•     If you cancel at any time you lose your $250.00 deposit.
•     If you cancel after September 29, 2019 you are responsible for 50% of the cost of your trip ($1000.00).
•     If you cancel on or after December 15, 2019 you are responsible for the full cost of your trip ($2000.00).

Note: Lord of Life does not want you to pay half or full cost of a trip you are not going to take. We will look diligently for a replacement. However, if no replacement is found, Lord of Life will not pay a cost that belongs to someone else. You will be responsible for the amount indicated above.

Will I need a passport?

Yes! You definitely need a passport to travel to Haiti. You do not however need a travel VISA. If you do not have a passport, now is the time to get the ball rolling. If your current passport expires on or before June 15, 2020, you will have to get a new passport. It doesn’t take long to get a passport, but you don’t want to wait until the last minute and then have to pay extra to have the process expedited.

Will I need any immunizations?

Yes! This website http://www.nc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/haiti.aspx from the Center for Disease Control will give you the latest details. Please check it out. In short, you’ll need Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Typhoid, and Tetanus. You will not need Rabies. Your doctor’s office can give you the Hepatitis and Tetanus shots. For Typhoid, you can ask your physician for an oral prescription (lasts 5 years), or you can go to a clinic to receive a Typhoid shot (lasts 3 years). You’ll want to get started on your Hepatitis shots right away as they require several boosters. It is okay if you don’t get them all in before the trip, but why wait. The good news is that Hepatitis shots are good for life!

What other medical information should I know?

It’s always a good idea to let your primary physician know you are traveling to a 3rd world country like Haiti. 

You will need a prescription for malaria as well as an antibiotic. The antibiotic is for a “just in case”/traveler’s diarrhea situation. It is more difficult for us to get quality medicine in Haiti so it is better to travel with it. Most doctors are more than willing to write this prescription for you. If you are on any prescriptions make sure to take more than enough with you just in case we get delayed for any reason in our travel.  The malaria medicine we recommend is Malarone. It is the most gentle on the tummy.

How can I begin to raise funds to cover the cost of my mission to Haiti?

The best way to raise funds is to write a letter to your friends and family asking for support. Even if you can underwrite the entire cost of the trip, I believe this is a good thing to do because it raises awareness for mission work. It also helps people contribute to something that perhaps they may not have previously considered. The choice is entirely up to you.

Can we do fundraisers at Lord of Life to help pay for our trip?

Unfortunately, we do not allow funds to be raised in this way. I’m sure you can understand the difficulty this may cause if all the members of the mission team tried to raise funds at Lord of Life. In order to make fundraising reasonable for our members and to make it equitable among team members, we don’t allow any fundraising at Lord of Life to help cover the individual’s cost of going to Haiti. All fundraisers Lord of Life does for Haiti pay for the projects we undertake, i.e., construction, medical supplies, VBS supplies, etc.

Can those who contribute receive a letter indicating they gave a charitable contribution?

People who contribute $250.00 or more will receive a letter from Lord of Life indicating the charitable contribution we received. If those who contribute would like a donation letter from us, your name cannot appear anywhere on the check. 

People who contribute less than $250.00 can use their cancelled check as their receipt. People should write their checks payable to Lord of Life and give the money directly to you. When you turn those gifts over to Lord of Life, please put them in an envelope with your name on the outside of the envelope. 

If people want to use their gift as a tax deduction, please remind them that your name cannot appear anywhere on the check. If you are paying for your own trip and you are a member of Lord of Life, you will receive your tax letter at the end of the year on your contribution statement. 

If you are paying for your own trip and are not a member of Lord of Life, we will provide a tax letter to you as long as your payment is $250.00 or more. If you make payments less than $250.00 simply use your cancelled check as your record for a tax deduction.

Is there a limit to how many can go on the trip?

We are limiting the size of the team to 40 people.

Can people from outside of Lord of Life go with us to Haiti?

Yes, if there are open spots. The trip is available to Lord of Life members first. Please direct non-members to our website, www.lordlife.com to download the registration and FAQ.

Where will we be staying?

Once in Haiti we will stay at Wahoo Bay Resort. It is located right on the beach, has a great pool, and the rooms are nice and comfortable. Feel free to check out their website at http://wahoobaybeach.com/

What about sleeping arrangements?

Each room has 2 double beds. The hotel provides linens and towels so there is no need to bring those things. We put 2-3 people in a room, depending on our male/female breakdown. If you are in a room with 2 others who are not related to you, an extra bed will be made available.

What do we eat while in Haiti?

We will eat breakfast and dinner at the hotel. They know how to cook for Americans. The food at the hotel is VERY good! They do have some local cuisine but also things you will find somewhat familiar. For example, they usually serve French fries, rice, fresh bread, eggs, fruit, etc.  On the job site, the local women prepare a lunch for us and those working alongside us. The food is safe for us to eat. The cuisine is always local—fried plantains, goat, local vegetables, fish stew, etc. It is also very good. If you choose, you can pack things like beef jerky, peanut butter crackers, protein bars, etc. to tie you over until dinner. We have had very little trouble with people getting sick from the food, but it does sometimes happen.

What will the mission projects be like?

We have 5-6 main work areas in which people can serve.

• CHILDREN’S MINISTRY: Each weekday morning (Tuesday – Friday) we will offer a VBS-type event for the school children. VBS includes the telling of a Bible story through skit as well as a craft to go along with the story. The afternoons are spent playing with the children on the school campus. They especially love to play soccer, basketball, volleyball, etc.

• MEDICAL/Dental CLINIC (Medical Professionals): Each weekday (Tuesday – Friday) we will operate a basic medical clinic out of the church building for the people in the community. We need Doctors, PA’s, and nurses to see patients and prescribe a course of treatment for each patient. There will also be an emphasis on health education.

• MEDICAL CLINIC (Support Team): The support team will serve in filling prescription orders and running tests to and from for the Physicians and Nurses. This task requires great organizational skills and a desire to support the medical professionals in whatever they need. We also need team members to help with crowd control, taking temperatures and getting patient’s weight.
• EYEGLASS CLINIC: We are partnering with Global Eyeglass Ministries out of Seattle, Washington to efficiently and effectively run an eyeglass clinic. Through this new partnership we will be able to utilize an auto refractor to accurately measure someone’s vision. We need a team of 4-7 people to run this ministry.

• HANDS-ON PROJECT: At the time of formulating this document, no hands-on project has been established by Christ the King.

• MEN’S AND WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDIES: We are very excited to continue this work. Christ the King in Merotte counts on us to help them disciple their men and women. The people who work on this team will develop or find appropriate material, work to get it translated and will teach the students who come our way.

Is there anything I should be collecting?

We have not yet decided what we will be collecting. The more we go to Haiti, the more we realize our focus is less about things. The list below are things that we will take as space allows. Our first priority is taking the things we need to do the projects we’ve agreed upon with Christ the King.

• Backpacks
• Pencils, Sharpeners & Erasers
• Full Size Child & Adult Toothpastes
• Shoes (in good condition – washed; new shoelaces if applicable)
• Prescription and reader eyeglasses

 

What about luggage?

We are limited to 2 suitcases per person. We ask that each participant reserve your checked suitcase for supplies. If your second (personal) suitcase is too big to carry on, the cost of checking that bag (approx. $40) will be your responsibility.

What about the language barrier?

We utilize several translators to help us communitcate. We love and value them a great deal! You should consider purchasing a Creole book or surfing the internet in order to learn some basic phrases. There are also apps available to help yo learn basic Creole.

What else should I expect?

Come expecting God to do amazing things in your and through you. Come expecting to build relationships with our brothers and sisters in Christ. Our number one objective is to strenghthen the ministry of Christ the King Lutheran Church as they reach out to the community of Merotte. We also strive to build relationships as we have the opportunity to be the hands, feet and voice of Jesus to our Haitian friends. Come expecting to be flexible. No matter how much we plan, missions trips require flexibility and positive attitudes. We are making ourselves available for whatever God brings our way.

Important Dates to remember

•     September 29, 2019 – (1:00-2:00pm) – Haiti Orientation for ALL Mission Team Members
•     September 29, 2019 – Second payment due ($900.00)
•     September 29, 2019 – Registration deadline
•     November 17, 2019 – FINAL payment due ($850.00)
•     January 2, 2020 – Final Team Meeting & Packing Party – 7:00pm
•     Sunday, January 5, 2020 – Depart from KCI (early morning – 5:30am)
•     Sunday, January 12, 2020 – Return to KCI (late evening – just after midnight)