Want to add some meaning to your next family vacation? Want to give your children the opportunity to experience serving in another culture? Here's a mission trip just for you and your family!! Venture Teams International is excited to offer short-term mission adventures especially for families. Family AdVENTURE is a family-oriented, "kid-friendly" mission trip involving a variety of work and ministry opportunities.

• Serve God as a family
• Share the Gospel in creative ways
• Demonstrate Christ's love in practical ways
• Create memories that will last a lifetime (...and eternity!)

COUNTDOWN...30 spots left!
Get your applications in soon to reserve your spot on the next team.  Deadline is January 8, 2011 for flights, January 31 if you arrange your own flights to Puerto Vallarta.

Read about a past Family AdVenture trip to Mexico!

See photos from previous trips. Click Here

VTI's Family adVENTURE Teams provide an opportunity for you and your family to use your abilities for the Lord and see what He's doing in other parts of the world. No skills required...we're simply looking for people who are willing to serve. If you have additional skills in carpentry, plumbing, etc., we'd love to put them to use!

Can YOUR church get involved?
Do you have an adult or family group in your church that would be interested in serving the Lord together? Why not do it next Spring or Summer? Call us to learn more, then talk to your group about the possibility!

Criteria:

• Families & Adults (over age 18)
• $2250/person including airfare
• Included: airfare, food, accommodation, training, "wind-down"...and a cool t-shirt!

Schedule/Typical Itinerary:

• Training Weekend - Dates TBA at our Training Center near Water Valley, AB (if applicable)
• The Trip - Fly to location and minister for about 8-9 days
• Wind-down & debrief - We usually spend 3 days near the end of the trip at a hotel or resort to relax

DESTINATIONS:

Tepic & Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
APPLICATION DEADLINE IS JANUARY 8, 2011 or sooner if the team fills up.  Check the COUNTDOWN at the top of the page.

Quotes:

• "I've never been on a mission trip before...this is way better than I expected!"
• "That was AWESOME!"
• "I felt I was more blessed & received more than I gave!"
• "It was a very positive experience!"
• "The children all did great and were a wonderful benefit to the group!"
• "This experience changed my life!"

Still not convinced? Call us for a highlight DVD (you will be!)

Frequently Asked Questions:

Q: Why the application process?
A: For obvious reasons we require the standard statistical information for all team members. Family adVENTURE mission trips are an important aspect of VTI's overall mission strategy of effectively reaching the world with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Our desire is to assemble a team of believers who are willing to serve God in a variety of ways. We take our responsibilities for assembling our Family adVenture teams seriously and therefore ask that you provide us with at least three references who know your family well. One of your references must be a pastor from the church your family regularly attends. VTI reserves the right to decline applications if our selection committee feels that this particular mission trip is not suitable for your family.

Q: Are there any age restrictions?
A: None at all; however we recommend that children be at least five years of age, and that all participants be in good physical health.

Q: What types of ministry activities will we do?
A: We'll be working with local ministry partners while in our host countries. Short-term mission teams typically get involved in a variety of activities including work at orphanages, running a kid's club (VBS style program), adult evangelism (testimonies, music, drama, etc.), work in hospitals (visitation, prayer), visits to juvenile delinquent homes, prisons, poor neighborhoods, and construction. Our Family adVENTURE Teams will be trained by VTI staff in a gospel variety arts program prior to departure; however, if some of our participants have special talents, these will certainly be put to good use while we're there.

Q: How big will the team be?
A: Well, that's up to God! It also depends on how large a group our partners can handle. Usually we take between 20 and 30 people.

Q: Will there be any opportunity for sightseeing?
A: We will usually set aside 2-3 days for relaxation and sightseeing at the end of the trip, referred to as our Wind-down. We also break up the trip with half-day excursions and outings to local points of interest.

Q: Can we extend our stay longer?
A: Yes. We can arrange for your flights to leave earlier or return at a later date. If you wish to extend your trip as a family vacation, then go for it!

Q: How do I raise the funds?
A: A. Ask for God's direction. Does He want you to do this? Where God directs He provides. "Ask and you will receive, knock and the door shall be opened, seek and you shall find."
B. Commit it to the Lord. As they say: "Support is not raised, it is lowered." Take some time each day to pray for your financial needs and leave them with the Lord. "Some trust in chariots and some in horses but we will trust in the name of the Lord our God. Psalm 20:7
C. Talk to your church. Many churches have money available to people just like you who want to serve God on a missions trip but can't financially afford the full cost. Maybe they'll give you a few minutes in a service to share what you want to do. We have promotional material available (videos) that are perfect for this.
D. Talk to friends and relatives. Sending a letter to friends and relatives, explaining your situation will often show you just how generous God can be through His people! Donations to your missions trip are tax-deductible providing they are made to VTI, prior to the trip, as contributions to your support.

Q: Are donations tax deductible?
A: Yes. All cheques need to be made payable to Venture Teams International. This way, you can get financial assistance from friends, family or even your church... and they receive the tax deduction. American donations/payments can be sent to a US partner of ours who can issue American tax receipts. That's a good thing!

Q: Is the trip tax deductible?
A: Yes, most of it is. Any expenses directly related to the mission trip are tax deductible (i.e. basically everything except the "wind-down" expenses).

Q: How do I get an application?
A: Download the application form for the trip you desire at the bottom of this page.

Q: Who will lead the teams?
A: VTI Staff or Associates, in conjunction with local ministry partners from the host country.

Q: Will there be any formal training?
A: Yes. We appreciate how busy families are and how difficult it can be to set aside time for additional training. So, with that in mind, we will limit our training and orientation to two days (a Friday night and Saturday) at our Training Center near Water Valley, AB (about 45 minutes NW of Calgary). Training Camp will take place approximately 2-3 weeks before we leave. Specific dates TBA. Eventually, most of our training will be done online, through snail-mail, and in country.

Q: What if I can't make it to a this training weekend?
A: Don't worry. Stuff happens. We have found that the better trained our teams are, the more they get out of their mission experience. We will find ways to use you effectively. Some families have worked privately, at home, on program items and have found this to be tremendously rewarding once they got overseas. This type of mission trip has something for everyone!

Q: Are there any additional costs involved? A: The price for the trip covers pretty much everything (did we mention the cool t-shirt?), except the food and entertainment/sightseeing during the "Wind-down." You can eat and do pretty much what you want with your family during this time. There are a couple exceptions though that can increase the overall cost of such a trip. We take into consideration many factors when we list a "price" for such a trip. This becomes even more difficult when you consider the variety of family make-ups. Costs are based on a 50% discount on room rates at the resort. That's what we've received before, but this can change. There may be additional costs at the resort depending on the size of your family and ages of family members. For example, families consisting of more than four may need to upgrade to a one or two-bedroom unit. Families staying in the same unit with children over the age of 12 may incur additional costs as stipulated by the resort, since they are considered "adults" and are billed accordingly. These costs are beyond our control.

Q: What if I don't live near Calgary? Can I meet the team in the host country?
A: Yes. Our desire is to make Family AdVentures accessible to everyone, no matter where you live. We always book a block of airline seats from Calgary, but you can travel from anywhere providing you can meet up with the team at the specified time and place in the host country. You will be responsible for booking your own transportation if you are not travelling from Calgary. We'll take care of the rest!

Q: Can I book and pay for my own flights?
A: Yes. You can use Airmiles or any other mileage plan to get you to our ministry destination. Should you choose to go this "route", deduct about $700 CDN from the trip's costs per flight that you book. You will need to ensure that you can arrive at our destination in time to meet the rest of the team.



Family AdVenture Application Form:
(Please note that we cap the team at 30 members (give or take one or two). We're already booking for the Spring Break 2011 trip, so don't delay if you want a place on the team. Members are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. An accepted applicant must have submitted a completed application form, have references checked by VTI staff, and have paid the $1000 up-front costs. Applicants NOT leaving from Calgary will need to provide proof of travel itineraries. ALL APPLICANTS NEED PASSPORTS PRIOR TO DEPARTURE. Registration deadline is January 8, 2011 (but more than likely the trip will be full by then!)

Download an application here!