Online applications for the following year will be received between September 1 and October 15.
All dates are tentatively scheduled when the online application is submitted between September 1 and October 15. Dates are not locked in until JAARS confirms with the team leader by November 15.
Yes, you may volunteer on your own too. If you are wishing to volunteer for more than two weeks, then it is best for you to go through our volunteer department for now. If you wish to serve for less than two weeks, then our Mission Teams office can help, as long as we are able to find an area in which you can best serve. Either way, contact the Mission Team office (mission_teams@jaars.org) and we’ll do our best to help plug you in.
Specific skills that our Facilities team is looking for include:
HVAC
Licensed Electrician
Licensed Plumber
Concrete work
Welding
Professional Painter
Crawlspace Encapsulator
Heavy Equipment Operator
Arborist
Roofing
Other skills or experienced handyman
A minimum of four is required in order to register for a one-week mission team experience. The maximum we can accommodate is 18 due to housing capacity.
Church and school youth groups, young adults, church teams wanting to raise mission awareness.
Our projects are mostly geared for 14 years and older. Children younger than 14 must be accompanied by a parent. From mid-June to mid-August, we offer a morning children’s program (Summer Safari) for grade-school students who come with their families.
One adult leader for every 5-6 teens is required for all youth groups involving minors (under 18 years).
Adults are responsible for supervising their group at all times, caring for medical needs, providing non-program meals, and setting a good work ethic example on projects.
Depending on the week, service projects might include the following:
•Construction/maintenance: building projects, painting, sanding, wood splitting, power-washing
•Landscaping: weeding, path trimming/clearing, etc.
Some adult groups may bring specific skills that may be used. If you have a specific skill, please ask us (mission_teams@jaars.org) if it could be used here.
Mission teams stay in a two story, fully furnished house (Rossi House). The house has 5 bedrooms and four bathrooms (including the downstairs flat). Upstairs there are two bedrooms with 1 bunk and 1 twin bed, and two bedrooms with 1 bunk and 1 full size bed (total of 12 beds upstairs). Downstairs there is one large room with 1 bunk and 4 twins. Downstairs the sleeping area can be divided into two with a curtain divider.
In addition, there are two full (albeit small) kitchens supplied with dishes and cookware and two meeting spaces as well as a large back deck. The following are also included with our housing: air conditioning, blankets, pillows, towels, and seasonal swimming pool access with towels. Please plan to bring your own sheets and pillowcases.
All lunches are provided by our center café, the cost of which is included in our pricing. You are welcome to bring additional money to purchase à la carte items if you wish. Also, we will coordinate two evening meals with speakers during the week. (Sometimes this is planned so that teams can connect with missionary contacts they already know.)
Note: Each group is responsible for their own breakfast, as well as any additional meals beyond the five lunches and two dinners already planned.
Groups are responsible for their own transportation to/from site and during the week. Some groups traveling a distance do fly in. On those occasions we can help to arrange their transportation if desired.
Mission teams arrive on Sundays between 4:00 and 7:00 p.m. Departure is Saturday between 7:00 and 9:00 a.m. If other arrival or departure times need to be arranged, talk with us ahead of time.
We have established the following baseline cost structure to include key elements of bringing a mission team to JAARS:
Team Cost: $260/person
Includes: housing, lunches, 4WD Ride and airplane ride, two evening meals/program, and contribution to offset project cost.
Additional Individual expenses:
Individuals bringing children for the week may want to consider either of the following options, depending on when they are here.
Young children not able to join the team in the afternoons will need someone to supervise them.