Sample Letter to Mission Team Participants

 

January 4, 2008 - Happy New Year!

 

Dear Friends,

This letter is to confirm you as a member of the La Vueltoza, Honduras Mission Team and the dates are April 18-26, 2008 . We are so happy that you have said yes in wanting to be part of this team. You will not regret one moment and you will be helping people in need to accomplish a lifetime dream
of building a new home for them and their families. This letter contains lots of information so we recommend that you find some quiet time and read it over as it has pertinent information that is vitally important for this trip.

Money Due
Please mail the remaining $1100 per person to the Maine Conference as soon as possible (preferably by Feb. 1).  Make checks payable to “Maine Conference UCC” and earmark them “LaVueltoza” and mail to Maine Conference UCC, LaVueltoza Mission Trip, P.O. Box 966 , Yarmouth , Maine   04096 .

 

Due to the high cost of the airline ticket we are asking you folks to bring 'team items' listed below that will help us all out.

Attachments
We are also attaching a number of documents that will also help you prepare for your mission trip. Please read over them carefully and if you have any questions we will be glad to answer them for you.

We do need back the following:
1. Mission Volunteer Covenant - signed and returned at the next meeting
2. For Participants 21 and younger Permission Sheet
3. Health Form

Also, here is some information that may be of help to you as you plan for the trip:
Itinerary:
Delta
April 18
7:15 a.m. Leave Boston and arrive in Atlanta
1:17 p.m. Leave Atlanta
12:40 Arrive San Pedro Sula (2 hour time difference)

Delta
April 26
1:40 p.m. Leave San Pedro Sula
Arrive in Atlanta
11:17 p.m. arrive in Portland, Maine
NOTE: On April 18th, each person is responsible in getting to Logan Airport 2 hours before your flight. Please be sure to bring your passport. Carpooling is a good idea in order to get to Logan so please feel free to contact one another in order to car pool. I have attached a list of names and addresses so you can find someone close by that you may be able to car pool with. You will be flying back into Portland , Maine on the return flight so be sure to have someone pick you up in Portland and NOT Boston .


Transportation in Honduras
Our mission project is located in the mountains which are approximately 4 hours from San Pedro Sula International Airport . We will be picked up at the airport by bus and taken to our location in the mountains.

Mission Project
We will be building two houses while we are in the mountains so we will be very busy morning, noon and night. The job is intense and we are please that you are strong and able folks.

Medical Concerns:
We are fortunate to have a nurse going with us to Honduras . She will be checking with everyone off and on to be sure everyone is ok. We have encouraged her to remind you continuously to drink water. It's something that we forget to do and in this climate we can dehydrate very quickly without noticing side effect. Rule of thumb is if you become thirsty you are already dehydrated - so DO NOT become thirsty. Drink, drink, drink (WATER).

Living Accommodations
Our team will be living in very rustic conditions with outdoor solar shower systems installed by the Pre Team (Rod, Cheryl and David). The sleeping accommodations will include a cloth wall to separate the men and women. We will be sleeping on air mattresses on the concrete floor of the church and we encourage you to bring a solar blanket as the condensation from the floor goes through the air mattress and you may become cold. There is a bathroom facility in the church.

Team Items to Bring
Here is a list of items each person should bring with them.
- 2 suitcases may be brought - they cannot weigh more than 50# each at check in
- passport
- Air mattress with pump
- Solar blanket
- 1 good, used sheet (queen/king) (this will be used to separate men/women
- One shower curtain with grommets per person
- Sleeping bag/light weight sheet and blanket/pillow
- Mosquito Netting for sleeping
- Rain gear as it rains a lot
- Rubber work boots and/ or waterproof footwear/nothing too hot to wear
- Work gloves
- Ear plugs – you’ll thank us later (roosters/dogs come alive at night)


Food and Water
The food is called 'typical Honduran'. We learned early on to eat their food as they certainly know how to cook it better than we can. The minister's wife will be doing the cooking along with some helpers. We will have purified bottled water at our disposal 24/7.

The Shower System
We have 16 people on this team and we figure 8 solar showers would be enough for all people on the team. The shower stalls will be set up for individuals in the back of the church and the shower curtains you are bringing will be used. We figure there is enough water per 2 people per solar shower (independently of course). If you are willing to purchase a solar shower that would be great - let us know so via email. We want to be sure we have everything needed.

Tools Needed (electricity is same as ours)
If you can bring any of the following please let us know via email:
2 chalk lines - full
2 line levels

1 circular saws w/wood blades (a luxury)
4 hammers
2 hack saws w/blades to cut rebar
Carpenter pencils
2 small squares
2-50' heavy duty extension cords

Personal Items Needed:
8 solar showers
2 packages of clothes pins (for separating men/women sleeping area)
3 clothes lines ropes

The Pre Team of Rod, Cheryl and David will be going to Honduras a couple of days early to get organized and ready for your arrival. You will be picked up at the airport and then the fun begins.

Please let us know what items you can bring and we can check it off on our list. Thanks.

Cheryl Tibbetts
David Gaewski
Mission Trip Co-Leaders