- A Launch Trip is a mission trip whose main goal is trying to start a movement on a campus where no current Cru movement exists.
- Any mission trip that spends time specifically trying to start a movement on a campus where no current Cru movement exists is considered to have a "Launching" element to it.
- The International Mission Trip Operations team is here to help with any sort of international mission trip that is approximately 7-10 days in length (the trip does not necessarily need to be launching a new movement).

3. Who do I ask for help?

- For help with any operations needs (finances, flights, visas, waivers, etc.) email the International Mission Trip Operations Team at: MissionTripOps@cru.org
- For help with contacting the in-country staff or making on-the-ground plans for your trip, contact your country's International Mission Director.

4. Do I need to get my trip approved? How do I choose a location?

- Yes! Please consult the International Mission Director for the location where you would like to go and get your trip approved. They are in contact with the National Staff and International Staff in various countries, and can help you plan your trip so that it makes the maximum impact in the country you go to.
- Also email the International Mission Trip Operations team and let them know when and where you are leading a trip and if you have gotten approval from the International Mission Director.

5. How do I get in contact with the in-country staff? What is their role vs. my role in planning the trip?

- Talk with the location's International Mission Director to find out if there is a team already working in the country. Then, reach out to the team while planning your trip. They might have work for you to do on campus or helpful tips for travel in your country. How much in-country staff can help you with ministry or logistics planning varies from team-to-team, but you’ll definitely want to reach out to the national staff, STINTers, or International Staff in the location you are traveling to.

6. When should I get my passport?

- All participants should have their passport in-hand at least one month before traveling. You often need a passport to apply for a visa, depending on the country you are traveling to, so the sooner you have your passport, the better. After you apply for a passport, it usually takes about 6-8 weeks to receive the passport in the mail. But, you'll often need documents such as a birth certificate to apply for a passport, and it could take a few weeks to order copies of those documents as well. So, it's wise to start the passport application process at least 3 months before traveling. You can find more information on getting a passport here.

7. How do I know if I need a visa?

- This website is very helpful for looking up visa information.

8. How do I book flights?

- It is usually best to use a travel agent or travel service to book flights for your mission trip (versus trying to book your own flights), because travel agents will save you a lot of logistical legwork. Click here to find more information about booking flights and a list of trusted travel agents.

9. Do we need to have passports to book flights?

- No. You can book flights on most airlines without having your passport. But, you will need your passport information eventually, even if it's just when you check in for your flight. However, the name, gender, and birth date information from your passport must exactly match the information on your plane tickets.

10. Can I use my rewards credit card to buy my plane tickets?

- Staff may not use a personal credit card in order to earn points, miles, rebates or other benefits. Staff must use the Ministry/Staff Card in all instances where a credit card is accepted.
- Personnel traveling on behalf of Cru may accept and retain frequent flyer miles and compensation for denied boarding for their personal use.
- Individuals may not deliberately patronize a single airline to accumulate frequent flyer miles if less expensive comparable tickets are available on another airline. When booking travel, staff must get quotes for similar travel times from multiple airlines and may only use the preferred airlines if the cost is no more than 10% higher than other similar flying options.

11. What should I do if my flight is canceled or delayed? What if the airline loses my luggage?

- First, try to contact any people who are going to meet you at your destination and inform them of the situation.
- If you used a travel agent to book your tickets, contact them for assistance.
- If you used Flightfox to book your tickets, they will work directly with the airline to protect your interests and find a solution. They pride themselves on customer service and are available 24/7 to help. Please contact them if you need assistance!
- If you booked the tickets yourself, you will need to talk with the airline and find a remedy to the situation.

12. How much can I pack? How heavy can my bag be?

- Consult your airline(s) for luggage weight-limits. Many airlines have a 50-pound limit. However, remember this is just a short trip! A good rule of thumb is to only pack what you can carry.
- Picture this: you arrive in the Czech Republic after a 12 hour flight and 2 hour train ride. You get off the train not sure which way to go, groggy and exhausted. You start walking - it is beautiful! Old historic buildings, unique cobblestone. After consulting a map or phone, you find out your housing is just a few blocks away, a short walk, so you and your students get going. On cobblestone. With 50-pound suitcases. Excitement quickly turns to frustration as passersby stare at the loud Americans who seem to keep getting their suitcase wheels stuck. Consider this when packing for your mission trip.

13. Should we just pay for parking at the airport for our trip?

- Staff and participants should be dropped off at the airport. If this is absolutely not possible, parking expenses can be reimbursed if excess funds were raised, but cannot be reimbursed from the trip's budget. Consider parking somewhere cheaper (or free!) or get a ride, shuttle, taxi, Uber, or Lyft to the airport (these expenses can be reimbursed as well).

14. Can I travel on my own/take a vacation overseas before returning to the U.S.?

- Students need to fly with all of the other mission trip participants to and from the overseas location.
- Staff should talk with their supervisor about taking vacation days and who will lead the mission trip as students return to the U.S. If personal travel is permitted and all other mission trip responsibilities are covered by another team leader, all additional costs (including any travel costs beyond the cost of the original return flight for the trip) must be covered out-of-pocket and cannot be reimbursed or paid for by the mission trip.

15. What is SOS, and is it required?

- SOS is an emergency assistance service. It offers advice and evacuation, as needed. In most cases, we use it for advice and consultation regarding medical care while overseas. Note: SOS is not medical coverage. A common misconception is that it functions like medical insurance; it does not.
- SOS is REQUIRED for every student and staff going overseas. Enrollment is easy - just go to this website and fill out the form. After enrollment, each participant/staff will receive email information about SOS, as well as the applicable release form that they will need to sign electronically prior to departure.

16. How do I use SOS?

- To use SOS overseas, call the number on your emergency contact card. Immediately upon notification of an accident or illness, SOS will direct you to a doctor for evaluation. The doctor will determine if the condition can be treated locally. If not, the doctor will recommend the necessary steps to get you to the proper medical facility. The medical teams of SOS are able to respond to any emergency 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Depending on the severity of the situation, SOS will provide assistance ranging from telephone consultation to emergency evacuation.

17. What precautions do I need to take when traveling to a secure location?

- Because security concerns vary by location, contact your location's International Mission Director and contact the in-country staff for more information about the precautions you and your students should take.

18. Can anyone help us with cultural training before we go on our trip?

- Contact the International Mission Director for the location, the in-country staff or others who have led previous trips to learn what type of cultural information would be helpful to know prior to your trip.

19. Can people who are gluten-free or have other special dietary needs go overseas on a trip?

- To determine if your trip can accommodate those with special dietary needs, talk with in-country staff about their experiences with the food in your destination country. It's possible that your destination country could have many good options for those who cannot eat certain foods. However, it's best to talk with others who are familiar with the country before telling participants that their special dietary needs can or cannot be met on the trip.

20. How do I find in-country housing for us to stay at?

- Talk to the in-country staff or STINTers to find housing that is affordable and reasonably located. If there is no team in the location where you are going, contact the International Mission Director for the location. Please note the new housing policy states that every effort should be made so that each student can have their own bed to sleep in. Under no circumstances should staff and students share a bed.

21. How do I arrange for in-country transportation?

- Talk with the in-country staff or STINTers to learn the best way to travel. If there is no team in the location where you are going, contact the International Mission Director for the location. Preparing for travel may include purchasing a bus or subway pass or downloading the Lyft or Uber app.

22. Can I rent a car overseas?

- Renting a car is allowed only when it is cheaper than using other forms of local transportation (e.g., taxis, buses), or when you are visiting locations where using other forms of transportation just aren’t practical. Check with Risk Management before signing a rental agreement, but in general, when you are overseas you will want to obtain any insurance coverage they offer you. Be sure to ask about long-term rates and specials to get the best deal.

23. Can I get my students individual account numbers to raise support (like they do for Summer Missions)?

- The International Mission Trip Operations team and Field Finance team have a system to get individual account numbers for students, but the process takes longer than getting students an account number for Summer Missions. Email MissionTripOps@cru.org and we can help you set up individual account numbers for your trip.

24. Can students make a GoFundMe to raise support for their trip?

- No. GoFundMe and other crowdfunding websites should NOT be used to raise the necessary funds for a trip. These sites do not align with Cru’s support raising process, and money given through GoFundMe is not considered to be in the possession of Cru, requires an additional 8% fee, and is not tax-deductible.

25. Does each of our students need to have an individual support goal? Or, can we have a support goal for the entire trip?

- As the trip leader, it's totally up to you! Both individual support goals and a communal support goal have advantages and disadvantages. Depending on your students' socioeconomic, cultural, and ethnic backgrounds, having a communal support goal for the trip might make the most sense.

26. Can we have bake sale / car wash / fundraiser to raise support for our trip?

- Technically, students and volunteers can raise funds this way, but the practice is not encouraged and staff may not participate in any way. There are very specific guidelines for how such a fundraiser can operate because of IRS regulations, and one of the rules is that staff cannot be involved (even if they are "off duty"). For the complete policy and guidelines, refer to the Field Financial Policy Manual in the "Other Cash Receipts - 4.0 Garage Sales, Youth Activity Sales, Craft Sales, Etc." section.

27. Are there resources to help students from ethnic minority backgrounds raise support?

- We want to see students from every ethnic background be a part of fulfilling the Great Commission. Our ministry leaders have developed this list of resources to address some of the support raising barriers faced by ethnic minorities. We also encourage you to talk with your team leader or our cohorts leadership (the Field Mission Director) if you have questions or need more help in empowering ethnic minority students to be fully funded for your trip.

28. What should I do if a trip participant drops out?

- Check out this document for helpful tips and steps to take if a participant drops out of your trip.

29. What is an Operating Advance, how do I get one, and when should I request it?

- An Operating Advance is fancy language for a “ministry loan”. To get an Operating Advance, submit an Operating Advance Request.
- If your request is approved, the ministry will give you funds (from your trip’s chartfield) in advance to cover trip expenses. These funds will be deposited into your personal bank account. You are borrowing ministry money to operate the mission trip – which (and this is VERY important) means that you have to fully account for how you spent these funds and turn in receipts after the trip. (This is called "clearing" your Operating Advance.) This ensures that you actually spent ministry money on ministry-appropriate purposes. If you don't account for all of the money and return any extra within 90 days, the missing amount will be deducted from your paychecks.
- You should request an Operating Advance about one month before your trip, and certainly no later than two weeks before your departure date.

30. How much should I plan to spend in-country?

- Your budget will depend on a lot of factors like how expensive lodging, in-country transportation, and food are. We have created sample budgets for a 7-day trip in some common ministry destinations. These can be a helpful starting point, but be sure to ask the in-country staff for more details on how much you should expect to spend.

31. How do I get money in-country?

- First and foremost, use your MinistryCard whenever possible. (Ask the in-country staff if this is feasible.)
- If you'll need cash (which you probably will), a great option is to submit an Operating Advance and make a plan to either:

a) Access the money from you personal bank account using ATMs in-country. (Make sure you check how much foreign ATM fees will be!)

b) Bring USD cash with you to exchange into the local currency. (However, try not to bring more than $10,000, as this requires a lot of extra work with customs.)

- For more detailed information, read this Guide to Taking $$ In-Country.

HAVE MORE QUESTIONS?

- Email us anytime at MissionTripOps@cru.org. We're here to help!

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