A Parent Vision Trip is an opportunity for Racers to invite their parents to join them on the field for approximately 1 week, typically during month 7, 8 or 9 of the Race for the 11 month routes and month 6 or 7 for the 9 month Gap Year routes. During the PVT, parents and Racers will do ministry together, as well as have some unstructured parent/Racer time. It is a chance for parents to experience a little bit of the Race and to see what God has been doing in their sons and daughters. It is also an opportunity for parents to take another step in their own journey, perhaps stepping outside of their own comfort zone by heading to the mission field.
Whenever possible, we try to host Parent Vision Trips at our Adventures Long Term Bases or in conjunction with long-term, closely linked partners. The World Race department takes this into consideration and tries to schedule Squads in these locations during month 7, 8, or 9 of their 11 month trip. For Gap Year Squads, they try to schedule for month 6 or 7.
Ministry hosts must be able to provide lodging, food, water, meeting space, and ministry opportunities for 60-100 participants. Most of our ministry is highly relational – meeting local people, hearing their stories, and sharing the hope and love of Christ with them. Much of our ministry is in impoverished areas, where you will see people living very differently than what you are used to.
Parents & Racers Only: We do not allow parents to attend the PVT unless they have been invited by their Racer. We do not want to compromise the integrity of the Racer’s journey and there are often family situations we are not aware of. We understand the desire to have others (siblings, aunts/uncles, grandparents, spiritual moms and dads) experience the PVT. However, we try to stay focused on intergenerational ministry between the Racer and their parents and rarely grant exceptions. Racers may ask for an exception which will be taken into consideration on a case-by-case basis.
Parents do not have to be believers in Christ. The PVT is the only trip we offer that does not require the participant to sign our Statement of Faith. Instead of agreeing to it, they just have to acknowledge that they are aware of it and will be respectful of it.
Non-PVT Racers: Racers whose parents are not on the PVT are typically not part of the PVT, and in fact may be some distance away. However, when the rest of the squad is nearby, the Facilitators may choose for the PVT to have an afternoon or evening overlap time with them (either "formally" as in a worship time or "informally" as in meeting up during unstructured time).
Married Racers: Both Racers go on the PVT even if one of them does not have parents coming.
All parents agree to this statement as part of the PVT application, and we ask Racers to respect it as well: "I understand that I am applying to be part of a Parent Vision Trip team which will be involved in mission work. It is important that the team operate with integrity in relationship to each other and to our ministry partner. As a team member, I will commit to being at scheduled team meetings (and if I am uncomfortable doing any particular ministry I will let the Facilitators know). In addition, out of respect for other parents, WR and PVT ministry hosts, and team Facilitators, I will not make plans to see my Racer either before or after the official PVT time frame. I understand that my Racer is still "on the Race" while joining me for the PVT and must still abide by WR protocols, including those related to behavior, safety and risk management."
While many parents and Racers would love to have the whole squad overlap with the PVT, we do not routinely do that. We want to keep the focus on parent/Racer intergenerational ministry and to respect the Racers who would find it hard to be around other parents. If the whole squad is in the same location as the PVT, we do encourage an optional one-time overlap for a meal, worship, activity, etc.
Generally speaking, every day you will have 3-4 hours of ministry, 3-4 hours of family time, Racer-led worship, debrief, and all meals in one location with all participants. In one sense, the entire trip will be parent/Racer time. However, our goal is to provide unstructured family time on a daily basis for parents and Racers to be together outside of ministry and team meetings. There is usually one “Non-Ministry Day” that gives some additional non-ministry time as a family. We will have options for you to choose from for this day. Because most people choose to go off on all-day tours, only breakfast will be provided on the non-ministry is day.
Keep in mind that it is all time with your Racer – the ministry time, the worship and debriefing times, and the less structured time is all time with your Racer. But we do try to schedule approximately 3 hours per day of the unstructured time. In addition, there is generally one non-ministry day for you to spend as a family.
Tentative dates and locations are announced prior to Launch. Dates and locations may change up until we send the official invites to the Racers. Invites to the Racers go out approximately 4 months prior to the trip date. Racers who want to invite their parents submit the parent name and email address to Adventures in Missions and an invite, with the details, is automatically sent to the parent.
The invite will include information about creating a profile, submitting an application, having a conversation with our Admissions department and all the other steps involved in getting you on the PVT.
Green light: Trips are “green lighted,” or officially scheduled, once we have 15 committed parents. A parent is committed once they have been accepted and have paid their $150 deposit. We have green lighted a small number of under-enrolled trips, when there have been extenuating circumstances, but they are always done on a case-by-case basis.
We do not “green light” a trip (give it an official “go”) until we have 15 committed participants. At that point we will provide you the official airport to fly into, as well as the arrival and departure times you will need to work around. We ask you not to book non-refundable travel arrangements prior to that point.
Passports: If you do not currently have a passport you can find information on how to expedite the process here. Many countries require your passport to be valid for 6 months past the date of your trip, and some may require you to have a certain number of blank pages left in your passport.
Arrival & Departure Times: Parents are responsible for travel to and from the meeting point they will receive for the trip. Once the PVT is green lighted, the Admissions Advisor will provide parents with the arrival and departure times they must use in order to purchase their airline tickets as well as the specific airport that they will need to fly into. Day 1 of the PVT is arrival day and there is often an orientation meeting after the scheduled arrival time. Keep in mind that for many locations, it can take 1 to 2 days to travel to the destination.
Many times when booking round trip flights, it can be hard to find inexpensive tickets that coincide with both the arrival and departure times provided. However, in order to arrange transportation, and to respect the other members of the trip, the trip facilitators, and the ministry contacts, parents and Racers are required to use the arrival and departure times given. If there is any reason that you are unable to do so, you must get approval from the Parent Ministry BEFORE booking the tickets.
Parents are welcome to use our travel agent if they need help booking tickets, Chris Basden, LTD. Direct Phone: 425-354-6914 Email: chris@tangerinetravel.com. Please provide this information: name as it appears on passport, date of birth, city you will be departing from and returning to, departure date and return date, and the number of passengers.
Personal Vacation Time (applies to parents, not Racers): Parents are always welcome to book additional days around the trip for personal vacation time; however, there are several things you should be aware of when planning this. Parents will be responsible for booking and paying for extra lodging, transportation, food, etc. You cannot fundraise through Adventures in Missions for this. Parents will not be allowed to arrive early or stay later at the ministry location or trip lodging site. Parents and Racers will not be allowed to spend time together outside of the PVT window, regardless of whether their team is in the location where parents extend their trip. These rules are made for a reason and we ask you to respect them.
Racers are welcome to invite all parents and stepparents. To help avoid awkward surprises, we do ask them to let all parents/stepparents know who has been invited.
While we do provide a way for Racers to request an exception, it is very rare that we grant an exception and allow a sibling to come. We understand the desire for siblings to experience a taste of the Race, and we even acknowledge that it could potentially encourage a sibling’s spiritual life. But that is not the purpose of the Parent Vision Trip. PVTs are focused on the intergenerational ministry between parent and Racer and we are committed to that purpose.
Racers may submit a request to invite someone other than a parent. But as mentioned in the above question/answer, it is rare that we grant exceptions due to our commitment to the intergenerational parent/Racer focus.
No. However, we are happy to help you coordinate with other team members regarding travel plans. In many cases, we can find someone else on the trip that you can connect with.
The trip cost for a parent to go on a Parent Vision Trip varies, due to location, the minimum cost for a PVT would be $900. The cost of required travel medical insurance (typically between $25 and $35) will be required on top of this cost. To see a breakdown of expenses, click here.
A deposit of $150 (applied toward total trip cost) is due after completion of a phone conversation with the Admissions Advisor. If we do not green light the trip, your deposit will be returned. Unless there are extenuating circumstances, registration will close approximately 60 days prior to the start date of the trip. Final balance will be due approximately 45 days prior to the start date of the trip. Be sure you are aware of the dates and deadlines on your invitation/admissions process to have the correct information for your trip.
The trip cost covers lodging, food, local transportation and ministry costs (except for the situation mentioned below) for you AND YOUR RACER from the pickup time/location to the dropoff time/location except for some non-ministry day meals and activities. You will have an Adventures support raising account and can support raise for this portion of the trip. (Due to the fact that WR must commit lodging and food budgets to ministry hosts before knowing who will be on PVT, Racers are not subsidized by WR while on the PVT.) Trip cost also covers facilitator costs (airfare, lodging, food, local transport), and administrative costs from the office (office overhead costs, PVT Coordinator expenses, supplies, etc.).
The PVT trip cost does not include: transportation to and from the PVT meeting location, pre and post PVT hotels, meals, or transportation, non-ministry day activities, misc. snacks, sodas, etc., drinks in the bars for PVTs doing bar ministry. In addition, passport costs, visa costs, travel immunizations and medications are not included.
Support Raising: Parents can fundraise for the trip costs ($785) the same way Racers do for the World Race. If you’d like some fundraising ideas, your Admissions Advisor can talk to you about that.
You will need to pay for your airfare to and from the PVT location. In addition, if you arrive early or stay late – either to sightsee, deal with jet lag or because flight schedules require it – any extra meals or hotel costs will be your responsibility. There will be a non-ministry day on the PVT. Some non-ministry day options may have a cost associated with them, but there will always be options that do not require any out of pocket cost. Any costs related to passports, visas, medications, or immunizations are the participant's responsibility.
Parents will not be asked to tent or sleep on the ground. They will generally stay in a guest house, hostel or hotel. A few locations have facilities that allow couples to have their own room, while parents traveling alone will share a room with someone of the same gender. In most locations, the lodging is dorm style bunk rooms and parents will be separated by gender.
If parents need to bring linens, towels or pillows, they will know ahead of time.
PVTs have become very large for most squads and finding lodging can be a challenge. We try to house parents and Racers at the same site. In some locations, parents are inside and Racers are tenting on the grounds. In other locations, lodging arrangements may be a short walk from each other. Racers and parents will not be assigned to the same room, but are welcome to relax in common areas as long as they would like.
You will be eating a variety of foods based on what is available locally. That may mean fewer vegetables than you like, not as many choices as you are used to, and maybe more rice and beans than you care for. Some meals may be at local restaurants, others may be prepared at the lodging site, and some may be bag lunches taken to ministry locations. Clean drinking water will be provided for you, either bottled or purified. Many locations will have grocery stores, 7-11s, coffee shops, etc. within walking distance. While we expect all PVT team members to honor the team and eat together, the availability of these kinds of locations allow you to supplement meals (if you wish to) with some other snacks at your own expense.
If you have dietary restrictions, it will be important to bring necessary items with you, as many food items are not available overseas.
Accessibility: We cannot guarantee that you will have access to the internet since each location is different and the availability of WIFI and other services varies greatly between locations. It is best to plan on limited access during the trip. We suggest speaking with your phone carrier before leaving the country to know what options you might have for temporary international service. You should also be aware of what charges text messages, phone calls and data usage will incur outside of the U.S.
Power Outlets: We cannot guarantee that you will have access to power outlets at the lodging site. If they are present, there are often very few available to use. We recommend only bringing items that are absolutely necessary and bringing extra, fully charged batteries for things like cameras to reduce the need for power outlets. Many power cords have built-in voltage converters, so please check the cords of any device you choose to bring. In most cases, you will need an adapter. You can see a picture of the power outlet on the "Locations" tab on your country page. For more information, click here.
Absolutely. But you can only see your Racer during the PVT. Many parents do add on days to sightsee in that area of the world. In addition, arriving a day or two early does help you recover from jet lag and be a bit more acclimated to dive into ministry once the PVT begins.
Because we are not licensed medical professionals, we cannot make health decisions or medical recommendations for our participants. Please visit the CDC’s travel vaccination website to see the vaccinations and medications required or recommended by country and region.
http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/page/vaccinations.htm - General Page
http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/list.htm - Country List
We require every participant that travels internationally with us to have travel health insurance through MissionSafe. You will be given instructions on how to purchase that directly from our broker. You are only required to have coverage for the dates of the PVT, but we recommend obtaining coverage for travel time and any additional time you'll be out of the U.S. related to PVT.
The amount of spending money you bring is up to you. It is always good to have USD for emergencies, exchange upon arrival, and your return. Upon arrival, you should be able to find an exchange counter or ATM at the airport. (You will generally get a better rate if you use an ATM and withdraw in local currency, instead of an exchange counter. However, for most parents, the amount of money you would be withdrawing or exchanging will not result in huge differences.) Do not bring travelers' checks, as they must be cashed at a bank, and we cannot guarantee that will be possible.
In many locations you will also be able to use credit or debit cards for many purchases.
Our Parent Ministry team will be monitoring a PVT emergency line 24/7 during the trip. The emergency number is found at the bottom of the page. If you need to get a message to your trip leader, or if a family member needs to get an emergency message to you while you are on PVT, please use this number.
P V T E M E R G E N C Y N U M B E R : 877.356.9266
A D M I S S I O N S A D V I S O R : 770.744.4542