We will leave the church parking lot on Sunday night at 11pm (note the time change from the original plans).
Our departing flight is Delta 549 from JFK at 7:20am, arriving in Santiago at 12:17pm. Our arriving flight is Delta 550 from Santiago at 1:28pm, arriving at JFK at 4:30pm. I anticipate that we will be back at the church parking lot around 8:30pm, given the time it will take to get our luggage and go through customs.
Friday, February 17, 2012
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Notes on Traveling Abroad
We will go over these things again when we are traveling, but I thought I'd jot down a few things to keep in mind while we are in the DR.
STAY WITH THE GROUP. There will never be a time during this trip when you will be allowed to wander around by yourself, so let's just get used to being together! There may be times when we will divide into smaller groups; each group will be accompanied by an adult. I know we've had less strict policies on other trips, but on those trips we were in the US, where we had less risk and the ability to reach each other by cell phone.
Be careful with your money and the copy of your passport that you will be carrying (the actual passports will be in a safe). There is a lot of pick-pocketing in the DR, so keep these things in a belt or neck pouch under your clothing. Do not carry a lot of cash, or keep it spread around in different places so that even if one section is stolen, you still have the rest.
Do not drink the water unless it is purified. Bottled water is fine, and I will have water treatment tablets/drops just in case. Use bottled/purified water to brush your teeth. Avoid swallowing water in the shower. Do not eat fruit (apples, pears, etc.) that has been washed in unpurified water. Oranges and other fruits that have to be peeled are fine to eat. Do not order drinks with ice in them unless you know that the restaurant uses purified water (most of them do. You may think I'm being overzealous, but believe me, you do not want to deal with any of the things you can get from unsafe water.
Be open to the unexpected. Plans will change, things will go wrong, the food will be unfamiliar, you will encounter things that are foreign to you, communication will fail, and you will likely have to do at least one thing that you don't want to do (and probably more than one). We are all in the same boat. Being uncomfortable is part of the deal with mission trips, especially ones in developing countries. You will be less uncomfortable if you just go with it, and the differences can even be fun if you treat them like an adventure instead of a trial. All of that said, if you feel extremely uncomfortable with anything we're doing, please feel free to talk to me or one of the other adults about it. We want you to have fun!
STAY WITH THE GROUP. There will never be a time during this trip when you will be allowed to wander around by yourself, so let's just get used to being together! There may be times when we will divide into smaller groups; each group will be accompanied by an adult. I know we've had less strict policies on other trips, but on those trips we were in the US, where we had less risk and the ability to reach each other by cell phone.
Be careful with your money and the copy of your passport that you will be carrying (the actual passports will be in a safe). There is a lot of pick-pocketing in the DR, so keep these things in a belt or neck pouch under your clothing. Do not carry a lot of cash, or keep it spread around in different places so that even if one section is stolen, you still have the rest.
Do not drink the water unless it is purified. Bottled water is fine, and I will have water treatment tablets/drops just in case. Use bottled/purified water to brush your teeth. Avoid swallowing water in the shower. Do not eat fruit (apples, pears, etc.) that has been washed in unpurified water. Oranges and other fruits that have to be peeled are fine to eat. Do not order drinks with ice in them unless you know that the restaurant uses purified water (most of them do. You may think I'm being overzealous, but believe me, you do not want to deal with any of the things you can get from unsafe water.
Be open to the unexpected. Plans will change, things will go wrong, the food will be unfamiliar, you will encounter things that are foreign to you, communication will fail, and you will likely have to do at least one thing that you don't want to do (and probably more than one). We are all in the same boat. Being uncomfortable is part of the deal with mission trips, especially ones in developing countries. You will be less uncomfortable if you just go with it, and the differences can even be fun if you treat them like an adventure instead of a trial. All of that said, if you feel extremely uncomfortable with anything we're doing, please feel free to talk to me or one of the other adults about it. We want you to have fun!
What Should I Pack?
3 days, 16 hours until our flight departs from JFK! If you're more ahead of the game than I am, you're probably already packing. Make sure you have:
- Your passport
- A belt or neck pouch that fits under your clothing for your passport and money
- A small amount of cash for souvenirs and snacks (we will exchange money in the airport)
- clothes (keep in mind that it's been in the 70s and 80s in the DR this week):
- a couple of sets of clothing for painting or getting very messy
- casual clothes for evenings after we are done working
- one outfit suitable for church
- a swim suit
- a sweatshirt/hoodie and one pair of jeans or pants in case it gets chilly
- sturdy shoes that can get dirty
- sandals, shoes for walking around the city
- work gloves (I have some extra pairs, so if you need them, let me know)
- whatever hygiene products you need
- a towel for the beach
- sunscreen
Things you might want to bring:
- a camera
- an mp3 player and headphones
- bed net - our hosts say we do not need them, so it is entirely up to you.
I do not recommend that you bring a cell phone. You will not be able to have them with you while we are working or doing group activities, as being on a phone makes it impossible for you to be truly present with us, and international calling/texting is expensive. I have an international phone plan and any emergency phone calls can come through me. However, I leave this up to the parents' discretion.
I've probably forgotten something, so feel free to add other items in the comments.
- Your passport
- A belt or neck pouch that fits under your clothing for your passport and money
- A small amount of cash for souvenirs and snacks (we will exchange money in the airport)
- clothes (keep in mind that it's been in the 70s and 80s in the DR this week):
- a couple of sets of clothing for painting or getting very messy
- casual clothes for evenings after we are done working
- one outfit suitable for church
- a swim suit
- a sweatshirt/hoodie and one pair of jeans or pants in case it gets chilly
- sturdy shoes that can get dirty
- sandals, shoes for walking around the city
- work gloves (I have some extra pairs, so if you need them, let me know)
- whatever hygiene products you need
- a towel for the beach
- sunscreen
Things you might want to bring:
- a camera
- an mp3 player and headphones
- bed net - our hosts say we do not need them, so it is entirely up to you.
I do not recommend that you bring a cell phone. You will not be able to have them with you while we are working or doing group activities, as being on a phone makes it impossible for you to be truly present with us, and international calling/texting is expensive. I have an international phone plan and any emergency phone calls can come through me. However, I leave this up to the parents' discretion.
I've probably forgotten something, so feel free to add other items in the comments.
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
4 Days and Counting!
On Sunday night we are off to the Dominican Republic for our annual youth group mission trip! It is sure to be an adventure, as all mission trips are. Pre-trip, I'll post our itinerary, contact info, and preparatory information for youth and parents. During the trip, you'll be able to follow our work in the DR through daily posts and photos. We're getting excited, and we hope you are, too!
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