Why go on Circle Tour 2012? Liz Curtis Higgs (Best-selling author of Bad Girls of the Bible), who went on Circle Tour 2010 says: "What a huge blessing it was to encourage my American sisters as we ministered together in Thailand! An even greater joy was speaking directly to the beautiful Thai women. Through gifted interpreters I had the privilege of sharing my testimony and God's grace. Watching their eyes light up, hearing their stories, getting to hug them...oh, my. After 25 years of speaking, I can truly say Circle Tour 2010 was a mountaintop experience! Women At Risk is an amazing organization, serving God with their heads and hearts and hands, extending his life-changing message of love and hope to women around the world. In whatever ways you can support them, encourage them, and minister with them, say YES to WAR!"
Airfare: $1,500-$1,700 (tickets are purchased through Carol Lenger, #877-531-6677) Yes, you may use sky miles toward this as long as you coordinate all details with the WAR, Int'l office, and Carol Lenger.
Airfare, lodging, transportation, travelers insurance, and meals are included in the original cost of the trip. All other expenses are your responsibility at first, and may be submitted for reimbursement once the core part of the trip is paid for (see above question for breakdown).
There are three phases of expenses for this trip. The core costs (phase one) consist of lodging, meals and in country transportation. The second phase is airfare and the final phase is pre and post field costs including immunizations, donor gifts, postage, & more. Contact office for questions in what might be in this portion of the phase.
Raising Support
Due to the nature of timing for expenses, support letters need to be mailed at least six (6) months prior to departure for the trip. The following time frame is intended to allow enough time to raise funds needed and have funds available when expenses are incurred.
Deposit – first team meeting (or set date by office)
50% of funds should be raised 60 days prior to departure. This is approximately the cost of the airfare.
100% of funds should be raise 30 days prior to departure.
When sending support letters, WAR, Int’l will provide envelopes and return envelopes for mailings. Each team member is responsible for postage. This postage can be held by individual as an expense and reimbursed from funds raised after all other expenses are covered (again keep all receipts).
Our current plans are to stay in the Indra Regent Hotel in Bangkok, which is modern, safe, and comfortable; a perfect place for us to relax and debrief on all that we experience. You can find out more about the hotel at www.indrahotel.com. We have lodged here for over 3 years as an organization, and pray the door will continue to be open for us to have a ministry to the Indra Regent staff.
Our travel agent, Carol Lenger, will be responsible for finding the least expensive flights. Because of this, everyone will be together on the last flight into Thailand. Since people will be coming from different places, we will meet up with one another in connecting cities (Detroit, Tokyo, etc.).
If you are looking to use sky miles/airline miles, Carol will work on this with you. If a different airliner is needed for you to travel using your miles, you will still be with part of our group on the last leg on the way into Thailand as a safety precaution.
Physically we are in no danger, but spiritually we are a target. It is absolutely vital that you begin praying on the armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-24)…starting the minute you receive this packet (see insert provided for examples of praying on God’s Armor!
Sign a statement indicating that you accept in its entirety the Code of Consent/Conduct
Be a member or attendee in good standing with your local church
Be a growing Christian, active in your local church
Complete the application process
Attend all pre trip meetings and post trip debrief (this may be by conference call, or by DVD with returned signed form stating you have watching orientation).
Be in regular, daily prayer for WAR, Int’l, team members, and yourself
Be flexible, taking direction and supervision from experienced personnel and be able to work independently.
Maintain confidentiality of sensitive situations
Follow security instructions before, during, and after trip to protect field missionaries, rescued women, nationals, projects, your team, and yourself
Recognize that many expectations will not be reality for short termers due to language, cultural, and time limits
There are no required shots to take, but it is highly recommended that you have the following:
Updated Tetanus shot
Hepatitis A
Hepatitis B
Required medicine for Thailand:
Doxycycline for diarrhea and upset stomach (and also a key medication of choice for Malaria) — requires prescription (always remember to ask your doctor if new medications may cause any side effects with your other current medications.
*Do not settle for “Larium” as it has serious side effects and we will not take anyone on a trip who is on this medication. If you are having problems with this please contact the office immediately.
Prescription medications should have the doctor's prescription with it. Most meds come with the prescription on the side of the bottle. If the bottle does not have the information it would be best to ask your doctor for it in writing. You will need to notify the team doctor/nurse of your medications. All information will be kept confidential. Please enclose a copy of your current medications (even over the counter) in a sealed envelope with your name for the team doctor/nurse.
We will have 1-2 full-day orientations in Grand Rapids. Those who do not live in Grand Rapids will receive a DVD of the training. If you are able to come from out of town to Grand Rapids, housing will be arranged for you.
Once WAR, Int'l has found a flight, we suggest that you purchase your own tickets and we will reimburse you from your support account once you have reached past phase one of your support. You are more than welcome to wait until the money comes in for your ticket, and we will purchase it out of your funding, however we cannot guarantee the lower price. This will have to be a decision of prayer. Please call the office if you need to talk things through, and we can work things out.
WAR, Int’l is asking for a $200 non-refundable deposit by October 24, 2008. This amount locks you into the tour. If you do need to cancel you can still back out, but you will not be able to receive your $200 back. The money will in turn be donated to the group trip and divided up between those who still need funding, or if all have reached their goal will be donated to a WAR, Int’l project.
In addition, there are three phases of reimbursement.
Phase 1 – core cost to live in Thailand – room/board/taxis/food/etc. Because we have to reserve rooms and wire money over for us as well as exchange money for you we will collect this money first. The final due date for this is 45 days before the trip (December 28, 2011).
Phase 2 – plane tickets – once you have covered your core cost, we can begin reimbursement of your already purchased plane tickets (see later question regarding the how and when).
Phase 3 – any additional costs – this includes postage for support and thank you letters, thank you cards, passport fees, immunizations, etc. Please keep all receipts of phase 3 like purchases for reimbursement purposes.
A passport that is valid at least 6 months after February 22nd, 2010. If you do not have one, apply for one at least three months in advance. Directions are online: http://travel.state.gov/passport/passport_1738.html. Keep in mind that processing fees double if you need to have it expedited.
A copy of your passport needs to be turned in to the WAR, Int’l office two months prior to departure.
Visa
A visa is NOT required to enter Thailand. If you are traveling to other countries outside of Thailand please correspond with the WAR, Int’l office for assistance and details. For security reasons our office will help you apply for a Visa if required.
Travel Insurance
Overseas travel insurance is required for this trip. WAR, Int’l will purchase this for participants. It is vital that you have sent in your application with the proper personal information for the office to obtain travelers insurance for you. WAR, Int’l recommends you check with your current insurance provider regarding what overseas provision is included in your plan, if any beyond what WAR, Int'l's package covers.
No one will be able to make phone calls from the hotel because of the high cost per minute in addition to tacked on hotel fees. In the last two years we have had people with bills ranging from $200-300 dollars even with using a prepaid phone card.
Once over in Thailand you may only call home if you purchase a temporary cell phone or your cell phone is internationally equipped. Please contact your cell phone provider for information on this option.
Visa credit cards are most commonly accepted around the world. We do not recommend American Express or Discover cards as they are rarely accepted outside the United States. Businesses will typically charge you a 3% surcharge for the use of credit cards vs. cash. Please contact the bank to notify them of your travel. In some countries (i.e. Thailand) your bank debit card can be used to withdraw cash from international ATM’s.
Cash
We do NOT recommend the purchase of traveler's checks due to their difficulty in exchanging for local currency and usually have a fee for processing. It is recommended you bring cash. Your cash should be clean with no writing on them and crisp bills in denominations of 50s or 100s. They will not accept bills with a slight tear or marking on it. You will only need cash for personal expenses.
Currency Exchange
In Thailand there are many official money changers. The best place to exchange money will be at either of 2 locations outside the hotel we will be staying at. Unused local currency can be exchanged back to U.S. Dollars upon departure, but you will take a hit in the reverse exchange.
NEVER change money on the streets with an individual. You risk getting shortchanged, receiving counterfeit bills, or becoming a victim of some other scam.