Mission Trip
Updates – December 2013
Our group is formed! We are 12 people
total.
- Siena Falzon
- Claire Scannell
- Carrie Fulton
- Mark Bobich
- Travis Bender
- Ella Naylor (St. Pius)
- Laurel Naylor (St. Pius)
- Maya Woodbury (St. Pius)
- Coby Locsin (St. Pius)
- Ryan Chang (St. Pius)
- Maria Cornell
- Sabrina Harper
Unfortunately,
Nicole Greenberg and her grandmother, Betty Steidel are not able to join us,
but we have a couple of new teenagers joining us from St. Pius – Maya Woodbury
and Coby Locsin! We welcome them to the group.
- 1 Please check your PASSPORTS and apply now for them if you need to. Here is a website for more information about how to do that, the application, etc. http://travel.state.gov/passport/passport_1738.html
- 2 Our FLIGHTS are booked – we are flying from SFO to Guayaquil on 19 June, from Guayaquil to Quito on 23 June and from Quito back to SFO on 3 July. I will share the exact times/fares/etc. as we get closer to our departure date.
- 3) VACCINATIONS: To have the most benefit, see a health-care provider at least 4–6 weeks before your trip to allow time for your vaccines to take effect and to start taking medicine to prevent malaria, if you need it. Check with your health care provider to find out what vaccinations you might need. We will be spending about 4 days in Guayaquil and the rest of the time in Quito. Each city is has a distinctly different climate and therefore, different requirements for vaccines. It’s important to inform your health care professional about where you will be spending time. Here is information from the CDC that you can read for yourselves http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/ecuador.aspx
- 4) FUNDRAISING –We have our first FUNDRAISING opportunity scheduled. We will host a pancake breakfast at St. Pius (Vince, Siena’s dad will be coordinating it!) on Saturday, February 1st from 8-11am. Please plan to come, invite friends, neighbors and relatives to help us raise funds for the trip. We will also have a car wash and perhaps a dinner in the Spring as well. I will let you know as soon as dates are determined.
- 5) Sister Annie (Guayaquil), Madre Miguel and Madre Cindy (Quito) will be planning our ITINERARY for us. We won’t know exactly what we are going to do until we get there (we’ll have an orientation with Madre Miguel and/or Madre Cindy upon our arrival). But, if you have something specific in mind that you want to do while you are there, let me know and I will put you in touch with Sr. Miguel to coordinate. For example, in 2010, Chris and his dad Steve volunteered for and ran a soccer clinic for the kids. If you have a specific idea – let me know!
- 6) We will conduct a DRIVE FOR NEEDED SUPPLIES. Let me know if you’d be willing to help coordinate this! I’d like to conduct the drives at both St. Matthias and St. Pius.
- 7) As we get closer to our departure date, we will hold another MEETING to go over all the guidelines, have participants sign “Code of Conduct” forms, talk about any travel requirements, etc.
- 8) SPANISH WORKSHOP Many of you know, I have taken over 3 years of Spanish at Cañada College over the past few years. I can “get by” but am nowhere near being fluent. I do believe that language is one of the primary ways we will be able to connect with the people at the WBC, so thought it would be cool to learn some basics. I have spoken to my Spanish Professor, Dr. Sarah Harmon, PhD who has agreed to partner with me and do a ½ day workshop for our group of conversational Spanish. When I get this scheduled, I’ll let you know the date!
