What is the minimum/maximum age to apply?

The minimum age for a participant is 13 years old, however we will consider applicants as young as 12 if a youth leader feels it is in the best interest of their group. The upper age for participants is 20 unless coming as a youth leader.

Is there a deadline to apply?

The deadline for Easter applications is January 10th and for Summer applications is March 1st. The reason for this is to ensure we have enough time to process all the relevant paperwork, DBS checks can be completed as necessary, flights can be booked and all the details are finalised with our missionary contacts in the various outreach locations well in advance of the start of the programme. All payments must be received no later than 30 days prior to the start of the camp. We strongly encourage participants to apply as early as possible to maximize the time they have to raise funds and awareness for the trip.

How do I make payments?

Mission Adventures programme fees can be paid by cheque or bank transfer.
Please make cheques payable to “YWAM Harpenden”, write your church name and Mission Adventures on the back and mail it to the following address:
Mission Adventures, 6 Highfield Oval Harpenden, Hertfordshire AL5 4BX

Please make bank transfers to the following bank account with the relevant note/reference so that the transaction can be easily identified by our accounting team:
Account Name: Youth With A Mission Harpenden
Sort code: 23-05-80
Account Number: 30512626
Reference/Notes: Mission Adventures & your church name

BIC/SWIFT: MYMBGB2L
IBAN : GB71MYMB23058030512626

What is the non-refundable registration fee for?

We acknowledge that it takes time to raise awareness and funds for a mission trip, as such we do not expect full payment for the programme until 30 days prior to its start. There are however a number of admin related expenses that are incurred during the lead up to Mission Adventures in order to process applications and to get the relevant documents in order, which the registration fee will cover. 

What is included in the programme cost?

• All meals & accommodation for the duration of the programme

• Transportation (on location during the outreach)

• Airport pick-ups and drop-offs during the programme 

• Camp training and materials (speakers, worship, welcome pack)

• Mission Equip - Youth Missions Prep Video Series

What isn’t included in the programme cost?

• Travel to/from the YWAM Harpenden

• Transportation to/from the outreach location (with the exception of airport drop offs/pick ups)

• Travel insurance

• Covid-19 tests & any quarantine related fees (if required)

• DBS/background check (only required if aged 18 or over)

• Vaccinations (if recommended by your travel nurse or doctor)

• Travel visa (if required)

• ETIAS - European Travel Information and Authorisation System (entry to EU if required)

• ETA - Electronic Travel Authorisation (entry to UK if required)

Will I need a visa?

If you are a British passport holder then it is unlikely you will need a visa for any of our current outreach locations as visas are generally not required to make a short-term entry into another European country. If you do not have a British passport then it is possible, depending on your nationality, that you will require a visa to enter certain countries. Please contact us if you are unsure of whether or not you will need to apply for a visa and we can advise you on how to proceed.

From the end of 2022 onwards, when travelling to countries within the EU, British citizens (as well as Canadian and American citizens) will be required to complete an ETIAS application for a visa waiver (European Travel Information and Authorisation System) to travel within Europe. The ETIAS visa waiver for UK citizens will be valid for 3 year periods and will allow unlimited entries into the region. 

Do I need vaccines?

This answer will depend on which vaccines you currently have and which country you will be travelling to. While you are not required to show proof of your vaccinations to be accepted to the programme, we always recommend that participants visit with their doctor or a travel nurse as soon as they are accepted to explain what they will be doing on outreach and follow any medical advice they are given.

What are the travel insurance requirements?

A comprehensive travel insurance policy which includes repatriation and a minimum of £1 million liability coverage. We recommend participants book their insurance for a minimum of 2 days after your schedule returned flight to cover any unexpected travel delays. This can be an Individual policy or a group policy. Please note, due to the nature of this being a missions trip, where team members will be serving in various ministries, many insurance company would not deem this a ‘holiday’ and a basic insurance package may not cover this type of trip, so it is essential that participants purchase appropriate insurance coverage for a missions trip. 

How are flights arranged?

As soon as the group has applied and we have confirmed their outreach location, we will begin contacting a number of travel agents to find the optimal flights for the team. As far as possible, we try to ensure all team members travel on the same flights and in the event of a team having to travel on separate flights, we will ensure there is a leader present in each group. Although it cannot be guaranteed that teams will all sit together, there is often enough flexibility to allow some seat selection upon arrival at the airport. We encourage groups to book flights as soon as possible, as soon as they have fundraised the necessary amount, in order to keep the costs of flights as low as possible. Please be aware that flight prices for group bookings are generally more expensive than an individual ticket price. However when travelling as a group it is not practical for each team member to book their own flight as transportation to and from the airports becomes much more complicated (especially when arriving in the outreach country). Booking as a group not only ensures everyone travels together, but also that everyone in the group pays an equal price.

Once the best flight option has been decided, the travel agent will invoice the church/group to make one payment for the whole group (YWAM staff can be invoiced separately). 

How do we get to the airport?

We will arrange transportation for your team between the YWAM campus and the airport before and after outreach. This might be a taxi, bus, train, or a YWAM vehicle, and is often quite early in the morning!

Where will we be staying?

Generally speaking accommodation during the training camp will be indoors for the Easter programme, and a mix between indoor and camping outdoors in tents for the summer programme depending on the number of participants. If camping is required this will be communicated well in advance of arrival. We ask participants to bring their own tents, and youth workers can help with tent sharing arrangements. Please note that male and female participants cannot be in the same room/tent, and that participants over 18 years of age cannot be in the same room/tent as participants under 18 unless related or written parental consent is given. During the outreach, accommodation is dependant on location and may range from a converted hotel with two people per room and air conditioning, to being hosted by local believers, to sleeping on a concrete floor! Flexibility is key during a missions trip and participants must be willing to forego the typical comforts of home while on Mission Adventures. If you have any concerns pertaining to accommodation, or any special requirements, please contact us for more information.

Will there be showers?

Yes, and please use them! During the training camp there will always be either indoor or portable toilets and showers. Facilities on outreach will vary depending on location.

What about meals?

Main meals will be provided for the duration of the programme. If anyone has an allergy or other dietary requirement we ask you to please inform our staff in advance, and we will do our best to accommodate you accordingly. If participants would like extra snacks, they are welcome to bring or buy their own. On outreach the meals will vary significantly depending on the country you are in. Although we ensure that each team receives three meals a day, participants must be open and willing to try new and different foods as part of experiencing local culture and honouring our hosts. Food preferences may not be possible to cater for while overseas however any medically related dietary requirements will be. 

What do I bring? Can I bring my phone or laptop?

Less is best when it comes to a missions trip! We have put together a list of essentials items which we will send to you in a kit list.

Mobile phones – while we do not have a “no-phones” policy, we strongly recommend that phone use is limited to contacting family members and taking photos. Not only will this save you money on an international data plan, but it allows you to stay engaged and fully present while participating in Mission Adventures. We recommend you leave valuable items home, if you choose to bring valuables with you, either to the camp or while on outreach, you do so at your discretion and please be aware that Mission Adventures takes no responsibility for any lost or damaged personal items.

Is Mission Adventures safe?

Mission Adventures by its very nature involves some risk, as is expected when you are travelling in a foreign country where you do not speak the language or know the customs. That being said, all due care and caution is taken when planning these trips and we do not take teams into places we deem to be unsafe. All of our leaders have missions experience, and receive training in risk assessment in order to help keep those risks at a minimum, and they know what to do in the event of an emergency. We also respect the advice of the hosts within the local country, and adhere to any recommendations they give regarding safety and culturally appropriate social conduct. In the unlikely event of a security alert in your outreach country in the lead up to Mission Adventures we will be in touch to discuss options to suit you and your team.

How many leaders will there be?

Each team will have at least two YWAM missionaries leading them on outreach. We require that a church/school sends at least one adult leader per ten youth in the group.

What is the minimum/maximum number of people on a team?

There is no minimum or maximum limit for how many people can make up a team, however larger groups may have less choice of outreach location due to limited availability of accommodation in the host country, and smaller groups may be asked to join with another small group to form a larger team. Our average team size is generally around 14 people. We have had teams of 40+ and as few as 3.

Will we be with other groups?

If there are multiple groups attending the same programme then yes, all the groups will participate in the same training camp and debrief. Along with your own team times, there will be group gatherings every day and collective activities where all of the groups will join in. This is a great opportunity for you to meet others with a missional mindset from different backgrounds and churches. For the outreach portion, you may be the only team travelling to that location, or depending on the size of your group and the location you choose, you may be one of a few teams travelling to the same place. At the end of the programme each group will have the opportunity to share with the others about how God used them and what they learnt and experienced while on outreach.

What is the role of a Youth Leader?

We want Mission Adventures to be an amazing time for youth workers to connect with their young people. This is why we aim for them to participate in everything with their students. Whether it’s their first or fifty-first mission trip, we understand that each new place and culture will likely be a new experience for them as well. We want youth workers to have plenty of opportunities to connect with their young people and seize the time to explore what missions is and what God is saying to them individually and to the group as a whole. The youth leader is primarily responsible for the pastoral care, physical wellbeing and whereabouts of their youth.

Youth Leaders will have some responsibilities in the preparations before attending Mission Adventures which may include but are not limited to fundraising, helping process applications, facilitating payments, processing DBS checks, booking flights, arranging travel insurance, arranging transportation to and from the programme and communicating with parents/their young people.

What is the role of the Mission Adventures staff?

Our staff will coordinate with the local hosts to plan all the logistical aspects of the mission trip, such as food, accommodation, transportation, and ministry schedule, etc, so that youth leaders are free to focus on their group and participate with them. They will look to come alongside and support youth and youth workers workers through encouragement, teaching and discipleship. 

If a group is not being accompanied by a youth worker, the Mission Adventures outreach leaders for that team will be acting in loco parentis for any individual applicants under the age of 18 for the duration of the Mission Adventures programme.