F3 Alpha Puerto Rico Disaster Recovery Trip Pre-blast

Alphamen!

In keeping with F3 Alpha’s theme for this year of “Pushing Boundaries” I would like to present to you a 3rd F opportunity: a Disaster Recovery trip to Puerto Rico.

Hurricane Maria came onto the island of Puerto Rico in September of 2017 and there are still people living in damaged homes without electricity or safe drinking water.

Our mission will be to share the love of Christ by assisting families in reconstruction and repair of their homes. By working with them and the local church, the team will provide hope for the future and opportunities for the community to become vibrant once again.

The focus will be in Maunabo, PR, close to where Hurricane Maria made landfall. Businesses have closed due to the destruction and lack of power, people have lost their jobs and the money some are receiving from FEMA does not cover the actual reconstruction of their homes.

The mission trips will be different than those in other established locations. This is disaster relief and the conditions may not be suitable for everyone (but Alphamen are not “everyone”!). At this time, there is no electricity in the facility to house the team, there is no hot water for showers, there is still debris and downed wires within the community, the water is unsafe to drink (we will have bottled water) and beds may be mattresses on the floor, depending on the size of the team. Each team will be required to have a team member that is construction knowledgeable (or at least an all around handyman).

The trip is being coordinated by HOI which is an established mission outreach organization with a 25 year history of coordinating mission outreach trips. HOI is not primarily a relief organization (i.e. an organization that provides assistance after natural disasters). Instead, they work long-term in communities, empowering them to reach their full potential, and use short-term volunteer mission trip teams to accomplish long-range goals. HOI has a rich history in communities of Central America using an integrated approach that includes education, medical care, agriculture, facility construction and spiritual development. By investing in communities over decades, HOI strives to see permanent and total transformation.

By partnering with HOI all of the details of housing, food, transportation and materials are coordinated for us.

Currently airfare to Puerto Rico is $535 (Delta non-stop from Atlanta to San Juan) and the trip fee for the week is $900 per person which covers housing, food, transportation and materials. You can fundraising to cover as much as possible for trip expenses so don’t let the money hold you back. Donations will run through Alpharetta First UMC for non-profit status. The trip will be August 19-25. Leaving ATL Sunday 8/19 on Delta FL 323 at 8:21 am and returning Saturday 8/25 Delta FL 322 at 12:55.

I have been on multiple international mission trips and can vouch for the value of the experience both to the US traveler as well as those who are being ministered to and encourage you to consider the trip whole heartedly.

So are you ready to push boundaries? F3. It’s more than a workout.

If you are interested or want more information contact Ha-ha Twitter @nelson_gw or email “nelson.wilkinson AT hpe DOT com”.