Thank you for your participation in a Help One Now Learning Journey! The Help One Now ethos is to remain invisible in our communities and focus our efforts on resourcing key leaders instead. Help One Now leads a limited number of Learning Journeys for committed, long-term supporters (Church Partners, Child Sponsors, Foundation Members, and Circle Members) each year. On these Journeys, emphasis will be placed on connecting with a community, building deep relationships with the local leaders, and brainstorming how you can unlock your human capital to partner together and support their work back home.

A few important things to note about this trip:

Airfare and all expenses on the ground (meals, lodging, transportation) are included in the trip price, but any other costs associated with your trip would be your responsibility (those costs may include spending money, or appointments at a travel clinic before your trip, for example). We do allow our trip participants to fundraise through their registration pages in order to make those trip costs more manageable!

Those traveling are required to carry a passport with an expiration date further than 6 months away from the date of travel. Should your passport have already expired, or should your passport expire within 6 months after your intended trip dates, you can mail in your old passport to get it expedited and renewed. HERE is where you can find more information on how to renew your passport.

Due to the nature of our work, Help One Now requires special approval from the trip leader, and Director of International Operations to join the trip if you are under the age of 18. If approved, we will email out a form to get signed by parents or legal guardians, giving permission to travel out of the country with the team.

In addition, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends various vaccinations for international travelers depending on your destination country. Please visit a medical professional or a travel clinic as soon as you know you are traveling abroad, as they may recommend particular vaccinations or medicine based on your destination, some vaccinations are not always immediately available, and some vaccinations need to be administered over the course of months. **Please ensure you are up to date on all routine vaccinations. These vaccinations include a measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine, diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis vaccine, varicella (chickenpox) vaccine, polio vaccine, and a flu shot! Most of you are up to date on these anyway!**

The DR does not currently have any required vaccinations; however, we recommend the Hepatitis A vaccination, a Typhoid treatment (pill or shot), and Malaria medication as well.

Some travelers choose to receive the Cholera, Hepatitis B, Rabies, and Yellow Fever vaccinations, but REST ASSURED: we know these lists may seem overwhelming, but all of these vaccinations are entirely optional and are merely precautions!

We’d love to encourage you to familiarize yourself with Help One Now’s philosophy regarding international mission. In preparation for your potential Learning Journey, please try to read Doing Good Is Simple by Help One Now’s founder Chris Marlow. Another great resource is When Helping Hurts by Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert.

Tentative Trip Schedule

*Please note that this schedule is subject to change*

Thursday 9/19

• 1:47pm Arrive in Santo Domingo
• 3pm Late lunch/snakcs in Parador Bella Mar
• 4:30pm Drive to La Vega
• 7pm Dinner at the guesthouse
• Meet local leader Rod Davis and his team, hear his story and vision for Family Empowerment  
• Stay at TEARS Guesthouse

Friday 9/20

• 8am Breakfast at the guesthouse
• 8:30am Morning reflection time
• 9am Tour TEARS aquaponics project, high school, and medical clinic. Meet with local leaders Rod and Chelo and hear about TEARS education programs
• 10am Visit the TEARS early learning center and elementary school campus
• 11am Visit the TEARS clean water project
• 12pm Lunch at a family's home
• 2pm Visit families in the Family Business Program
• 2:30pm Visit the TEARS clean water project
• 6pm Dinner at the guesthouse
• Downtime with Rod and the team at the guesthouse
• Stay at TEARS Guesthouse

Saturday 9/21

• 8am Breakfast at the guesthouse
• 8:30am Morning reflection time
• 9am Visit the TEARS Haitian ministry, see the school and church, and hear from Pastor Hector
• 11:30am Lunch at a local Mofongo restaurant (traditional Dominican food)
• 2pm Visit a local cigar factory, tour the production room, and learn about the cigar-making process
• 6pm Dinner at Alta Vista lookout restaurant
• Stay at TEARS Guesthouse

Sunday 9/22

• 8am Breakfast at the guesthouse
• 8:30am Morning reflection time
• 9am Church service at a local TEARS church
• 10am Head to Santo Domingo
• 12:30pm Lunch and shopping in Zona Colonial, Santo Domingo's historic district
• 3pm Head to Casa Hemingway hotel
• 4pm Free time at the beach
• 6:30pm Dinner at the hotel beach restaurant
• Stay at Casa Hemingway Hotel

Monday 9/23

• 8am Breakfast at the hotel
• 8:30am Final morning reflection time
• 9am Free time at the beach
• 11:30am Head to the airport
• 12:30pm Lunch at the airport
• 3:12pm Depart Santo Domingo
• 10:37pm Arrive in Birmingham

*More details will be emailed to you. In the meantime, please reach out to trips@helponenow.com if you have any questions*