Colombia
Fill out the pre-application for Colombia Spring Break Trip here!
We are happy that you’re thinking about investing your Spring Break in bringing Christ’s love and message across the world!
Traveling to Colombia is an amazing and eye-opening spiritual experience. 4000 children die each day across the globe from water-born diseases. We get to do something about that! Our team will partner with Filter of Hope to install water filters in the homes of families who need them.
Not only is there a great need for clean water, but there is a great need for Christ. Most of the population of Colombia would identify as religious, but few have a personal relationship with Christ. As we provide clean drinking water, we will introduce them to the source of living water using the water filter as an analogy for the gospel. This is both a “physical missions” trip and a “spiritual missions” trip. You will come away from the week with a deeper knowledge of God, training in how to communicate the gospel, and memories that will last a lifetime!
Fill out the pre-application for Colombia Spring Break Trip here!
SCHEDULE
We’ll fly out on Saturday and arrive in Barrenquilla, Colombia. Then we will drive to closer to where the water filter installations will be. We’ll make our way to our lodging and get settled in. On Sunday we will go to church and receive training and orientation to our trip.
Monday through Thursday we will visit the homes of local families. The family will provide a bucket and we will use it to install a water filter. The filter provides up to 150 gallons of water per day and will last 10 years with very little maintenance. Through a translator, we will share the good news about Christ with every family who we serve. (You don’t need to know Spanish!) Filter of Hope partners with local ministries and churches to make sure that new believers are followed up with and connected to a Christian community for ongoing discipleship.
We will have one free day that might include an autosafari, visiting a market, climbing a volcano, or some other way to experience the nation and culture!
On Friday we will fly home. We will make sure to process together all that God taught us during the week so that it will make the greatest possible difference in your life after you return. We’ll talk about applying what you learn to your life on campus. We’ll talk about what next steps God might be calling you into God’s mission. We’ll celebrate all that God has done, allowing us to participate in his mission to reach every nation, language, and people out of Christ’s love!
ARRANGEMENTS
We’ll arrange everything, the plane, The in-country transportation, and the housing. You’ll room with others from your school. The cost includes meals. If you don’t already have one, you will need to get a passport.
TRAINING
You’ll need to be familiar with the ‘Knowing God Personally’ booklet. Having been to Cru's Outreach Training Spring Break Trip to Gulf Shores is helpful, but not essential. Aside from that, you’ll just need a teachable heart, a willingness to step out in faith trusting God, and a willingness to be patient with international travel. We will train you on everything else.
COSTS
We expect that you will raise prayer and financial support for the total cost. We will train you in every step of that process. The total cost of the trip is ~$2300. The in-country trip cost is $900. Each of us will raise money for 5 filters which is $250. The flight costs the remaining ~$1100. The cost includes airfare, in-country transportation, housing, food, water, water filters, and outreach materials. It does not include souvenirs for your mom or costs for any other fun you’d like to have along the way if that’s what you decide to do. It also does not include the cost of obtaining a passport. Overall, we will train you in raising the necessary funds to make this happen – trusting God to provide what our team needs to make a difference in Colombia. Every year, students are surprised at how easy it is to raise the needed financial support, as people are so excited to be a part of offering clean water and good news to people in a developing nation.
NEXT STEPS
Are you ready for an experience you’ll be referring to for the next fifty years of your life?
There are a limited number of spots, so make sure you act fast. Here are your next steps…
1. Fill out the Pre-Application to let us know that you are interested in the trip even if you are not 100% sure that you want to go yet. We will be able to guide you through each step of the process.
2. We will send you the full application to fill out. (Choose “Western Michigan Colombia” in the list of trips.) The deadline for applying and paying your $100 deposit is November 16!
3. After Cru staff contact you about your acceptance, pay the $100 deposit to secure your spot (by credit card or check).
4. If you do not have a passport, you will need to apply for one right away. (This year, passport applications are being processed very slowly, so apply for your passport by the end of November and choose the expedited passport option.)
5. We will equip you with everything you need to raise the financial support at a support-raising training meeting in mid-November.
6. Start praying for God to do amazing things… and for God to provide the funding for this missions trip!
If you have any questions, feel free to contact Ashley Matthews (ashley.matthews@cru.org).