Mission trip overview

Six things to keep in mind
Possible Itinerary and dates
Costs
Fundraising ideas
Related links

MISSION MONTEVIDEO : GOOD SHEPHERD'S LATIN AMERICA MISSION PROJECT
Good Shepherd is heading south; to Montevideo , Uruguay and the congregation of Nuestro Salvador (“Our Savior”) in Spring 2007. Our Momentum for Mission program includes a Latin America mission thrust. The Latin America Planning Group here at church has discerned this to take the form of partnership with a South American congregation through a companion mission group, Lutheran Partners in Global Ministry. Nuestro Salvador is the only congregation in Uruguay which is part of the Iglesia Evangelica Luterana Unida Argentina Y Uruguay (IELC – United Evangelical Lutheran Church of Argentina and Uruguay ). The congregation has a strong vision of mission, with the activities below. Our congregation will become part of Nuestro Salvador's mission work as we witness the Body of Christ in this setting and attempt, through partnership, to support one another in our mutual goal of being faithful followers of Jesus. The congregation is seeking partnership for the following mission work:

1. Christian Education at the parish through Sunday School.

2. Restart the work at the “mission San Juan ,” to provide Christian education and have weekly celebrations in the wider community.

3. Continue a monthly Bible study group in Canelones, about 70 kilometers from Montevideo

4. Establish a missionary plan for Nuestro Salvador's participation in the federation of Evangelical Churches in Uruguay .

5. Carry out social work by providing food to people with very limited resources with Nuestro Salvador's limited resources.
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SIX (6) THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND ABOUT MISSION MONTEVIDEO

1. Intergenerational: This mission trip is open to people of almost any age! Previous trips to similar partner congregations have included travelers as young as nine-years-old and as old as the mid-80s. We should not experience very long and rugged travel past the flight and plan to stay in a seminary dormitory and a hotel. Are you in good health? Do you enjoy getting to know new people of new cultures? That's all that's necessary.
2. Pioneering: This is Good Shepherd's first intergenerational mission trip outside of the United States in a long time and our first, for sure, to this congregation in Uruguay . It would be exciting to help forge this new relationship wrapped around our common love for God.
3. Team building: There's nothing like working, traveling and dealing with new experiences to bind a group of individuals. Expect to be more deeply connected to your fellow missionaries, the Good Shepherd community, and even followers of Jesus worldwide through this mission trip.
4. All on the Journey: Every member of the Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd is invited on this mission trip, whether they plan to help give food to hungry people alongside Nuestro Salvador's members or through daily prayer for our missionaries and our new partners while sitting at their own kitchen table. Opportunities to participate in this trip will be publicized regularly.
5. No experience needed! At this stage in our partnership, the most important “skills” team members should bring include their love of God, willingness to meet new people of new cultures, commitment to work as part of a team, a servant spirit and a commitment to listen and learn more than to “do.” The mission work of Nuestro Salvador can be performed by people with a variety of interests and abilities.
6. Willing to embrace change! Most people who take part in mission trips say they return home transformed, reinvigorated in their faith and commitment to discipleship and see their home congregation and the world with new eyes.
   
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POSSIBLE MISSION TRIP ITINERARY

Sunday Feb. 25: Flight from Minneapolis to Houston (leave at 5:20 p.m. )

Flight from Houston to Buenos Aires (B.A.) – overnight flight, 9 p.m. to 10:20 a.m.

Monday Feb. 26: Arrive in B.A. in the morning. All day orientation at the seminary in B.A. Go out for dinner and stay overnight at the seminary

Tuesday Feb. 27: Leave the seminary in the morning.

Drive by van and take a ferry to Montevideo , Uruguay , where Nuestro Salvador is located. Meet with the Pastor and participate in other activities such as meeting the congregation, dinner, sightseeing.

Wednesday Feb. 28: Spend the day at the church, visiting the congregation's outreach activities in a neighboring barrio (neighborhood) Possible mid-week Lenten service

Thursday March 1: Engage in relationship building and partner project tasks

Friday March 2: Visit the more remote area north of Montevideo , and participating in Nuestro Salvador's projects there.ng and project tasks. Identify next steps, such as communication between trips, next trip goals, etc.

Travel back to B.A. in the afternoon/evening. Have dinner at the seminary and spend the evening discussing experiences. Overnight at the seminary.

Saturday March 3: Spend the day with members of Nuestro Salvador. Identify next steps, such as communication between trips, identifying common mission tasks, plan next trip goals, etc. Take church leadership out for dinner.

Sunday March 4: Worship with Nuestro Salvador. Travel back to Buenos Aires . Dinner at the Seminary and spend the evening discussing experiences. Stay overnight at the seminary.

Monday, March 5: Breakfast at the seminary. Sightseeing in Buenos Aires . Free time. Fly back to Minneapolis at 10:50 p.m.

Tuesday, March 6: Arrive in Minneapolis at 10:33 a.m.

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COSTS

Mission trip participants are expected to pay for their airfare. Tickets reserved by Thanksgiving 2006 will be $1,050. All in country costs, including trip insurance, lodging and most meals, will be paid for by Momentum for Mission travel scholarships if participants would like this help.

Money for a couple of meals and souvenirs, etc. is all you should need once you are “in the air.”

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FUNDRAISING IDEAS

Write and send out a fund raising letter to people whom you know to help sponsor your trip.

Ask friends or relatives to consider giving you money for your trip as their Christmas or birthday gifts to you.

Organize a garage sale, collecting “stuff” from neighbors and friends (M4M folks) to sell

Do a car wash on your block, at your house. Involve your children/parents

Offer to do laundry or clean the house for neighbors, friends, relatives

Are you a great baker? Offer to bake and sell certain items to people whom you know.

Offer to prepare a meal for people.

Can you plan an instrument? Offer to play for parties, etc. or host a backyard concert with people whom you know playing an offer appetizers or desserts and wine.

Offer to babysit

Label a jar and put it out at your workplace, in a classroom, in your house to collect spare change. It's amazing how it adds up!

Pass out empty film canisters to a few friends or relatives and ask them to collect quarters for your trip.

Set aside money each week in lieu of feeding a habit such as buying a coffee or renting a video. Or plan a simpler meal one evening a week and give the balance to your collection container.

CHURCH FUNDRAISING:

Aaron Miller said he is willing to play at a benefit concert for our group.

Ask Noodles to donate proceeds toward our trip.

Seek other corporations/businesses to help us fundraise

Sell t-shirts

Maybe we could hold a “drive in” movie night at Good Shepherd (in the parking lot or fellowship hall) and ask for donations

Be a food tester at Foodperspectives.com

Host a box lunch after church some Sunday and action off the lunches (maybe M4M people could donate a box lunch for your money raising)

Sell “day” sponsorships of our trip. E.g. $10 a day

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COMPANION CHURCH : IGLESIA EVANGELICA LUTERANA UNIDA ARGENTINA Y URUGUAY

To learn more about the IELU, click on the following web-link:

http://www.elca.org/countrypackets/argentina/church.html

LUTHERAN PARTNERS IN GLOBAL MINISTRY

To learn more about Lutheran Partners in Global Ministry, click on: http://www.lutheranpartners.org/

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