Serve Internationally

Make it a prayer habit to ask God about where He wants you to serve. When an interest meeting is announced for a particular project, go with a prayerful heart that asks, “Is this where I need to go?” Then listen and respond.

Whether you are going next year or five years from now, you need to be preparing spiritually by spending time in the Word of God daily, and seeking other opportunities to grow in your relationship with Christ.

Take a course in sharing your faith, and use what you learn. A great opportunity offered regularly at Curtis is the “Share Jesus Without Fear” class.

Spiritual preparation is foundational. This is not mission tourism. It doesn’t require great knowledge, so much as it requires a growing and active relationship with Jesus Christ. It takes more than a plane ride to turn any of us into a missionary.

Passport – You have to have a passport to go out of the country, and get back in. Many post offices have Passport offices. The downtown post office on 8th Street, and the Evans Post Office both offer full service, taking pictures as well as receiving the applications and fees. Persons 16 and over can get a passport that is valid for ten years from date of issue. Children 15 and under receive passports that are valid for five years. You can get up-to-date information about passports, and make appointments at some Post Offices at:

http://travel.state.gov/passport/get/first/first_830.html

If you have had a passport, you may be eligible for a renewal. Check the website above, or read the information on the renewal application to see if you are eligible.

 

Visas – Many countries require visas to come into their country. Often, those are secured upon arrival. There are destinations, however, where visas must be secured prior to departure. Your passport is sent to that country’s Consulate or Embassy, along with a rather lengthy application. (You and your team will usually fill these out together at a team meeting). Your team coordinator or the Missions Office will take all passports and applications and send them via Federal Express or UPS to the embassy.  Getting these visas can take as long as four weeks.

Costs vary according to the distance and length of a project. As a general guideline, overseas project costs run between $1500 and $2300.

For church projects, the church generally seeks to fund about half the cost for each person. You are responsible for either raising the rest of your support or paying from your own funds.

Start saving. Before airline tickets can be purchased, we must have at least a $300 deposit, which is about what it costs when/if we have to cancel a ticket once purchased. Even if you must raise the rest of your support, you’ll need to be ready to make this much of a personal investment.

Choosing to raise your support from friends and family outside the church is fine. It actually gives your supporters an opportunity to participate in missions in a way that is different from anything they have done before. They are investing in a project that involves someone they know and love, can pray for, and hear about God’s activity from you when you return.

Many people are frightened by the idea of raising support. It is a great opportunity for you to grow your faith. If God has called you to go, He will make the way possible. Often, we have some team members to exceed what they need to raise for their support, and this helps those who did not quite make their desired level. We have never left anyone home. God always provides. The key is being certain that God has called you to that particular project.

Traveler’s Health Information is available at http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/default.aspx.

Note that the CDC may suggest more than you actually need. Consulting with people on the ground is helpful. It is ultimately up to your discretion as to what immunizations you get. The only ones required for anywhere and everywhere are your normal childhood immunizations and an up-to-date Tetanus shot. The final decision is with each traveler, but it is suggested to err on the side of caution. Some immunizations require several injections over a period of time in order to be fully protected, so you should check as soon as know you are heading overseas.

Traveler’s Health Insurance is included as part of your project cost. It covers emergencies overseas, as well as medical evacuation back home should you need it.

If you aren’t in good physical shape, we recommend that you start walking thirty minutes per day to get ready. In many places of the world, feet are the primary mode of transportation. This is also true in large international airports.

As far as medications go, take everything you take regularly or might need, in their original containers, and be sure they are in your carry-on. Prescription medications should be in the original container with the prescription information on it.