Planning Information:

Bibles for Haiti

Itinerary
Ways to Serve
Prayer
Payment Planning
Sponsor Program
Travel Insurance
Immunizations
Passport
Flights
Packing
Weather

Dear friends,

Thank you for your consideration of the Haiti Bible Training Center! The Lord has opened an effective door to us to disciple a group of young men through the bible in one year. We have Pastors and their support teams rotating in each week to teach through one book of the bible. The first half of the day is dedicated to teaching verse by verse while the second half of the day is allocated to various outreaches.

We invite you to pray about joining us for a week! Share the video. Maybe the Lord would have a team from your church come out and serve Him in this way.

We thank God for this amazing opportunity! By His grace we are allowed to take part in sharing The Light with this dark country. If you have prayed and feel led to serve our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in this special way please fill out the Haiti Information Form to get started.

A recent mission trip summary:

"That Haiti trip was outrageous. It was the best trip I have ever been on in my life. And it changed my life. We got attacked with illness and doubt beforehand but man am I glad we pushed foreward and went anyway." SC, December 8, 2011, Orange County

"This is like taking a spiritual shower. I've been woken up. This is a Holy Spirit hub right here." Dr. M, December 5, 2011, Orange County

"All of the people that have come out for the first time are getting their world rocked."
CB, December 4, 2011

"I had an awesome time!
The Lord blessed the trip from beginning to end. What a privilege it was for me to be a part of these men's lives. The trip was life changing, and I recommend it to anyone who has a desire to see God work and be used by God.   It was one if not the best missions trip I have ever been on. The food was great. The weather was perfect. It was such an overwhelming blessing to see what God is doing through this ministry in Haiti, and to see the zeal and hearts of these men for the Lord, and to know His word, and to hear their vision to go out and change Haiti through the teaching of the word. I was also so blessed to see the heart of worship, as the cooks, and students were worshipping the Lord day and night.  I truly believe that God is going to use these men to transform a nation. I'm already praying about coming back, and bringing a small team from church in Spring or early Summer."
Pastor John Greenroyd
November 8, 2011

I just returned from the Bible training center, what an amazing trip! God is doing great things in Haiti. The teaching of Amos by Pastor Chris was spirit filled. What a blessing it was. The family that was recently helped by Cross to Light is doing much better. The children are being fed daily Praise to You Jesus! The church is coming along beautifully. People from the tent city are coming in and receiving the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. What an amazing privilege to be a part of. A family sponsored 14 bags of rice, 55 lbs each. We packaged them and gave them to the tent cities. It was amazing. The people are so grateful to the Cross to Light mission. Thank You Pastor Brian for the vision the Lord has given you and of course for following it!
Blessings, Earl
September 19, 2011

"The mission trip to Haiti is incredible! We have been so busy preaching we are losing track of time. We have been going into a nearby tent city. We've been told this is one of the darkest places on the face of the earth; voodoo worship, witchcraft, etc.. When we first went in we got bombarded with intense warfare. One women was screaming at us saying we were demons. We had to retreat and regroup.

We decided to go back in all prayed up. Now revival has broken out! We distributed bibles - what a great investment. We have been back to the tent city three times this week.  People are getting saved left and right.  They are lining up for prayer. Today we got them in a group and told them to renounce voodoo and witch craft - they said they would. We got them all together and made them scream “JESUS IS LORD!".  What an amazing site.  Keep the prayers going.  These people in Haiti will never be the same."
Pastor Brian
November 15, 2010



Bibles for Haiti
Help us get more bibles into Haiti! The American Bible Society has provided us with an effective way to get quality, full Old and New Testament Haitian Creole Bibles. You can simply click on this link, open the Word document letter, fill it out with your information and mail it to the American Bible Society along with the amount you would like to donate for bibles for Haiti. The check should be written out to the "American Bible Society". We have an account with them for us to access bibles direct in Port au Prince, Haiti. The donations that they receive in care of Cross to Light in Port au Prince, Haiti, they credit to our account there so that we can pick them up. This way we pay a very low unit cost of only $7.50 and do not pay any shipping cost. If you have questions or need help making a donation for bibles please contact our office: 888-412-7677x712.
Haitian Creole Bible Donation Letter

Itinerary

One/Two week pastor/mission team groups - dates vary.
Pastors and support teams rotate in for one week to provide Pastoral Teaching, support and evangelism. There will be various outreach and helps events that each weekly team will participate in as well. See the Haiti Mission Calendar for available dates >

Ways to Serve

At the Bible Training Center
- Teaching at Bible Training Center  (Pastor)
- Cooking Help: bring ingredients, recipe(s) and special supplies if needed to cook and teach staff.
- Gardening: weed, till, plant
- Chicken love; collect eggs, feed, water and clean.
- Fellowship, encouragement; the students and staff appreciate your time and help so much.

Children's Ministry
- Vacation Bible School
VBS: Some teams have prepared 5 lessons for 5 mornings for their week-long mission trip. These prepared lessons can be used at the VBS at the church, at the orphanage that we visit weekly and anywhere else the Lord opens a door to. Lessons that include a bible story or role-play skits that go with the Bible teaching are very effective for children. Crafts and puppet shows that coorespond can be added.
- Skits & Puppet Shows
- Soccer Outreach
- Disabled Orphanage Children's Bible Study

Women's Ministry
- Teaching through a translator
- Training a practical skill
- Prepare the ladies on your team to give a message from God's Word or a testimony. Please keep in mind to keep the message delivered relevant to the Haitian culture. Avoid any details or information that may not be understood or would cause jealousy.
- Bring women's items to give at the training center and at the church.

Tent City Outreach
- Relief aid distribution; love, evangelize, give hygiene packs, protein bars, rice, over the counter medicine (asprin, baby tylenol, ibuprofen), vitamins (multi-vitamins and Iron is needed)
- Drama; Prepare your team to present a drama skit. We have sound equipment that can be set up in the tent cities and at the churchs.

Showing Jesus Film
- We have many different locations we can show the Jesus Film at. We have a network of Pastor's in the surrounding area, our own churches, and other locations as the opportunity arrises.

New Church Plant(s) Support
- Construction projects, bench building
- Church service help
- Worship

Medical Outreach
- if there is anyone on your team who is a nurse, dentist, chiropractor or doctor we can provide health services at the church.

Soccer Outreach
- We have been blessed with an abundance of soccer equipment. The Lord has raised up a coordinator of the soccer sport in a nearby tent city that we work with. Whenever we want to conduct a soccer outreach we contact him and he organizes the day, time, equipment and children for a game. Our students and team set up audio equipment and intermitentantly throughout the game the gospel message is given. This is a fun and effective way to share the good news! Here is a short video clip of a recent soccer outreach:

Haiti Evangelism through a Soccer Outreach

Prayer
Thank you for your prayers! Prayers are moving mountains, are helping people cross from darkness to light, are opening prison doors and setting the captives free. Without prayer we can do nothing.

If you are considering serving in Haiti a good first step is to start praying. Forming a prayer team at your church, with your small home group or some friends is also a good way to get started. Your prayers are a huge part of supporting this ministry.

Payment Planning
The estimated total cost of this mission trip per person is $950. There is a $350 ground fee deposit paid to Cross to Light with most of the remaining amount paid to the airline for the flight. The cost break-down for this mission is found in the Registration Pack. Here are the payment options;

Pay by Check Mail to: Cross to Light PO Box 27361 Santa Ana, CA 92799 Write in the memo: Haiti Mission

Pay by Credit or Debit Card Short Term Mission: Haiti 1 Week: $350

Sponsor Program
You can sponsor someone to go on this mission trip!

Sponsor Someone Specific:
If you would like to donate to sponsor someone specific to go on the mission write your check out to "Cross to Light" and in the memo "Haiti Mission: First, Last Name" of the person you are sponsoring.

Sponsor this Mission:
If you would like to be a sponsor without having someone specific write your check out to "Cross to Light with "Haiti Mission Sponsor" in the memo. These funds to to a mission scholarship fund that enables people to go that are stongly led to go but do not have the funds.

Travel Insurance
You are required to be covered by international medical insurance. Your current insurance may already cover travel. If it does not we suggest Seven Corners. The cost is typically $25 per week of travel. They may also be reached at: 877-298-9678.

Immunizations
Make sure you get all the necessary immunizations. Contact your local health department or the Center for Disease Control and Prevention or call (800)232-4636 for the most current information on what shots are required. Certain healthcare providers also offer a travel advisory service. You should begin getting these immunizations immediately, as many of the required immunizations are difficult to come by or consist of a series of shots that must be administered a certain amount of time apart (Hepatitis B, Hepatitis A, Tetanus). These shots cost $300 on average.

You must see your doctor for an anti-malarial prescription. We do not recommend that you use Lariam (also known as mefloquine), as it has serious side effects that may include hallucinations, headaches, vivid dreams or nightmares, mood changes (in some cases even psychotic behavior), tremors, loss of coordination, numbness in hands and feet, ringing in the ears, vision changes, blurred vision, dizziness, drowsiness, diarrhea, nausea, stomach pain and, in some cases, irregular heart beat. One recommendation is Doxycycline. Please ask your Doctor.

You may want to ask your Doctor about a Cholera vaccine such as Dukoral. Cholera is largely preventable by adhering to anti-bacterial hygiene practices and getting plenty of water so is not a requirement but a consideration.

Make a copy of your immunization certificate. Leave this copy in the US and bring the original with you.

Passport
Be sure that your passport is valid for at least 6 months after your date of departure. The airlines will not allow you to board if you do not have at least 6 months left before your passport expires.

Please make three black and white copies of your passport. Carry one set of copies with you for personal use in Haiti, leave a copy at home and notify someone of its location and fax one copy to the Cross to Light office with your application. If you lose your original documents, these copies can aid in your attempt to get new ones.

Flights
Before you book your flight please coordinate dates and times with Cross to Light to assure transportation to and from the airport and to confirm the correct week time slot. After you have confirmed the flight date and time and have booked your flight for you (and your group if applicable) please email or fax the flight information to Cross to Light.

 
Packing
You are typically allowed two checked bags that have a weight maximum of 50 pounds each and one carry on of 40 lbs. Please check the airline you book your flight with to confirm the luggage allowances.

We ask that you utilize one 50 lb checked bag for Cross to Light ministry supply purposes. For your own packed items we recommend the following to be included;
• Bible
• Medications (Allergies can be an issue! Dust, pollen, smog, animal, etc.): To avoid problems with customs, keep medicines in their original packaging with labels. Bring a copy of your prescriptions and generic names for drugs. If a medication is unusual or contains narcotics, carry a letter from your doctor attesting your need for this drug.
• Clothing: Travel light – bring clothing that can be hand washed and does not need to be ironed. You will not be able to do laundry during your trip. It’s perfectly FINE to wear things for two days in a row or more.
Haiti is hot, humid and has mosquitoes. It is recommended to wear clothing that will protect against mosquitoes and yet is not too hot.
o You should wear closed toed shoes like tennis shoes.
o Pants and long sleeve shirts help protect from mosquitoes. Retailers such as REI have some apparel that repels mosquitoes: http://www.rei.com/product/795613. Dresses up to the knee, jeans, pants, and skirts up to the knee are all fine to wear. No tube-tops, low cut shirts, shorts or attire that is revealing.
o A hat is good to block the sun.
o A light water proof wind breaker may be needed.
o Hydrators such as Gateraide powder.
• Personal Items:
o Ear plugs
o Bring a one-liter bottle of water for the flight; it is easy to get dehydrated. The stewardesses will be happy to show you where you can re-fill it on the plane. It is a good practice to drink 2-4 liters in the course of the flight and while in Haiti. Staying well hydrated will also help reduce jet lag.
o Sunscreen
o Mosquito Repellent: We recommend that you prepare yourself to avoid mosquitoes. Some suggestions are to take supplements a few days before your trip and for the duration of the trip that could include the following;
 Supplements to ingest that detract mosquitoes:
• Garlic
• Vitamin B12
 Topicals to bring;
• Lemon Eucalyptus Oil
• Lemon Grass Extract
• Alaskan Yellow Cedar Extract
• DEET
o Personal toiletries
o Worship music (iPhone, CD's or other device)
o Anti-bacterial hand gel or anti-bacterial wet wipes.
o Snacks – Bring enough snacks for your personal use to last your entire trip to supplement the Haitian meals that mostly consist of rice and beans. Snack suggestions include; protein bars, granola bars, nuts, dried fruit, trail mix, beef jerky, canned tuna, etc-- think PROTEIN.
o A large jar of your favorite kind of peanut butter.
o Flashlight (we recommend an LED type- they last longer and are more powerful) with extra batteries.
o A journal
• Electronic Devices:
o You do not need adapters for electronic devices that you bring. For your camera bring plenty of film or storage cards.
o Money: Most people spend about $100 for meals eaten at restaurants, airports, etc... You can draw out money with your ATM but will be charged at least $8 from the ATM vendor. Cash is recommended, US currency is fine.

Weather
The weather is typically hot and humid with occasional showers. On average the temperature is 92 degrees during the day and 72 degrees at night.
Port au Prince
One of our staff will be meeting you at the airport in Port au Prince and will have a sign that says “Cross to Light”. In the event our driver is not there to meet you please refer to the contact information provided to you on your Travel Sheet given to you before your departure by the mission’s coordinator.
If questioned about your luggage, inform the customs officer that you are here to serve for one week with an NGO (Non-Governmental Organization, basically an aid or relief agency) and everything in your possession is for your personal use, nothing will be sold. From the airport, you will be escorted to your accommodations.

At the Bible Training Center
Expect a security briefing and a schedule update.

While You Are Away
If your family experiences an emergency, please have them contact our office. Our office staff knows how to get in touch with Cross to Light team members in Haiti. No news is good news. Phone calls from Haiti to the US are fairly expensive and can be difficult to place. Please, instruct your family members not to call our US office for a daily report. Our accommodations have limited Internet access where you may be able to access your web-based email. The Bible Training Center does have limited Internet access. You will need web-based email account access similar to yahoo.com or gmail.com which both offer free email accounts via the web. Ask your email provider if you already have that capability. There is also an Internet café near the training center.