Where are we headed?
All trips will stay in Chinandega and work with Amigos For Christ. Amigos is a nonprofit organization that facilitates water, health, education, and economic development in rural Nicaraguan communities.
Why are we going?
Because when we go on a GO Trip, God often reveals himself. Plus, we want to see what happens when we allow God to lead us. Crossroads is developing partnerships in Nicaragua to bring about transformative change, and we want to throw some fuel on that fire. There is no better way than sending people to work alongside these partners and give them a boost in their efforts to help those who are hurting.
Who can go?
This trip is for anyone—Crossroads people, non-Crossroads people, friends and family from out of town, people from all over the faith spectrum—with a heart for serving. The only requirement is that you are 18 years old, or 10 years old with a parent or guardian. Groups of two or more, like families or small groups, can sign up together.
How much does it cost?
This cost could increase to $2,000. This covers your flight, room and board, work supplies, travel insurance, and activities. Not covered are meals at the airport, vaccinations, passport fees (If you need one or renewal) and souvenirs.
Is it safe to travel?
Traveling internationally always has some level of risk and we don’t take that lightly. Because of the recent political unrest in Nicaragua, the United States government has Nicaragua listed as a travel advisory three. With this information, we rely heavily on the partners who are living and working in Nicaragua every day to guide us and provide us with accurate information. We also have multiple plans in place in the event of an unforeseen situation.
What if I don’t have that much money?
Join the club. Close to 90% of people who have been on a GO Trip with us didn’t have the funds sitting in their bank account, or stuffed in a mattress, but nearly everyone raised the funds. Don’t let money stop you. Raising money is actually a very cool part of this experience. We’ll talk a lot more about the financial stuff and help you generate ideas for how to raise funds. We also have an awesome website that helps with this process, and a little faith goes a long way. Have some and see what happens.
Get ideas for support raising
Is there a deposit?
A non-refundable deposit of $300 is required as part of your application for this trip and must be paid via credit card or ACH. Cash, checks and money orders are not accepted.
How do I sign up?
Go to www.crossroads.net/go and fill out an application no later than the posted deadline. We’ll ask you all kinds of questions like if you’re part of a group, who you’d like as your roommate, and so on. To complete your application, you will need to pay your non-refundable deposit. Applications are not complete until the deposit is received. All applicants will be contacted once the application is received to confirm their trip participation.
What happens if more than enough people sign up? How do you decide who gets to go?
Sign-ups will occur on a first come, first served basis. Once the trip has reached its maximum number, sign-ups will automatically close and applications will no longer be accepted for that trip. There will be no lottery.
What work will I be doing?
Depends. You’ll be doing anything from digging a ditch, building a school, or encouraging people in the community.
What if I can’t do the work?
While we hope to have jobs for all skill sets and ages, please know that the trip can be exhausting. We will be on our feet a lot, getting up early, climbing in and out of big buses, and the 18 hours or so traveling is an obstacle we can’t change. If you have concerns about your physical situation, please talk to us. We want everyone to go on a GO Trip, but if you ignore your physical limitations up front, you could end up being miserable.
Will I really get a chance to see my Compassion kid that I sponsor?
No. Currently, Compassion International has suspended all visits with sponsored children until further notice.
What else will we do?
Depends on the trip, but just know that you’ll get a chance to maybe climb an active volcano or see the Pacific Ocean.
Will I have to preach or pray in front of people?
Not unless you want to. This trip is for everyone, regardless of where you are on your spiritual journey. You will be challenged and have a ton of opportunity to grow.
What is the travel like?
Typically, there’s only one layover in either Atlanta, Miami, or Houston.
Can I use miles, fly in business class, or make my own travel plans?
Nope. We are taking this trip as one group with one mission. That means we work together, eat together and travel in the back of the plane together. Because of the complexities of getting groups of people to the other side of the world, all of our travel plans are centrally booked (thank God for travel agents). You may however, earn thousands of miles for your flights. So that’s kinda cool.
Where are we staying?
All trips will stay in the guest facilities at Amigos For Christ, you will get more info in the pre-trip meetings. You’ll have access to the basic, familiar stuff— cold showers, beds, and food. We will eat breakfast and dinner together, and make brown bag lunches to eat at the work site.
What will we do to prepare for the trip?
We will have a series of meetings leading up to the trip, where you will learn more about Nicaragua and what we are doing there, meet others who are going, and just have a good time. Out-of-town people will have a GO Group Leader assigned to keep them in the loop via email so they don’t have to keep coming to the ‘Nati.
What precautions will be taken for COVID?
If you do contract COVID during the trip, you will need to quarantine. We do have insurance that will make any extra hotel, lodging, and medical expenses reimbursable to you up to certain limits.
Anything else you really want to tell me?
If you want to take a vacation to Nicaragua, then we encourage you to do so. It’s beautiful. That being said, this is not that trip. Deciding to go with us means you want to be a part of a mission to change the world. In pursuit of that group goal, however, you may not get to do everything you want to do in the way you like to do things. It’s a part of submitting to something bigger than yourself. But if you go, we promise an incredible experience! We can do more together than we can as individuals.