Mission Trip Travel Safety

Are you or members of your congregation planning a mission trip overseas? If so, there are many travel safety precautions you should keep in mind.  (Note: these same suggestions would also apply for personal travel and international vacations).

If you are planning to travel with World Renew, Resonate Global Mission or any other CRCNA ministry, we will include the places you are going in our security monitoring. We will also require that you take the following steps as part of your trip. If you are going on your own or with an external agency, we encourage you to also make sure to take these steps on your own:

1. Check With Your Government - Both the United States and Canada offer their citizens a variety of advisories and suggestions about foreign travel. Before you buy your tickets, check with them about known security risks as well as the vaccines you may need for health concerns in the area. Right before you leave, check again to make sure that nothing has changed.

• U.S. State Department Travel Advisories
• Government of Canada Travel Advisories
• U.S. Center for Disease Control
• Public Health Agency of Canada

2. Inform someone - Make sure that someone (who is not traveling with you) has your flight itinerary, hotel information, and a general overview of your trip. This will ensure that you can be found if there is an emergency at home while you are away. It can also help locate you if you have a medical emergency, go missing, or have something else go wrong while you are traveling.

3. Inform your consulate - Let the government know that you plan to be in another country. By registering with the U.S. or Canadian government, they will be able to connect with and assist you if there is a natural disaster, civil unrest, or other emergency while you are away.  

• U.S. Government Smart Traveler Enrolment Program (STEP)
• Canadian Registration

4. Check Your Insurance - Be sure to check your medical insurance provider to ensure that you have adequate insurance. Some insurance companies require an additional rider to cover certain costs in specific countries.