6-Month Mission Trips

What is a 6-month mission trip?

A 6-month mission trip with Experience Mission (EM) is an extended, cross-cultural program in which a small team of young adults lives in host communities and serves alongside local partners for about half a year. EM offers two 6-month IMMERSION programs for young adults: 6-Month Africa and 6-Month South Africa / Costa Rica Gap Year.

Both programs place participants with local churches and ministries already serving their communities and neighbors year-round. Teams of about 7 to 12 travel and serve together, with EM field staff and local partners guiding the work. Participants spend roughly equal time on service, cross-cultural immersion, and relationships with host families and partners. Browse all program lengths on the IMMERSION programs page, or compare this program with EM's other international group mission trips for groups of 3 or more.

Which 6-month programs are open?

Two IMMERSION programs run a 6-month term, and each one serves in more than one country. The January 2027 term of 6-Month Africa is already closed, so interest forms and applications now open for the dates below:

• 6-Month Africa - January 10 to June 29, 2028; $12,800 per person. Teams serve in South Africa, Lesotho, and Namibia.
• 6-Month South Africa and Costa Rica Gap Year - August 23, 2027 to March 30, 2028; $15,000 per person. Teams serve in South Africa for one 3-month term and in Costa Rica for a second 3-month term, with a break of about two months over the holidays.

Application deadlines are listed on the IMMERSION programs page: August 13, 2027 for 6-Month Africa and March 26, 2027 for the Gap Year. Each program page lists current dates, local partners, and what daily life looks like in each community.

Where do 6-month teams serve in Africa?

The 6-Month Africa IMMERSION trip connects to local ministry partners in 3 unique southern African countries. Hein and Helene van Wyk, EM's Africa Directors, lead the team through necessary training and logistics, with local partners directing the work in each community. Teams serve in:

• South Africa - In Centurion and Pretoria, alongside KAIROS, which runs outreaches in Pretoria East, and at a food and clothing distribution center
• Lesotho - In Maphutseng, alongside Growing Nations, a conservation agriculture organization that teaches Farming God's Way from a base in the mountains
• Namibia - In Swakopmund, alongside a local outreach ministry, a baby house that serves as a daycare and preschool, and the local craft market

Spending time in three countries gives participants a wide view of life in southern Africa, with varied experiences across multiple cultures, languages, and daily routines.

Where do the Gap Year teams serve in South Africa and Costa Rica?

Each IMMERSION Gap Year pairs two 3-month IMMERSION terms into one 6-month program. Participants first serve in South Africa, then in Costa Rica, and each term is also its own program where additional participants may join the team: 3-Month South Africa and 3-Month Costa Rica. Hein and Helene van Wyk direct the South Africa term, with local partners leading the work in 2-3 communities, including:

• Pretoria East - Alongside KAIROS, which runs many outreaches and invests in its local community, including meals at school, after-school programs, and a clothing and food distribution center
• Vastfontein - Alongside Wessel and Mathilda Fourie of Vastfontein Community Transformation and Batho Pele Christian School, in the school, the garden, and the church

In Costa Rica, teams spend time in 2 communities:

• San Jose - Living with host families and taking an intensive Spanish program in the modern capital city
• Shiroles - Working on plantain farms and joining church gatherings in a rural village in the Talamanca region, alongside Victor and Sara Mayorga-Molina, who have partnered with EM for over 14 years

Each half of this Gap Year is unique, offering two distinct experiences of the global church in one program.

Read the Christian gap year programs page to compare this program with longer 9-month Gap Year options.

Who are 6-month mission trips for?

EM's 6-Month programs are for young adults looking to step out of their normal life and experience faith and service around the world! The 6-Month Africa trip welcomes ages 18 to 30, and the South Africa and Costa Rica Gap Year is open to ages 20 to 30. You must be at least 18 to go on any IMMERSION trips.

A good fit is someone who is curious about faith and service, flexible when plans change, ready for physical work, willing to adapt to local culture, and able to follow safety guidelines. Six months suits people who can step away from school or work for a full term, such as a student between semesters, a graduate before a career, or a young adult discerning next steps. If six months is too long, a 1-month or 3-month program offers a similar experience for a shorter length of time.

How much does a 6-month mission trip cost?

Each trip has its own trip cost. 6-Month Africa costs $12,800 per person, and the South Africa and Costa Rica Gap Year costs $15,000 per person. Across all lengths, IMMERSION programs for 2027 and 2028 range from $5,750 to $19,950 depending on length and communities.

Program trip costs cover all food, lodging, in-country transportation, international flights, and visas, and EM secures travel medical and evacuation insurance for every participant. Participants need to budget separately for travel to the U.S. training/start location and any necessary personal items. Each participant also carries a personal emergency fund, a card with $1,500 available plus $300 in reserve cash, as a precaution.

You are not alone when it comes to fundraising! IMMERSION participants raise support with the help of an EM Fundraising Coach and a personal fundraising profile on the EM website. When you submit an interest form and connect with EM staff, ask how past participants have raised funds and covered the cost of a 6-month trip.

Who arranges visas for a 6-month mission trip?

EM covers all travel planning! EM organizes every visa a program requires, and visa costs are included in the program fee, so team members do not sort out visas on their own before the trip. Visa rules differ by country, and a 6-month program crosses several borders: South Africa, Lesotho, and Namibia for 6-Month Africa, and South Africa and Costa Rica for the Gap Year.

Each participant still needs a valid passport, so apply for one early! For all other necessary documentation, EM provides a detailed to-do list for participants once you are accepted to a program.

What does a typical week look like on a 6-month mission trip?

Weeks change with the community and the season, and EM asks participants to stay flexible when plans shift. No two weeks will be exactly the same, but the rhythm splits fairly evenly among three things: service in the community, cultural immersion in host homes and with local partners, and relationship building along the way. Past participants have done a myriad of things, including:

• Farming and food prep - Helping on farms, packing food parcels, sorting storage units, and cooking and serving meals at schools
• Teaching and kids' ministry - Tutoring students, helping with homework, and running a kids' club similar to VBS
• Building and ministry care - Construction, painting, and landscaping
• Church and community life - Attending church in multiple languages, playing sports and games with neighbors, sharing messages at local churches, and joining host family activities

Housing also changes by place. In Centurion, participants stay with host families vetted by the van Wyks, each in a home with a bed and a shared bathroom. In Lesotho, the team shares bunk beds at the Growing Nations property, then stays in rustic village homes with farming students and their families, with little or no running water, electricity, or Wi-Fi. In Namibia, the team stays at a local church, prepares their own meals, and commutes to ministry by riding EM-provided bicycles. In Costa Rica, participants live with host families in San Jose and in Shiroles, with at least two people of the same gender per household.

Six months doesn't mean non-stop work. Each IMMERSION trip also includes built-in rhythms of rest.

How is a 6-month program different from a 1-month or 3-month program?

The main difference is how many places you get to experience, serve, and grow. 1- to 3-month programs primarily serve in a single country or community, while 6-month programs move between two or three. The longer stay changes the experience in these ways:

• Depth - Moving your team past first impressions and building lasting relationships with host families, partners, and team members
• Range - You have the ability to compare what the church and daily life look like in more than one country or community, painting a broader picture of Creation and God's world
• Commitment - You plan around a full term, a larger cost, and more fundraising time, putting life and school on hold to fully immerse in communities around the world

A 9-month Gap Year serves in four countries and goes deeper still. See the full range on the IMMERSION programs page.

How do I prepare and apply?

Start with an interest form, then talk with EM staff about fit. Plan several months in advance, since applications close well before departure and you will need time to prepare and fundraise. The steps look like this:

1. Choose a program - For 6 month trips, compare the 6-Month Africa and the South Africa / Costa Rica Gap Year on dates, countries, and cost
2. Submit an interest form - Share your questions through the IMMERSION interest form, or Take the IMMERSION Quiz to see if you're ready
3. Apply, interview, and meet your Fundraising Coach - Once accepted, set up your fundraising profile and plan how you will raise support
4. Attend training in the United States - Experience training and team-building that covers EM's approach to serving others in a healthy way before you leave
5. Travel with your team - EM arranges your visas and meets you with local partners

Questions come up at every step, and the IMMERSION FAQ answers many of them!

Are 6-month mission trips safe?

EM plans for safety before a team lands and keeps it in view all term. Local EM staff and partners know each community's specific context and guide participants on where and how to travel. Every program includes these layers:

• Leadership - Team leaders are CPR and First Aid certified and carry trauma medical kits
• Insurance - EM secures travel medical and evacuation insurance for every participant
• Communication - Partners, team leaders, and U.S. staff stay in regular contact, and an EM emergency phone line is available to emergency contacts
• Enrollment - Participants are encouraged to enroll in the U.S. State Department's Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP)

Each program page explains these expectations in detail, and EM staff can walk through them on your interest call.

What is EM's approach to a 6-month mission trip?

Six months gives a team time to do more than just visit or see the sites. EM's 7 Healthy Service Principles ask participants to arrive as guests and learners, to join the work local partners already lead, and to stay long enough to listen and learn from local people. Local pastors, farmers, teachers, and host families carry this work long before a team arrives and long after it leaves. Teams get to take part during their small window as welcome guests.

EM takes all IMMERSION participants through team training in the United States before heading out to each starting community. Read more about EM's approach to missions, or explore additional EM cross-cultural training resources.

6-Month Mission Trip FAQs

Find a 6-month mission trip that fits your next season!

Explore 6-Month Africa and the South Africa / Costa Rica Gap Year, compare dates and costs, and submit an IMMERSION interest form to connect with EM staff and learn how to apply. Looking for a shorter trip for a group? Start with EM's international mission trips.

Written and reviewed by Experience Mission Staff - Updated: October 2026