IMPACT Summer 2024 details, events and dates

 1. This summer IMPACT is planning on four separate mission trips out of the country:  to Mexico, Romania, Honduras and Turkey.  IMPACT has been to all of these countries and worked with in-country partners on many mission trips.  You will be welcomed by the in-country group who are looking forward to your service with them and who will take special care of you while you are there.  This summer IMPACT does not have a mission trip within the USA.  We hope that those going from our church all agree to go to the same country.  It will be comfortable to have friends with you on your team.  You might want to room with a friend from our church when you are lodging in-country.

  1. The teams are intergenerational.  You might find yourself with only other older adults or on a team with high schoolers and young adults.  The teams are made up of people from many different churches.  Jack and Barbara went to Turkey in 2022 our team of 8 older adults was from four different Presbyterian churches (Ojai, Ventura, Santa Paula, and Newhall).
  1. The trips will start with a 2-1/2 day orientation that will be held at Pepperdine University Campus in Malibu.  Such a beautiful site.  All the teams will meet together.  You will be provided with a dorm room and meals.  You arrange for someone to drive you and drop you at the orientation, packed and ready to go with your team on the flight from LAX to your destination.  We enjoyed this time, packed with teaching about being a team and lots of worship time and skill/team building exercizes.
  1. From Pepperdine, you will be bussed to LAX where you will fly out to your country with your team.  Upon return, you will have previously arranged for someone to pick you up at LAX,
  1. PASSPORT:  you must have a passport for this trip out of the country, both to enter the foreign country and to re-enter the USA.  Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months after you return.  If you do not have a passport, or if you have one that is expired, or one that will not be valid for six months after you return (about July 30th — so six months is through January 2025) and if you are considering applying to IMPACT, we suggest you start your passport application as soon as possible.  When we sent the application in 2022, the State Dept took 10 to 12 weeks.  Rod Belcher told me the time is now down to 5-6 weeks, but do not bank on that by waiting til the last minute to apply, when you will also have to pay an extra fee to expedite your application.
  1. When you arrive at the airport in-country, you will be picked up by the in-country group and taken to your lodging.  In-country your lodging and meals will all be taken care of.  You do not have to provide any of your own meals.  When we were in Turkey, we occasionally would go to a local coffee shop or for ice cream, which we purchased with our own money.
  1. The in-country time varies per mission.  The Yucatan trip is 8-9 days.  The other trips are 14-15 days.
  1. Each team has leaders appointed and trained by IMPACT who are part of the mission team.
  1. You are responsible for the appropriate vaccinations for the country of travel and for taking your own medications (which must be packed in your Rx bottles with the prescription label).  You must talk to your own doctors and pay for these vaccinations and any medications and vitamin supplements you take.  You might have to take yellow fever vaccine and a prophylactic drug for malaria for example, as well as up to date tetanus and other vaccinations. Some vaccines may have to be ordered by your doctor, or your GP may refer you to a specialist in tropical medicine and foreign diseases.
  1. Costs:  IMPACT will tell you the cost of the trip you elect to go on.  The costs vary from about $2500 to $3500, depending upon the country and air travel.  IMPACT helps you raise the money by helping your ask for support from friends and family. Our Mission Committee will also help with fundraising and has scholarship money available.

If you are interested in exploring and then in applying, please contact Pastor Mary or Barbara and Jack Irwin. Go to the IMPACT website and review all the information and the trip dates. See the videos from the different countries. Download the application. The website is https://www.impact-theglobe.org/

Welcome to Global Mission and the Global Church

Key dates:
Sat. Feb. 10, 2024, deadline to submit application to IMPACT Saturday, Feb. 10, 2024. Must include two references, one from the pastor and another.

Sat. March 16, 2024, the first spring meeting of all mission teams together will be on March 16, 2024. Please reserve the date. The meeting will probably be at a church in Thousand Oaks and will be an all-day event.

Pastor Mary, Judy and Debi have indicated an interest in Romania. The team to Romania is limited to 13 people and that there are two other churches with people interested in this trip.

July 9-12 Pre-trip training for all mission teams together at Pepperdine University

July 12: Van pool to LAX and fly to destination country

July 12-27 Dates of Mission for Romania, Honduras and Turkey (Mexico is July 12-20) Return to LAX.