All transportation to and from Kenya will need to be coordinated through our God's Place Missions Trip Coordinator.
Flights will be booked round trip from the Salt Lake City Airport to Kisumu Kenya.
Our typical route usually routes as follows:

• SLC to AMS
• AMS to NBO
• NBO to KIS

It may be necessary to route through a different connecting city such as Paris or London.  We will make that determination based on the best price for airfare at the time of booking.

We will NOT be allowing individuals to travel on Non Revenue Buddy Passes for this trip.  Travel on a Non Rev ticket is to difficult to assure us that all of the team arrive in Kisumu at the same time.  

Our 2024 Missions trip will begin on November 11th and return home on November 22nd and arriving back in Salt Lake City on the 23rd of November.

Kenya requires each individual entering Kenya to have a visa secured through the Kenyan Embassy.  This is a pretty straight forward easy process.  However, it does need to be done with precision and in a timely matter.  Missions trip members will be given an appointment time to apply for the online visa with one of our Missions Trip Coordinators.  The cost of the visa $51.00 usd per person (at the time of this application).
What you will need to provide

• Appoinment set with God's Place Team Coordinator
• Valid US Passport with at least two empty pages
• US Passport that has at least 6 months left before expiration date
• A passport quality photo that can be scanned and uploaded to application. (Walgreens does a pretty good job with providing passport photos)
• Copy of Invitation Letter from the Ochuro's (the church will have this available).

As of the time of this application, NO vaccinations are required to travel to Kenya

Each team member who travels to Kenya will be required to purchase a travel insurance plan to cover both trip costs and emergency medical treatment if needed on the trip.  This will be purchased at the same time of your appointment to purchase your airfare.  Estimated cost is about $120.00 per person
What it Covers:

• Reimbursal of Ticket Purchase if flights are cancelled or trip is disrupted
• Replacement of luggage and contents if lost or stolen
• Emergency Medical treatment if needed
• Emergency Air Ambulance service to US (1 million dollars coverage)
• Emergency Dental

We will be working with various airlines to find the best flight options for both quickest route and best price.  That said here is an estimate on what you can expect for total trip costs.

• $1,800 to $2,000 for Roundtrip Airfare
• $150 to $190 Travel Insurance.  Price varies depending on age of applicant.
• $51.00 Kenya Visa Application
• $20.00 Passport Quality Photo for Visa Application
• $600.00 Food and Housing / Trip Cost in Bungoma also 1 night stay in Nairobi with breakfast buffet included.

TOTAL COST ESTIMATE:  $2,861.00
*note:  Actual costs for the trip total will be driven by the cost of airfare at the time of booking.  Best pricing  window is usually 6 weeks prior to departure. We are hoping for a better rate than what is listed in our estimate.  However this rate will give you a working number for your budget.

Currency:  Once we arrive in Nairobi, you may want to do a currency exchange from USD to Kenyan Shillings at the Nairobi airport.  You really won't need to carry much cash, but it is nice to have some Kenyan currency if you'd like to give in the church offerings or get a soda or treats at the local market.

Extras:  You may want to plan on some extra cash for buying airport food at our connecting cites, (Amsterdam and Nairobi).   Additionally you might want to plan on some extra money for souvenirs and gifts.

SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 1, 2024
The last day that you can apply for this trip will be Sunday September 1, 2024.  At that time you will need to make a $600.00 refundable deposit to hold your spot on the missions trip.  We will be setting appointments to purchase airfare on the last week of September.  Each team member will be purchasing their own tickets with the help of our missions trip coordinator to make sure that we all travel on the same itinerary. 

A Working Team:  A portion of our time spent on the campus of Bungoma Bible School and Word of Life Church will be spent doing repair and maintenance projects.
A Praying Team:  You will not forget the experience of praying with the students of Bungoma Bible School. Every morning at 6:00am students gather in the top floor of the school and bombard heaven with worship and intecession.
Hands on Ministry Experience:  We will be releasing our team during our ministry meetings to pray for the members and guests of school and church during our evening meetings.
Sunday Outreach Teams:  On Sunday we will be splitting up our God's Place Team to do ministry in several churches that are located in the Bungoma region.  

International Missions Trips provide a wonderful experience for our God's Place church participants to experience global missions and to catch a heartbeat for ministry in a foreign setting.  That said, they can also be very challenging and will test the limits of your patience and endurance.
The air travel alone will take about 37 hours from door to door.  You will show up exhausted and physically spent.  We will have one evening to recover and get acclimated to the jet lag and time zone adjustment and then we will be fully engaged in ministry starting the next morning.  The key to a successful missions trip is flexibility.  

Food:  Our hosts have always gone over the top to provide meals that are satisfying and healthy.  However, it will not be what you are used to eating at home.  The food available in Bungoma is also very dependent upon the local growing season and what is available.   There have been multiple trips where food was a challenge to  procure because of area droughts  and low food supply chains.  What we can't  provide are gluten free diets or any other special diet plans.  If you have any food allergies please make that known in the "allergies" section of this application.  The bottom line is that we as a team will eat what is provided with thankful and grateful hearts. We will not allow our team members to place any extra stress on our hosts to provide for any of our special needs.

Housing:  We are very fortunate to have a ministry guest house available to us on the Bungoma Campus.  The housing has a large living room and dining area for meals together.  It also has bedroom accommodations that will provide beds for two people in each room.  Married couples will also have their own private room.  There are separate male and female shared restrooms and showers available.  

Packing Luggage:  Over the past 15 years of foreign missions travel one thing that I can say for certain is that less is more!  Just remember that anything that you pack, you will have to be able to move by yourself.  Nancy and I have learned to pair that down to a carry on and a backpack for the past several years.  We know that might be a huge challenge for many, but we would recommend that each person limit their luggage to one carry on, one checked bag and a small carry on back pack.  

Ministry Trip Training:  Our goal is to bring people to Kenya who are equipped and prepared to be able to flow well with our ministry team and to understand our ministry team guidelines.  We will require ministry team members to attend two four hour ministry training sessions prior to our missions trip.

Acknowledgment:  I acknowledge that I have read and understand the Trip Considerations portion of this application.  

Electrical Considerations:   Kenya electrical is all 240 volt.  You will need to bring or purchase a good adapter that will provide adequate 110 volt supply for your phone and accessories.  Here is a link for a recommended voltage converter and usb charger:  https://shorturl.at/bknsG
Hair Dryers & Curling Irons:   The best solution for hair dryers and curling irons is to buy a good dual voltage appliance that you can use both stateside and in Africa.  We will go over the proper adapters during our orientation training.
Clothes:  During the days and while working the dress code is pretty similar to home.  Please don't bring tank tops or shorts.  However you can bring jeans and T-Shirts.  For service times modesty is the order of the day.  We will go over this more during our trip orientation.
Shoes:  Bring what is comfortable to wear for work days and then bring some dress shoes for our evening and Sunday services.
Candy & Gifts:  We will be visiting the Boys Home and spending some time hanging out there with the boys.  It would be great if each of our team members brought a big bag of assorted candy and some small gifts that the boys would enjoy.  We will go over this more during our trip orientation meeting.
Weather:  November marks the beginning of a light rain season.  You can expect light showers every day for part of the day.  The average temperature will vary from about 75 to 85 degrees fahrenheit.  

In signing this form, I agree not to hold God's Place Church, its officers, employees, or other agents liable for any injury, loss, damage, or accident that I might sustain while on a missions event/effort. I realize and acknowledge that my participation on a mission trip to a foreign country includes risk and possible dangers. I am well aware that my travel to such a foreign country exposes me to such risks as accidents, disease, war, political unrest, injury from construction projects, and other calamities.

I hereby assume any such risks that might result from my participation in any such missions project, and I unconditionally agree to hold God's Place Church,
its officers, employees, or other agents harmless for any liability concerning my personal health and wellbeing, or any liability for my personal property that might be lost, damaged, or stolen while on a missions trip. I hereby expressly forever release and discharge God's Place Church, its officers, employees, or agents from all such claims, demands, injuries, damages, or causes of action arising from any conduct on the part of God's Place Church , its officers, agents, or employees.

The one place you can’t wing-it is building a successful short-term mission team. The operative word is team. While people on the team will undoubtedly come from different ethnic, social, and vocational backgrounds, they must function as a single unit with a pre-determined purpose. Each person on the team will be assigned different tasks and bring unique skills to the ministry, team unity is non-negotiable. Each person must be intentional about their attitude and behavior toward others and this needs to be addressed prior to going to the mission field. We’ve found what works best is for short-term team members, trip leaders, and receiving missionary hosts commit to each other in a Team Covenant prior to departure to the field.

Everything listed in the following Team Covenant is filtered through the two scriptures below which focus on putting others ahead of yourself. Putting others first doesn’t come naturally. Some do it better than others, but mission trips stretch people to their spiritual limits.
Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose. Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. —Philippians 2:1-5 So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples. —John 13:34-35

PURPOSE STATEMENT:
The purpose is to allow God to work through the team to glorify Himself, and demonstrate His love to others. FLEXIBILITY: As a team member, I agree to be flexible in my attitude, actions and circumstances as I participate in Christ's purposes being carried out through the team.

ACCOUNTABILITY:
In all my actions on this mission trip, I am individually accountable to God first of all. I agree to be accountable to the team leaders and other members of the team. I also agree to encourage and acknowledge others as faithful servants of God. Hebrews 10:24 states, "But encourage one another day after day..." RESPONSIBILITY: I pledge to carry out tasks in a responsible and timely manner. I will handle all ministry equipment and assignments as tools and gifts in which God has entrusted to me.

TIME/PUNCTUALITY:
I agree to exhibit respect to team members and others by arriving on time. If a situation arises which causes me to be late, I agree to inform leaders and/or team members right away.

CULTURE:
As a team, we realize that we are entering other cultures as guests. I will, to the best of my ability, refrain from passing judgment on customs foreign to me because they are different. As a team, we will strive to show respect to nationals in our host country by assuming the posture of students and learning their customs and culture, and, when/if necessary, live as they do. The goal is to gain credibility as people with genuine love for them as we labor to present the news of Christ to them.

ALCOHOL AND TOBACCO:
In order to reflect the best possible image of Christ, I will abstain from drinking alcoholic beverages and using any tobacco products.

TRAVEL:
Before planning any trips outside of our pre-scheduled group itinerary, I will discuss it with the team leader. I will not travel anywhere without another team member. I agree to stay together with the group wherever we go, unless given permission to be apart from the group.

CONFLICT RESOLUTION:
I agree that if/when conflict arises, I will commit to pray, take a personal inventory, and examine myself for selfish motives and unrealistic expectations of another. I will take responsibility to approach the other person if appropriate. I will do this in love and go the extra mile to restore unity. I will not discuss the matter with other members of the team or cause others to choose sides. I will be quick to pray with and for others and quick to forgive and give grace.

TEAM UNITY:
Each team member is vital and has something unique to contribute. I commit to work in community providing an environment where others are encouraged and given opportunity to discover, develop, and utilize their spiritual gifts. Romans 12:4-6 states, "For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, so we, who are many are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. And since we have gifts that differ, according to the grace given to us, let each exercise them accordingly."

GOSSIP:
I agree to only speak words that build up and encourage. I will refrain from remarks that hurt, tear down, or undermine others. "With the tongue we will praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring?" —James 3:9-11.

EMERGENCY OR CONTINGENCY PLAN:
If an emergency or crisis develops, the team will follow these principles:
1. Whatever action is taken, the TEAM STAYS TOGETHER. There is no room for individual action. If a team member is away from the group at the time of the event, he or she will immediately return to the group and contact the group leader.
2. Once the team leader is contacted, he will assess the situation and make further contingency plans. There will be a pre-assigned point of contact who will serve as a communication link to families back home.
3. A decision to leave an area will be made in conjunction with the team leader and/or national leaders in country. The team leader or team members will not seek to make a decision without consultation with local national leaders. Local hosts are more familiar with situations in their country and know the best way to leave an area.

RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD: Luke 10:27 states "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and soul and love your neighbor as yourself." I agree to nurture dependence and a deeper relationship with God on the trip and set personal devotional time as a priority. I will be humble in communication and circumstances.

RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHERS:
I will place other team members needs ahead of my own. Ephesians 5:21 says, "...and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ." This includes listening to each other's opinions, ideas and needs, and respecting time, property, and sleep.

RELATIONSHIPS WITH NATIONALS:
Among the community, educational leaders and interpreters, I will respect any cultural differences I encounter. I will support their endeavors by coming alongside them with a servant heart and teachable spirit. I Peter 4:8-10 states, "Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins. Be hospitable to one another without complaint. As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God."

RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE OPPOSITE SEX:
I will maintain non-romantic relationships with team members as brothers or sisters in Christ. I will not engage in dating relationships with team members or nationals. I will also respect host-country cultural values of relationships with the opposite sex.

RELATIONSHIPS WITH TEAM LEADERS:
I will respect leaders by understanding their responsibility, accepting their decisions, and praying before I approach them with disagreements. While submitting to and obeying their authority, I will treat them as friends and give them privacy at the proper times. As a short-term missionary, I am an ambassador of the Lord Jesus Christ. As I minister, I will also keep in mind that I represent the United States as well as my local church. This is a tremendous responsibility; consequently I confess my dependence on the Holy Spirit that, to the best of my ability, I will be above reproach in my actions and attitudes as stated in this Team Covenant.

AGREEMENT TO TEAM COVENANT:
As a team member of this short term mission trip, have read this Team Covenant and promise before God and this team to abide by all of the policies and statements contained therein by the grace of God. If at any time in my service on this short-term mission, my behavior constitutes a problem, team leaders and/or missionary hosts reserve the right and authority to return me home. Any additional costs incurred as a result of this action will be at my expense.