2006 trip dates posted

Greetings from the sunshine (hurricane) coast!

8 hurricanes in 15 months, unbelievable, isn't it? God's power through nature has been shown time and time again this year and the answer to prayer and divine protection is evident as well. The Lord is being glorified through all of this and the Lord's church has been set to task in the great recovery efforts that are going on right now. Let us keep those in need in our constant prayers and seek to help in the ways that we can.

Honduras 2006 is off and running, even though it has taken a back seat to all that is going on right now. For many, a mission trip to Honduras is no where close to being at the top of the priority list, but never the less, the time has come to begin our preparations for the trip. I hope that all of you are excited about the possibilities and opportunities that God is going to put before us for 2006.

The dates for the 2006 trips are as follows:
May 14-24 (10 day trip, primarily college age)
July 1-10 ( 10 day trip, all ages, 9th grade and up)
July 8-16 (9 day trip, Palmetto Church, Columbia, SC)
July 14-24 (11 day trip, all ages, 9th grade and up)

The cost of the trip this year is $595.00 per person PLUS the cost of the airline ticket. Depending on market value of the ticket and the departure hub, costs will vary from group to group. The $595.00 pays for the following:
* Lodging at the Mission House
* 2 meals per day at the Mission House
* Use of buses
* Salaries for bus drivers
* Bus fuel
* Supplemental travel insurance
* Truck rental
* Delivery truck usage
* Truck fuel
* Work fund (for new hammers, chain saws, levels, etc.)
* Torch t-shirt
* Torch journal
* End of the trip retreat
* Airport taxes
* Airport luggage tips
* Exit fees
* Container shipment fees
* Port/customs paperwork fees
* Contingency fund

Departure hubs this year are the following:
Atlanta, GA
Nashville, TN
Miami, FL
Charlotte, SC
Pittsburgh, PA

As usual, applications are required to be filled out by each person going on the trip. Any new team members need to have 2 letters of recommendation, anyone who has been at least once does not have to do this. We are not requiring essays this year (although group leaders can still require this for their own files). Applications and the $100 deposit need to be turned in by November 30th for a guaranteed spot for the trip. The trips are going to fill up fast so I want to encourage you to get this done as quickly as possible.

The May trip has a maximum capacity of 60; the July 1-10 trip has 100, and the July 14-24 has 100. I am expecting to completely fill all 3 trips. The July 8-16 trip is headed up by the Palmetto Church of Christ, Columbia, SC, and openings for those dates are dependent on their team leader. As of now the capacity for that trip is 75 unless otherwise notified.

All group leaders need to be aware of the fact that we all need to contribute to the work fund again this year. The formula is simple, we need to raise $150 per person going on your team. If you have 10 people, you need to raise $1,500 for the work fund. If you have 20, you need to raise $3,000. This money is used to buy the wood, tin, nails, hinges, water purifiers, water barrels, bulk foods, zip lock bags, boxes, tape, markers, labels, toys, water, paper, crayons, photocopying, etc., that we use for our work projects. I am not opposed if you raise more than your target amount!!!!

Applications are ready. I am mailing out trip packets to all of the group leaders who have gone with me in the past. So, if you are part of a team that has been before, contact your leader for an application. If you are part of my team, or do not have a group leader, contact me and I will send you an application ASAP. You may also go directly to the TORCH web page to download the correct forms. http://www.irccorp.org/projects/teach/trip_information.htm Don’t delay, the teams will fill up fast.

We are planning on some wonderful projects this summer, some of which none of our team members, no matter how many years they have been going, have done. We will be working in and around Tegucigalpa, and will also be traveling and working throughout Honduras this summer. Many will get to see new areas of the country where remarkable things are going on. It will indeed be a great trip with a lot of challenges.

Good luck, may God bless our efforts this year as we prepare to go to Honduras to minister to people who have been praying to God to send help. We are those people and God is already preparing the hearts, minds, and souls of the people that we are going to meet. Isn't it great to be at work in the kingdom!!!! God is good all of the time and all of the time God is good!

Hasta luego, Dios te bendiga!
Terry Reeves