Preparations Underway

James submitted the application to Maranatha yesterday via snail mail. Now we eagerly wait for the acceptance of our proposed dates and location. Patience will be a necessary attribute for this part of the planning phase!

Here is some additional information about working with Maranatha (taken off their website). Their services include:
*Help in choosing a project that fits our needs
*Consultation and training for the team leaders
*Ensuring the project is completely finished after we leave

Maranatha prepares the project site:
*Completing underground plumbing and electrical
*Pouring foundation and sometimes floor
*Erecting steel
*Purchasing materials and equipment and having them at the project site

Other items provided by Maranatha for our team:
*Construction blueprints
*Direction with the actual building process
*Coordination of a pre-project site visit
*Facilitating arrangements for food, housing, transportation, etc

At this time our goal as a church is twofold: recruit project participants and start raising money for both the participant’s fees* and the building fund. We hope to raise $30,000 for the building of the facility (the type of facility will be determined after the project location is determined and the needs of the community are assessed).

At this time our goal for the project is twofold: During the day build a permanent structure for the community and in the evening give a Power of the Cross seminar.

Guidelines for Project Participants:*We have chosen a team size of 30-35. We feel that this will provide enough people working on the job site while allowing other participants to be available for supportive roles (cooking, laundry, spiritual leadership, project documentation, etc).
*One adult per four youth (14-17 years of age)
*One adult per child under 14 years of age
*Please assess whether any medical conditions would prevent you from traveling and working long hours or doing manual labor
*Please assess whether your youth/child is spiritually and emotionally mature enough to go on a short-term mission project. Will they add to or detract from the physical work and spiritual experience of our team and the community we will serve?

James and I will work with a travel agent to secure group travel for all phases of the trip (U.S. and Mexico). I am currently researching possible sight-seeing excursions that might be available to us and will present these options to the team at a later date.

Please check your passport to make sure it is up to date. It must be valid for 3 months after the mission trip.

*Participants Fees includes: Accident insurance, food and water, housing, local travel and transportation, outreach expenses, excursions, photography, preliminary costs (education materials, postage, etc), site visit, and a contingency fund. Airfare (if traveling as a group) may possibly be included and entrance and exit fees if applicable.