High School Ministry Spring Break Mission Trip March 24 April 2, 2016 Mukachevo, Ukraine

Transcription

1 High School Ministry Spring Break Mission Trip March 24 April 2, 2016 Mukachevo, Ukraine May the nations be glad and sing for joy! Psalm 67:4

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3 High School Ministry, Thousands of years ago the author of Psalm 67 exclaimed, May the nations be glad and sing for joy! His desire was that all the peoples of the earth would experience the joy of knowing and worshiping the one true God of the universe. As a church, this remains our passion. Our desire is that in going to the nations to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ that people would hear about the grace and mercy of God and respond in joyful worship. In order to spread this passion for the worship of God, high school ministry will be doing two mission trips this spring. One will be to the people of Kampala, Uganda as we partner with God Cares School and Pastor Bethel Dongo. The other will be to the Gypsy camps in and around Mukachevo, Ukraine as we partner with Pastor Misha Balko and Ruslan Yankovskyy and their ministry to orphans. Both trips have been selected because of the great ministry that is already happening there, the potential for the Gospel to spread through our trip and the appropriateness of the trip for teenagers. It is hard to overstate how excited we are about how God is building our passion for the nations in high school ministry. In this packet you will find answers to questions about the Ukraine with respect to cost, fundraising, applications and many other topics. We hope to have provided you with an exciting, yet realistic picture of what this trip will be like. The most important thing, however, is that you feel God s call for you to be a part of this team. Many people worry about whether they will be able to go on a mission trip, particularly when it comes to the cost. My encouragement to you would be to spend time in prayer and ask God for clarity. If after prayerful consideration you believe that He says, go, go! You will never know how incredible God s provision is until you take a step of faith to trust him. If God calls you to go, He will provide the resources to make it happen. Mission trips are life changing, both for the team that goes and for the people we serve. To that end, please know this trip will stretch you and at times place you way outside your comfort zone. We believe that this is a good thing and will grow your trust in Christ. In high school ministry we talk a lot about what your next step is in following Jesus. Ask yourself, is this mission trip mine? If it is, then it is time for you to follow Jesus to the nations. It will be every bit as challenging as it will be joyful, and I promise that you won t regret it. Grace & Peace, Brian Howard High School Pastor Calvary Community Church

4 Gypsy Camps Gypsy Camps are spread across the Ukrainian landscape. Calvary has built a relationship with three camps that are located in Western Ukraine near the Hungarian border (Mukachevo, Beregovo, Uzgarhad). Our HS team will share the love of Jesus with the hundreds of children that call these gypsy camps their home. Through child sponsorship funds Calvary has had the opportunity to build a soup kitchen and classrooms at one of the camps. We are now working in another camp to expand the local church to enhance it's outreach to the community. Each of these camps provide unique ministry opportunities from helping in the soup kitchen, working directly with the children using Awana and other children's ministry programs, and encouraging those who live and serve in the camps. This trip will allow you to grow in your own relationship with Christ while you minister to those who are considered "the least of these" in their culture. Ukraine Ukraine ( i /juːˈkreɪn/; Ukrainian: Україна, tr. Ukraina [ukrɑˈjinɑ]) is a country in Eastern Europe, bordered by Russia to the east and northeast, Belarus to the northwest, Poland and Slovakia to the west, Hungary, Romania, and Moldova to the southwest, and the Black Sea and Sea of Azov to the south and southeast, respectively. It has an area of 603,628 km 2 (233,062 sq mi), making it the largest country entirely within Europe and the 46th largest country in the world, it is also the 32nd most populous country in the world with a population of about 44.5 million. Ukraine has long been a global breadbasket because of its extensive, fertile farmlands, and it remains one of the world's largest grain exporters. The diversified economy of Ukraine includes a large heavy industry sector, particularly in aerospace and industrial equipment. Ukraine is a unitary republic under a semi- presidential system with separate powers: legislative, executive, and judicial branches. Its capital and largest city is Kiev. Ukraine maintains the second- largest military in Europe, after that of Russia, when reserves and paramilitary personnel are taken into account. The country is home to 45.4 million people (including Crimea), 77.8% of whom are Ukrainians by ethnicity, followed by a sizable minority of Russians (17%), Romanians/Moldovans, Belarusians, Crimean Tatars, and Hungarians. Ukrainian is the official language of Ukraine; its alphabet is Cyrillic. In the gypsy camps the predominant language is Hungarian. The dominant religion in the country is Eastern Orthodoxy, which has strongly influenced Ukrainian architecture, literature and music.

5 Cost The cost for the trip is $2,500. This includes your flights, accommodation, food, transportation and the costs of our ministry to the local population. You will need to bring some spending money for food on our travel days as well as any souvenirs you would like to purchase. Please note: our goal is that each team member fundraises the majority, if not all, of their trip cost. This will be done through both individual and group fundraising efforts. Application & Deposit Key Dates Sunday, September 27 Informational parent meeting in the high school room following the 11am service (optional) Sunday, October 18 Application due date Sunday, October 25 - Team members selected & notified by team leaders Saturday, October 31 - $200 deposit due Team Training Please note: team training is mandatory and considered part of the mission trip. Failure to attend team trainings may result in your removal from the trip. Sunday, November 1 First Team Meeting 12:30 2:30pm (lunch provided) at Calvary Sunday, December 6 Second Team Meeting 12:30 2:30pm (lunch provided) at Calvary Sunday, January 10 Third Team Meeting 12:30 2:30pm (lunch provided) at Calvary Friday, February 5-6 Team Overnight 5:00pm 11:00am location TBD Sunday, March 13 Final Team Meeting with parents & students 12:30 2:30pm (lunch provided) at Calvary Trip (flight itinerary is attached) Thursday, March 24 Gather at Calvary after school (around 4pm) to leave for airport Saturday, April 2 - Return to Calvary Sunday, April 3 Presentation of mission teams at 11am & 5pm services Sunday, April 10 Team reunion dinner after 5pm service

6 How to Apply Fill out the Short- term Trip application at Please make sure you select Ukraine Mission Trip under Trip Name. The deadline for applications is Sunday October 18, You will be contacted by High School ministry staff to follow- up on your application and let you know whether you have been approved for the trip. If approved, a $200 deposit is required to secure a spot on the team. This deposit is due no later than Saturday October 31, Payment can be made on- line at or check made payable to Calvary Community Church with HSM Mission Trip 829 in memo. Following the approved application and deposit, further instructions regarding fundraising and team training will be given. Fundraising Each trip participant is responsible to raise or pay for the costs associated with the trip. Whatever your financial position, we want each team member to pay at least a portion of their trip cost. How much should you give? The $200 deposit is a good start. Think about giving in a way that really costs you something. Investing your own finances will bring a value to the trip that comes through giving sacrificially. For each trip, an online support- raising page is creating that is available for each team member to send out to family, friends, or co- workers. The page will give an overview of the trip and ask people to consider supporting the trip through prayer and/or financial support. There will be a drop down feature that lists each team member name and the ability for supporters to give by credit card. We will be training you on how to write your own support letters that you can mail out. These will serve as the primary way in which we raise funds and we will expect each team member to send out a significant amount of letters. Any support letter must include the following wording regarding financial support: It is Calvary s policy that contributions shall not be refunded. Should a particular person not participate in the trip, or should the trip be cancelled, all donations received for that trip shall be used to pay the expenses of other people participating in the trip, reallocated to other mission trips, or reallocated to the general fund, at the discretion of Calvary.

7 Managed Missions Online Software Each Team Member will be ed a log- in and password to our Managed Missions online program that will allow you to: Track your financial support See significant due dates and the team meeting schedule Track goals or tasks you still have to complete for the trip It is a good idea to add the Managed Missions website to your favorites list on your web browser once you receive your log- in and password so that you can access it easily and remember where it is. Immunizations, Vaccines & Medications All travelers should be up to date on routine vaccinations before traveling. These vaccines include measles- mumps- rubella (MMR) vaccine, diphtheria- tetanus- pertussis vaccine, varicella (chickenpox) vaccine, polio vaccine, and your yearly flu shot. Polio and Hepatitis A are recommended by the Center for Disease Control for travel to Ukraine. For a full list of suggested vaccines and medications visit: Wellnessmart is a good local option for getting any shots you need. They will also consult you on any other questions or concerns you have. 141 Duesenberg Drive Westlake Village, CA Ph: (805) Please consult your physician on recommended vaccinations.

8 Passports & Visas To obtain a passport, you will need a certified birth certificate (not the hospital record), two passport photos, and a driver s license. In addition, you will need to pick up a passport application from the post office and turn in the requested information to the postal clerk for processing with the US Passport Agency. You should allow 6-8 weeks before your trip for your passport to arrive. For further information about passport visit For travel to Ukraine no visa is required. Children under age 16 cannot apply for a passport by themselves. Both parents/guardians must appear in person with the child and provide consent, authorizing passport issuance to the child. If one parent/guardian is unable to appear in person, then the DS- 11 application must be accompanied by a signed, notarized Form DS- 3053: Statement of Consent from the non- applying parent/guardian. If the child only has one parent/guardian, evidence of sole authority to apply for the child must be submitted with the application in the form of a: Court order granting sole legal custody to the applying parent (unless child s travel is restricted by that order) A court order specifically permitting the applying parent to apply for the child s passport Judicial declaration of incompetence of the non- applying parent Death certificate of the non- applying parent Photocopies and notarized copies are not accepted Travel Insurance Personal health insurance is required for trip participation. In addition to your own personal health insurance policy, travel health insurance will be purchased for each trip participant on international trips with a $200,000 policy limit that is included in the trip fees. Additional coverage limits up to $1,000,000 are available to be purchased upon request at the trip participant s expense (rates dependent on age & term). This insurance provides major medical benefits, emergency medical evacuation and repatriation coverage that your primary health insurance may not cover for overseas claims. Learn more about this coverage at

9 Flight Itinerary Departure: Thursday 24 March - > Arrival: Friday 25 March LAX (Los Angeles, CA) 9:55am - > LHR (London Heathrow, United Kingdom) 3:15pm (Fri, Mar 25) LHR (London Heathrow, United Kingdom) 6:05pm - > BUD (Budapest, Hungary) 9:25pm Departure: Saturday 02 April BUD (Budapest, Hungary) 8:00am - > LHR (London Heathrow, United Kingdom) 9:40am LHR (London Heathrow, United Kingdom) 4:15pm - > LAX (Los Angeles, CA) 7:20pm