General Santos, Philippines

Project Description

This project will include a construction project, evening evangelism meetings, medical/dental/eye clinics, and Vacation Bible School programs for the children. In addition, health and family talks will be included with the evening evangelism meetings.

Project Dates

March 13-31, 2013 Orientation will be on Thursday, March 14, 2013 and meetings will begin Friday evening, March 15 through Saturday, March 30.

To Apply

To successfully apply, all mission project participants are required to complete the following documents and provide them to Quiet Hour Ministries: 1. Mission Project Application, with $100 deposit-nonrefundable 2. Clean, clear copy of passport picture page 3. Participant Medical History Form 4. Notarized Parental Consent and Medical Release Form. Required for participants under 18 years of age who travel into a foreign country without a parent. Send copy only. Keep original with passport.

Finances

Participant fee: $2500. This fee will include airfare, food, lodging, insurance, local transportation and a contribution towards the mission project.

Payment schedule: $100 deposit (nonrefundable) due upon submitting application. $1200 due two months prior to mission trip (Wednesday, January 14) $1200 due one month prior to mission trip (Wednesday, February 13)

Please Note: All participant fees must be paid in full prior to departure.

Travel

The travel arrangements will be made through Quiet Hour Ministries, as the airfare is included in your participation fee. All team members will fly into Manila, Philippines and then take a domestic flight to General Santos City.

Mission Project Components

The mission project will consist of the following components. You will have the opportunity to participant in any one or all of the following areas:

 Evangelism  Children’s Ministry  Chapel Construction  Medical, Dental, and Eye Clinics*  Health Expo*

*Note: Clinics and Health Expos can only be held if appropriate medical personnel join the mission team.

Details about our destination: General Santos City, Philippines

General Santos City, in Mindanao, is the southernmost port city of the Philippines. It produces export quality corn, coconut, pineapple, asparagus, banana and rice and is the largest producer of sashimi-grade tuna in the Philippines.

Mindanao is the most culturally diverse island in the Philippines and the only area with a significant Muslim presence, 32%. Christians make up 63% of the population of Mindanao.

Insurance

The Quiet Hour provides Short Term Mission Insurance for each participant through the General Conference Risk Management Services. The period of coverage is for approximately 19 days.

Vaccinations

Consult your family physician or your local health department/international travel clinic 6-8 weeks prior to your travel regarding the recommended vaccinations for the Philippines. All travelers should be up-to-date with routinely recommended vaccinations. Which other vaccinations you will need depends upon a number of factors including your age, health status, and previous immunizations. Check Travel Health Online (www.tripprep.com) or Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (www.cdc.gov/travel) websites for more information on specific vaccinations that may be recommended.

Yellow fever is not generally found in the Philippines. Proof of vaccination is required if you have recently come from a country or where yellow fever occurs. Visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (www.cdc.gov/travel) website for information on countries with a high risk of yellow fever to determine if a yellow fever vaccination certificate will be required.

Common Ailments

Intestinal problems due to drinking non-purified water, or eating something that has not been “decontaminated” (washed in Clorox water). Washing, soaking, peeling, and/or thoroughly cooking food are mandatory procedures to minimize insecticide, bacterial, and parasitic contamination. All tap water is unsafe for drinking purposes. Avoid eating food purchased from street vendors. Diseases from food and water often cause vomiting and diarrhea. Make sure to bring diarrhea medicine with you so that you can treat mild cases yourself.

Take precautions to prevent mosquito bites day and night. Precautions to prevent mosquito-borne illnesses include using mosquito repellant containing DEET, Picaridin, Oil of lemon eucalyptus/PMD (in EPA-registered repellent products, not essential oil), or IR3535, wearing clothing that covers the arms and legs, and avoiding dark-colored clothing, perfumes, colognes, and after-shaves.

Other common health concerns are: • Dehydration – Be sure to bring at least one water bottle and drink lots of water throughout the day. • Sunburn – The sun can be much more intense in the Philippines than back home. Consider putting on sunscreen every day. • Exhaustion – Jet lag, long days of work and short nights of sleep require participants to pace themselves.

Water

It is important for every participant to assume that tap water is not safe to drink. Only bottled/purified water should be used for consumption, including cooking. Bottled drinking water can be purchased. You may also consider bringing a water purifier. Be aware that water filters are primarily for taste and do not remove contaminants. If you are interested in purchasing a water purifier, make sure that it is effective against protozoa/cysts, bacteria, and viruses.

Food and lodging

To be determined.

Climate

Average temperatures for General Santos City in March range from 92°F high to 74°F low with about 1.5 inches of precipitation for the month.

Electricity

The current in the Philippines is 220 Volts, 60 Hertz. If you bring U.S. electrical and electronic devices to the Philippines you may need an adapter, converter, and/or transformer.

Money

The currency in the Philippines is the peso. Its exchange rate is about 41 Philippine pesos to 1 U.S. dollar. You can carry a debit card and withdraw money from banks and ATMs for a nominal fee. Cirrus and Plus are the most widely accepted ATM network. MasterCard is the most widely accepted credit card, followed by Visa.

When used, credit cards should be closely safeguarded at all times. Don’t lose sight of your card during transactions. If you choose to use an ATM, exercise the same level of caution you would in the United States when using unfamiliar ATM machines. Monitor your credit and debit card activity carefully and immediately report any unauthorized use to your financial institution. To prevent your credit/debit card from being declined, it is important to advise your card issuer of your travel plans in advance.

American Express U.S. dollar travelers checks are the most widely recognized if you choose to bring travelers checks.

It’s a good idea to have some cash accessible in case you can’t find a bank or ATM, or you’re out of travelers checks. Most international currencies and travelers checks can be exchanged at banks or authorized foreign exchange dealers. The U.S. dollar is the most widely accepted foreign currency in the Philippines. While traveling, we strongly recommend the use of a money belt to carry your cash. Do not carry large amounts of money in your purse or wallet.

Visas and Passport

Every participant MUST have a valid passport to travel to the Philippines. If you do not have a passport, you can get one at your local post office. It will take 4 - 6 weeks to process. Your passport must be valid for at least six months beyond the date of your entry into the Philippines.

A “waiver of exclusion ground” (WEG) must be obtained for children under 15 years of age planning to enter the Philippines unaccompanied by a parent or guardian. These waivers must be obtained from a Philippine embassy or consulate before the child’s entry into the Philippines. The fee for processing a WEG is 25 USD. Unaccompanied children entering the Philippines will also be charged a fee of 3,120 pesos (about 75 USD) upon arrival, payable only in pesos. Minors holding Philippine passports do not need to apply for WEG. For more information visit the Philippine Consulate General, New York website, http://www.newyorkpcg.org/index.php/our-services/visa/visa-classifications/non-immigrant-visa-and-requirements/155-waiver-of- exclusion-ground-weg

No visa is required for U.S. citizens. If you are not a U.S. citizen, visit www.travisa.com or www.traveldocs.com for instructions on how to obtain one.

Resources

Quiet Hour Ministries will provide each team with the following resource information to help with their meetings: • Jesus video • Family talks • Evangelism manual • Children's program suggestions • Guidelines on Health Expos • Health presentation on PowerPoint • One set of Truth for Today sermons (DVD or CD) • Travel insurance for each team member

Each morning all team members are encouraged to meet together for morning devotions and to review the evening meeting’s sermons and health activities.

Equipment Needs (for speakers)

Each speaker will need to bring: • Laptop computer, remote control, and video projector, OR • DVD player with remote control, and video projector

Equipment costs: • 3000-3500 lumen projector – approx. $1,500.00 • DVD player (all regions including PAL; 115-220 volts) (recommended to buy in country of meetings) – less than $100.00 • Computer remote control – $125.00 • Carrying case – less than $100.00

Children's ministry

Programs and activities for the children will occur during each evangelistic meeting. The programs will include songs, stories from the Bible, nature nuggets, puppets, and other activities, as arranged by the team’s children’s ministry coordinator. Many times it is through the children that the adults are brought to the meetings. Therefore, it is important that much emphasis and preparation is given to the children’s programs and activities.

For additional information on this mission trip, please contact:

Ivelene Mullikin at [email protected], or 800-900-9021.