FAQs
Global Missions - Parent
BU Missions is a part of Baylor's Office of Spiritual Life. Our mission at Spiritual Life is to nurture theological depth, spiritual wholeness, & missional living in the students, staff, & faculty of Baylor University. We do this by offering integrated formational programming, transformative missional experiences, competent pastoral care, & worship that is responsive to the Christian tradition & sensitive to the culture.
As part of Spiritual Life, the purpose of BU Missions is to create tangible opportunities for students to serve others through their academic discipline. These experiences allow our students to reflect on how God might use the knowledge & skills they gain here at Baylor to make a difference in the world. It also provides incredible venues to experience & learn from a different culture & to be a part of what God is doing in & around the world.
For more information on our Guiding Principles & Learning Outcomes, check out the Explore>About Us section of our website or contact us at Baylor MissionsEach team will work specifically within their field of expertise. Project details will be communicated to individual teams once they are confirmed by local partners. Teams will meet throughout the semester to prepare for the trip projects & learn more about the communities they'll be visiting.
If your student is interested in participating on a BU Missions Trip, please refer them to the Student page for information on trip costs, applications, fundraising, important dates, passports, etc.
If your student has questions that are for a specific team, encourage them to contact the team leader for that trip directly. Their contact info can be found on the team pages under Global Missions
- A payment is any money that is designated for a specific individual.
- A payment will have the name of the individual student written on the check or gift.
- A payment is only applied to a student's individual balance, not the team's.
- A payment is NOT tax-deductible.
- Payments are only refundable after all unrecoverable expenses are paid & can only be refunded to the individual that made the payment. (For example, if a parent made a payment on a student's account, the refund would go to the parent, NOT the student.)
YES! Baylor STUDENTS (only) can use a credit card to pay through our U-Pay system.
Click on the Make a Payment Or Pay for a Trip link located on the Missions website! All payments must be made by 5pm on the day of the deadline!
*If a parent wants to make a credit card payment on behalf of their student, they must arrange this with the student since it goes through their BaylorID & password. BUMissions does not accept credit card payments over the phone.
- A donation is any check, cash or money that is NOT designated for a particular individual.
- No individual name can appear on a check given as a donation. If a name does appear on the check, it is no longer considered a donation but a payment.
- Donations are designated for a team fund & are allotted to team members according to the team leader's discretion.
- Donations are tax-deductible & the Baylor Gift Office will send a gift receipt.
- Donations are non-refundable.
If you're still a little fuzzy on the differences, make sure that you read the Fundraising 101 packet & check in with Baylor Missions for any clarifications. It will make the fundraising process run significantly smoother if you do.
BU Missions staff will be providing your students with updates on their financial/donation statuses prior to financial deadlines.
*All monies raised through team fundraising events & turned into BU Missions are considered team funds & will be used at the team leader's discretion.*
*make sure they know the name of your student's team!
This site also has information about sending donation checks to Baylor
As is the case for many mission trips, participants will be cautious about their food and drink. However, safe food and clean water is readily available.
All cities and villages have their share of crime, much like here in the USA. Students will be advised to follow a few basic rules to avoid any problems. No one will be allowed to travel by themselves and areas visited will be secure. Much care is also being taken to provide safe transportation and housing for the mission teams.
Baylor University subscribes to a security agency, International SOS, who offers travel advisement as well as assistance in country should an emergency arise. You can access their online service at http://www.internationalsos.com
Baylor pass code is 11ASGC000003.
we also reference resources from the Center for Disease Control (CDC)
and US State Department for specific recommendations for each country we are traveling to.
If you have any specific questions, please feel free to email us or 254-710-7424
No need to worry! Baylor Missions does not take any teams to locations with active cases of Ebola.
The cost of AHP insurance is included in the trip cost for each student traveling internationally. Baylor Missions will enroll them & provide them with their policy numbers in their departure travel packets.
if a student is traveling domestically, there is no additional insurance provided. Students will need to carry their insurance card from their usual domestic provider (ie. BCBS, etc.)
For more information on coverage of Baylor's AHP insurance click here
Medication and physician's letter should be packed in carry-on luggage, NOT checked luggage.
It is also recommended that students who wear contacts or prescription eye glasses should pack an extra pair for the trip.
If a student needs to purchase medication while abroad, that is a student's personal expense not covered by Baylor or AHP insurance.
Before arrival, the team leaders have researched the nearest medical facilities and reported these locations to Baylor.
In the case of an emergency, Baylor Missions will contact a student's emergency contacts to update them and discuss further actions needed.
Direct contact with the teams from family and friends should be limited to emergencies only.
Baylor Missions will handle all communication with teams while in country. You can reach Baylor Missions at 254-710-7424.
Students are encouraged to "unplug" during the trip and to limit social communication with friends & family at home, as to fully participate in nightly group reflections and team building activities.
In case of emergency, team leaders will contact Baylor Missions to get ahold of you and give you updates.
Food & Clean BOTTLED Water is abundant for all students. Most hotels have a western-style continental breakfast; lunches are usually sack lunches prepared by the teams the night before or from a local fast food style restaurant. Dinners are usually at the hotel or a local restaurant that has been recommended by a global partner that has a good reputation and variety.
Students are highly encouraged to eat the food that is prepared for them, as a sign of respect for the hospitality of the culture we are visiting. If they are still hungry, students are encouraged to bring protein bars and other healthy snacks to supplement the meals.
If a student has allergies/dietary restrictions, please alert team leader prior to applying to the trip to gain a better understanding of the cuisine options available in country...as some cultures are less varied than our diets in US.
Our recommendation is LESS than $200USD.
It is recommended that ATM cards be used to withdraw local currency. Make sure your local bank has been notified prior to your travel abroad so your card will be active.
In light of the 2016 Zika outbreak affecting our brothers & sisters in Central & South America, Baylor continues to keep a close eye on the outbreak and is proactive in keeping our teams safe by providing our teams with practical ways to prevent the spread of the virus while abroad.
Global Missions - Student
- Airfare (if applicable)
- Hotel/Lodging
- Transportation (in country)
- Meals and PLENTY of bottled water!
- Debriefing Activities (ie. beach day, safari, etc)
- Programming (special projects, etc.)
- Entry Visa/Exit Tax (if applicable)
- Insurance (International only)
- Miscellaneous
The Trip Cost does NOT Include:
Essentially, when you are on the trip, the only expenses you are responsible for are snacks/extra drinks or souvenirs.
**Note: Every Baylor student traveling abroad MUST carry a cell phone that works in country. Since there are several options for achieving this goal, the cost of the cell phone has not been included in the overall trip cost.**
What once was a paper application is now ONLINE! If you are interested in traveling with BU Missions, first check out Global Missions ! Use or search feature & When you find a team you like, click on the APPLY NOW button on the Baylor Missions team page you want to join! This will start your application through BearsAbroad , Baylor's trip management software.
NOTE: When you click "Apply Now", you will be asked if you are currently a registered user (If you are a student/faculty/staff the answer is YES). You will have to sign into Bearsabroad, you'll need to use your Baylor ID (firstname_lastname but NO @baylor.edu) & password (Same as your email). After you log in, select the term you are applying for (ex. Summer I, 2015) & click APPLY. Now, get started on your application! If you have any troubles applying, contact Missions@baylor.edu for assistance.
2018-2019 Trips Application Deadlines
*Students will be informed via email of their acceptance within 1-2 weeks of the deadline by the team leader.
Financial Deadlines for Mission Trips
Every important deadlines/dates/financial policies will be on your BearsAbroad checklist. Make sure check in with your team leader regularly to see how you are progressing towards your fundraising goals and deadlines.
for list of all financial deadlines visit www.baylor.edu/missions/deadlines
For a Letter Writing "How-To," click HERE!
- A payment is any money that is designated for a specific individual.
- A payment will have the name of the individual student written on the check or gift.
- A payment is only applied to a student's individual balance, not the team's.
- A payment is NOT tax-deductible.
- Payments are only refundable after all unrecoverable expenses are paid & can only be refunded to the individual that made the payment. (For example, if a parent made a payment on a student's account, the refund would go to the parent, NOT the student.)
- A donation is any check, cash or money that is NOT designated for a particular individual.
- No individual name can appear on a check given as a donation. If a name does appear on the check, it is no longer considered a donation but a payment.
- Donations are designated for a team fund & are allotted to team members according to the team leader's discretion.
- Donations are tax-deductible & the Baylor Gift Office will send a gift receipt.
- Donations are non-refundable.
If you're still a little fuzzy on the differences, make sure that you read the Fundraising 101 packet & check in with your team leader for clarifications. It will make the fundraising process run significantly smoother if you do.
Your team leader will also be your point person for checking your account balance as you prepare for the trip. BU Missions will be providing them with a weekly update, so please make sure to check in with them if you would like a status update on your account.
*All monies raised through team fundraising events & turned into BU Missions are considered team funds & will be used at the team leader's discretion.*
*make sure they know the name of your team!
YES! Baylor STUDENTS (only) can use a credit card to pay through our U-Pay system.
Click on the Make a Payment Or Pay for a Trip link located on the Missions website! All payments must be made by 5pm on the day of the deadline!
*If a parent wants to make a credit card payment on behalf of their student, they must arrange this with the student since it goes through their BaylorID & password. BUMissions does not accept credit card payments over the phone.
If you are traveling anywhere outside of the United States, you WILL need a passport. If you already have a passport, check the expiration date. It must be valid for at least 6 months after your anticipated date of travel. If you do not have a passport OR are needing to renew an old one, allow yourself plenty of time to do so (at least 8 weeks).
Below, you will find a link that may be helpful during the application or renewal process:
You may need to update previous immunizations or receive new ones depending on where you are traveling. Some countries actually REQUIRE certain immunizations in order to gain entry into the country.
To determine which shots you may need, search for your country on the Center for Disease (CDC) Website.
If you discover you need any of the recommended/required immunizations for your trip, you can check with the Baylor Health Center or the McLennan Co Health Department about scheduling a time to get the vaccines.
leave yourself plenty of time before you travel before getting your vaccines! AT LEAST 8 weeks!
if you have any questions or concerns please email Missions or contact your team leader
No need to worry! Africa is a HUGE Continent and there's only cases of Ebola in a select few countries in West Africa that Baylor does not currently or historically serve.
In light of the 2016 Zika outbreak affecting our brothers & sisters in Central & South America, Baylor continues to keep a close eye on the outbreak and is proactive in keeping our teams safe by providing our teams with practical ways to prevent the spread of the virus while abroad.
Every country and team will require different things in terms of clothes AND donated goods. For instance, if you're traveling with a business team, you probably don't want to load up your suitcase with t-shirts, shorts, and tennis shoes. It would be a bit of a situation. Conversely, if you're traveling with a sports ministry team, ankle-length skirts and dress shoes would also be a problem. Our office has created a general packing list , BUT you will want to check with your team leader for more specifics AND things you can get donated to take with you!
Remember, modesty is always a good rule of thumb worldwide.