Yes. One of our staff members has visited every location we go to before we ever send your teen there. We work along side our Global Partners to secure safe and secure housing, food and transportation.

Our leaders are personally known to us. Our Trip Directors, the main leader of the trip, we have known for many years or is a staff member of Fuel International. Our Team Leaders have been selected because of their leadership experience and recommendations from pastors and leaders. They have been interviewed and passed background checks.  Then we have extensive training in the fuel process and how to effectively lead teams in short term missions.

The base cost of each trip includes any ground travel done after the trip’s start date, training and debriefing, in-country transportation, housing, food, and fun day activities. Trip prices also offset costs associated with ministry tools (i.e. tracts, Bibles etc), equipment, background checks for participants 18+ years of age, and administrative and project setup costs.

Trip prices do not include the following:

Travel to/from the mission trip’s starting/ending location
International Airfare and Unaccompanied minor fees

Meals in the airport before trip departure or on the plane
Health, Travel, or Cancellation Insurance

Costs related to securing a passport or passport card

According to Internal Revenue Service Ruling, all contributions to Fuel International, Inc. qualify as charitable contributions and may be tax deductible. You may designate the the individual’s TRIP ID in the memo of the check. However, Fuel International, Inc. continues to have full control of the donated fund(s), and discretion as to their full use, so as to insure that they will be used to carry out its functions and purposes. Revenue Ruling 62-113. In other words, if a donor contributes funds to a nonprofit organization’s missions board and designates a particular missionary (and/or missions trip), the contribution may qualify as a tax deduction so long as the missions board retains full administrative and accounting control over the funds. Therefore, if the designated trip is cancelled by Fuel International, Inc. or by the individual (missionary), the contribution will be subject to the Cancellation Policy Rules.

Fuel International does not issue refunds. However, if you must cancel your trip for any reason, a portion of your funds may be available for transfer.

If you cancel 61+ days prior to the trip date, purchases thus far will be deducted from your mission account, (i.e. transportation deposits and tickets, lodging deposits, food deposits, visa fees). Upon your request, any remaining money in your account may be transferred to another individual’s mission trip account or may remain in your account for one year. At the end of one year, Fuel International will transfer the balance of your account for other missionary purposes/funding.

If you cancel 31-60 days prior to the trip date, your account will be decreased by $100 (one hundred dollars) administrative and processing fee in addition to purchases thus far (i.e. transportation deposits and tickets, lodging deposits, food deposits, visa fees). Upon your request, any remaining money in your account may be transferred to another individual’s mission trip account or may remain in your account for one year. At the end of one year, Fuel International will transfer the balance of your account for other missionary purposes/funding.

If you cancel 30 days or less prior to the trip date, Fuel International will transfer the balance of your account for other missionary purposes/funding.

Applicants/or parents of applicants will be responsible for additional costs (i.e., domestic and/or international airfare, long distance phone calls, hotel stays) associated with early return from the mission trip due to illness, disciplinary action, homesickness, or any other reason.

Fuel International reserves the right to cancel any trip (i.e. safety, team size). In such cases, Fuel International may assign you to another trip (i.e. availability, costs). If you do not choose to accept the newly assigned trip, then the above Cancellation Policy shall apply.

Fuel International also has the right to assign you to a different trip at any time (i.e. team dynamics, effective ministry). If you do not comply, the above Cancellation Policies shall apply.

Please note: Should airfares, lodging, etc. increase more than 5% above Fuel International’s budgeted amount (up to 30 days prior to the trip) your trip cost may be increased accordingly.

Because missionaries have given their lives to share the Gospel with other nations, and for many, have spent years laying a Christian foundation for the nationals, specific non-Christ like behavior may undo everything the missionaries have done.  Breaking any of the guidelines will result in immediate disciplinary action.  Those guidelines marked with an asterisk (*) may result in immediate dismissal from the trip.  All individuals participating in the Missions Program must adhere strictly to Fuel International’s policies and are subject to dismissal for disobedience, without refund or reimbursement.  Parents/ guardians/or adult applicants will be responsible for additional costs associated with the early return of their son or daughter/or self due to disciplinary action (ie. domestic and/or international airfare, long distance phone calls, hotel stays).

Fuel International holds the right to dismiss any member from the mission field if it is in the leader’s discretion that the person is inhibiting team growth, missions endeavors, their own personal safety, or the safety of the team.

Prohibited Behavior

• *Any form of romantic involvement between non-married couples, (i.e. kissing, holding hands, lap sitting, back rubs).
• “Pairing Off.” Definition:  concentration of your time with one particular person, whether male or female.
• Males in females’ rooms and females in males’ rooms unless married. (“In” means any body part across the threshold of said doorway.)
• *Going outside of the lodging complex alone.
• *Leaving the lodging complex without notifying your Team Leader or Group Leader in advance.
• Being outside of the hotel complex without being in a legal group. (Legal group=3 total people: at least one male, at least one 18 year old, at least one leader.)
• Stealing, lying, cheating, and dishonest conduct.
• *Not eating or eating too much that you are then vomiting or taking laxatives to get rid of the food you ate (anorexic or bulimic eating habits)
• *Any type of self-harm (i.e. cutting, burning, not taking prescription medications, suicide intentions)
• Entering any of the bar/club areas (not even for a Coke.)
• Profanity or fighting.
• Turning on the television if one is located in your lodging.
• *Any attitude or behavior that is negative for the team, mission, or your personal walk with God.
• No cell phones, pagers, two-way messaging, walkie-talkies, cans and string or any other communication device unless given special permission by Fuel Leadership.

 

Possession or Use Prohibited

• Illegal drugs, alcohol, or tobacco products
• Firearms, explosives of any kind, knives or fireworks
• Secular music
• Pornographic materials

Required Behavior

• Be in the housing facilities by curfew.
• Be courteous to all those in the same lodging
• facilities (i.e. no running or screaming
• in the halls, quiet in your rooms when others
• are trying to sleep).
• Be polite to the lodging management and
• workers (“please” and “thank-yous” are
• appropriate).
• Wear shoes, shorts/pants, and shirt outside
• of your room (even to and from pool/beach
• areas).
• Be 5 minutes early for every meeting.

Phone Calls

• Make no more than one phone call during training, and one every two weeks while in country. This includes cell phone use. (Long distance is very expensive, and focus should be on the mission field, not on home.)
• Leadership will advise you as to the location of a telephone when you get in country.
• Make phone calls with a calling card or call collect.

Ministry Guidelines

• It is more effective for guys to minister to guys, and ladies to ladies.
• During one-on-one ministry time, you must stay in your ministry group at all times. No wandering.
• During one-on-one ministry, one person in your group speaks while the others support in prayer. Rotate for each ministry site.
• When the leaders give the cue that it is time to wrap things up, be sure to follow.
• Value your quiet times to prepare yourselves for ministry that day. Don’t approach the day dry.

 

Eating

• Show up for, and eat ALL meals.
• Your medical checklist informs your leadership of all food allergies and problems you may have.  These are the only food items you will be excused from eating on the mission field.
• If you foresee eating different foods as being a problem for you, pray for God’s strength and start practicing eating foods that may be served in your country.

Disciplinary Procedures

In the event that one of the rules is broken, one of the following disciplinary procedures may be enforced.  It is not always the case that these go in order.  Fuel Leadership uses their discretion as to the severity of the discipline.  Again, rules are enforced for reasons of safety, cultural sensitivity, and basic Christian conduct.

Campus

A “Campus” signifies that you will lose an evening or other designated amount of free time.  You will be required to stay in your room for a designated period of time.  You will be prohibited from     talking to any person, other than your leadership, (i.e. phone, notes, any other creative means of communication). It is recommended that this time is spent on devotions.

 

Loss of Excursion Day

Every week an excursion day is given which involves many fun activities exploring the foreign country.  Thus, the loss of the excursion day signifies that you will lose an entire day of fun.  You will be required to stay in your room for the day.  The same rules of communication apply as for a campus.

 

Homeward Bound

“Homeward Bound” means that you will be sent home on the next possible flight and you will not be able to continue the rest of your mission trip.  There will be no refunds or reimbursements.  Parents/ guardians/or adult applicants will be responsible for additional costs associated with the early return of their son or daughter/or self due to illness or disciplinary action, (i.e. domestic and/or international airfare, long distance phone calls, hotel stays).

 

Dress Code

Each country has specific cultural ways of dressing.  We will be sending you a more specific guideline for the things you should pack in your ministry kit. (The ministry kit is sent out after we receive half payment, all forms, and your passport.)  The following are specifics that will be prohibited during training and in any country.  Do not even pack these items.  If worn, you will be asked to change.

Females

• Tank tops
• Mini skirts or immodest skirts or dresses
• Crop tops, half shirts, or off the shoulder shirts
• Two-piece bathing suits or immodest one-piece bathing suit
• Tight pants, pants with holes
• Pierced rings, (i.e. nose, lip, belly button, tongue, cheek, knee, toe, thigh or any others you can think of. Ear rings accepted if worn modestly, no more than 2 earrings in one ear)
• Immodest shorts, bicycle shorts
• Any clothing that advertises radical Christian rock bands, secular rock bands, alcohol, or tobacco products.
• Expensive or gaudy jewelry

Males

• Tank Tops
• Half shirts or fishnet shirts
• Speedo bathing suit
• Tight pants, pants with holes.
• Pierced rings (i.e. nose, ear eye brow, fingernail, lip, belly button, tongue, cheek, knee, toe, thigh, or any other you can think of.)
• Any clothing advertising radical Christian rock bands, secular rock bands, alcohol, or tobacco products.
• Bicycle shorts or pants
• Expensive or gaudy jewelry