Oklahoma
Mission Trips

Is Experience Mission affiliated with a denomination?
Experience Mission is an interdenominational organization and is not directly affiliated with any specific denomination. Participants from all denominations are welcome on our mission trips; please see our statement of faith and core values in the About section of our website for more information about our beliefs.

Will we be working with other groups?
If your team does not fill the trip to its full capacity, there is a good possibility that you will be working with other teams. Teams should plan to eat together, have evening program together and share sleeping quarters and bathroom facilities.

Typically teams are not combined on the worksites however sometimes we find it necessary to mix teams due to the size or scope of the project. If teams are mixed at the worksite an adult from each team will be a part of that mix to provide oversight for their team members.

If the occasion arises where the additional team desiring to come on the selected trip is comprised of ages other than the original team that registered, that original team will be notified.

How many people do we need to run a trip?
Every community requires a different minimum team size in order for a trip to run. Please refer to each community for this number that is listed above the trip dates. If you meet that minimum team size you can select any dates listed for your trip. For International communities, if your team size falls below the minimum team size you can join any trips listed under the “Small Teams” tab. It is important to note that all people must come on a team size of at least six (6) people.

Can I create a custom trip?
If you would like schedule a custom week exclusively for your team, please contact our office at 888-475-6414 so that we can discuss your options.

Who provides supervision of minors?
Experience Mission staff will be on location to take care of logistics and to facilitate your trip. Experience Mission staff is not responsible for supervision of the minors on your team. Your team is responsible to come to your mission location with appropriate adult supervision to lead your students on the work sites & to provide supervision to them at the housing facilities, including meal times & in sleeping arrangements.

Can I come as an individual?
All members of a mission trip must be part of a team of at least two (2) people. If you are an Individual, find someone to go with you and then register for your specific trip! If you are currently a high school or middle school student you must travel with an adult team leader or a parent who serves as the team leader and registers your team for the mission trip.

What adult to student ratio do you recommend?
To ensure that your students have the best possible trip, it is highly important for them to have the right amount of leadership.

For Senior High teams, the recommended minimum student to adult ratio is 7:1. That's Seven students to each adult leader. You can have more leaders if you desire to.

For Junior High teams, the required minimum student to adult ratio is 5:1. That's Five students to each adult leader. You can have more leaders if you desire to.

Is childrens' ministry a part of every trip?
Children's ministry largely depends on which community you are going to. Many of our rural locations offer children's ministry as an option for team participation. In most of our urban communities, Kids Club is an integral part of the program and is not optional. There are a few communities where Kids Club is not available. For specific information about Kids Club in the community you are serving in, refer to the "trip details" for your location.

Due to the varying schedules of local children throughout the school year, EM will not offer Kids Club during the off season months of September - May.

Is transportation included?
Domestic trips & Tecate, Mexico - Your teams transportation to, from and while in your community is not covered. You will need your vehicles throughout the entire week to transport your team to various locations for work and ministry. Using a school bus as your sole means of transportations in these locations is not recommended.

International Trips - Upon arrival to your international location, all transportation is included. Team members are responsible to cover the booking and cost of their round trip airfare to the destination airport.

Can I arrive a day early or stay a day late?
Due to the large volume of teams coming to serve during the summer months and the need to prepare on a regular basis for each team, we ask that teams limit their time to the dates of their trip. If you would like to stay an additional day in the area for sightseeing or other various activities, the arrangement of lodging & food is up to you.

Who will lead my trip?
An Experience Mission staff team of 1-3 people will be in the community to lead your team. These staff members are normally present in the community throughout most of the summer and work alongside EM's Community Partners there to ensure that trips run as smoothly as possible.

EM Staff take care of vital details like making sure your team has projects and materials, making sure food is prepared, housing and bathrooms are ready and any other logistical details that may arise.

Are there any additional expenses for my team?
All basic necessities such as food, housing, major work project materials and Kids Club curriculum are included in your trip fee. All in-country transportation is covered in our international locations with the exception of Tecate, Mexico. In Tecate and in all other domestic locations, you will need to provide your own transportation.

Additional expenses would be:

Kids Club - If your team is participating in Kids Club, your team will be responsible to bring snacks and the craft supplies needed for the specific crafts designated to your team and should budget appropriately.

Tools - Depending on your selected community location, you may be asked to bring minor tools like hammers and paint brushes, paint rollers and paint pans, trowels, putty knives, nail aprons, tape measures. These are listed in your packing list under "Tools."

Gas - In all of our domestic community locations as well as Tecate, Mexico, Teams are expected provide their own transportation. Teams will need to drive their team to and from the work sites and Kids Club locations throughout the week as well as any additional extracurricular locations and should budget extra money for gas. Please note that in rural locations such as our Appalachia and our Navajo communities, things are very spread out and extra gas may be required.

Entry & Exit Fees - Team traveling internationally may be required to pay an exit fee when leaving the country. These fees can vary but generally range between $25-$45 per person.

What time should I plan to arrive and depart?
Domestic Locations - If you are traveling to one of our domestic community locations your team should plan to arrive between 3:00pm and 5:00pm on the first day of your selected trip. Your trip officially starts with dinner and is normally followed by an orientation meeting. Departure is after breakfast on the last day of the trip.

International Locations - International arrival/departure times are specific to each community. If you are traveling to one of our international communities, you will find arrival/departure times in the “Mission Trip Details” link on the right hand side of the community page. If you have difficulty finding flights that fit into this time frame, please contact our office before booking your flight to make special arrangements.

Can I bring my kids?
Special permission must be given by Experience Mission for children outside of the specified age range of the trip (Junior High, High School, Adult etc.) In the case that a child does come, they must be accompanied by their parent and their parent must take full responsibility of the child. Children 10 and under will have price breaks on a case by case basis.

What is the Evening Gathering?
The Evening Gathering is a time set aside in the evening for worship, prayer, and a short devotional discussion led by our staff. While musical worship is something we like to be incorporated in this time, Experience Mission does not provide this component. We ask teams to bring guitars and plan to lead worship when able. The Evening Gathering normally lasts between 30-60 minutes. Following this, there will be additional time for individual teams to meet together to share, debrief, have fun and deal with team issues. We make this time a priority for you to spend with your team.

Due to staffing limitations Evening Gathering will not be offered during our off-season months of September - May. You are free to lead your team in a time of worship and devotions of your choosing in place of Evening Gathering.

Evening Gathering will be offered in most communities during the summer months of June, July and August.

Do I need someone over the age of 21 on my team?
A. All minors under the age of 18 need to be accompanied by someone over the age of 21. Participants between the ages of 18-20 may go without someone over the age of 21.

EM's Health & Safety plan provides the following:

Staff certification: All Summer Staff are certified in First Aid and CPR.

Medical kits: Medical kits that include first-aid supplies for general accidents and ailments are provided for each site. In international locations, we will also carry a Trauma Kit or First Responder Kit. In these remote locations we will have medications like Tylenol, Ibuprofen, Benadryl and Imodium on hand. We make these available to adult team leaders for their sole discretionary use with their team members. EM Staff will not dispense any medications. In our domestic and international locations, we ask that teams supply their own medications like Tylenol, Ibuprofen, Benadryl and Imodium as they deem necessary.

Emergency response plan: Based on the severity of each emergency, EM has a plan for appropriate response.

• If a team member becomes seriously ill, they will be taken to a local doctor to receive appropriate medical attention and medications. If they are a minor, their Team Leader along with our staff will accompany them to the clinic. If needed, their parents will be contacted. Their recovery will be carefully monitored by our staff.

• If there is an accident that requires a doctor, but is not life threatening and does not have the potential to cause permanent damage, Experience Mission staff will locate the Team Leader, contact parents or guardians (providing the injured is a minor) and provide safe but quick transportation to a local clinic.

• In the event that an accident occurs which is life threatening or has the potential for permanent damage, emergency medical care will be secured and arraignments will be made if necessary, to transport the injured person to the United States as quickly as possible providing they are serving in one of our International locations. In our domestic locations, local 911 services will be contacted immediately. The family will be contacted immediately to assist in guidance for appropriate response.

All medical care is the sole responsibility of the team member. Experience Mission requires every team member to be covered by domestic medical insurance and recommends that team members traveling abroad carry additional international travel insurance to cover any medical needs their domestic medical insurance may not cover.