Mission Tips

Dear Volunteer, The Mission for Children's Health Africa staff is excited that you are considering a short-term mission trip with us. We are prayerfully making plans, setting goals and organizing projects. We have high hopes of what will be accomplished for our Lord. If you are still uncertain about God's will for you in this area, let us both pray that His will shall be done.

This website contains information that will help prepare you for your work crusade experience. Included is information about travel, dress, luggage limits, health concerns, immunization, items to take, and mission requirements.

You and your teammates are in our prayers. We also ask for your prayers for MCH-AFRICA, for Ghana and the people we serve. It is MCH-AFRICA desire to be in God's will and to do our best to facilitate a great short-term mission experience. We look forward to the Christian fellowship that accompanies work in the field, and for the opportunity for you to share in MCH-AFRICA. If you have any questions that we have not answered in this website please do not hesitate to contact our office (614)-899-7681, our cell (419)-764-3870 or email us at mchafrica@live.com.

You are urged to visit our website, www.mchafrica.org, to learn more about MCH-Africa's diverse ministries as you will be actively involved in many of these ministries while in the mission field.

Again thank you for your interest in MCHA and it is our prayer that you join us in building lives for Christ in Ghana Serving Christ and His children, Emmanuel T. Mohammed our Founder and Director

Short-Term Mission Trips...Reasons to Go

Each year, many people choose to experience short-term, cross-cultural work crusade experiences through mission organizations, such as Mission for Children's Health Africa. MCH-AFRICA began hosting work teams in 2009 with a team of 10 people. The popularity of this life-changing venture has increased over the years, and MCH-AFRICA is looking forward hosting over 10 volunteers each year on short-term work crusades.

Why should you take advantage of such an opportunity? Here are just a few good reasons:
• Enhance personal spiritual growth.
• Cultivate a servant's heart as you minister physically and spiritually to needy people.
• Increase mission awareness and involvement.
• Experience a foreign culture.
• Meet "foreign" Christians.
• Worship God with nationals.
• Encourage others.
• Give hands on help to the mission.
• Be a witness of Christ's love abroad and witness Christ at home.
• Bonding with team members and foreign nationals.
• Exercise faith and increase your faith.
• Obey "The Great Commission".
• Build and strengthen home churches.
• Open oneself to possible full-time service.

Organizing, preparing, hosting and leading work teams requires much effort for everyone involved. Planning, preparation and prayer on the part of sending, as well as receiving organizations must take place to assure the best experience for the volunteers. Providing a positive experience is a full-time ministry for MCH-AFRICA. Our desire is for team members to experience a good overview of mission experience, the mission field and MCH-AFRICA 's work, by offering each volunteer the opportunity to have daily hands-on ministry opportunities.

Many factors affect the work mission and its outcome:
• Strong leadership and a clear sense of our goals and direction must be present and must be communicated to the mission leaders and team members.
• Respect for the missionaries and the people we minister must be shown by team members; and
• A willing attitude must be present in each volunteer. After all the preparation has taken place, including planning and preparing, then everyone must relax and let God work. When all of these things take place, lives are changed and Christ is lifted up. God's Word reminds us that if Christ is lifted up, He will draw all men to Himself.

Checklist for the trip:
1. Passport (booklet type)
2. Visa to Ghana (MCH-AFRICA will help you get a visa)
3. Vaccination record
4. Airfare
5. Clothing a. Shorts b. Pants, c. T-shirts (long sleeved and short sleeved) d. Undergarments
6. Washcloths and Towels
7. Toiletries a. Shampoo b. Soap c. Lotion d. Shaving cream and razors (if needed) e. Toothpaste and toothbrush
8. Backpacks
9. Camera (if desired)

Visa Information Ghana does require a Visa to enter the country along with your passport. You can find additional information regarding applying for a Visa and other information at the Embassy of Ghana Web Site. Their web site provides telephone numbers also. The Embassy of Ghana is located in Washington, D.C. for more information go to http://travel.state.gov

VACCINATIONS

The only vaccination required for entry into Ghana is the yellow fever vaccine. You must present proof of this vaccination when you request a visa for Ghana. We also recommend that you carry the yellow immunization card with you, keeping it with your passport, as you may be asked to show this when going through customs at the airport in Accra. Check with your local health department about obtaining this vaccination. You should also ask about obtaining boosters for certain immunizations that you probably received in childhood, in particular polio and tetanus. There are other vaccinations that you should consider, especially if you will be in Ghana for more than a few weeks. Some of these require a series of shots so ask as early as possible. Highly recommended is the hepatitis A vaccine, for travel almost anywhere in the world. Also recommended are the vaccines for typhoid and meningococcal. If you will be in Northern Ghana (TAMALE) for more than a couple of months we recommend the hepatitis B and the rabies vaccines. Consider boosters of certain other immunizations. Click here to download our volunteer application