Trip Prep & FAQ

Joining a Trip

  • Encounter Missions grew out of the Encounter Ministries community. As students caught fire through the Encounter School of Ministry (ESM), a question kept rising: "What could it look like to bring this same training and activation beyond our borders?" What began as a desire to equip disciples at home overflowed into a call to go. Today, Encounter Missions is a nonprofit (application pending) corporation based in Lawrence, Kansas.

    We lead short-term Catholic healing mission trips around the world, sending ESM students and alumni to put what they have learned into practice: healing the sick, preaching the Gospel, and demonstrating the love of God through the power of the Holy Spirit. We go to reveal God's love, release His power, and build up the Church in the nations.

  • All participants must be at least 18 years old and must have completed at least Year 1 of the Encounter School of Ministry. Current Year 2 and Year 3 students and ESM alumni are eligible.

  • We will walk with you every step of the way. Timing varies by trip, and trip-specific dates are sent with your acceptance.

    Step 1: Apply through ServiceReef. Have your passport and contact information for two character references ready: one from your ESM experience and one person who has walked with you spiritually.

    Step 2: We reach out to your references and prayerfully review your application.

    Step 3: Once you are accepted, your $500 non-refundable deposit is charged. Welcome to the team!

    Step 4: Complete a background check.

    Step 5: Complete your Safe Environment requirements: the Encounter Missions Safe Environment module, plus proof of current certification. Submit your diocesan certificate, or complete VIRTUS through Encounter Missions if your diocese does not offer training. These steps help us protect the children and vulnerable adults we are blessed to serve.

    Step 6: Set up your ServiceReef fundraising page if you would like to invite others to partner with you.

    Step 7: Confirm your passport is valid at least six months past your return date, and complete any visa or vaccination requirements we send you.

    Step 8: Watch the required training videos (what to expect, cultural context, ministry activities, team roles, and honoring the local Church) and attend three team meetings. This is where your team begins to become a family.

    Step 9: Book your flights using the travel information we send (see "How do flights and arrival work?").

    Step 10: All remaining balances will be due 14-31 days before departure.

    Step 11: Pack using your trip-specific packing list.

    Step 12: Receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation shortly before you leave, and pray for the mission, your team, and the people God is already preparing for you to meet.

  • We want you free to focus on ministry, so we take care of the details once you arrive.

    Included during the official mission dates:

    • Lodging: Shared rooms, typically two missionaries per room. Accommodations vary by country and location.

    • Ground transportation: Everything in country, including airport pickup and drop-off on the designated travel days.

    • Meals and water: All meals, snacks, and purified water.

    • Mission materials: Everything you need for your area of ministry.

    • Closing retreat: On most trips, we end with time for rest, prayer, the sacraments, and fellowship. You will pour out, and we want to pour back into you.

    • Travel insurance: Travel medical and evacuation coverage (see "What insurance is provided?").

    • Encounter Missions T-shirt

    Not included:

    • Airfare to and from the host country

    • Passport and visa fees

    • Vaccinations and medical consultations (Reference CDC recommendations)

    • Individual flight insurance

    • Lodging, meals, and transportation outside the official mission dates

    • Single-room upcharge, if requested

    • Souvenirs and personal spending

    You are welcome to arrive early or stay longer. Any time outside the official mission dates, including airport transportation, lodging, and meals, is arranged and paid for on your own.

  • We know saying yes to mission is a real sacrifice, and we honor that. Please do not let cost be the reason you hold back. God provides, often through the generosity of the people around you.

    Fundraising: Every missionary receives a free personal ServiceReef fundraising page and access to our fundraising guide. Many missionaries find that inviting friends and family to give and pray lets them share in the mission too.

    Discounts:

    • Recruiting Missionaries: 5% off for each registered participant you recruit, up to 50%

    • Priests: 50% off registration

    • Scholarships: If cost is a concern, even after significant fundraising efforts, please reach out. We would love to talk and pray with you about options.

    Encounter Missions International, Inc. is a Kansas nonprofit corporation. We are applying to the IRS for 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status. Until the IRS issues a determination, we cannot confirm that gifts are tax-deductible. Please consult your tax advisor.

  • We understand that life changes, and we will always treat you with care if you need to step back.

    Your $500 deposit is non-refundable. Payments beyond the deposit are refunded on the following schedule:

    • Cancellations made more than 60 days before mission: 100% refunded

    • Cancellations made 31-60 days before mission: 50% refunded

    • Cancellations made 0-30 days before mission: No refund, as funds have been committed to lodging, transportation, and our in-country partners

    Gifts made through your fundraising page are donations to Encounter Missions International, Inc., which retains full control and discretion over their use. Gifts are credited toward your trip as a preference, not a restriction. If you cancel, these gifts stay with Encounter Missions International, Inc. and continue to support mission work around the world. Donations are not refundable to you or your donors.

    If Encounter Missions cancels a trip, all monies paid will be refunded.

Travel & Safety

    • Passport: Your passport must be valid at least six months past your return date. If you need to apply for or renew one, start early, as processing can take several weeks.

    • Visas: Requirements depend on the country. If a visa is needed, we will tell you well in advance and walk you through how to get one.

    • Vaccinations: Requirements and recommendations depend on the mission country. We will always defer to the CDC for recommended vaccinations. Please also talk with your medical provider about what is right for you.

  • You book your own flights, and we take it from there.

    • Step 1: A few months before the trip, you receive trip-specific travel information: the arrival airport, arrival window, and departure window.

    • Step 2: Book your round-trip flights within those windows. Because flights can change, we recommend individual flight insurance.

    • Step 3: Enter your flight details in the trip flight spreadsheet. Every missionary can view it, so you can see who is traveling from where. If you would like to fly with another missionary, let us know and we will gladly connect you.

    • Step 4: We arrange ground transportation from the airport to the team meeting location based on the spreadsheet. You will receive the details before you leave.

    • Step 5: At the end of the mission, we get you back to the airport for your scheduled departure.

  • Your safety matters deeply to us. Every missionary is enrolled in a travel medical and evacuation plan through Faith Ventures for the official mission dates, included in your registration. It does not replace your primary health insurance.

    Summary of benefits:

    • Emergency Evacuation: $50,000

    • Illness Medical Expense: $25,000

    • Accident Medical Expense: $25,000

    • Security Evacuation: $100,000

    • Repatriation of Remains: $25,000

    • Accidental Death: $15,000

    • Missed Connection: $500

    • Trip Delay: $100

    • Baggage Loss: $500

    • Baggage Delay: $50

    • Coverage begins and ends with the official mission dates. If your return is delayed by circumstances beyond your control, coverage extends for up to 7 days. Coverage is subject to the plan's terms, limits, and exclusions. A full plan summary is available on request.

    We pray it is never needed, but every trip has an Emergency Response Plan. If an emergency happens:

    1. Tell your Team Leader right away.

    2. Your Team Leader coordinates care and next steps with our in-country partners.

    3. Encounter Missions leadership coordinates with the insurance provider [and your emergency contact] and stays with you until the situation is resolved.

  • Packing: Travel as lightly as you can. A carry-on or one checked bag is best. Bring a daypack for daily essentials and any medications, and pack enough medication for the whole trip. You will receive a trip-specific packing list before departure.

    Phones: You can buy an eSIM online before you travel, or ask your cell phone carrier about an international plan. Make sure your phone is unlocked and supports eSIMs.

    Money: Bring some cash in U.S. dollars for personal spending. Exchange rates vary widely, and airport counters often have poor rates, so ask your Team Leader about the best local option. Call your credit card company before you travel to check for foreign transaction fees. Cards are accepted in many cities, but cash is often needed in rural areas and markets.

On Mission

  • Every mission is unique, but most follow a similar rhythm. We begin together with Mass, a shared meal, a mission briefing, and time to get to know one another. Then we send out smaller teams, assigned before departure, to our ministry locations.

    During the days of active ministry, you can expect ministry and prayer throughout the morning, afternoon, and evening. Depending on the trip, this may include youth ministry and revival events, home visits to the sick and homebound, rural village outreach, parish healing services, days of empowerment for priests and religious, and retreat days for lay leaders.

    Most trips close with all teams gathering again for a retreat of rest, the sacraments, and sharing testimonies of what God has done. Some of the most beautiful moments of mission happen here. Trip-specific details will be sent before departure.

  • Lodging is arranged ahead of time for every team, so you can arrive and rest. Most trips use hotels or guesthouses with shared rooms, typically two missionaries per room, shared only with other Encounter Missions missionaries. Accommodations vary by country, and rural locations may be simpler. Trip-specific details will be sent before departure. If you would prefer a single room, please let us know at registration. Single rooms depend on availability and may carry an additional cost.

  • Leadership: Trips are led by Encounter Missions leadership, experienced team leaders from ESM satellite campuses and the wider Encounter community, and our trusted in-country partners. Each team has a Team Leader and Co-Leader. Each trip is accompanied by a chaplain.

    Language: No need to worry if you do not speak the local language. We work with in-country partners and provide translators for ministry wherever they are needed.

    Communication: We use WhatsApp to stay connected. You will be invited to a community group for the whole mission and a smaller group for your team.