January 2, 2007
Dear High School Parents,
We are excited to share with you that the mission trip to Canada has progressed to the stage of students making final decisions about going! Although we are still confirming details with several churches and ministries, including Youth For Christ and Emmanuel Christian School in Montreal, we can now confirm that we are sure we are going as long as we have enough students who want to go. We will need a final decision from your student by Thursday, January 4th.
Here are the details: We have been talking with students throughout the fall as we have obtained more information about our options for the work in Canada, and we have discussed each of the options to do while we are there. The details still need to be fleshed out in a specific schedule, but primarily the major focuses will be on working with Youth for Christ in Montreal such as doing work at their facility (repairs and construction), participating in their work in Canadian Schools teaching religious classes, working with Montreal Youth outreach events, and connecting with a Canadian church and Emanuel Christian School.
We are also trying to put together a day in a French speaking Canadian province that will give us a very good feel for French Canada. Montreal is a very metropolitan city. To date about 20 of the high school students have responded that they would like to go if the Lord works out the details for them, and their parents allow them to go. We are hoping that you have been reading about the trip in your Principal’s Notes and have been praying as well. It is time now for us to make a commitment.
WE ARE ASKING THAT YOU MAKE A DECISION ABOUT THE TRIP WITH YOUR SON OR DAUGHTER AND SEND IN THE PERMISSION FORM ON THURSDAY, JANUARY 4th . After reading this form you may have other questions. Please call Merle or Mrs. Kerin at school or at home to find out more.
Our destination: Montreal, Quebec in Canada. This mission trip focus will be to learn about what it means to serve Christ and reach people in Canada. Canada is a very different culture spiritually than America. There is an apathy about religion there. God is not an active part of their culture, and organized religion has disappointed the people very much. For us it will be a very different focus than last year’s trip to Mexico. The culture will be different. The differences will be that Canadian culture is more sophisticated, and students will need to learn and articulate their faith in different ways. The culture will not be as easy to build relationships. The ministries we are working with will be intentionally helping us to understand Canadian culture, spirituality, and the history of Christian involvement there. They will be intentionally helping us to understand the dynamics of what it means to serve Christ in such an environment. Of course our other cultural experience will be to learn to speak French! Mrs. Kerin will be along to lead our translations and urge us to interact with French Speaking Canada.
Who is going? We have about 20 high school students interested at this point. We think most will go. We will not go if we do not have at least 15 students. In terms of adults, Mr. Skinner, Mrs.Kerin, Mr and Mrs Pizer, , and either Mrs. Brant or Ms. Black. There is room for other adults. Some have talked to us, but will need to decide before the end of the week as we will be booking tickets. There is room for you if you wish to go. Please contact Mr. Skinner.
Travel plans: Our current plans are to take a bus to the airport and will fly directly to and from Montreal. We will be renting some vehicles in Canada. However, the current airfare pricing is very high and could make the trip more costly. We are continuing to research costs, and of course need to know a specific count in order to book reservations. This is of course the reason for this commitment letter. We are still considering taking a bus as the trip is roughly 10 hours.
From Montreal , we will stay together in YFC’s ministry (where they have rooms for groups to visit) on our first night. We are planning on staying two nights in small groups with families in Canada from one of the local established churches in the area. The first night we will get our missionary boot camp and then go to support a youth event with YFC. While in Canada, we will be doing a variety of cleaning, construction and building activities to help Youth For Christ. We will also be doing some drama for the kids and people, and helping some of the poorer families with what they need. We will be staying in their houses (nice homes and wonderful Christian folks to help learn about their Christian culture) with one of our team adults and several students in each house. We will be attending church on Sunday morning for the people. We are excited about the opportunities to serve the Lord in these ways, experience a completely different culture, and learn and be stretched in ways that God would choose to stretch us. We will spend some time during the week at an underground shopping mall and try some of the famous smoked meat in Montreal! Our hope is to spend a day in old French Canada, and a day touring cathedrals and historical Montreal doing some very limited site seeing and souvenir hunting!
There are no extra vaccinations required other than those recommended normally. Everyone will have to have a passport. All of the information is available on our website. www.mailsrus.net/ccs/missions/canada
The dates for the trip are February 14th returning to school on February 18th..
Our estimated budget will be $600 a person for the trip. We will do that by sharing our need with our family, friends, and churches and asking them to pray about supporting us. We will find a way to go, regardless of what the kids raise, if they all work to share the need. We will do this primarily by letters, and if we talk to churches it will be working through the pastor and everyone in a church that is going. All funds will be submitted to the school in the mission trip designated funds. Gifts are tax deductible if given to the fund to be administered. If funds are given to the fund in a specific child’s name they are not deductible. The IRS requires that gifts cannot be designated to individuals if deductible. AGAIN... all students who ask for gifts (they will need to send our letter to 20 individuals and families), will receive the money to go. Any money that is raised over our expenses will go to the ministries that we are working with in Canada. No funds given for the trip will be used by any student or adult for personal uses. Students should come in with the names of 20 people to whom they will send their letters as the letters need to be out by January 15th. The other option will be for someone to pay for a student’s trip directly.
As you talk about this as a family and pray about it, we will be praying for you. For students who do not choose to go on the trip, there will not be school!
Sincerely,
High School Faculty
____ Yes, I give my permission for my child,
____________________________________________to attend the Canadian Mission Trip. Name of student
____ No, I do not want my child, __________________________________, to attend the trip.
__________________________________________ _________________________
Parent’s Signature Date