2025 Spring Break Family Missions Trip Interest Form
When: Spring Breaks 2025 Sunday, September 08, 2024, 12:00 AM - Sunday, December 01, 2024, 12:00 AM
Where:
If you are interested in the 2025 Family Mission Trips that are happening over spring break, please fill out the interest form linked at the bottom of this page. It says sign up- but it is just the interest form.
More about the trip...
How it all began…
Nicaragua is the 2nd poorest country in the Western hemisphere next to Haiti. In October of 1998 a team that had prepared to go to Nicaragua to deliver Samaritan’s Purse Christmas boxes ended up doing Hurricane relief as well. Hurricane Mitch devastated the northern part of Nicaragua when a volcano became so full of water the side broke destroying much of the area. This relief team began to build a village called Bethel of 150 homes, only to find out that many of the men would not see their home to completion because they were dying of CKD (Chronic Kidney Disease). CKD is caused by the chemical used in the sugar cane plantations. This chemical was outlawed in the US in the 1970’s. The plantations are the main and almost only source of income for most of those already living in poverty. They pay around $200 per month for the 9 months a year they employ workers. The average daily income in Nicaragua is less than $2.00 a day. The relief team knew they could not just build the homes and leave because they had also built relationships. This was the beginning of Vision Nicaragua. (here is a link to a video about CKD https://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/news/0000014b-2bf5-dcdf-afcf-fff5ff0e0000 )
Vision Nicaragua today…
VN now employs around 18 people. Some are men with CKD. VN is a holistic ministry. There are 5 areas of Vision: Outreach, Discipleship, Education, Healthcare and Nourishment. More details can be found on the website https://www.visionnicaragua.org/
- Outreach – currently VN is working with 10-12 community pastors/leaders in the area. Most live in Bethel.
- Discipleship – the next step is to help equip these leaders with necessary tools for their ministry
- Education – Sponsorship of high school students in the village of Bethel and the University sponsorship program for those wanting to continue their education
- Healthcare – partnering with local doctors and our university students in healthcare, we provide community clinics.
- Nourishment – food distribution is another area we provide. This can be soup ingredients for widows, fruit for the CKD patients in Bethel. Rice, beans or cooking oil to all communities we work with.
Marty Read and her husband, Ron, began the work in January of 2009. Ron, having an engineering background, began working full-time with the staff to train them in business principles and maintenance of the property. Ron passed away in 2022 from pancreatic cancer. Marty continues the work along with the VN board members. She is the only missionary currently with VN. Many VN board members also travel as much as possible. VN believes empowering rather than enabling happens more when we are not 24/7 “boots on the ground”. Much happens in a weekly leader staff meeting virtually. Marty works with staff, vision trips and with the Nicaraguan scholarship team in education.
Vision Nicaragua is a 501 3c nonprofit based in Asheville, North Carolina. It is an all-volunteer board. There is no paid US staff other than funds Marty raises for her support.
What will we do on a trip…
We work closely with the staff, pastors/leaders of the communities to see what the current needs might be. We also look to see the team make up to develop the itinerary to fit all needs. For example, if we have several medical people on the team, we might do more clinics, while non-medical would do kids activities. If they are teachers, we could work more in the school. Outreach is always an encouragement to the leaders. Kids activities and food distribution would be something we would want to do in most communities.
Some trip details…
- Cost is $2000 per person – this includes airfare and all in country expenses other than airport food, personal snacks and souvenirs. It includes airport transportation, bunk, meals and the hotel on the last night before flying home.
- We fly into Managua. It is about 3 hours from the airport to the mission.
- They do take US dollars, but it is a cash society and very few places will take credit cards.
- More logistics will be discussed when you commit.
- Age recommendation is 10 and up. Using your discretion as you know your child better than anyone else.
- A deposit will be required with your application.
- The first $1000 will need to be in approximately 8 weeks before we leave to purchase airline tickets.
- Dates – Spring Break 2025.
- It is hot in Nicaragua. They have 2 seasons. Rainy (May-October) and dry (November – April). Always 90+
- The school calendar is February – November. Dec and January are summer break.