1 How long is a mission trip?
A mission trip typically lasts 8 days, from Saturday to the following Sunday. We also offer extended stay opportunities to qualified indivuals.

2 How much does it cost to participate on a mission trip?
The cost of a mission trip may vary according to the group air fare rates we are able to negotiate. The cost includes air fare, ground transportation, accommodations in Nicaragua, food and bottled water. Trips currently cost is around $850 from Atlanta.

3 Do I need a passport to go on a mission trip?
You need a passport to travel to Nicaragua. You do not need a visa.

If you already have a passport, be sure it will not expire within 6 months of the trip. If you do not have a passport, apply for one 8 weeks in advance of the trip. Contact your local post office for application information. Your passport name should agree with the name on your airline ticket.

4 Do I need any shots or prescriptions prior to leaving?
Consult your family doctor or county health center. If this is your first trip, you will need a Hepatitis A shot. Your tetanus shots must be current, or you will need one also. You will need to take a round of malaria pills. Typhoid pills are optional, depending on your doctor’s advice.

5 Do you need to know my medical history?
Yes. We need to know if you have any special medical needs. You must complete an emergency medical release form before departure.

6 If I am under 21 years of age, do I need permission to go on a mission trip?
Yes. If you are under 21 years of age, a parental consent and emergency medical release form is required. We also require that you and your parents read and consent to a code of conduct, so you understand what we consider to be acceptable behavior on a mission trip.

7 Will I be safe on a mission trip?
You will be safe on a mission trip. We fly into Managua, Nicaragua’s capital, and are taken directly to Chinandega, a 3 hour ride, by buses provided by our hosts. We stay together at a comfortable guest house in Chinandega. We are transported to our work sites together every day by bus.

8 What will I eat each day?
The staff at our guest house provides a breakfast and dinner buffet, which includes fruit, bread, eggs and rice in the morning, and fruit, meat, rice or another starch in the evening. We eat lunch at our work site, usually sandwiches.

9 Where will I sleep each night?
We will sleep together in a dormitory setting at our guest house in Chinandega.

10 Will I have time on my own for individual travel?
Our week in Nicaragua is formed around specific work projects at the communities we sponsor. We perform these jobs together. When we take time off, we travel as a group to other activities. These activities could include hiking, visits to hospitals, orphanages or to the local market.

11 What exactly will I be doing on a mission trip?
Amigos for Christ missionaries perform a variety of projects at the communities we sponsor in the Chinandega area. They center on our construction, education, medical, feeding and clean water programs. They require no special skills, other than a desire to work. Participants can pace themselves and do only what they are physically able. Typical projects may involve physical skills, such as digging and laying cement blocks, or interactive skills, such as working in a classroom with children.

12 How can I share my special skills and talents on a mission trip?
If you possess special skills and talents, please let us know! We will try and utilize your gifts in a meaningful way. If you are a teacher or possess musical or artistic talents, you may wish to work with school children. If you have medical experience, you may wish to serve on the mobile medical van. If you speak Spanish, you will be an invaluable translator at all the work sites. If you are an engineer, you may wish to supervise a work project or serve with our Agua for Christ water drilling team. You can shape your own role on the mission trip within our prescribed routine.

13 Do I have to speak Spanish to go on a mission trip?
No. The ability to speak Spanish enhances the trip, by allowing you to easily interact with the Nicaraguans. If you don’t speak Spanish, don’t worry. There will be interpreters on the trip to facilitate communication. Remember that love is the universal language. The Nicaraguans can sense your care and concern, and will respond in kind.

14 Is the work I’ll be doing strenuous?
It can get quite hot in Nicaragua! The labor we usually perform can be strenuous in the heat. Participants must pace themselves and do only what they are physically able. We encourage rest breaks and require everyone to hydrate frequently. Those who cannot physically perform can carry out other important jobs with the group.

15 What is the weather like in Nicaragua?
Hot!

16 How do I prepare for what I will see there?
In the Chinandega area, you will see shocking signs of poverty at its worst. No one can prepare you for this sight. You will somehow find the strength to look beyond the grave conditions and see hope and the possibility of a better life for the people. It is then that the mission of Amigos for Christ becomes clear.

17 Will I have time during the day for myself?
The days during your mission trip will be filled with work projects in the communities we serve around the Chinandega area. You will have time on your own in the evenings. Many missionaries bring journals and enjoy keeping a daily record of their trip.

18 Where is the work site located in Nicaragua?
We work at various rural communities in the Chinandega area of northwest Nicaragua. The work sites are usually within a 1 hour radius of our guest house.

19 What can I bring on the trip with me?
Once you sign up for a mission trip, we will provide you with a list of trip supplies. We encourage you to pack clothing that is comfortable and inexpensive. Many of us leave things we don’t need behind as donations. We also bring inexpensive trinkets to distribute to the children.

20 Is there a religious affiliation involved with Amigos for Christ?
As our name implies, we began as an offshoot to a Christian congregation. Our mission attracts interested people from all walks of life, all backgrounds, and all faiths. We embrace the best ideals of all our followers.

21 Are missions always done in groups, or can I go down to Nicaragua alone?
Your first trip will always be made with a group. A certain amount of orientation is required in making the trip, adapting to the surroundings, performing the work, and getting along others. Once you complete a mission trip, there may be opportunities to travel to Nicaragua alone, especially for those with specialized skills.

22 I have never been on a mission trip before. What can I expect?
While the sight of pure poverty can be a shocking experience, a mission trip is not depressing. You can expect to meet and bond with other well meaning people. You will be surprised at the slow pace of life in the Third World. You will be charmed by the warmth and innocence of the Nicaraguan people. You will be amazed at how much progress a dedicated group of workers can accomplish in one week.

23 How can an ordinary person make a difference by going on a mission trip?
Ordinary people do not choose to spend a week of their life performing manual labor in a remote area of Central America. The desire to help the needy in such a personal way is fueled by a deep love of fellow man. The desire to make such a trip and making the trip is the difference.

24 Can young children go on a mission trip with their parents?
There may be opportunities for family mission trips each summer. Interested families can contact our office or check our web site for dates.

25 I am a nurse and am interested in going on a mission trip. What types of medical skills do you need on the trips?
Any doctor, nurse or other medical person is welcomed on a mission trip. Our medical programs are growing. The Amigos for Christ sponsors community health centers around the Chinandega area. We have a mobile medical van that travels to more remote sites and a surgical hospital at Betania. Interested medical personnel can contact our office directly to discuss ways to serve in Nicaragua.

26 Can an individual go on a mission trip alone, or are the trips only for groups?
We encourage individuals to make mission trips. We all become part of a group, once we begin working together. Most mission trips consist of established groups.

27 Do you ever need specialized talents, like fundraising projects, here in the United States that I can help with?
The Amigos for Christ depends on the specialized talents of our volunteers in order to survive. We have grown so rapidly and have distributed so many goods and funds to Nicaragua, simply because so many have readily given their time and talents.

28 I am off work/school in the summer. Do you have trips I can participate in?
The Amigos for Christ typically sponsors group trips in the spring and summer of each year. You can find our mission trip calendar on our website.

29 What do medical teams do on mission trips?
The Amigos for Christ built a surgical hospital, St. Martin de Porres, at Betania, in Chinandega, Nicaragua. We sponsor rotating mission teams of surgeons and medical personnel during the year. For more information, please check our website.

30 Why should I go on a mission trip, rather than send you a donation?
Witnessing charity in action brings a sense of fulfillment not possible in writing a check. Amigos for Christ must have adequate funding from our generous supporters to remain effective. Many of these supporters were once missionaries and now better understand the urgency of our mission.

31 Can I catch any diseases in Nicaragua, due to the unsanitary conditions?
It is possible to get sick on a trip to an unfamiliar place. After getting the proper shots and medicines, you should abide by the same standard of cleanliness in Nicaragua that you use in the United States. Our medical personnel will be able answer your specific concerns about the sanitary conditions in Nicaragua.

32 My parents don’t understand why I want to go on a mission trip. How can I make them understand?
The Amigos for Christ grew from a church youth group service project. Our first and most ardent supporters are young people. We derive inspiration and vitality from the young men and women who make mission trips each year. Have your parents contact our office or check our website for enlightening information by and about young people.

33 What if my child gets hurt on the trip?
We take every precaution to protect our travelers on their mission trip. If a child gets hurt or sick on a trip, our medical personnel will ensure that they are given the best care possible.

34 How will I get from place to place?
The cost of a mission trip includes air fare to Managua and ground transportation from Managua to our quarters in Chinandega. Our hosts provide buses to transport us to and from our work site each day.

35 What if I change my mind?
Once you make a commitment to go, we hope that you will be able to make the mission trip. To maintain reasonable rates, we must ensure a minimum number of travelers. Once your trip is paid, you may always change your mind, but the amount of refund or ticket adjustment will depend on the particular circumstances of that trip.

36 I am retired. Am I too old to go on a mission trip?
If you are an adult in good health, able to travel and have a desire to work, you are probably ready for a mission trip, no matter what your age.

37 What is the reaction of the Nicaraguan people to the mission workers?
The Nicaraguan people genuinely love visitors to their country. The United States responded to the tragedy of Hurricane Mitch by offering emergency relief services to the people in that area. We missionaries are treated like celebrities, but soon become friends to many as we work together establishing and improving their neighborhoods.

38 How will this mission trip help me explore my spirituality?
Most of us have never visited a Third World country like Nicaragua.
The simplicity of everyday life there forces us to slow down our expectations. The layers of armor we wear to brave the stresses of everyday life at home, melt away. What is left is our core being, our spirituality, waiting to be tapped. How much you tap into it is up to you.