APRIL 2021

LOCATION

Guánica, Puerto Rico

DATES

Thursday April 15th - Tuesday April 20th, 2021

cost

Plane ticket + $500. The $500 covers all costs outside of airfare, including lodging, transportation, food and ministry supplies. Plane tickets average anywhere from $200-$400 round trip.

Flights will be recommended based on travel dates and team size. Some team members will need to make other accommodations based on their departure city. Each team member will be responsible for purchasing their own plane ticket. While on the island, we will travel by use of rental car, SUV and/or minivan. You are not expected to drive. 

In order to travel to Puerto Rico, you will need a government issued photo ID. The REAL ID is not yet required, but will be required starting October 1, 2021. A passport is not necessary, but is an acceptable form of ID. In addition, you will need to have a molecular test for COVID scheduled for Monday April 12th with a practice that offers ID NOW or molecular testing results. Oral swab testing and antibody testing are not accepted by the Puerto Rican government at this time. Once you have your negative COVID test, you will also need to fill out a travel declaration form from the Puerto Rico Department of Health. This is easier than it sounds and all team members will be guided through the process. This declaration form will provide you with a QR code that allows you to enter Puerto Rico and leave the airport. In addition to testing prior to travel, Puerto Rico currently has several local mandates that limit group sizes, capacity limits, mask wearing and a curfew. Our team will adhere to any mandates that are in place.

We are renting a house in downtown Guánica that we have stayed at before. The house is small but 5 minutes from everywhere. There are 3 twin beds in the living room (instead of couches). There is a small dinette table and kitchenette with AC and a ceiling fan in these areas. There are 3 bedrooms: one with a queen, and two with bunk beds. There is no AC in 2 of the bedrooms but there are fans in each room. There is one bathroom to share. While in Guánica, it is likely that we will experience mild earthquakes.

We want to make it possible for anyone called and willing to come and serve. That being said, if you have any special accommodations that will be required during your trip, we MUST know about them during the planning phase. Many conveniences and normal accommodations are not readily available while we are serving. We will do our best to make everything available for you, but cannot be successful in this without knowing in advance. Some accommodations to consider are diet, accessible features like ramps, frequent access to a restroom, available seating, needed access to shade, cat or dog allergies, accessible car seating, etc.

In Guánica, the temperatures range between 70s-90s year round. The land is flat and on the south coast, on the Caribbean Sea. It is humid year round.

Bug spray is needed on a regular basis due to heavy populations of mosquitos and biting gnats. You will also likely encounter coquí tree frogs, lizards, snails, spiders (including tarantulas), iguanas, crabs, stray cats, stray dogs, free range chickens and horses.

Puerto Rico is under the authority of the US Department of Agriculture. This means that all foods are inspected with the same quality measures as the mainland US. The water is clean and good for drinking from the tap. The USDA also requires all passengers who are leaving Puerto Rico and traveling back to the mainland US to have their bags screened. There is a list of items that are forbidden to be brought back home from Puerto Rico, like certain fruits, vegetables and plants.

While there are too many cultural differences to list, it is important to note three. First, the phrase “island time” is real and applies to many parts of Puerto Rico. If someone is late, do not take it personally. Second, Puerto Ricans are physically affectionate, even amidst a pandemic! Third, part of the affection is through giving and sharing. If someone who has little wants to give you something as a gift, let them. Accept the blessing, because it is their blessing to give it to you. Be careful not to compliment people on their material belongings, or they may give them to you. If food is cooked for you or the team, for example, we will eat it and share thanks.

Spanish is the official language of Puerto Rico. Most of the people we will serve and encounter do not speak English. A few of our ministry partners speak enough, but you will be heavily reliant on a translator. When you want to speak to someone, make sure the translator is with you and talk to them like you normally would in English. The translator will intercede on your behalf.

All major cell phone carriers work in Puerto Rico without roaming. Puerto Rico is not an international calling area. While it is possible that there could be an outage, it would be due to the Puerto Rican infrastructure and not the carrier.

Satan uses many different ways to divide us. These divisions are rebuked in the name of Jesus! As a team we will focus on one thing: being like minded for Christ, considering others better than ourselves, and being One Spirit. On our mission trips, we are not Republican or Democrat; liberal or conservative; Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian or any other denomination - we are children of Christ, the family of God. There is no room for racism, sexism, agism or any other prejudice. The people we are serving are to be viewed with one perspective only: the prize of Christ.

Our focus on these trips is to bring the name of Jesus through service. There is an extensive list of variables that requires all team members to be not just flexible, but flexible with a joyful spirit. It is common that you will experience various levels of discomfort that are out of our control, or necessary in order to pursue our service and call to follow Christ. It is INCREDIBLE how much the Lord will grow your character and draw you closer to Him during these times. Please prayerfully consider whether or not you can embrace joy while having to endure temporary discomforts, such as: waking up early, staying up late, inconsistent meal schedule, sharing bedrooms and bathrooms, bumpy roads and aggressive traffic, being out in the sun or rain, narrow winding mountain roads, intermittent power loss, intermittent water loss, mild recurring earthquakes (in Guánica) and of course, being surrounded by people who are speaking Spanish, just to name a few. This list is by no means exhaustive. While we will do our best to avoid these situations, it is imperative that all team members are able to look past them if/when they arise.

The deadline to join the April 2021 trip is March 1, 2021. At the bottom of this page is a link to sign up and instructions on how to pay.

If you cancel your participation during March, you will be refunded $250. Any cancellations made after March 31, 2021 will not be refunded.

Why We Go

The need to know Jesus is great. Cultural and practicing Catholicism, including the worship of the Virgin Mary, is widespread; legalistic works-based theology paints an incorrect message of the Gospel; several people identify as non-religious; world religions are represented; and only 4% of Puerto Ricans are actively involved in a grace-based faith community.

In 2017, Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico as a category 5 storm with sustaining winds of 175 mph. The hurricane lasted for 16 hours. Hurricane Maria is responsible for over 3,000 deaths in Puerto Rico and is the 5th deadliest natural disaster in US history.

On December 28, 2019 and progressing into 2020, southwest Puerto Rico has been rocked by numerous damaging earthquakes. The strongest of the chain wiped out 517 homes in the town of Guánica. Many residents remain homeless.

Puerto Rico is the poorest part of the United States, resulting in the most tangible needs. The town of Aibonito has approximately 8,300 people; Guánica has 6,800 which is down over 10,000 since the 2019/2020 earthquakes. Spanish is spoken in each town. The Tabernacle has been serving in Aibonito since 2009 and Guánica since 2020. 60% of Guánica lives in poverty. Puerto Rico as a whole has 43% poverty, which is twice as high as the poorest state, Mississippi.