Youth Mission Adventure: Las Tablas, Panama 2010

Join us for foreign travel and X-treme adventure with other Christian teens.

  

project dates

Group A: February 25 - March 7, 2010 (Closed Project)
Group B: March 11-21, 2010 (Closed)
Group C: April 4-14, 2010 NEW date! (Open)

application formsAll mission project participants are required to have the following documents filled out and sent to The Quiet Hour:

  1. YMA 2010 Mission Project Application
  2. Participant Medical History Form
  3. Notarized Parental Consent and Medical Release Form (required for all participants under 18 years of age who travel into a foreign country without one or both parents) Send copy only, keep original with passport.
  4. Clean, clear copy of passport picture page
  5. Copy of your final flight itinerary (extremely important)

finances

  1. Participant fee is $650 plus airfare
  2. Deposit: $300 deposit due upon submitting application
  3. Final payment: $350 due two weeks prior to mission trip
    Please note - All participant fees must be paid in full prior to departure.
 travel

You are responsible to arrange and pay for your travel. The following are suggestions from which you can obtain quotes for comparison:

  • C.B.Y. Travel, Inc. Carlo Ruygrok, president, email, (773) 478-5397/5381, or (800) 538-1363, fax: (773) 478-7114
  • Travel 2 Give, Sandra D'Arcy, email, (760) 603-9840, or (877) 442-4483
  • Glenda Bailey, email, in CA (909) 864-4477, or outside of CA (888) 495-8041
  • Butler Travel, email, (503) 879-5005
  • Other online travel sites

If you have a large group you can contact group sales directly to any airline flying into Panama.

Specific dates for arrival and departure still to be determined.

teams

The groups will be divided into these teams:

  • Evangelism teams
  • Evangelism Support teams (musicians, greeters, drama, visitation, etc.)
  • Construction teams
  • Medical/Dental/Optometry teams
  • VBS & Children's Ministry teams

Participants will not be required to work in all areas. We will do our best to give each participant a "taste" of the areas in which there is special interest.

evangelism

  • Information on the location of the meetings and the main speaker is still being developed. 
  • Each meeting will include a health lecture, family talk (10 minutes each), and children’s program. 
  • For each location, each group will be responsible for the special music as well as the song service.
  • Moderate praise and worship style of music is encouraged. A piano and/or organ will be available at most venues.

construction

Projects: church, classrooms and parsonage 

Construction Crew members need to bring:
  • Masonry trowel (one per team)
  • Masonry block line (one per team)
  • Two-foot level (one per team)
  • Torpedo level (6"-8" size)
  • 16'+ tape measure
  • Claw hammer
  • Set of screw drivers w/ various bits in different sizes
  • Pair of pliers
  • Electric or cordless screw driver/drill (one per team)
  • Hacksaw and extra blades (one per team)
  • Wood working tools (as many as possible)
Good work gear:
  • Old long sleeved shirts and t-shirts
  • Old long pants or jeans
  • Two pairs of old shorts
  • Work boots or heavy-duty shoes (preferably with reinforced toes)
  • Tennis shoes
  • Leather work gloves
  • Gardening gloves
  • Sunblock
  • Insect repellant with a concentration of Deet
  • Hard hat, straw hat, or baseball cap for sun protection
medical, dental, and eye clinics

The medical teams will consist of:

  • Dentists and dental assistants
  • Optometrists and opticians
  • Medical doctors and nurses
  • Other health professionals
  • Trained and untrained assistants

Dental and eye care clinics are most effective.

children's ministry

Programs and activities for the children will occur one hour prior to each evangelism meeting. The programs will include songs, stories from the Bible, nature nuggets, puppets, and other activities as arranged by the team's children's ministry coordinator. Music is a must, so children's songs should be planned ahead of time.

In many cases, adults take an interest in the evening meetings as a result of the children's programs. Therefore, it is important that much emphasis and preparation are given to the children's programs and activities.

medical needs

Part of our team includes physicians and other health personnel. Our personal medical needs will be handled by our own medical personnel, except for emergencies that may require hospitalization. Each participant is required to fill out a health form that includes a “Consent to Treatment” authorization.

Each group is required to bring their own first aid kit.
Items to be included are:
  • Ace bandage strips
  • Aloe vera or anything with benzocaine (for severe sunburn)
  • Antibiotics (although it is expensive and requires a prescription, Cipro is preferred because it covers the major dysentery pathogens)
  • Aspirin
  • Band aids and bandages–telfa pads and tape
  • Benadryl (for insect bites)
  • Cling tape (optional)
  • Cotton balls
  • Female hygiene items (such as tampons, etc.)
  • Hydrogen peroxide or betadine (for sterilization/cleaning)
  • Insect repellant
  • Motrin or Advil
  • Needles (to remove splinters, etc.)
  • Pepto Bismol
  • Polysporin (to fight infection and kill pain)
  • Saline solution (for eye wash)
  • Sore throat lozenges (for cold morning air, eating dust, too much talking, etc.)
  • Steri-strips (optional)
  • Sunblock (minimum of SPF 15; SPF 30-45 is preferred)

common ailments

  • Dehydration–All participants will be reminded many times each day to drink fluids.
  • Exhaustion–Long days of work and short nights of sleep require participants to pace themselves. 
  • Sunburn–This project is in the tropics. Fifteen minutes of unprotected skin will burn. All participants will be required to put sunblock on each morning.
  • "Tourista–intestinal problems due to drinking non-purified water, or eating something that has not been "decontaminated" (washed in Cloroxed water). All tap water is UNSAFE for drinking purposes. We will have plenty of purified water at each site.

vaccinationsConsult your family physician or your local Health Department regarding the recommended vaccinations for international travel. As a general rule, for travel into developing countries, the following vaccinations are recommended: Yellow Fever, Hepatitis A, and Hepatitis B, Typhoid, Meningitis, Cholera or Tetanus. Need more information? Travel Health Online provides in-depth information about travel vaccines.

waterIt is important for every guest to assume that tap water is not potable. Only drink purified water. Bottled drinking water can be purchased in most countries. Some may want to purchase a hand-held water-purification system at your local camping store to purify tap water. Let the camping store know your travel plans so they can recommend the best kind.

additional informationFor additional information on health matters in each country, go to the Internet site Travel Health Online and read the voluminous data they provide.

YouTube video link or search "Las Tablas Panama"

safetyThe Quiet Hour team will do everything possible to ensure that participants are not knowingly taken into dangerous or life-threatening situations. YMA participants will not be permitted to take any side-trips without proper supervision. Before any excursions or trips are taken, we will consult with local experts and pastors.

insuranceQuiet Hour Ministries provides Short Term Mission Insurance for each YMA participant through the General Conference Risk Management Services.

food and lodgingWe always have some of the best cooks in the world on our team. The daily vegetarian meals will be prepared and served by YMA participants and staff. The cost for the meals has been included in the YMA participation fee.

Each participant is requested to bring one can of Linketts or Big Franks and one can of Fri-Chik, and one jar of peanut butter, either crunchy or smooth.

Mess Kit: All participants MUST bring their own mess kit. Bring a cotton bag with a drawstring to hold your eating supplies. Your mess kit should include a non-breakable plate, bowl, cup, knife, fork and spoon. We will not have any disposable picnic supplies. So bring a few extra items, just in case.

Groups will be staying at a local hotel.

dress codes
Men:
  • Church or meetings: In Panama, most men wear a white shirt, dark slacks and a tie to church. A suit is used while preaching on the platform.
  • Daily activities: Casual attire, including modest pants and shorts, is appropriate. 
  • Leisure time/excursions: Modest shorts, pant or jeans, and t-shirts are acceptable. No t-shirts with questionable or offensive logos.
  • Medical team personnel: If possible, wear smocks or surgical scrubs.
  • Kitchen crew: Grubbies, aprons, lightweight tops and slacks.
  • Jewelry: It's just too much of a distraction. Please leave all of your "hard-wear" at home.

Men please note: Leave the baggy, "let your boxers show" pants at home. These are not appropriate at any time.

Women:
  • Church or meetings: Modest dresses or blouses and skirts (with long or short sleeves) are required during the evangelistic meetings or during church. Sleeveless or spaghetti-strap tops are not appropriate in any setting. Wearing slacks or pants is not appropriate for church in this culture.
  • Daily activities: Skirts with modest tops must be worn at all times. 
  • Leisure time/excursions: Skirts with modest tops are to be worn. One-piece bathing suits are preferable, but if two-piece, please cover with a long solid color t-shirt.
  • Medical team personnel: If possible, wear smocks or surgical scrubs.
  • Kitchen crew: Grubbies, aprons, lightweight tops and slacks.
  • Jewelry: It's just too much of a distraction. Please leave all of your "bangles, baubles, and beads" at home.

Ladies please note: Leave the "low rider jeans" at home. The "low rider" style is VERY offensive to the local church folk.

climate

Before you travel it is a good idea to have some knowledge of the climate in Panama. Here are a few websites that can provide you with Panama weather information:

Weather Bug: Las Tablas, Panama
Yahoo Weather: Panama
National Weather Service: Panama

travel documents

Passport: Every passenger MUST have a valid passport to travel to Panama. The passport must be valid for at least three months at entry into Panama.

If you do not have a passport, you can get one at your local post office. It will take 10-16 weeks to process. While it is possible to pay extra money and get rush-delivery of a passport, if you are thinking about participating in this project, it is far wiser to secure one rather than waiting until you have made a firm decision to go.

Visas: No visa requirement for tourists up to three months.

moneyThe currency for Panama is the U.S. dollar. While traveling, we strongly recommend the use of a money belt to carry your cash.  Do not carry large amounts of money in your purse or wallet. You can also carry a debit card and withdraw money from the bank for a nominal fee.

electricityThe current in Panama is 110 volts AC 60Hz with three-pin power points. All U.S. electrical devices should work fine in Panama.

internet access

Internet access is available in Panama. The cost is anywhere from 5-20 cents/minute. Most places charge around 1 or 2 dollar minimum.

calling home Calling home costs approximately $1.99/min. You can purchase phone cards in various denominations - from $3.00 and up. A $5.00 phone card will give you approximately three minutes of talk time. In some cases we will have an internet phone for the use of the group at specific times. Low cost cell phones are available in the country.

what to take

(besides an adventurous spirit) The following are guidelines of items that you should consider packing:

work gear
  • blue jeans and/or painter's pants
  • two pairs of old shorts
  • good working shoes (preferably with a reinforced toe)
  • hard had, straw hat or baseball cap for sun protection
  • grubby old long sleeved shirts
  • sunblock
  • sun glasses
  • old t-shirts
  • water bottle for the job site
  • work gloves (leather and gardening)
non-work gear
  • casual shirts and blouses
  • modest shorts, skirts and pants
  • Sabbath attire (A MUST)
  • bathrobe
  • sleep wear
  • socks
  • swimming suit (one-piece or shorts)
  • underclothes
  • twin size flat sheets and small pillow
  • towels and wash cloths
  • flip-flops (for showers)
miscellaneous items
  • Bible
  • books for your own reading material
  • camera and film or digital cards
  • clock (battery operated)
  • flashlight (A MUST)
  • light-weight day pack
  • lotion and sunblock
  • money for personal spending
  • mosquito repellent (A MUST)
  • original notarized Consent and Medical Release form
  • passport
  • personal medications (Carry it with you. Do not pack this in your check-on luggage.)
  • personal toiletries
  • snacks
  • sport water bottle for drinking water
  • about $50 - $75 for souvenirs you will want to buy to take home to your friends and family
  • If you travel with a CD walkman, MP3 player or I-Pod, we will have a locked facility to secure these items. For various reasons, we want all of these items to be out of sight while on the mission project. 

 

what NOT to take

Leave at home all pre-conceived notions about mission trips. :-)

  • knives or firearms
  • military-type or camouflage clothing 
  • books, magazines, or reading material that would be deemed "inappropriate" for Christians.
  • jewelry
  • A bad attitude

For those not familiar with snorkeling, it is recommended to get some instruction and experience (even if in a swimming pool) prior to this trip.

Questions? Email Charlene West

© Copyright 2010 The Quiet Hour, Inc.