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AGE GROUP:
TRIP SEASON:
COST:Due to limited capacity because of COVID-19, EM will not be bringing relief mission trip teams to Texas in 2021.
Click to view all 2021 Mission Trip opportunities!
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Imagine losing everything in your home—not just furniture, clothing, and vehicles but also memories like family photos, childhood toys or a favorite book. This is exactly what thousands of families in coastal Texas experienced when Hurricane Harvey smashed into their communities in August 2017. As it happened, we all felt compassion for families, but more than a year later the need is still incredibly great.
Hurricane relief and rebuilding mission trips to coastal communities near Houston, Texas are a practical way for you and your team to meet real needs on the ground. Roll up your sleeves and help with anything from gutting homes, to flooring, framing, drywalling or more. Meet physical needs but also have a spiritual impact by listening to and encouraging homeowners who are continuing to pick up the pieces of their lives. Will you and your team humbly serve your neighbors in need in Texas?
Teams will serve local residents who have been impacted by the flooding from Hurricane Harvey. As the relief gets underway Experience Mission plans to help our local partners with whatever projects they deem the most important. As homes are gutted we will jump into rebuilding which will primarily focus on drywall and flooring.
Leaders will skill are required for all trips if possible. We would prefer to have 1 skilled person for every 7-8 people.
*Experience Mission works closely with local leaders to identify work projects and ministry opportunities that address authentic needs within the community. We ask that you come with a servant's heart and willingness to adapt to the unique qualities represented in each location. Opportunities can vary significantly from one week to the next. Your team may work at one location or serve at multiple locations each day. Due to the nature of helping rebuild after a disaster, we cannot confirm your specific daily activities until your team arrives.
Initial relief trips will have a simplified schedule with no EM led devotions in the evenings. Teams are encouraged to prepare this for their teams. Due to the nature of responding to a disaster, we ask all teams to come in with a flexible heart and spirit ready to serve and bring hope to the citizens of South Texas.
Day 1
3-6pm - Groups Arrive
5pm - Leader's Meeting
6pm - Dinner
7pm - Orientation Meeting
8:30pm - Team Time (a time for your group alone)
10:30pm - Lights Out
Day 2-5
7:15am - Breakfast
7:45am - Devotions and Quiet Time
8:15am - Group Prayer
8:30am - Teams leave for Sites
12pm - Lunch
3:30pm - Finish work for the day
4pm - Break and Clean-up
5pm - Leaders meeting
6pm - Dinner
7:00pm - Free Time/Team Time
Day 6
7:15am - Breakfast
7:45am - Cleanup/ Packing
8:30am - Send Off
Each morning, there is time set aside for devotions and quiet time. Experience Mission has devotionals/journals that are available for purchase or teams can supply their own. This is a valuable time and we strongly encourage all team members to spend it with God, journaling their thoughts and experiences as the days unfold.
Our staff will lead a time of debriefing and a short devotional in the evening (what we call "Evening Gathering") and it is always a great addition to have musical worship. Our programming does not include musical worship as we can't guarantee that our staff will have this ability. Please let us know if you have anyone who sings or plays guitar on your trip so that we can help to coordinate the musical aspect of worship when able. If teams aren't able to help in the area of music, it may not be a part of the trip.
Day 1
3-6pm Groups Arrive
5pm - Leader's Meeting
6pm - Dinner
7pm - Orientation Meeting
8:30pm - Team Time (a time for your group alone)
11:30pm - Lights Out
Day 2-5
7:15am - Breakfast
7:45am - Devotions and Quiet Time
8:15am - Group Prayer
8:30am - Teams leave for Sites
12pm - Lunch
3:30pm - Finish work for the day
4pm - Break and Clean-up
5pm - Leaders meeting
6pm - Dinner
7pm - Evening Gathering (as a whole group)
8:30pm - Team time
Day 6
7am - Breakfast
7:30am - Cleanup / Packing
9am - Pictures and Good-Byes
Teams in Texas will stay in a local church. Teams will sleep on the floor and should plan to bring a light air mattress or a mat. Team members should plan to bring light bedding or a sleeping bag and a pillow.
There will be showers for your team, however, be prepared for potential “camping” showers. There will be usable bathrooms at the place you stay.
Water to drink will be provided by Experience Mission. In the event that local water is contaminated, we will provide bottled water.
There should electricity at the church where teams stay however there may be times of outage as they restore power to the city. Power at work sites will vary.
Experience Mission Field Staff will prepare and serve your meals. Breakfast and dinner will be served buffet style, and your team will pack their own lunches each morning. Team members should plan to bring their own plate, bowl, cup, and silverware for meals.
Your team's transportation to, from, and while in Texas is NOT covered by the trip cost. You will need vehicles throughout the entire week to transport your team to various locations for work and ministry. 15 passenger vans or smaller are strongly recommended as your main mode of transportation. Using a school bus as your main mode of transportation while in this community is NOT recommended.
Experience Mission has specific policies regarding registration and withdrawal. Please refer to the document below for specifics.
INDIVIDUALS
All volunteers on a week-long EM mission trip must be part of a team of at least six (6) people, with at least one team member age 21 or older to serve as the Team Leader. Not part of a group? All young adults ages 18-30 are eligible to apply for EM’s IMMERSION program.
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.
Wondering what all goes on during hurricane relief mission trips to coastal Texas? You’re not alone! Here’s a list of frequently asked questions about this trip.
What age group can you accommodate on hurricane relief trips to Texas?
These trips are open for high school age youth and older. Because of the nature of the work there, we are unable to make many exceptions. View all EM mission trips for Jr. High students.
How much do these mission trips cost?
The cost for this trip is $435/person for 2020. This includes all lodging, food, staffing and trip-related expenses. Note that all construction projects are generally provided at no cost to families. Your fees help cover this blessing for homeowners.
What seasons do you offer relief mission trips to Texas?
Trips to Coastal Towns take place primarily in the summer. Check out this list of all available spring break trips if you are looking for trips outside the summer months.
What do volunteers do on a relief mission trip in coastal Texas?
Ministry in these communities is specifically focused on home repair and clean up after the devastation caused by Hurricane Harvey in 2017, but there is also an intentional relational aspect. Monday through Thursday are intense work days where you and your team could find yourself on a variety of stages of the home-building process, depending on your skill level. But we hope that you’ll be intentional to connect with home-owners throughout the process.
Will we work with children in coastal Texas?
Because the housing needs are so great in these communities, relief efforts are focused entirely on construction. There will be various opportunities to engage with local families in the community and taking breaks to get to know these families (and children) is highly encouraged.
What paperwork is required for this mission trip?
Each team member will need to fill out a team member registration form and liability waiver, and all adults are required to pass a background check. Your mission trip support representative will contact you if any other paperwork is required.
Where will my team stay on this mission trip?
Teams will stay at a church in Port Arthur, Texas. Lodging is arranged in available church classrooms, so plan to bring along air mattresses and sleeping bags for comfort. Showers will be available on site.
How does transportation work during relief mission trips in Texas?
Groups will arrange their own transportation. We recommend 15 passenger vans and smaller. We don’t recommend relying on buses as a mode of transportation for this trip. Keep in mind that groups are often split into teams of 8-12 for construction projects. It works well if you are able to plan transportation accordingly.
What time can I arrive on the first day of this trip?
Check-in is between 3pm and 5pm on the first day of your selected trip. Our staff will be awaiting your arrival. You can expect dinner that evening, followed by an orientation meeting to get you ready for the week.
Can I extend my stay through the weekend?
We are unable to accommodate teams after Friday morning. We encourage teams who are interested in experiencing the tourism options in the area to make hotel arrangements in order to stay longer. There are a variety of fun and interesting attractions locally that teams have enjoyed in the past.
What do I pack for a relief mission trip to Texas?
A packing list will be available to you once you register for your trip. Generally, be prepared to bring work clothes. All construction tools will be provided to you.
Does EM offer any other disaster relief mission trips?
Yes! We currently also offer relief trips to Florida and Puerto Rico.
Have more questions about Experience Mission trips? Check out our general FAQs, or call our support team at 888-475-6414.
Dont hit a snag in your mission trip planning! Fill out an interest form or call (888) 475-6414 (Tue-Thu, 9am-5pm ET) to ask questions and learn more about upcoming EM mission trips.
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Fill out a Group Interest Form for the trip you're most interested in
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Serve together on a life-changing Mission Trip
Read our Mission Trip FAQ and Registration Policy. If you have additional questions or don't see the dates you're looking for, contact us or inquire about a specific trip.
Fill out a Group Interest Form for the trip you're most interest in
We'll help you find and plan the best trip for your group!
Serve together on a life-changing Mission Trip
Read our Mission Trip FAQ and Registration Policy. If you have additional questions or don't see the dates you're looking for, contact us or inquire about a specific trip.
You must have a group size of at least 6 members to join this trip. Please view the Small Team trips or call our Servicing Department for more options at 888-475-6414.
For most trips, you must have a group size of at least 6 members. Please view the Small Teams tab on each Community page or call our Servicing Department for more options at 888-475-6414.
