VISITOR INFO
A Letter Of Preparation
Dear Friend,
We praise God that you have chosen to serve Jesus as a short-term missionary on the island of Hispaniola (Haiti/Dominican Republic). God has given all of us different skills, abilities, and gifts to use for His glory. We believe that your experience at Mission of Hope International (MOHI) will forever affect your life.
Start praying now for God’s anointing to be on you as you work and witness Jesus’ love for the people you will be meeting. Believe God to do miracles for them. There’s nothing so fulfilling as experiencing God changing lives through you. We believe God will use you as His vessel of blessing to these precious people.
“…Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” -Matthew 25:40
As you prepare to visit us in Haiti, we want to offer some practical pointers for you and some guidelines to follow during your trip. Thank you again for choosing to spend your time doing good.
Contact MOHI: Once you’ve decided to visit Mission of Hope International, contact us to check available dates to stay at the Mission. If you are coming as part of a scheduled group, we request that you arrive and leave Haiti on the same days and times as the others in the group so that we may all make the most out of our time.
Sincerely,
All of us at Mission of Hope International
Costs
Each team forming a Hope Encounter incurs dozens of expenses, such as in-country transportation, housing, food, water, training and ministry materials, administrative costs, and more. We ask that each team member contribute $895 toward these expenses. Additional expenses to consider are airfare, porter tips at the airport, souvenirs, store-bought refreshments, special projects, and donations.
The cost of airfare varies depending on the date and city you are traveling from. We recommend you check airfares as soon as you have confirmed your travel dates with MOHI. You and your team should plan to travel to either Puerto Plata (POP) or Santiago (STI), and everyone should arrive within a few hours of each other.
Travel Documents: If you are a US Citizen, you will need a valid US Passport to travel to and from the Dominican Republic. If yours is expired or if you don’t have one, you will need to apply right away (ask at your local post office where you must go to apply). It can take as long as 6 weeks for your request to be processed and your passport mailed to you. If you don’t have 6 weeks before your scheduled trip, you can pay an extra charge for express service.
Health Concerns
The Dominican Republic does not require any vaccinations for entry; however, we recommend you call or visit your physician when planning your trip. Please advise us of any medical conditions you may have. Several illnesses can be contracted through mosquito bites, so we strongly recommend applying and re-applying insect repellent throughout the day.
While in the Dominican Republic:
- Wash your hands and use hand sanitizer before putting anything in your mouth.
- Drink water provided by the Mission ONLY! Outside the Mission, drink only pre-packaged or bottled drinks such as Coca-Cola. Do not purchase homemade juices outside the Mission or stop to drink at a well.
- Eat foods prepared at the Mission only. If you must eat outside the Mission, confer with a missionary first.
- Eat well. Sleep well. Pray without ceasing. This will help to keep your illness resistance high.
- Do not stay in direct sunlight for long periods of time. Apply and reapply sunblock regularly to avoid sunburn and skin damage. Use sunglasses.
- Do not walk around barefoot. Wear shoes, sneakers, or sandals at all times.
- Avoid touching bleeding cuts or open sores on children.
Packing List
Check with your air carrier for details concerning size, weight and quantity of checked bags. Here is a list of items needed regularly at the Mission.
Expect conditions similar to camping. The Dominican Republic is hot (especially in summer). Moderate, lightweight cotton clothing will be most comfortable. Women must wear undergarments, including bras, except when swimming, bathing, or sleeping. Nothing overly revealing or tight, please.
Here are a few items you don't want to forget:
- Comfortable, breatheable cotton clothing
- Skirts or dresses (women), or long pants & sleeved shirts (men) for church
- Rimmed hat
- Phone charger
- Water bottle
- Backpack or bag
- Sneakers, socks & sandals
- Shampoo and body soap
- Toothbrush and toothpaste
- Deodorant
- Hairbrush
- Towel/washcloth
- Personal hygiene supplies
- Powder
- Insect repellent
- Sunblock
- Sunglasses
- Flashlight with spare batteries
- A small blanket (winter)
- Personal medications (prescribed & over the counter)
- Carry-on bag (with a change of clothes, money, passport, tickets, camera, insect repellent wipes, and other vitals)
Please consider carrying one suitcase of mission supplies with you. Contact us at HopeEncounters@mohintl.org for priority needs.
Many people like to leave things behind for the mission or individuals when they leave. We ask that you put items you’re leaving in a plastic bag and leave them in the area designated by the team host. Do NOT give any gifts personally without prior approval. This easily turns into personal conflict between staff members, church members, or staff and missionaries. Please communicate directly with your team host so they can make arrangements for gift-giving.
Please don't hesitate to contact us with any questions. HopeEncounters@mohintl.org
Flying & Arrival in the Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic has a simple, online form to complete prior to arriving at the airport. It covers
both immigration and customs and can be found at https://eticket.migracion.gob.do/ There is a box in
the upper right-hand corner where you can choose your preferred language. (Please note that from
time to time you may need to click on it again.)
You will be staying with friends/family. The address is la Calle 27 de Febrero. The province is Puerto Plata. The municipality is Luperòn. The section is la Marina.
When you arrive in the Dominican Republic, you will pass through immigration before you go to retrieve your luggage. Never give up a luggage claim ticket if you do not have that luggage in your possession.
At least one person will be waiting outside the airport to bring you to the Mission. Never leave the airport with someone other than this person. If you don't immediately see this person, proceed to the seating area straight ahead and to the left of the exit.
The ride to the Mission is normally 1.5 - 2 hours.
When you arrive at the Mission, cold water will be available to drink. You will be given some time to bring your bags to your room, wash up and enjoy a meal. Depending on the time you arrive, there will be an orientation either that night or the next morning.
Housing & Church
Please be considerate of others while staying at the mission. Keep noise levels to a minimum after 9 PM and before 7 AM, and be on time for meals. Please keep common places clean and picked up. Personal items should be put in your room or hung on a line. When you are leaving, please leave your room free of trash, dirt, and dirty clothes.
Whenever attending church services, be prepared to share a greeting, word of encouragement, or praise report with the church. It is not unusual to be asked, so keep this in mind. A missionary will be available to translate for you so that the local people will understand.
Based on the team's application/information forms, we will plan your schedule while in the Dominican Republic. If there is anything that you cannot do or must do, please let us know in advance so that we can incorporate that into the schedule.
If you are part of a group, please do not expect vehicles to make trips for the convenience of individuals. We like to make each trip count and we don't always have an extra staff member available to make another trip.
Whatever you do here in the Dominican Republic, MANY eyes are watching you. Please do your best to be a good example to all of them. Do your part to set a positive, Christ-centered atmosphere for everyone we encounter.
For the sake of peace among team members, missionaries and other visitors, please refrain from talking about politics and deep doctrines beyond Christ and Him crucified. We want to show respect to ALL people, whether they believe exactly as you do or not.