Johnson Ferry Students

Dominican Republic

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DETAILS

SCHEDULE

LODGING

MISSION

FAQ'S

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DETAILS

The Dominican Republic Spring Break trip is a mission trip opportunity for 9th-12th grade students. Our goal is to share the love of Christ with people in Santo Domingo through sports ministry, construction, Vacation Bible School, and door-to-door evangelism. This trip is not a vacation—but an opportunity to take the next step in your faith journey by serving the Lord and the people of the Dominican Republic.

Destination: SANTO DOMINGO, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

Dates: April 5-12, 2025

Each year, Johnson Ferry is privileged to partner with SCORE INTERNATIONAL. SCORE has been working in this area for years and has developed many strong relationships with pastors and ministry leaders in the community. Their organization handles all transportation and ministry site coordination.

Cost: $1135

The cost of the trip includes all transportation, lodging, meals (except travel meals), t-shirts, and materials. A $250 deposit is required at registration. ALL FINAL PAYMENTS are due at the Parent Meeting on Sunday, March 2.

Student Requirements:

Be a high school student in grades 9-12.
Attend the eight weeks of training. See the schedule tab above for details.
Attend at least 80% of all Sunday morning Life Groups and worship services beginning January 26, 2025, for the duration of the trip.
At least one parent should attend the parent meeting on March 2 at 4:30pm in the High School Room. Final payments and all forms are due at this meeting.

REGISTER HERE

SCHEDULE

HOW WE PREPARE

We’ll spend eight weeks together before this trip, preparing ourselves to be the hands and feet of Jesus in the Dominican Republic. We’ll spend time in worship, training, and in small groups.

TRAINING SCHEDULE:

ALL trainings are MANDATORY and are on Sunday evenings.

March 30 | 6-8pm (Final Training!)

We leave for the Dominican Republic on Saturday, April 5!

MINISTRY IN THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

Throughout the week, students will work in multiple ministry sites each day with their family group. We start each day with personal devotions and meet each night for worship, messages, and family group time. There is plenty of “downtime” in the afternoons and evenings to hang out with your friends or to make new ones.

SCHEDULE FOR THE WEEK:

Saturday: Travel Day & Orientation

Sunday: Morning Worship & Community Site Visits

Monday-Thursday: Ministry Schedule

Friday: Fun Day

Saturday: Travel Back to ATL

WHERE WE STAY

TIERRA ALTA – THE RAWLINGS CENTER

SCORE partners with a local camp facility for our group. Housing is bunkbed/dormitory style. It is a very safe environment with a gated facility and guarded entrance. Group meals and nightly worship will occur in this facility.

FACILITY'S WEBSITE

Where We Worship

We worship daily in this large group meeting area. It’s an outdoor, covered large pavilion, complete with a full sound system and projectors.

Housing

There are multiple large bunk dorms that house all of the students. These bunk dorms all have plenty of restrooms and showers.

The Fields

There are large athletic fields, basketball courts, and volleyball courts on campus that we use for free time and for our sports camps.

WHAT WE DO

Each year, we partner with local churches and other ministries to help reach those in their community. From sports ministry to Bible clubs to visiting orphanages and schools, we use every opportunity to share the love of Christ.

Sports Ministry: baseball, soccer, volleyball, & field games and camps
VBS: Vacation Bible School throughout the week for children ages 5-15
Orphanage and school visits
Construction Projects
Door-to-door evangelism and food distribution

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

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What are you doing to ensure my child is safe in the Dominican Republic?

Students will be staying at the Highlands Center — Tierra Alta in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. The Highlands Center has partnered with SCORE INTERNATIONAL (our ministry partners on the ground) for many years. The facility is gated and guarded at all times. Adult leaders will always be present with students.

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What if I don’t know how to get a passport?

The Johnson Ferry Global Ministry suggests looking at this website for everything related to passports: First-Time Passport Applications

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What is the cell phone policy for the Dominican Republic?

Students are rarely given the opportunity to unplug from the constant stream of distractions, drama, and temptation that go hand-in-hand with smartphone use. We believe that God wants to use this week as a unique period of time in each of these student’s lives where they can focus on what God is doing. In order to ensure that every student is in the best possible position to receive that message, we are restricting all cell phone use and possession during this trip. Here are important details:

Students may bring their phones, but they will be taken up, bagged, labeled, and stored in a secure office at the facility from Saturday night until Saturday morning.
Family group leaders, staff, and the media photographer can capture all the pictures from the trip.
Family group leaders can relay any important information from students to their parents.
The Student Staff can be contacted if there is an emergency at home.
This policy includes other devices that can access apps and the internet (iPads, iPods, smart watches).

While this may seem extreme, we want to assure you that your students will be safe. From our experience, most students will be relieved to have an excuse to take a break from all the “noise.”

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What are the travel plans for the Dominican Republic trip?

We will meet at Johnson Ferry on April 5 and depart from the church in charter buses to the Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport. Due to the flight schedule, we will leave for the airport very early. After going through security, we will board charter planes occupied by Johnson Ferry trip members only. While in the DR, we will travel on buses with two to three family groups per bus.

*Detailed Scheduling will be coming soon*

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What happens if my child gets sick or injured in the Dominican Republic?

Safety is of the utmost importance on this trip. We will have three full-time nurses traveling with us that will be available at all times. SCORE INTERNATIONAL also has a clinic that houses X-ray machines, a full pharmacy, and any other medicines and medical equipment we may need. Our JF nurses will be in contact with the SCORE doctor while on the trip and will be communicating with him/her in case further medical attention is needed.

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What can I do if my child needs financial help for this trip?

Johnson Ferry is a very generous church, and the Dominican Republic mission trip is already subsidized 50% by our Global Ministry. If you need additional financial assistance, you can fill out the Scholarship Request Form. Once your application has been reviewed, someone from the Student Staff will reach out to you with the next steps.

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What does my child do to prepare for the Dominican Republic mission trip?

Trainings are mandatory for this trip. Starting in January, students will begin the discipleship journey that culminates in the mission trip. See above for training date information.

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What if my child has dietary restrictions/allergies?

Our facility will do the utmost to accommodate most food allergies; please note that cross-contamination may occur in our kitchen. We cannot guarantee an allergen-free environment. For any further information or concerns, please reach out to [email protected]

REGISTER

REGISTER NOW FOR THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC MISSION TRIP!

APRIL 5 – APRIL 12, 2025

There are four simple steps to register for the Mission Trip to the Dominican Republic:

REGISTER HERE for the Dominican Republic Mission Trip. You will need to pay a $250 deposit (TOTAL TRIP COST is $1135). The final payments AND your student’s name, as it appears on the passport, are due on March 2. To update your passport information, go to MyJF and click on Update my Travel Info under Account Maintenance.
DOWNLOAD ALL FORMS (available soon) and turn them in! All forms are due on or before March 2.
PASSPORT!!! All passports are due on or before March 2. (We cannot stress how IMPORTANT your passport is. In order to book your plane ticket, the airline MUST have your passport information. DO NOT WAIT—they can take as long as six weeks or more to get!)
Hepatitis A and Tetanus shots are recommended for this trip (also Adult Polio Booster if over 18). To be effective, you must get the Hepatitis A shot at least TWO WEEKS BEFORE we leave. Hep A is a 2-part shot, so be sure to get the booster within six months of the original, and you will be covered for many years. Shots may be obtained through your doctor, Cobb County Health Department on 1650 County Services Parkway 770.514.2485, or Passport Health on Holcomb Bridge Rd. 770.649.1675. Please consult CDC.gov for other shot recommendations.

ADULT LEADERS

We cannot take students to the Dominican Republic without the help of Adult Leaders. The main role of adults is to serve as a family group leader. Family group leaders will disciple and mentor a group of 6-7 students (called a Family Group) throughout mission trip training and during the trip. All interested adults should connect with the student staff prior to completing the application.

Purpose: To share the love of Christ with people in Santo Domingo through sports, construction, VBS, etc. This trip is not a vacation—but an opportunity to disciple students as they serve and love people in the Dominican Republic.

Cost: The cost is $595, which includes all transportation, lodging, meals (except travel meals), t-shirt, and materials. A $250 deposit is required at registration. ALL FINAL PAYMENTS are due by Sunday, March 2.

Shots: Hepatitis A and Tetanus shots are recommended for this trip (Adult Polio Booster if over 18). To be effective, you must get the Hepatitis A shot at least TWO WEEKS BEFORE you leave and one booster six months later. Shots may be obtained through your doctor, Cobb County Health Department on Lower Roswell Rd. 770.321.8520, or Passport Health on Holcomb Bridge Rd. 770.872.0067. You should consult CDC.gov for any other shot recommendations.

Safe Harbor: We require all adults (18 and older) to complete a background check, Safe Harbor, every three years. You will receive more information about this process through your application.

ADULT REQUIREMENTS

Have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
Be an active member/attender of Johnson Ferry.
Have a passion for disciple students. The DR trip is an experience that will open the hearts and minds of many, and we are looking for adults to help us encourage those students by praying, making contacts, listening, and leading.
Be prepared to attend the eight weeks of training.
Attend leader meetings as scheduled.

REGISTRATION PROCEDURE

Please contact the High School Ministry Office to be considered as a Family Group Leader or Adult Leader for this trip. Adult registration information will be provided through the Student office. Please contact Heather Wilson for more information: [email protected]