GO Trip FAQs

The short answer is: you invite people that you know to partner with you in this ministry experience! We bet that you know people in your life that believe in you and would be excited to be a part of what you are going to do, to serve the world.

• Do you have friends or family members who would be excited if you told them about what God is doing in your life? This could be their way to be a part of that!
• Post it on Facebook. Tell people what you are doing and invite them to join you.
• Has God given you a skill that you could use to bless others – that would, in turn, allow them to bless you? Maybe you love to bake? (Or create art? Or do yard work?)
• Do you have a church that you attended at an earlier time in your life? They would be a great resource!
• Your trip leader will share sample support letters and posts that you can use as a template for creating your own personal letter. You can then send your own letter to family or friends telling them about how God is going to use you and ask if they would be willing to support you.
• Tell people your story! Invite them to be a part of your story! There are LOTS of options.

Since we are not medical professionals, we use the CDC recommendations for travel vaccines. You can visit the CDC website and select the country. You will see a list of mandatory and recommended vaccines. (Some Go Trips will require no vaccines and some will require multiple.) We advise that you talk to your current healthcare provider to decide what is best for you. You can also consult your county health department for recommendations for international travel.

YES! You will need a passport that is valid until 6 MONTHS AFTER you return from your specific trip. You can go to https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports.html to get information about obtaining or renewing your passport. Usually your local library and post office will have current information on this process and can help you fill out the paperwork. This process can take up to several months, so we advise that one of your first steps would be to get your passport ready to go.

While we can never guarantee what will happen on a trip, whether in the United States or abroad, Parkview and our partner organizations do everything we can to create a safe and enjoyable trip. All of our global partners are trained professionals in hosting teams and know their countries better than anyone else. We provide every member of our Go Teams with travel insurance that includes medical and evacuation coverage.

In addition, while you are abroad, Parkview Global and your team leader has access to the following documents:

• Copies of the team’s passports
• Copies of the team’s medical forms
• Copies of the team’s travel insurance
• Emergency contacts (both in-country and in the U.S.)
• Emergency procedures
• Flight itineraries

We also provide each trip participant with an emergency envelope that contains the following:

• Copy of their passport
• Copy of their travel insurance
• Emergency contacts (both in-country and in the U.S.)
• Address for where they are staying
• Address and phone number of the closest U.S. Embassy in country

Hopefully, we would never have to use any of these things but again, we take every precaution and every step we can to make sure our trips go smoothly.

This really depends on the trip and the accommodations. THERE WILL ALWAYS BE SOME TIME AND OPPORTUNITY TO TALK TO FAMILY AND ACCESS WIFI. Some trip destinations have communications infrastructure similar to the United States. In those places, you will always have access to Wifi at your hotel. In other countries (especially in Africa), you will most likely have Wifi at your accommodations, but it may be intermittent. Your trip leader will have more specific information for your team. As for phone service, that can be hit or miss as well. It’s best to talk to your service provider before you leave so you don’t get hit with a lot of international charges when you return home. They may be able to give you a temporary international plan. But think about this! A GO Trip is a great time to really unplug and focus on what you are doing and the people you are with. It is totally fine to check in with your family or friends back home during your free time, but try not to let it take away from your experience.

We will do everything we can to make you successful in the support raising process. You will be responsible for completing the trip costs before the trip departs.

This depends on the trip that you choose. Some of our trips are built especially for families and would be a great opportunity for your kids to experience other cultures and see what God is doing around the world. Here are a few trips that are great for children: Oblong Trip and Piedras Negras Trip. There are other trips that are geared specifically for adults. (Either 16 and up or 18 and up, depending on the trip.)

Unfortunately, we can’t do that because we book all of our flights as group reservations through a humanitarian travel agency. They secure us discounted prices, based on the entire group. However, if you have a rewards number that you would like to use for your flight, we can usually send that to our travel agent.

The trip cost will cover the following:

• airfare and baggage fees
• in country transportation
• in country lodging
• in country meals
• travel insurance
• project and ministry costs

Additional costs that you are required to cover yourself, are the following:

• passport fees
• vaccine fees
• souvenirs
• airport snacks or meals in route to country

We deal with this all of the time. Most of our trip locations can accommodate special dietary restrictions and needs. Please let your team leader know, in advance, so we can send that information ahead to the airline and where you are staying. An international trip will include numerous new experiences, including trying new foods. We encourage everyone to step out of their comfort zones and really engage the new culture in every way. It is important that you try foods that are offered to you and be very gracious to all of our hosts. BUT, we also understand that the “culture shock” can be a lot for 7-10 days, so we welcome everyone to bring some familiar food/snacks from home with them. You can carry these in your backpacks or purses during the day and you are always welcome to enjoy them in your rooms, in the evenings. Please only bring individual pre-packaged foods.

Usually our trips include residing in “western-style” accommodations. It could range from a dorm-type facility to a hotel. You will always have a bed. You will always have a shower. It is quite comfortable.

Some countries have differently shaped electrical outlets and/or different power voltage than we have in the US. The purpose of the power adapter is to help you change the shape of the plugs on your devices so that they fit (or adapt) to the shape of the foreign outlets. The purpose of the power converter is to change the voltage of electricity from the outlets so that it can work properly on your devices. Power adapters and converters can be found inexpensively at stores like Walmart or Amazon. We recommend that you try to keep it simple on these trips and not weigh yourself down with an abundance of electrical items.

We recommend having a credit or debit card on hand in all countries for emergency purposes. You should check with your card company about any international fees and let them know that you are traveling internationally. This will help prevent your card from being declined if you need to use it during the trip.