Where are we headed?
The Enchanted Island - Puerto Rico. First stop: Isla Verde, as we arrive just to grab a quick bite. Next, we’ll head to the Vega Alta/Dorado area, where we will stay and work with our partner organization Hunger Corp. Hunger is an established organization working to transform Puerto Rico by building up communities there.
Why are we going?
The year after Hurricanes Irma and Maria, a group of Crossroads folks (34 people) decided to travel to Puerto Rico following a prompt from God. The opportunity to help was there, the transformation experienced by the folks was out of this world. God was clearly setting the stage for work that would last several years and would start a partnership that would turn into a deep friendship. We can’t wait to see what happens next.
Who can go?
Anyone over 18, or 13 and older traveling with an adult. We are working to expand our trips for families in the future. Check crossroads.net/go for trip specific requirements.
How much does it cost?
$2,150. This covers your flight, room and board, work supplies, travel insurance, and meals on the ground. Meals at the airport, free day, vaccinations, and souvenirs are not covered.
What if I don’t have that much money?
Join the club. Close to 90% of people who have been on a GO Trip with us didn’t have the funds sitting in their bank account or stuffed in a mattress, but nearly everyone raised the funds. Don’t let money stop you. Raising money is actually a very cool part of this experience. We’ll talk a lot more about the financial stuff and help you generate ideas for how to raise funds. We also have an awesome website that helps with this process, and a little faith goes a long way. Have some and see what happens.
Get ideas for support raising
Is there a deposit?
A non-refundable deposit of $300 is required as part of your application for this trip and must be paid via credit card or ACH. Cash, checks, and money orders are not accepted.
How do I sign up?
Go to www.crossroads.net/go and fill out an application no later than the posted deadline. We’ll ask you all kinds of questions like if you’re part of a group, who you’d like as your roommate, if you snore, and so on. To complete your application, you will need to pay your non-refundable deposit. Applications are not complete until the deposit is received. All applicants will be contacted once the application is received to confirm their trip participation.
What happens if more than enough people sign up? How do you decide who gets to go?
Sign-ups will occur on a first come first served basis. Once the trip has reached its maximum number, sign-ups will automatically close and applications will no longer be accepted for that trip. There will be no lottery.
What work will I be doing?
Depends. You’ll do anything from cleaning, mixing cement, hammering, or showing encouragement to the people in the community. We try to ensure there will be work for all skill levels.
What if I can’t do the work?
While we hope to have jobs for all skill sets and ages, please know that the trip can be exhausting. We will be on our feet a lot, getting up early, climbing in and out of big buses, and the plane ride is an obstacle we can’t change. If you have concerns about your physical situation, please talk to us. We want everyone to go, but if you ignore your physical limitations up front, you could end up being miserable.
What else will we do?
Depends on the trip, but just know that you’ll get a chance to go to the beach, visit historical sites...who knows, there may even be a few surprises here and there.
Will I have to preach or pray in front of people?
Not unless you want to. This trip is for everyone, regardless of where you are on your spiritual journey. But you will be challenged and have a ton of opportunity to grow.
What is the travel like?
We’ll be flying either Delta or United airlines. Typically, there’s only one layover in either Atlanta or Miami.
Can I use miles, fly in business class, or make my own travel plans?
Nope. We are taking this trip as one group with one mission. And that means we work together, eat together, and travel in the back of the plane together. Because of the complexities of getting groups of people to the other side of the world, all of our travel plans are centrally booked (thank God for travel agents). You may however, earn thousands of miles for your flights. So that’s kinda cool.
Where are we staying?
We will be staying in a hostel or housing complex. There will be plenty of rooms (with bunk beds), AC to escape the warm tropical weather at night, and laundry facilities, among other things. We will also have access to morning coffee and home cooked meals everyday.
What will we do to prepare for the trip?
We will have a series of meetings leading up to the trip where you will learn more about Puerto Rico and what we are doing there, meet others who are going, and just have a good time. Out-of-town people will have a GO Group Leader assigned to keep them in the loop via email so they don’t have to keep coming to the ‘Nati.
What precautions will be taken for COVID?
If you do contract COVID during the trip, you will need to quarantine. We do have insurance that will make any extra hotel, lodging, and medical expenses reimbursable to you up to certain limits.
Anything else you really want to tell me?
If you want to take a vacation to Puerto Rico, then we encourage you to do so. It’s beautiful. That being said, this is not that trip. Deciding to go with us means you want to be a part of a mission to change the world. In pursuit of that group goal, however, you may not get to do everything you want to do in the way you like to do things. It’s a part of submitting to something bigger than yourself. But if you go, we promise an incredible experience! We can do more together than we can as individuals.