Safety is our top priority.

 

Going overseas is a big deal and it's totally understandable for individuals, parents, and family to be concerned and want to know what safety precautions are taken for each trip, especially if they are new to Wide Awake Missions.  We've been at this for over twenty years, have taken thousands of teens and young adults overseas and are fortunate over the years and years of doing mission trips to never have had a major safety, or medical issue. Here are some precautions and exercises we adhere to:

 

*Our adult/student ratio is usually one adult per five students. We allow the team to bring their smartphones and usually, it's their camera as well. We use the hotel’s wifi, this way student can be in contact with their parents for updates. We also provide parents the phone numbers of our hotel in Miami during training time—as well as the international hotels we stay in during the trip.

 

*Once we meet in Miami we go over all the safety protocols and country rules.

 

*No one is ever allowed to go off by themselves outside of our outreach sites, ministry sites, and hotels. We travel as a team unit, eat as a team, and minister as a team...so no one is ever alone. We rely on our trusted and experienced contacts/translators to guide us each day. Also, each team member pairs up daily with an accountability partner. We always have a first aid kit that travels with us and our contacts keep us informed on the best hospitals to visit if there are any needed issues or emergencies. 

 

*WAM keeps in constant contact with all travel warnings concerning each country we go to. We register our group before we leave with STEP and log our itinerary with the state departments of each country we travel to.

 

*You, your parents, and family will have a list of all our emergency numbers and itinerary 2 weeks before each trip.

 

*Parents can call me personally with any questions they may have. My direct number is 970-889-1102.

 

*We also provide contact information of other parents you may reach out to. These parents have either a teen that is currently going on one of our mission trips or a has been on a mission trip in the last three years.

 

*Lastly, we carry international insurance for each member in case the is any medical issues and provides coverage in case there is ever a case for evacuation.