Mission Trip Dominican Republic Introduction

This post is Mission Trip Dominican Republic – Introduction. It is the introduction to a trip report on my travel experience flying to the Dominican Republic.

Background

I signed up for a Mission Trip that was organized by Eagle Brook Church to the Dominican Republic.

The trip was made up of a team of about 25 people including a couple church staff members, team leader and various volunteers.

While I frequently volunteer for service projects and activities near home, this was the first time that I am participating on a Mission Trip.

Santo Domingo

You may wonder what there is to do in Santo Domingo. It is the capital city of the Dominican Republic. You will find a variety of beaches, baseball games and many other activities in the city.

I found a great resource for figuring out what to do while you are in Santo Domingo on Lonely Planet. The page highlights hotels, activities, dining and a lot more. Check it out here: Lonely Planet Santo Domingo.

Mission Trip

The Mission Trip was facilitated by Bethany, who operates short term Mission Trips for church groups throughout the world.

Our trip takes us to Azua, Dominican Republic, which is a small city about 2.5 hours from Santo Domingo.

I paid for the trip through fundraising. My friends, family and coworkers came together along with a few readers of the blog who generously supported the trip.

Once the fundraising was complete, I worked on a team that was focused Music and activities for the kids via a Vacation Bible School Program.

I received a Thrivent Action Team grant which generously supported buying supplies for the trip as well as items to donate to the church that we are partnered with in Azua.

The grant has helped make it possibly to #livegenerously

The trip is focused on serving children in a small community as well as helping a church with some building projects.

Flexibility

The biggest theme in a Mission Trip is flexibility. While you can do a lot of pre-planning for a trip, there are often things that happen locally in the area you are serving, that may change so you go there with the idea that you will adopt as necessary.

Travel Insurance

Travel insurance is important when you are going to an international destination. Especially one where you will be off the beaten path.

For this trip, I was headed to a small town in the Dominican Republic which has limited medial facilities available. I made sure to have travel insurance to protect against the unexpected while I was on the trip.

I would recommend a plan from Allianz Travel Insurance as a small investment up front could make the difference between a positive experience and a terrible one.

Trip Report

The trip report will primarily focus on my experience at the airport and in flight on my way to and from the Dominican Republic.

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The posts in this trip report including the following:

Dominican Republic Mission Trip – Introduction

Delta Skyclub Minneapolis Airport

Up in the Air on Delta Airlines Minneapolis to Atlanta

Awesome Views on Delta Airlines Atlanta to Santo Domingo

Delta Airlines Santo Domingo to New York

American Express Centurion Lounge LaGuardia

Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge LaGuardia

Delta Sky Club LaGuardia C

Afternoon Flight on Delta Airlines LaGuardia to Minneapolis