Our Mission in Nassau Most people in the USA see pictures of Nassau Bahamas and think of the beautiful beaches, turquoise water, palm trees, resort hotels, cruise ships, “straw market” shopping, and a life of leisure. Nassau is the capital and largest city of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas. The economy is based on tourism and international banking. But those who venture from the narrow strip of resorts to go “over the hill” of this little island find themselves surrounded by people who support the affluence of the tourism but live on low income – many live in deep poverty. An estimated 230,000 people, 70% of the population of the Bahamas, live in Nassau. It is an island 21 miles long and 7 miles wide (34 km x 11 km). Unemployment and underemployment plagues the Bahamian population of Nassau. This smiling population struggles to make ends meet. Homes take years to build as the owners are only able to build when they can afford materials. The damage done by the tropical storms is evident everywhere that is not in sight of the resorts. The children yearn for attention. Christian faith in action can be seen everywhere in the hospitality to strangers and the willingness to reach out to help other Bahamians. Refugees from the island nation of Haiti also live in Nassau. Many of the Haitians are undocumented and are living in the Bahamas illegally. Their families were so desperate to survive that they set out in small boats and rafts to escape their lives in Haiti. In the Bahamas many Haitians live in inadequate shacks or with no shelter at all. They are willing to take any work they can get – when they can find work they do the work in the Bahamas that no one else wants. They are afforded little relief from the government but are given comfort by strong Haitian churches in Nassau. The poverty of the Bahamian and Haitian people of Nassau goes unnoticed because of the effectiveness of the tourism business. These are the people that will be given care by the volunteers of the 2009 United Methodist Nassau Youth Mission. Houses, churches, and public service buildings will be repaired. Needed buildings will be built. Children will be visited in orphanages and embraced in Vacation Church Schools and sports camps.
The Plan United Methodist youth groups will join together for a week of Nassau mission. Mission Encounter and Bahamas Methodist Habitat will handle the logistics of the mission work, and Creative Convention Consulting will care for the logistics of registration, lodging, meals and transportation to Nassau. The overall coordination, the mission education and the worship of the week will be the responsibility of the YouthWorker Movement. These are partnered with the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, the Bahamas Conference of the Methodist Church, the Church of the Nazarene in the Bahamas, and various other congregations to help meet the needs of the people of Nassau. Youth groups will arrive in Nassau on Sunday and check in to the hotel where all volunteers will stay. The first gathering will an orientation and worship on Sunday evening. Each morning Monday through Thursday after a brief devotional youth groups will board jitneys (small buses) to be transported to their project sites. After a day of service the groups will return to the hotel in time to clean up and have some time for relaxation before dinner at the hotel. Each evening will feature a singing, sharing, learning, worshipping time together in the hotel’s meeting room. On Friday groups will have a free day in Nassau. Groups will go back to the US on Saturday. The cost per person will be $675 plus a materials donation of $50 per person plus airfare to Nassau. This cost will be inclusive of hotel, meals (Monday breakfast through Friday breakfast), airport and project transportation, program, project coordination, materials, and necessary tools. These projects are recognized by United Methodist Volunteers in Mission. A youth group may register with UMVIM and purchase international mission insurance for $22 per person for $10,000 coverage, and $25 per person for $25,000 coverage. Just visit umvim.org/youth ..
Great For First-time International Missioners The Nassau mission is ideal for a youth group that has never done an international mission project. It's also a good experience for a group that has worked internationally but far easier for the planners. The experience is designed for junior high and senior high youth and their adult leaders. Here are the top 10 assets:
1) significant, necessary, meaningful projects 2) choices of construction, repair, Bible schools, sports camps, etc 3) good project support 4) very safe, comfortable lodging 5) evening program with music, United Methodist message, sharing/learning time with other youth; especially friendly to annual conference ministries 6) English is spoken everywhere in the Bahamas 7) uses American dollar in commerce (no currency exchange necessary) 8) in Eastern time zone (no jet lag) 9) uses same electricity as in USA 10) relatively inexpensive to travel; easy immigration system
Frequently Asked Questions Why are we staying in a hotel? The Bahamas Conference of the Methodist Church tells us that there are only a couple of youth camps in Nassau and they only hold about 40 people. This is far to small for an endeavor the size of this Nassau mission.
Won’t it be a bad thing to have air conditioning and swimming pools when we are working with such poverty? Most mission trips only leave the mission field once when the youth groups go back home at the end. Because we have no other lodging choices when serving in Nassau, we experience the “re-entry” phenomenon daily. This had a lasting impact on the volunteers last year.
Is the hotel nice? The island is small and the property is too expensive to put up cheap hotels. We will be at a beach front property with swimming pools, nice lobbies, nice sleeping rooms, restaurants, and we will have our meetings in the ballroom.
What is the age range? This is for junior high, senior high, and their adult leaders. Groups are encouraged to bring a construction or other specialist or a medical team. “Safe Sanctuaries” standards are expected for all adults who come on this experience.
What is “Safe Sanctuaries”? “Safe Sanctuaries” is United Methodist for child sexual abuse protection standards. Churches will be expected to have done background checks and training with all adults. Become familiar with the “two adult rule,” “the five year rule,” and so on.
How old must someone be to be considered “adult”? We recommend that groups not consider people who are younger than 21 to be accountable adults. We also recommend that ½ of the accountable adults are at least 5 years older than the oldest youth.
How will work teams be determined? Your youth group will be assigned to a project in consultation with your lead youthworker. You will not be mixed with other youth groups with the possible exception of assigning a different project to another youth group at the same location.
Who will be in charge of our work team? Your youth group provides its own leadership. A Mission Encounter coordinator will work with your group to insure that you get the transportation, supplies and tools that you need.
Is there a recommended size to the youth teams? We are able to accommodate teams of most any size. Mission Encounter will consult with the lead youthworker about the project(s) to which you will be assigned and advise the optimum size of teams. It will be up to the youth group to decide how to divide if necessary. If a youth group/team is very small they can chose an appropriate size project or agree to join with another small team for the project.
What if we need to get in touch with our Mission Encounter coordinator during a project day? Mission Encounter coordinators will have local cell phones. They will be a local call from any phone on the island? Most project sites have a telephone.
Should I plan to use my cell phone in Nassau? Most US cell phone providers offer international connection but it is expensive. The charges are not included in your domestic minutes plan and the text messages are priced separately too. We advise that you not plan to use your cell phones in Nassau. Instead it is better to purchase a pre-paid phone card and use public phones.
Who is Mission Encounter? Mission Encounter is a respected mission organization that rose from the Church of the Nazarene tradition (also a Wesleyan denomination like Methodism). They also enable youth groups to do mission projects in Mexico, several urban areas, and with native Americans. Their staff is very sensitive to the needs of the youth groups and to the cultures in which they work. www.missionencounter.com
Who is Bahamas Methodist Habitat? BMH is a ministry of the Bahamas Conference of the Methodist Church that was begun after Hurricane Andrew devastated the Bahamas in 1992. They host mission teams and coordinate repair and new construction projects. They serve the needs of people on several islands in the Bahamas. www.methodisthabitat.org
Who is the YouthWorker Movement? This is a national network of youthworkers. The organization was begun by the United Methodist General Board of Discipleship but later it was “planted” as a freestanding organization to reflect its peer to peer youthworker emphasis. Most members are United Methodist but there is a growing number of members from other Wesleyan denominations. YWM operates under the understanding that youthworkers are each other’s best resource. There are currently 3600 members in the USA. www.YouthWorkerMovement.org
How do we register for the Nassau mission? Links to the registration website will be accessed on www.YouthWorkerMovement.org and www.missionencounter.com. Only the youthworker in charge should begin the registration process.
Is there a payment plan? Yes, there is an option available to pay the balance in installments. An initial deposit will be required. It can be paid online by credit card or submitted in check via mail. All fees must be paid according to the agreed schedule.
Is the $50 per person materials donation required? Mission Encounter relies on several sources for construction and teaching materials. But the overall economy of the community we serve in Nassau is very low. There just is not a lot of money or materials available locally. So the projects rely heavily on the requested material donation from participating groups. Please be sure to send the donation in advance so Mission Encounter staff can purchase necessary materials in advance and have them on site. This will help to avoid the disappointment of not being able to work on the first project day because of lack of supplies. No youth group will be turned away because they cannot afford to make the materials donation.
FYI about Material Donations Your donation will be used to purchase materials for your project. Essential materials will be purchased and you will be given the balance to spend as you have need during the progress of the project. You will control the spending of your own donation.
Do we make a donation if we are not doing construction work? All groups will be asked to make the donation. Non-construction work uses materials too. We recommend that groups doing Vacation Church School, sports camps, etc save materials from their church’s programs (VBS, etc) and bring them to Nassau to re-use. But there will be need to purchase many materials after you arrive. Many of the children do no have enough to eat. Snacks or lunch would be considered ‘materials’ in these situations.
What about ‘jitney’ transportation? Transportation to project sites is a major logistic! A “jitney” is a small bus. Mass transportation in Nassau is provided by jitney owners who have contracts to run routes during the rush hours of the day. Mission Encounter contracts with jitney owners to come to the hotel after the morning rush hour and pick up mission groups. Then they pick up their groups and bring them back to the hotel before their afternoon rush hour. So the length of our work day depends largely upon the availability of the jitneys. We usually go out at 9 to 9:30 am and return to the hotel by 4 or 5 pm.
How do I find out more about United Methodist Volunteers in Mission and their insurance for international mission groups?
UMVIM registration and insurance uniquely offers the following perks: - Insurance coverage up to $25,000 - Low $50 deductible - Medical evacuation coverage - Accident coverage - Illness coverage - Trip interruption coverage - Pre-existing condition waiver - Emergency medical reunion coverage - Lost luggage provision - Return of minor child provision In addition, trip interruption coverage applies to needs related to a death in the family and includes the cost of escorting your child back to the US (or a parent coming to escort the child back) in case of an emergency. Travel coverage for minor children accompanying a team member who becomes injured is also included.
A youth group may register with UMVIM and purchase international mission insurance. For rates, please visit www.umvim.org/youth
