Belize 2023
Christ Chapel’s College Ministry is going to serve and love the people of Belize! Our team will travel to the southern part of the country where our brothers and sisters are in need. We will be running a children’s program where we get to love kids as Christ does, and we’ll also get to tackle several construction projects to bless these people!
Evenings will be spent at our hotel, worshiping and bonding as a community. Days will be spent pouring out everything we have in the surrounding villages. It will be a trip that (most likely) changes your life!
Watch the feature film from a previous trip
How to go
This is a short-term mission trip with Christ Chapel Bible Church, so we have a few more things to check off the list as we prepare to leave. Follow these 7 required steps to ensure you will be able to go!
Application opens:
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APPLICATION >
Tips:
- Address – List your current physical address, not your home address from before college.
- Travel Beneficiary – Type their first and last name, and their relationship to you. CCBC purchases travel insurance on your behalf. It is part of your trip cost. Please list a beneficiary for your insurance should something happen to you. This is most often a parent, spouse, sibling or child. DO NOT leave this blank or list yourself as the beneficiary! You will get an email when the insurance is purchased, about a week before your trip.
- Medical Limitations & Allergies – Fill this in if you have allergies that require medical attention (medicines, bee stings, etc.). If you have any medical limitations, please list here (asthma, diabetes, daily medications, etc. that are vital for health, not vitamins!)
- Emergency Contact – This is the person in the U.S. whom you want contacted in case of an emergency.
All the information gathered above will be given to your trip leader to access throughout the trip.
Required pre-trip deposits begin as soon as your application has been approved and are due within 48 hours of acceptance onto the trip.
The deposit for this trip is: $350
DUE WITHIN 48 HOURS OF ACCEPTANCE ONTO THE TRIP
(All deposits and funds given are non-refundable.)
DO IT ONLINE >
You can give your deposit online, bring a check or cash to CCBC or mail a check to the church, ATTN: Global Missions (3701 Birchman Ave., Fort Worth, TX 76107). Contact Danella Hitri at [email protected] or 817-546-6181 if you wish to personally deliver a cash or check deposit.
Any checks written will be processed upon the completion of your online application and acceptance onto the trip, not before. Once processed, all giving to missions at Christ Chapel, including your trip deposit, is considered a donation and is non-refundable due to IRS regulations in how donations are treated to organizations like Christ Chapel.
Financial questions? Reach out to the Christ Chapel College Ministry Staff by texting your name and question to 817-761-0611 and someone will follow up.
Your passport must still be valid for 6 months from the date of return. For this trip, your passport must be valid through Sep. 12, 2022. It’s currently taking 8-11 weeks or 5-7 weeks for expedited new passport applications to be processed. This application cannot be done in-person at a Social Security office, etc. Do not delay!
To reapply or apply for a passport, all the info you will need is found at https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports.html
Text a clear* pic of your valid passport to Danella Hitri’s secure device at 682-215-2590 to check this off your list before Jan. 5. *(Clear means: color, no cropped edges, flat, absolutely no glare! Come by the church office and we’ll be happy to make a crisp copy for you! – 3701 Birchman Ave.)
Text Your Pic >
We retain a copy for your benefit in case something were to happen to yours while outside the U.S. We would communicate with our Embassy in Belize should something like this happen, and a good-quality copy of your passport is very helpful in this situation.
Mission trips like this can be costly, but there are people you probably know who are generous and will want to help you go to serve the children and families of Belize! Here you will find info on how to approach fundraising for a Christ Chapel mission trip.
The below link will direct you to log in to your CCBC account. If you do not have a CCBC account, you will have to create one. For help, please contact Karen at [email protected] or 817-546-0811.
PARTICIPANT PAGE >
Online Fundraising and Your Trip Fund Tracking:
Christ Chapel has an online tool similar to GoFundMe that you can utilize to raise funds for your trip from your social accounts and via email, etc. Funds will go directly into your trip profile so you can see exactly where you are.
To use this tool, follow these instructions:
- Go to your participant page.
- If not currently logged in to your Christ Chapel account (your email and password), select “Login” from the top, right corner of the window and log yourself in. Once logged in, your profile and fundraising progress will appear within the trip details page. Tap or click the “Participant Page” button.
- On your participant page, tap or click “Edit Profile.”
- Complete the Personal Opportunity Introduction. This text will show up on your digital fundraising page. Add or update your photo. (Please note: this updates your photo on your Christ Chapel record, so use the crop tool to show only your face. No group photos, please!)
- Tap or click the “Save” button.
If you need any help with the participant page, please email Danella at [email protected].
Raising funds via letter-writing:
This is the standard way of letting family members, personal contacts and philanthropic businesses know what you’re doing on spring break and how they can partner with you. We’ve created a template that you can download and use to send to your own list of contacts:
PDF Letter Template >
Elder Guidelines for Trip Eligibility:
The elder guidelines at Christ Chapel require EACH trip participant to be fully funded before they leave on the trip. Please be in contact with us before you get to the end and are not funded. We do not want any miscommunication to occur that would prevent you from going.
Tax Deductions:
All monetary gifts are tax deductible and non-refundable due to IRS regulations in how donations of this kind are treated to organizations like Christ Chapel.
Checks? Please have any checks made out to “Christ Chapel Bible Church” or “CCBC.”
Cash? If a cash donation is given, please include the name and address of the donor on a note with the cash donation so that the donor can receive the tax deduction for their donation.
Over-funding? Any excess funds raised will be used toward global mission endeavors as directed by Christ Chapel.
If you’ve ever completed your volunteer screening at Christ Chapel, you may SKIP THESE STEPS! However, our Screening Department may reach out to you to update some training or information, so keep checking your email.
New to Screening? Christ Chapel has a screening process for active volunteers working with minors. As a mission trip participant, you are an active volunteer and will be in contact with children. All steps of the screening must be completed before you leave for Belize.
Step 1:
Respond to the email from our Screening Department and fill out the CCBC Volunteer Application with DocuSign. They will begin to send these out prior to Thanksgiving, as soon as you are approved by the Missions Team. Please complete this application by Jan. 5.
On your volunteer application, please remember that past perfection is not a requirement but honesty is. Please be transparent about anything the screening department asks.
After we receive your application, we will begin checking your references. Please note, if you have been at Christ Chapel less than 6 months, we will need an additional (4th) reference.
Step 2:
After you complete the Screening application, you will receive a personalized link from “MSafe” via email for MinistrySafe online training (look in your spam folder if you do not see it). You must complete the training and pass the quiz at the end by Jan. 12.
If you’ve already done MinistrySafe training at a previous church within 2 years and can provide us with a PDF copy of the certificate, you can skip this step. Email your certificate to Alyssa at [email protected].
Step 3:
Volunteer screening for working with minors at Christ Chapel requires a background check. You will receive an email from CCBC with a link to the “Background Check Authorization Form.” Take just 5-7 additional minutes to authorize this check. This link expires, so please complete within 5 business days of receiving the email. This step is ultimately due Feb. 6.
Step 4:
Volunteer screening for working with minors at Christ Chapel also requires a one-on-one interview with a trained church staff member. A staff member will set up a time to interview you one-on-one at the Fort Worth Campus or at Common Grounds.
A liability waiver is required for this trip. Please use the following button to download the Belize Waiver of Liability document, sign it, and bring the original physical signed papers to your team leadership no later than Feb. 27.
The CDC Info PDF (second link, below) is an attachment referenced in the liability document and should be reviewed by all trip participants but is not necessary to print or turn back in.
If you don’t have access to a printer we can help you with that at a team meeting!
Travel light. One carry-on and one checked bag* is plenty. (You’ll be carrying your own bags and must be able to walk with them.)
SUGGESTED PACKING LIST >
Page 2 of the PDF contains some additional info about carry-on luggage, personal items, checked bags, liquids/gels, etc.
Here are some helpful guidelines from American Airlines.
*You are responsible for any additional fees associated with your luggage. Please check the airline associated with your specific itinerary for information on included bags and/or a schedule of fees.
Use the below button (and make sure you’re logged in to your CCBC account) to access your trip funds:
Important Dates
Do It!
FAQs
For questions you have that aren’t already answered within the steps above in “How To Go,” check these out:
We are closely monitoring the CDC and the State Department’s website as they will communicate any changes in regard to travel restrictions. As of right now, you must have a negative COVID-19 test, taken within 1 day of your travel date or 3 days if you are also vaccinated.
Yes. We will work hard to help anyone out who might need some financial assistance. Fill out this Financial Assistance Form and someone from the Christ Chapel College Ministry Staff will follow up. Our hope is that no one is prevented from coming on this life-changing trip simply because of money. So please let us know and we’ll do everything we can to help!
We have been traveling to this same area of Belize since 2012 and we have never had a safety incident. Belize City is known for more crime; however, we spend the entire trip in the southern part of the country which has a much safer reputation. A few other reasons we feel safe is that we are always together in a large group, either working in a school or working on a construction project with the pastors who host us. We are also always back to the hotel before dark and the hotel is very nice and secured with guards and an entry gate for guests only.
We will have at least one official trip RN who is available to help take care of us, as well as a nearby reliable hospital. We will assess any and every injury/illness, and if it’s necessary we are able to fly any students back home.
