MISSION TRIP FAQ’s
Where will I stay?
I’ve seen the news. What should I be prepared to see?
What kind of attitude should I have in Sudan?
What can I expect in a typical day?
Why is the cost so expensive?
What else can I expect to pay for beyond the posted cost of the trip?
Can I bring items to give to the local people?
What will I eat and drink?
What clothes should we bring?
Will I receive any training?
How dangerous is it?
Why are the trips so long?
What kind of abilities and experience do I need?
What will I gain from the trip?

Where will I stay?
Teams travel from the U.S. to Uganda.  There they are met and hosted by Kerry and Neltia Henderson - Aid Sudan team members based in Kampala, Uganda - with comfortable accommodations.  While electricity may go out and at times hot water is nonexistent, the stay in Kampala will more closely resemble the U.S. than the bush of southern Sudan.  After flying to Sudan, team members find even the most day-to-day routine adventurous! Team members sleep just like the locals – most likely in mud huts or tents situated in a living compound. There are “longdrop” bathroom stalls and the bathing area is primitive.  Clothes are washed by hand and cooking is done over a fire.
 
I’ve seen the news. What should I be prepared to see?
Southern Sudan consists of very small villages and lots of open land dotted by mud huts.  There are only about 17 miles of paved road in all of southern Sudan and there is very limited infrastructure or development. For some, the rustic setting can have the feeling of stepping back in time a couple thousand years.

All eyes are on visitors - team members shake lots of hands, play with kids and dance with the villagers. Upon arrival, team members can feel the isolation be struck by poverty, malnourishment, sickness and begging. But the setting and striking conditions powerfully impact team members, as do the bright smiles and signs of real hope!
 
What kind of attitude should I have in Sudan?
Flexibility is critical for life in Sudan, even if it is only a couple of weeks. The team leader sets specific goals and timelines, but things do not always go according to our plan. Sometimes God has a different agenda and it is important to follow the direction of the team leader with a patient, cheerful attitude.

What can I expect in a typical day?
No day in Sudan is typical. During a trip to Sudan, the team visits local churches, attends village functions (e.g. a football match or cultural celebration), delivers supplies, tells Bible stories, fellowships with the people and engages in team goals for that trip. Many teams experience the tribal drum, singing and African dancing – there is nothing like it!

Why is the cost so expensive?
A majority of the trip cost goes directly to purchase airfare to Sudan. In Africa, most teams charter their own plane into the bush of Sudan which is extremely costly. Food, lodging, visas, and other logistics are also components of the trip cost.  In most cases, the posted cost usually does not cover the trip’s entire trip cost, so Aid Sudan raises very significant amounts to subsidize each trip to make it possible.

What else can I expect to pay for beyond the posted cost of the trip?
The trip cost covers almost all expenses, including round-trip travel from Houston to Sudan and standard trip expenses as described above.

The trip cost does not include the following: travel to and from Houston from your home in the U.S. (excluding certain trips in which teams begin from another U.S. city), immunizations (Aid Sudan will provide a list of recommended immunizations), passport expenses, any miscellaneous items purchased for Africa and souvenirs purchased in Africa.

Can I bring items to give to the local people?
The mission of Aid Sudan is to empower the people of Sudan to help themselves in the long term. Aid Sudan truly believes that the people of Sudan will themselves turn their country around and want to avoid creating any issue of dependency or building up unnecessary expectations for our group or groups who follow. With that in mind, Aid Sudan does entrust items to our local contacts so they can distribute them among the people at their own discretion. This is almost always done through the church at the end of the trip and is facilitated by the team leader. Through this method, many team members leave clothes and other personal items they brought with them on the trip.

Kids love stickers – those are always good to pass out when greeting people in the village. If there are any particular needs, the team leader will let the team know before the trip so team members can gather the appropriate items.  On every trip, it is critical that team members talk together with team leaders before ever bringing or distributing items.

What will I eat and drink?
Get ready to love rice and beans! The team brings in their own food from one of the larger African cities and local village women cook the food over an open fire. On occasion, the team will partake of the local food which could be chicken, fish, ugali (a traditional African dish made from corn) or goat. Team members are encouraged to drink lots of water and each team member should bring their own water bottle. Aid Sudan brings filters in order to ensure that team members are drinking clean water.

What clothes should we bring?
Aid Sudan requires team members to dress according to southern Sudan cultural standards. In Sudan, men wear pants and women wear ankle-length skirts. In other places in Africa, regular clothing (i.e. jeans) is fine to wear.

Will I receive any training?
Yes – each team receives extensive training, beginning with a detailed training manual that explains more about Sudan, the trip, and instructions on what to pack and prepare.  Team members are also trained in Chronological Bible Storying. Each team meets for scheduled conference calls before the trip and then in Houston for one day of training prior to heading to Sudan. The team is briefed on local customs, the language, team expectations, and how to best handle the emotional, spiritual, and physical adjustment of traveling to the bush.

How dangerous is it?
There is a degree of risk in going to Sudan, as the harsh environment itself poses risks that are not encountered in the west. However, Aid Sudan intentionally strives to take every precaution and continually monitors each trip destination leading up to the trip. Aid Sudan does not feel a calling to take teams to war zones or even areas currently in any type of imminent threat of attack.  Aid Sudan team leaders continually monitor safety in the destination area prior to and during a trip and do not hesitate to alter the itinerary or destination point in order to avoid any areas of tension.

Although Aid Sudan works in southern Sudan and not in Darfur or other parts of the predominantly Arab north, sporadic tribal conflicts, random banditry, and unpredictable government actions are still possible and make security a top priority. There are also risks from snakes and other local dangers.  However, there are some dangers present in the western world that are almost nonexistent there, including risks from vehicle accidents, drive-by shootings, etc.  Often team members arrive in southern Sudan only to tell team leaders that they feel safer there than in the U.S.! 

Each team is fitted with a medical kit and a satellite phone is available for emergencies at all times.  If a situation arises in which someone is getting increasingly ill, the team leader does not hesitate to call medical personnel standing by in the States for advice.  Emergency procedures are in place for all teams and missionary charter planes are always available in the area for any type of evacuations.  For medical issues, the main hospital in Nairobi, Kenya is very well prepared to handle virtually any emergency.  For Aid Sudan and all support personnel, safety is a top priority.

Ultimately, although we strive to take every precaution possible, we know that we do what we do because of our calling to serve in southern Sudan.  We ask all team members to pray through their calling to serve on the team and be confident that God is leading them on the trip.  As teams serve under the leadership of the Lord, assured of His calling, they can rest in His hands.

It is important to note that trips to Sudan are physically and emotionally challenging and physical or psychological issues which have been managed successfully, or even resolved, in the past may re-emerge or become aggravated by prolonged travel or by the stressful extremes of life in southern Sudan. We encourage all team members to discuss personal health issues thoroughly with your physician and apply for this trip only if it is certain that such issues will not endanger you or others on your team.  On your trip application, we ask for complete honesty with any past physical or emotional challenges, as these are important for team leaders to know and understand.  Again, this is the sake of the applicant and each team member going on the trip.

Why are the trips so long?
Travel to Africa is timely and it usually takes around three days to get to and from Sudan, plus time to adjust! Aid Sudan wants to allot enough time to spend with the people and really impact them during the trip.

What kind of abilities and experience do I need?
Because the conditions in Sudan are basic and challenging, it is strongly recommended that team members have prior mission trip experience, but this is not necessarily mandatory. It is critical that each team member have a calling to be on a team to southern Sudan. No standard skills are required, and the most important characteristic of any team member is that they have a heart for God and a heart for serving the people in Sudan!

What will I gain from the trip?
The experiences on Aid Sudan trips are rich, including the privilege of seeing southern Sudan and interacting with the southern Sudanese people. The ministry on the trips is life-changing and the community development work makes a viable impact. It is a goal of each trip to see God work in the life of team members, and team members in the past have been very powerfully impacted by serving in southern Sudan!