feed an overpopulated refugee camp. But it will make a difference to someone.

The Apostle Paul praised the Macedonian churches for their exceptional generosity toward a distant church.

We want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity…Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints. (II Cor. 8:1-‐4, emphasis mine)

Like the Macedonians, let your generosity flow from a grateful heart, one that freely tastes and delights in God’s blessings and invites others to do the same.

Giving Yourself

In addition to being generous with our resources, we can be generous with ourselves. Rather than being immobilized by false guilt, we can mobilize ourselves for additional missions projects as opportunity and resources allow. The reason for going is not to assuage guilt (I’ll feel okay about buying this big screen TV if I go on that mission trip this summer) but to express God’s love through the generous offering of ourselves. On our Mexico trip, a village woman asked one of the team leaders which government agency was paying us to build her a home. Bob told her that our team members had each taken a week of vacation and paid $700 for the chance to smash our thumbs with hammers. As the woman silently watched the sweaty crew of strangers pounding her new roof into place, I wasn’t sure if she doubted B ob’s explanation or was trying


to comprehend it. “We are all Christians,” he continued, “and we’ve come to show you God’s love.”

When the woman turned back to Bob, her eyes were moist. “Gracias,” she whispered. Later at the home dedication service, she invited Christ to take up residence in her heart.

Going doesn’t always mean traveling to another country; there are local opportunities too. The single adults in our church regularly serve breakfast at a soup kitchen, volunteer during the Special Olympics, and visit nursing homes. The possibilities are as limitless as the needs.

While local needs and people should not be ignored, do not fall for the oft-‐repeated grumble: “I don’t know why we spend so much to go overseas when we’ve got people who need Jesus right here in our own backyard.” Jesus said to His disciples, “You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts1:8). Christ’s commission to the church draws a set of enlarging circles: Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth.

Go across the street, and go across an ocean. Go where they speak your language, and then go where they don’t. Be willing to work in the inner city for a day and have your heart stirred, and be willing to work for a week in a distant village and have your heart broken. If your heart stretches in grief, don’t worry. A heart enlarged by grief also has a greater capacity for joy.

So when you return from your mission experience, cancel your reservations for a guilt trip. Instead, live in a spirit of gratitude, liberally sow seeds of generosity, and keep your luggage handy.

(Discipleship Journal – Issue #135 May/June 2003)

Reprinted by permission from Ramon Presson.


JOURNAL


Checklist for Mission Trip

Pre-‐trip planning:

Immunizations are up-‐to-‐date

Hepatitis A & B

Typhoid

Tetanus

Read team manual

Made passport copies -‐ left copy with a family member or friend, one copy for each suitcase ,one

copy to carry

Left a copy of emergency phone list and itinerary with family member or friend

Made adjustments to cell phone service – if you want international calling

Filled prescriptions

Purchased Imodium and other needed over the counter meds.

Recruited someone for airport drop off pick-‐up

Purchased hand sanitizer

Packing Day/Night:

Put prescription drugs in my carry on luggage – containers must be clearly labeled with your name or the drugs are at risk for confiscation. Over the counter meds should also be packed in carry not check

luggage.

Packed a light jacket and poncho or other rain gear.

Cleaned out purse and wallet – taking only essentials

Weighed luggage to make sure it is less than 50 lbs – You will be responsible for any over the weight limit fees on your personal luggage.

Taken unapproved items out of my carry on luggage including: over sized liquids, nail clipper, files, etc…

Packed a good pair of sturdy work boots.


Tips for Travel

Arrive at the airport two hours before scheduled light departure.

International Flight gates sometimes change from the published itinerary gate. Be sure and check the monitor as you depart your arriving flight to make sure you are headed to the correct gate/terminal.

Keep your team manual with you on the airplane so that you will have the Nazarene Center address and other information that you will need to complete your customs information. Select tourist as your reason for travel on this form.

There are carts in the Guatemala airport to help transport your bags. If a porter approaches and asks to help just say no thanks.

Never walk around alone.

Only drink bottled water. Use bottled water to brush your teeth.

When you arrive back at the US Airport on the return flight you will have to retrieve your luggage and take it through customs. Once you have cleared customs you can recheck your bags.

When in doubt on the food in Guatemala “don’t”. Avoid lettuce and mayonnaise based sauces.

If you start to feel woozy immediately start taking your cipro if you have it. Better safe than sorry.

Bring a bottle of hand sanitizer and use it frequently.

Bring old cloths that you can leave behind to donate.

The Shalom Foundation loves to get pictures from team members so please take lots and share

with us so we can let our supporters know the great work you are doing.

Please be punctual in the mornings it is important for the team to get started on time.


Be flexible! Changes in the schedule may need to be made.

Always wear your seat belt when traveling in Guatemala.

* Female only* If you could possibly need feminine hygiene products be sure and take them. They are hard to get in Guatemala and if you find them they will not be of the same quality as here.

team manual - brentwood baptist july 2011

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