Schedule

This schedule will provide a general idea of what you’ll be doing each day on this trip.

• • Day 1 – Arrive to our campus, register and meet your team! We will focus this night on understanding our goals for the mission trip and asking God to prepare us for ministry!
• • Day 2-3 – Train for your mission trip on our campus. You will learn about the outreaches you’ll be leading and how to interact with the people of Nepal. You will also learn how to share your testimony effectively.
• • Day 4-5 – Travel to Nepal. After arriving, you will get a chance to meet your ministry partner and they will help you get orientated to your surroundings when you arrive.
• • Day 6-17 – Experience Nepal and share your life and faith among the people there!
• • Day 18 – Take a break and check out the tourist hot spots!
• • Day 19-20 – Travel back to Garden Valley, Texas and attempt to reset your internal time zone clock!
• • Day 21 – Spend time celebrating with your new friends all God has done! You will also get critical “debriefing” training that will help prepare you to adapt successfully back into your own community and know how to share the story of your mission trip with your friends and family.
• • Day 22 – Travel back home and continue making a difference in your community!

*Project Directors and Team Leaders are required to arrive to begin their mission trip with a Leadership Training Camp 3 days before the normal start date of the trip.

*Missionary Advisor Candidates, Country Assistants and Health Coaches are required to arrive to begin their mission trip with a Leadership Training Camp 2 days before the start date of the trip.

*This schedule is subject to change.

Fun Day

We will be working very hard on this trip as we are serving the people of Nepal, so at the end of our time we will take a well-deserved break and experience our surroundings in a fun way!

Spend some time sightseeing and shopping around and pick up souvenirs to bring home to family and remember your adventure forever!

Also, experience an incredible 1 Night/2 Days at Chitwan National Park, where the wildlife is said to compare to that in Africa -as it is home to several endangered species. Everyone will also have a chance to go on a Tharu village cultural tour that includes an elephant safari and jungle drive!

There are also many historical monuments and the ministry partners will provide you with a lot of options to experience Nepal!

*Elephant Safari and some monuments will be an additional cost.

Communication

Participants will be asked to call home after they complete registration on the first day they arrive for their mission trip. After that, we will encourage everyone to refrain from making excessive phone calls during the training process, so we can focus on preparing for the mission ahead. There will not be very much time to call home during training.

The next time participants will be specifically asked to call home will be when they arrive in Nepal at their final destination.

Once ministry begins in Nepal, leadership will set aside specific times when participants will be allowed to utilize personal cell phones at their own discretion (no phones will be provided by Global Expeditions). These times will be very limited and may only occur every 3-4 days as the schedule allows. Please note that personal cell phones may be collected and held by leadership until designated talk times and that using a cell phone (even one with an international plan) is very expensive in Nepal.

It’s very important to understand we have found students are better able to engage in effective ministry when they are able to ‘unplug’ from texting and the technology around them, so we will request everyone to limit their communication to their parents only during their mission trip.

Of course our leadership (Team Leaders and Project Directors) will have cell phones to keep in contact with our offices and provide verbal updates to our staff at headquarters. The office will then keep your trip’s Facebook Page updated with information on how everyone is doing! Click here to become part of the Nepal A 2013 Facebook Group!

Training

The training in Garden Valley, Texas will start by introducing you more deeply to our core values and expectations and you will participate in sessions designed to prepare you spiritually and emotionally for this adventure. It will include team building activities and a chance to get to know your leadership.

Since we will be leading several community outreaches, you will learn your role in this and begin practicing with your team. You will also learn how to communicate your faith effectively and practice sharing your own personal story of how you became a follower of Christ.

Travel

All participants will be responsible to travel to the trip’s starting point: Garden Valley, TX.

Once you are accepted for this trip, you will have a Representative from Teen Mania’s Global Expeditions work with you to help you book a flight from your home airport to the Dallas/Fort Worth airport (DFW) through our travel partner (Skypass Travel) or provide you with the necessary information to be able to arrange for yourself to be dropped off directly at our headquarters in Garden Valley, Texas between 1pm-4pm. The costs associated with arriving at your trip’s starting location are not included in the trip cost and will depend on how you choose to travel.

IF YOU ARE FLYING: We recommend booking your flight through Skypass Travel Agency, because it will allow you to have your domestic flight cost added to the cost of your trip and then you can include it in your fundraising! Skypass will also communicate directly with our office to let us know when you are arriving, so we are ready for you! You should know that if you decide you would like to take the $69 Shuttle Service Global Expeditions provides, then your flight must arrive to the Dallas/Fort Worth airport on your arrival day no later than 2pm.

IF YOU ARE DRIVING: Please let your representative know you will be arriving to the headquarters directly, so we can be prepared for your arrival. You will want to be dropped off between 1pm-4pm on your arrival day and you can have a friend or family member drop you off.

Once you have registered for your project on our campus, the round-trip flight to Nepal and all other travel will be secured by Global Expeditions.

The flight itinerary to Nepal is password protected for security purposes and only students confirmed on this project will be given the code to view this flight. Click here if you have the code.

On your arrival day, please wear the t-shirt mailed to you from Teen Mania’s Global Expeditions, so you can be identified easily by our welcome team!

Housing

AT CAMPUS IN TEXAS: When on the campus of Teen Mania’s Global Expeditions, you will be housed in dome style bunk huts that are cooled with industrial fans. There are lockers available for personal items and community shower centers are a short walk away from the sleeping quarters.

IN NEPAL: The housing accommodations will be in a secure hotel complex arranged by our ministry partners, but don’t let the word “hotel” fool you! This facility, like most community hotels, is not cooled to the same standards as American hotels and will be warm at night, the rooms will be close quarters and we’ll be bringing our own sleeping mats (or air mattresses) to sleep on, the electricity goes out randomly and certainly don’t count on a hotel maid to pick up after you or make your bed in the mornings! Nepal is rated a 5/5 for physical challenge and this hotel will initiate you into true Nepali life! On the plus side, there is a western style toilet in each room!

Meals

Breakfast and dinner will be provided by our ministry partner and served at the housing facility. For lunch we’ll also dine on Peanut Butter and Jelly lunches daily (better known around Global Expeditions as “PB&J!”) – This meal staple has actually become one of our well-loved traditions!

Ministry Tools

Ministry tools are practical devices we use to communicate the Gospel and the message of Jesus.

On this trip we will be doing community events involving skits/drama and community visitation programs, so in order to be effective we will be equipping teams with training to help bring these presentations to life!

As well, everyone should have the opportunity to share their testimony. We call this “Personal Evangelism” and it will be our greatest ‘ministry tool’ of all!

Worship

We are currently looking for someone to lead worship during the evening sessions we’ll be doing with the teams in India. If you’re 16+ and have experience leading groups in worship (Playing guitar and singing), please click here and find out more about this opportunity and how you can apply.

The Amazing Journey You Don’t Want to Miss!

Missionaries who are accepted to go on this Nepal trip can choose to go on an added adventure!

Hiking into the foothills of the Himalayan mountains, participants will journey with a professional guide to a remote village. The trek will be entirely on foot (there is no other way many of the villages in these mountains) and the team will stop to camp a couple of times at extremely rustic mountain hostels.

This journey will be a total of 24 Km over 3 days. We will trek with a view of the Annapurna range including Fishtail & Peaks of over 7000 meters – some of the highest in the world.

After reaching the village, students will be introduced to community leaders of the mountain tribe and have an opportunity to learn about the culture and beliefs that are established there. The village has no known Christians, Churches or Bibles – This is considered an “unreached” area where the message of Jesus hasn’t been heard! We will be bringing Bibles with us and every team member will be properly resourced and trained on how to share their faith with sensitivity and intelligence in this region.

There are only 30 spots for this trek, so sign up quick to reserve yours today!

Click here to sign up now.

Once you sign up, you will be emailed some tips on how to prepare for the trek and you’ll need to fundraising an additional $189 to cover the additional costs (cost includes camping equipment/hostel entrance, professional porters to carry necessary food and other travel items as well as a trained guide).

Background: In 1951, the Nepalese monarch ended the century-old system of rule by hereditary premiers and instituted a cabinet system of government. Reforms in 1990 established a multiparty democracy within the framework of a constitutional monarchy. An insurgency led by Maoist extremists broke out in 1996. The ensuing ten-year civil war between insurgents and government forces witnessed the dissolution of the cabinet and parliament and assumption of absolute power by the king. Several weeks of mass protests in April 2006 were followed by several months of peace negotiations between the Maoists and government officials, and culminated in a November 2006 peace accord and the promulgation of an interim constitution. Following a nation-wide election in April 2008, the newly formed Constituent Assembly declared Nepal a federal democratic republic and abolished the monarchy at its first meeting the following month. The Constituent Assembly elected the country’s first president in July. The Maoists, who received a plurality of votes in the Constituent Assembly election, formed a coalition government in August 2008, but resigned in May 2009 after the president overruled a decision to fire the chief of the army staff.

Climate: varies from cool summers and severe winters in north to subtropical summers and mild winters in south

Population: 28,563,377 (July 2010 est.)

Age Structure:
0-14 years: 36.6% (male 5,327,484/female 5,127,178)
15-64 years: 59.2% (male 8,094,494/female 8,812,675)
65 years and over: 4.2% (male 566,666/female 634,880) (2010 est.)

Religions: Hindu 80.6%, Buddhist 10.7%, Muslim 4.2%, Kirant 3.6%, other 0.9% (2001 census)

Languages: Hindu 80.6%, Buddhist 10.7%, Muslim 4.2%, Kirant 3.6%, other 0.9% (2001 census)
Languages: Nepali 47.8%, Maithali 12.1%, Bhojpuri 7.4%, Tharu (Dagaura/Rana) 5.8%, Tamang 5.1%, Newar 3.6%, Magar 3.3%, Awadhi 2.4%, other 10%, unspecified 2.5% (2001 census)
note: many in government and business also speak English (2001 est.)

From: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/np.html

Challenges for Prayer: Religious freedom has increased, but is still only partial. Persecution from the authorities was greatly reduced in 1990 with the advent of democracy. All Christian prisoners were released and all pending court cases against over 300 Christians were dismissed. Over the 1990s there have been a number of Christians who have been arrested, imprisoned or even murdered in custody for seeking to preach to Hindus. Increasing Hinduist persecution of Christians in Nepal is impacting official attitudes. Militant Hinduists in Nepal are targeting Christians with virulent propaganda and violence which aims to drive all Christians from the country.

Pray for:
a) Full religious freedom to be both guaranteed in the constitution and upheld by the authorities.
b) The thwarting of the designs of the extremists and for their eyes to be opened to the Lord Jesus.
The less reached. Many peoples and castes are only marginally reached.
c) The influential high-caste Brahmin and Chhetri (Rajput). Pride, idol worship, fear and demonic bondage keep many from openly coming to Christ. Yet in contrast to Nepal, a significant number have done so.
d) The Awadhi and Maithili of the Terai lowlands on the Nepal border. Few of them have heard the gospel and these few have been unresponsive. The Tharu are more animist than Hindu; many little churches are springing up among them.
e) The Mountain peoples – almost entirely Tibetan-related. Most are lamaistic Buddhists living in isolated mountain communities, such as the Loba people of Mustang. Most are small in number and Christians are few. There are an increasing number of believers among the Sherpa of the Mt. Everest area.
f) Tibetan refugees – long unreached; now there is a steady trickle of people seeking the Lord and several congregations among them.
g) The increased numbers of Muslims. Many are Bengali, Kashmiri or Urdu-speaking traders. Only about 20 Muslim-background believers are known. There is no focused outreach to them.
h) University students. There are 100,000 students in 3 universities on 150 campuses.

From: http://www.operationworld.org/country/nepa/owtext.html

*Due to the sensitive nature of this mission trip and for the security of our Ministry Partners, we will not be sharing their information online.*

This Packing list is a temporary guideline. The official packing list will be made available May 2013.
Required Items

The lifestyle expectations Teen Mania’s Global Expeditions has are designed to ensure the safety and well-being of each team member and also to give everyone a chance to be in an environment where spiritual and personal growth are a priority. For this reason, all the participants on this Nepal mission trip will commit to maintain the highest standard of honesty and morality.

With this in mind, it’s important to understand that all the rules and expectations have at least one of the following purposes:

• Christianity – to reflect the attitude and lifestyle of Jesus
• Safety – to ensure against bodily harm and other abuse
• Ministry – to set an environment for missionaries to encounter God
• Cultural sensitivity – to win the favor and respect of nationals

Because we expect full cooperation in any disciplinary decisions made, we also reserve the right to send any team member home who shows blatant disregard for the lifestyle expectations. We may also assist in holding the team accountable through the following methods (not in any specific order):

• Warning – This can be a verbal or written warning.
• Campus – While the project has free time, missionary will be relegated to their quarters
• Loss of Fun Day – Missionary will not have the opportunity to participate
• Bon Voyage (return home: also called a “BV”) – Missionary will be sent home at their own expense

LIFESTYLE EXPECTATIONS:

Personal Conduct

• No use or possession of illegal drugs or tobacco products – BV
• No abuse or distribution of prescription drugs – BV
• No use or possession of alcohol (includes Virgin drinks) – BV
• No use or possession of weapons – BV
• No viewing or possession of pornography – BV
• No physical fighting (includes boxing, wrestling etc) – BV
• No theft or long-term borrowing – BV
• No profanity, gossip, slander, or dark humor (i.e. sarcasm)
• No secular music (including music on mp3/iPOD)
• No movies or TV (unless permission is given by your Project Director)

Group Regulations

• Never be outside the defined/designated lodging complex alone – BV
• In the lodging complex, stay in a same gender group of two at all times
• Your small group leader (called a Missionary Advisor) must know where you are at all times
• When outside the country’s lodging complex, you must be in an approved group (all groups must consist of 4 members with one Missionary Advisor and one male 16 years or older)*
• Groups must stay together at all times regardless of time of day/night or if they are in ministry or on a Fun Day excursion.
• During ministry events, everyone should know and be aware of the team’s planned departure time/location.

  *Some variations may occur if specifically announced by your Project Director

Female Clothing

• No short skirts (slit or length may not end above the knee)
• All shirts must cover stomach completely (with hands raised) and have a modest neckline (no cleavage should be visible). Please plan to not wear spaghetti straps unless it’s as an undershirt.
• No short shorts (must reach down to at least 3 inches above the knee – we recommend “Bermudas”)
• Modest one-piece bathing suits; you must wear a cover-up to and from the Teen Mania pool or other designated swimming area(s) on or off campus.
• No nose, tongue or lip rings anytime during trip

Male Clothing

• Must wear shirts at all times, including to and from the Teen Mania pool or other designated swimming area(s) on or off campus.
• No ear, tongue, nose or lip rings anytime during trip

Overall Appearance (Male and Female)

• No bizarre head-shaving or dying hair during trip
• No sleeveless shirts outside of the lodging complex
• No clothing that advertises alcohol, tobacco products, secular bands, or has images that may offend (i.e. skulls, violent images etc).
• No new body piercing during trip
• No jewelry during ministry or ministry training
• Shoes must be worn at all times for safety

Phone Calls & Cells

• Every missionary will be required to call home upon arrival in their base city.
• Personal cell phones may not be taken out or used during ministry
• Personal cell phones can only be used during designated times set by Project Directors to call family members. Use outside of the designated time will result in forfeiture of the cell phone until the conclusion of the trip. Project Directors may elect to collect/keep cell phones when not in use.
• Excessive use of personal phones during a trip may result in that phone being confiscated. Please remember that we want all participants to focus on “unplugging” from life back home and focusing on the trip’s mission!

“Room” Etiquette

• No guys in girls’ room areas; no girls in guys’ room areas – BV
• Room areas must be clean and orderly
• Room areas should be kept locked, if possible

Relationships

• No romantic dating relationships or pairing off at any time (pairing off is spending excessive time exclusively with 1 person). This includes, but is not limited to holding hands, kissing, extended hugs, or communicating any intent for a romantic relationship (even in jest) – BV
• No lap sitting or back rubs (includes of the same gender)
• Everyone must sleep in their own bed/hammock – no pairing up (includes same gender)
• Note: The most effective ministry is guys ministering to guys and girls ministering to girls

Attitude & Health

• Commit to maintaining a positive attitude regardless of circumstances -possible BV
• Have responsible eating habits – possible BV
• Do not share personal hygiene items
• Report any illnesses to your Missionary Advisor or Team Leader

Extreme Activities

• Activities such as jet skiing, bungee jumping, surfing, sailing, scuba diving, para-sailing, white water rafting, rock climbing, water skiing, riding motorcycles, etc, are completely restricted for everyone regardless of leadership status, age, or personal insurance provider
• Any hikes/walks should be weather condition permitting with the permission of a project director and the group must return before dark

All rules will be in effect throughout the duration of the trip, beginning upon registration and culminating when the participant returns home. Rules that have a BV (Bon Voyage) next to them indicate that the participant can, and in most instances will, be sent home for breaking these rules.

Project Directors

Project Directors have worked with the staff of Teen Mania’s Global Expeditions throughout the year on specific trip details. They receive specialized training on the processes, procedures, and international contact relations. They are directly involved with areas of teaching, training, discipline, accountability, scheduling, logistics, and ministry. They will hold participants accountable to the rules and safety measures outlined by Teen Mania’s Global Expeditions and help in providing a safe environment for everyone.

David and Beth Coggins have been married for almost ten years and have two beautiful children, Ella and Eli.  David received his Bachelor’s in Biblical Studies from Emmanuel College and also holds two Master’s degrees from Liberty University – Religion and Divinity.  Beth has a Bachelor’s in Human development and is currently working on her Master’s in School Counseling from Liberty University.  She has taught middle school students for 12 years and loves working with the youth of this generation.  David currently serves as an army chaplain, and he and Beth plan to use this position as a platform from which to pursue more advanced missions opportunities.  Prior to this role, David held many positions of leadership working with teens, from the “Victory Center” youth outreach program to serving on Teen Mania staff and as an Acquire the Fire Road Advisor.  Prior to being married Beth traveled with Global Expeditions to the Dominican Republic, Venezuela and Australia.  David traveled to Honduras, Albania, India, Thailand, Lebanon and Kenya with Global Expeditions before marrying Beth.  Together they have led trips to Bolivia, Trinidad, Peru, Botswana, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Poland, Cambodia, Peru and Mexico.  The Coggins family clearly brings a great deal of missions experience to the table and we are excited to have them leading your students to Nepal!

Missionary Advisors

Missionary Advisors are normally 18-30 years of age and oversee 4-6 students of the same gender, providing one-on-one mentorship similar to a camp counselor. Their primary responsibility is the oversight and development of their small group.

CLICK HERE TO LEARN HOW TO BECOME A MISSIONARY ADVISOR

Team Leaders

Each team will usually be comprised of 25-30 students and is led by two Team Leaders that are 21+ years old, one male and one female. Team Leaders work together to build a strong sense of family and positive morale and are responsible for providing direction and oversight at ministry sites and ensuring effective ministry is happening. Team Leaders are responsible for developing their teams spiritually and holding them accountable to growth opportunities.

CLICK HERE TO LEARN HOW TO BECOME A TEAM LEADER

Country Assistants

It’s possible this project will have a Country Assistant who will provide leadership support to the Project Directors by assisting with the many logistics of the project. Country Assistants keep communication to parents alive by updating the group’s Facebook page, posting pictures while the trip is out on the field, and fielding incoming messages from parents. They keep documentation organized, run errands onsite, and serve as logistics support.

CLICK HERE TO LEARN HOW TO BECOME A COUNTRY ASSISTANT

Health Coaches

It is our desire to have a volunteer Health Coach for this project. Health Coaches assist the project’s leadership by navigating through first aid needs. They monitor the students as they travel and serve on the mission field to ensure safety is always a priority. Health Coaches are required to have experience in the medical field and can be medics, nurses, doctors etc. When they are not advising the team on health issues, they have the opportunity to join in on the outreach opportunities.

CLICK HERE TO LEARN HOW TO BECOME A HEALTH COACH

You may ask, “what is the right time to apply for this trip?”

The answer is today!

As soon as you have applied for this mission trip our team of interns will review your information and notify you of your acceptance as quickly as possible and we will send you a package in the mail with fundraising materials and a Step-by-Step Guidebook that will make planning for this trip much easier than you think!

There are several important deadlines associated with this trip and your representative will help you to meet the goals associated with each one. The two most important are the following:

Ticketing Deadline: Half of the base cost of your trip must be turned in by the ticketing deadline to secure your spot on the trip.

• • The ticketing deadline for Nepal A is Friday May 3, 2013.

100% Deadline: You’ll need to raise the full amount of your trip cost prior to your trip start date. Any outstanding funds must be turned in at registration on the first day of your trip. This includes any fees related to your project.

One of the best benefits of going on a mission trip with Teen Mania’s Global Expeditions is being able to get help and guidance from people who have been doing this for 25 years and have sent more than 70,000 people like you on the mission field.

Here are some of the details they will help you remember as you are fundraising and planning for your mission trip:

• Background check ($25) for everyone who will be 18+ at the time of the trip’s start

• Leadership Training Camp ($89) for anyone who wants to be considered for a Missionary Advisor or who will serve as a Team Leader, Health Coach or Country Assistant.

• Getting to your trip’s starting point. If you are flying into DFW and need a ride to campus you can fundraise for the cost of your flight (using Skypass Travel) and sign up for the shuttle ($69). Also, you’ll need to find out what your airline charges for baggage and, if you are considered a minor, they might charge you to fly by yourself. If someone is driving you, make sure you plan to chip in for gas!

• Remember your flight to the final destination is included in your trip price, but you’ll need to plan on covering a fuel surcharge. This is a cost will be confirmed after your 50% ticketing deadline, because it comes directly from the airline. It won’t be more than $495 (if it is, then Global Expeditions will pay the difference). Click here for more information about this cost.

• You will need to get a passport for this trip, so you will want to apply for that right away and make sure you factor in how much it will cost to get a new passport. If you already have a passport, check to make sure it doesn’t expire within 6 months of this trip –if it does, you will need to get it renewed.

• Insurance! It is important you have insurance that will cover you for any medical and health emergencies while you are on your trip as well as trip interruption and delays. All participants on this trip are required to pick up special insurance through our partner: Mission Trip Insurance. The average cost is $1/day and you can get this at www.globalexpeditions.com/insurance. If you would like to purchase travel/health insurance through a provider other than “Mission Trip Insurance” then you will need to submit a request in writing to geinfo@teenmania.org with a copy of the policy showing that it has Emergency Medical Transportation/Repatriation, $25,000 Non-Medical Emergency Evacuation and $750 Travel Delay ($150 per day).