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Short Term Missions

 

Bahamas Short Term Mission Trip 2024 Update

The Lord in his perfect timing has blessed us with 14 people who have committed to go on a short-term missions' trip to Nassau Bahamas to hold a grade-school literacy and bible camp during the week of July 13-20. Because we have met our deadline of having a minimum of 14 people signed up by January 31st, we have let the Russell’s know we will start the planning process for sending a team. Over the next few months, we hope that even more will decide to go since an optimum team size would be around 20.  If you would like to know more about what is involved in going on the trip, please talk to one of last year's participants and communicate your interest with Landon Jostes (landonjostes@gmail.com).

 

 

Bahamas Short Term Mission Trip 2024

Westminster is hoping to organize another short-term missions’ trip to Nassau Bahamas during the summer of 2024 supporting the ongoing ministry of our MTW missionaries Julian and Christiana Russell but we need to hear of your interest before making a final decision.  To ensure we have an adequate number of people who are interested, we are starting early to gauge congregational interest and provide you with information as to what this missions trip is all about.  It was somewhat challenging to organize a trip last year due to a short amount of time to plan the trip and we want to insure this year that we allow adequate time to advertise and plan. 

If we go to the Bahamas in 2024, Westminster would be expected to bring a team of at least 14 people to support a grade-school age literacy and bible camp during the week of July 13-20.   We are setting a deadline of January 31st to make a final go/no-go decision and to tell the Russell’s that we have firm interest from at least 14 Westminster members.  

The camp will be very similar to the camp we supported this past summer.  If you would like to know more about what is involved in going on the trip, please talk to one of last year’s participants and communicate your interest with Landon Jostes (landonjostes@gmail.com).  Additionally, the video of last year’s orientation meeting can be found here.  We will be planning another orientation meeting in January so stay tuned for more information.  Note that passports are required for entry into the Bahamas and please read the separate information on a Call for Passports.

If money is a concern, please consider the following.  Last year we were able to support half the cost of travel for each participant just from WPC donations alone and we pray this will be the case again in 2024.  We have some carry over funding from the last trip and we will be raising new support in 2024.  Additionally, we will be raising support outside of Westminster through letters to friends and relatives. We can even consider providing special financial assistance for those in financial hardship who could not go otherwise. 

A Call for Passports

If you are remotely interested in the possibility of going on the short-term missions trip to the Bahamas in 2024, please make sure you have a passport that will be valid through July of 2024.  If you do not have a valid passport, please consider applying several months early for a passport.  Even if you decide not to go on the mission’s trip, your passport will be valid for 10 years and can be used for any international travel.   There is currently a large backlog in processing passports with the US State Department so applying several months early would allow you to use the normal process and avoid hefty expedite fees.  Even the expedited process can take as much as 2 months.   If your passport has already expired or if you are applying for a new passport, you will need to schedule an in-person application appointment locally at one of the main post offices or at the county courthouse.  Appointment openings are sometimes unavailable for weeks so make sure to account for this added delay in your planning.  For new passports, a local US Post Office is probably the most customer friendly option.  Please refer to the USPS scheduling website for making an in-person passport appointment.  Renewing an unexpired passport in most cases can be done by mail, please refer to the US State Department website for passports for instructions about renewing by mail.  Passport photos can be obtained at most local Walgreens and CVS stores.