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 the Philippines. You will also learn how to share your testimony effectively.
• • Day 4-5 – Travel to the Philippines. 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 6-22 – Experience The Philippines and share your life and faith among the people there!
• • Day 23 – Take a break and check out the tourist hot spots!
• • Day 24-25 – 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 the Philippines, so at the end of our time we will take a well-deserved break and experience our surroundings in a fun way!

You are going to spend a day in a beach resort, Canyon Cove, in  Nasugbu, Batangas. The cost will be $50 and it include the use of pool, shower, beach, toilets, cottage, and food voucher.

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 the Philippines at their final destination.

Once ministry begins in the Philippines, 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 The Philippines.

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 The Philippines B 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 and children’s programs, 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 The Philippines and all other travel will be secured by Global Expeditions.

The flight itinerary to the Philippines 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 THE PHILIPPINES: The housing accommodations will be in secure dorm compound owned by our ministry partners and we’ll be sleeping on the floors so bring a mat!

Meals

Breakfast and dinner will be prepared by the team’s Country Assistant 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 children’s 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 The Philippines. 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.

Background: The Philippine Islands became a Spanish colony during the 16th century; they were ceded to the US in 1898 following the Spanish-American War. In 1935 the Philippines became a self-governing commonwealth. Manuel Quezon was elected president and was tasked with preparing the country for independence after a 10-year transition. In 1942 the islands fell under Japanese occupation during World War II, and US forces and Filipinos fought together during 1944-45 to regain control. On July 4, 1946 the Republic of the Philippines attained its independence. A 20-year rule by Ferdinand Marcos ended in 1986, when a “people power” movement in Manila (“EDSA 1″) forced him into exile and installed Corazon Aquino as president. Her presidency was hampered by several coup attempts that prevented a return to full political stability and economic development. Fidel Ramos was elected president in 1992. His administration was marked by increased stability and by progress on economic reforms. In 1992, the US closed its last military bases on the islands. Joseph Estrada was elected president in 1998. He was succeeded by his vice-president, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, in January 2001 after Estrada’s stormy impeachment trial on corruption charges broke down and another “people power” movement (“EDSA 2″) demanded his resignation. Macapagal-Arroyo was elected to a six-year term as president in May 2004. The Philippine Government faces threats from three terrorist groups on the US Government’s Foreign Terrorist Organization list. Decades of Muslim insurgency in the southern Philippines have led to a peace accord with one group and on-again/off-again peace talks with another.

Climate: tropical marine; northeast monsoon (November to April); southwest monsoon (May to October)

Population: 97,976,603 (July 2010 est.)

Age Structure:
0-14 years: 35.2% (male 17,606,352/female 16,911,376)
15-64 years: 60.6% (male 29,679,327/female 29,737,919)
65 years and over: 4.1% (male 1,744,248/female 2,297,381) (2010 est.)

Religions: Roman Catholic 80.9%, Muslim 5%, Evangelical 2.8%, Iglesia ni Kristo 2.3%, Aglipayan 2%, other Christian 4.5%, other 1.8%, unspecified 0.6%, none 0.1% (2000 census)

Languages: Filipino (official; based on Tagalog) and English (official); eight major dialects – Tagalog, Cebuano, Ilocano, Hiligaynon or Ilonggo, Bicol, Waray, Pampango, and Pangasinan

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

Challenges for Prayer: The Filipino Church is becoming a significant missionary-sending Church. With over 35,000 evangelical churches and with the Filipino cultural flexibility, use of English and simple life-style, the potential is great. Of the estimated 2,700 cross-cultural missionaries nearly 900 are serving in other countries. Pray the church continues to send missionaries to other countries as well as reaching out to the people in their communities.

Less-reached peoples and areas. Great progress has been made in reaching out to isolated tribal peoples all over the islands. By 1995 the Unreached People Task Force of the PMA identified 13 remaining unreached peoples; 12 are Muslim. There are also a number of unreached animistic peoples which perhaps should have been included but were not researched at that time. Pray for the Church to be stirred up in loving concern for Muslims and led in wise ways of reaching them.

a) Mindanao now has a high proportion of Evangelicals but growth has slowed recently and revival is needed. The major challenge is that of Islam. The ongoing war and deep resentment of the Magindanao and Maranao are major obstacles to witness. Yet Christian concern for them has increased. In 1987 there were just a few foreign missionaries. Now there are over 200, mainly Filipinos, seeking to minister to them – sometimes at risk of their lives. There is a steady trickle of conversions and a few churches planted. Pray for these believers who face great pressures.

b) The Sulu Islands between Mindanao and Borneo are the home of the Muslim Tausug, Samal, and Yakan peoples. Among the Sama Bajau Sea Gypsies there has been a significant breakthrough with numbers coming to Christ in Davao City, Batangan and Metro Manila.

c) Luzon. Praise God for church growth in the north-central mountainous area, where many of its peoples, the Ifugao, Bontok, Kankanay, Kalinga and Isnag have been turning from animism to Christ. Many small, semi-nomadic hunter-gatherer Dumagat Negrito peoples live on the typhoon-lashed, rugged north and north-east coastal mountains of Luzon. Few have become Christian, and the task of church planting is complex.

d) Visayas – the most needy region of the country. The islands of Samar, Cebu and Leyte are all only about 2% Evangelical – far below the national average of 8%. Response is now good but poverty, despair and a spirit of defeat are widespread. Pray for more church planters and vigorous church growth.

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

Metro Ministries Philippines

The Philippine connection to New York’s Metro Ministries was established when Pastor Bill merged vision and commitment with Pastor Paul Chase of Alabang New Life Christian Center. With the expanse of poverty-stricken neighborhoods of Manila as the backdrop, 2001 witnessed the beginnings of Metro Philippines with a staff of three, eight partner churches and reached about 1,500 children. Today, with a staff of 14, we are in partnership with over 60 local churches and reaching an average of 20,000 children each week of Sidewalk Sunday School.
http://www.metroministries.org.ph/home/.

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 Philippines 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.

Sidney and Crystal Bruton have been married for 26 years and have 2 children, who are now grown men.  Crystal has her Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice and is currently helping raise dogs to be Canine Companions for Independence.  Sidney owns his own trucking company and is an entrepreneur at heart.  Sidney and Crystal have served as leaders with Global Expeditions to places including Mexico, Peru, Panama, Zambia and the Philippines.  In fact, this will be Sidney’s third summer leading the Philippines trip!  They both have a heart to provide students with the opportunity to encounter with God and have that catalyst them to be the best they can be.  They can’t wait to see what God is going to do this summer in and through students with the courage to travel so far to show His hope!

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 the Philippines B is Friday May 24, 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).