Spring Invasion '10 | Event Description

What Is Spring Invasion?
Spring Invasion, a short-term missions program sponsored by EFC-MAYM in cooperation with Coahuila, Mexico Friends Churches, has been hosting Friends Church Sr. High student missions teams in Mexico since 1993. Spring Invasion allows students to serve the foreign mission field for one-week, experiencing ministry in a cross-cultural community and observing God’s action in the context of Coahuila, Mexico Friends Churches. Invasion also provides a place for youth groups to be challenged and stretched together, finding sacrifice and service as pleasures in God’s Kingdom. Furthermore, Invasion not only helps students develop a mission-minded world-view, but also allows them to take a beginners-level peek at exploring missionary life and ministry Calling. Invasion gives all participants a tremendous blessing as they plunge themselves right into the middle God’s work!

Participating Spring Invasion Youth Groups, are divided (by youth group) into teams of 15 – 20 members per team. Then each team is assigned to work with a Friends Church in various sites within the state of Coahuila, under supervision of a local Pastor, Invasion Directors and Youth Group Leaders. There are several potential locations available for Invasion Teams to be placed. Ministry sites include: Nueva Rosita, Allende, Cloete, Carlos’ youth mission in Cloete, Agujita, Nacimiento, Palau, La Luz, Sabinas, Lorenzo’s mission in Rosita, and Coronado’s Rosita church and rural mission.

Students who wish to participate in Spring Invasion but don’t have a youth group and/or adult leader to come with can contact a nearby Mid-America Friends Church Youth Pastor to inquire about participating with their group, or contact matt@friendsyouth.com to talk about options.

Spring Invasion is once every two years: The EFC-MAYM Youth Division decided during Nov 07 meetings to begin an ‘every-other-year’ schedule for Spring Invasion. Current plans are for EFC-MAYM to go to Coahuila in ‘10, ’12, ‘14 and so on. In the off-Invasion-years, the Youth Division would like to encourage local youth groups to continue a spring break experiential mission’s emphasis, which could happen through the local church, or by churches working together and/or through the EFC-MAYM Ministry Center.

Why begin an every-other-year Invasion schedule?
We absolutely love the Coahuila Friends Church and Spring Invasion, so it is sad when spring break rolls around and we don’t go (after 15 years of going every year). We also continue to believe in the ministry and mission work of Coahuila Friends, and we are excited about continuing our ministry partnership and support, while at the same time, giving these Friends more breathing room to strengthen their church’s ministry ‘without our annual Invasion.’ Furthermore, rather than training our students to “go to Mexico every spring break with their youth group,” we’d like to do all we can to facilitate a broader understanding of missions service. While some students may be disappointed in missing Spring Invasion, we are confident that as we seek God and listen to his leading, we will find opportunities to serve that will satisfy the desires of every student that wants to serve Christ in this world.

When is Spring Invasion 2010?
During your Spring Break!
Week #1 = March 13-20
Week #2 = March 20-27

Who is Spring Invasion for?
Spring Invasion guidelines for student team members:

1. Sr. High Student
2. Must have original state-certified copy of Birth Certificate/photo I.D. or Passport*
3. Active participant in local church and/or youth program
4. Respectful to authority and peers
5. Willing to be stretched and follow all Spring Invasion guidelines
6. Has been accepted as a team member of a participating EFC-MAYM Church Youth Group

*THE WORD ON PASSPORT REQUIREMENTS: Persons ages 18 and younger are not required to have a passport to re-enter the United States by land-crossing when traveling with their youth group. The Invasion-required notarized Release and Medical Consent Form satisfy government-required parental consent, which in turn releases persons 18 and younger from needing the passport. Persons 19 and older must have a Passport or Passport Card in order to re-enter the United States. See this website for further clarity:
http://www.getyouhome.gov/html/lang_eng/eng_sa.html

Spring Invasion 2010 Registration Costs and Deadlines:
Spring Invasion Costs vary for each group. Contact your youth group leader for your groups’ total registration costs and to see about fundraising help.

There are two Spring Invasion registration payments to make:

Note: Check with your youth leader before you register to find out if you are to pay your $205 Deposit and optional $10 shirt cost directly to EFC-MAYM or if you should make payments directly to your youth leader or church.

Spring Invasion:
1. Feb. 25 = $205 Registration Deposit and online registration form due to EFC-MAYM: covers all expenses while in Mexico including meals, overnight arrangements, work project supplies, administration, etc. The deposit amount is the same for every student, adult, and interpreter. Cost of optional $10 shirts are not included and can be selected when registering online.
2. A second payment due to your church group helps cover cost of your groups’ transportation, hotel costs, tourist cards and administration down and back. Also, each person is responsible for travel meals.

Late Fees: Any registrations or payments posted online late will be charged a $20 late fee. No registrations will be accepted after March 1.

March 8 – Release and Medical Consent form due to Friends Ministry Center, 2018 Maple, Wichita, KS 67213.

NOTE: These deadlines are to the EFC-MAYM Friends Ministry Center. While individuals are responsible for registering on-line, payment checks and Release Forms may be collected by group leaders at an earlier date. Also, your group leader will most likely be collecting your Birth Certificates or Passports in preparation for border crossing. Ask your leader!

Birth Certificate - Locate an original copy of your Birth Certificate with a state seal on it (no copies). You cannot participate in Spring Invasion and cross the border without either your Birth Certificate or a passport. Go find it now, don’t just assume you have it – even if you had it out for last year’s Invasion. If necessary, you can call the Bureau of Vital Statistics (use a title service for speed) in the state where you were born to request a copy. Married ladies also need an original copy of your Marriage Certificate to document your name change.

Spring Invasion Refund/Cancellation Policy :
-Cancellations received on or before Feb 25 will be refunded in full
-Cancellations received between Feb 26 and March 8 will be refunded the deposit minus a 20% administration fee.
-Cancellations for any reason March 9 or after will receive no deposit refund.
-Substitutes are not accepted. Each registrant will be treated separately.

Spring Invasion Base
Our meeting place to start and end the week in Mexico together, will be at Agujita Friends Church, next to Samuel Vasquez’s home. Groups who register meet at Eagle Pass, Texas for border crossing and convoy to Agujita. Agujita is a short distance from Nueva Rosita.

Ralph Corbet, Invasion Project Director, has been involved with Spring Invasion since the beginning. His primary focus is on any construction or work projects youth groups might be involved with. Ralph has a great relationship with this Mexican Friends Church community and helps determine what projects we take on as he assesses needs. He also serves the student teams in many other ways. You will like Ralph!

Samuel Vasquez is one of several pastors and a leader among the pastors that Ralph, Matt and all of us look to for leadership in our work with the churches in Mexico. Samuel and the Mexican pastors are our bosses. Show great respect to them. They will be very busy hosting us and will be interested in what we do in their churches and communities. When we leave, they will still be there, so we must follow their leading, welcome their participation and seek their opinions in what we do. We hope to help them minister to the community, not hurt it. Our witness may affect their witness.

Primary Youth Leaders!
If you are the Primary Youth Leader for your church and have a Primary Youth Leader log-in username, you can access our Spring Invasion Planning Resources. If you do not have a Primary Youth Leader username, contact Matt Macy to receive one.

How to register for Spring Invasion:
1. Click on ‘register now’ button.
2. Click on ‘sign up today’ and fill in personal information to create a username and password (unless you already have a username and password). If you can’t remember your username, your youth pastor can look it up for you online.
3. Log in with your username and password to register for this event: Spring Invasion 2010.
4. Complete information for registration form. Be sure to click “submit form” at the bottom, review information and then click “confirm registration.”
5. Pay deposit or full registration online with Paypal, or give a check to your youth leader written to your church (ask your youth leader if you should pay directly to EFC-MAYM).

Below is the information you will need when registering:
To Sign up for friendsyouth.com:
Personal Information: Name, Phone, Mailing address, Date of Birth, & Church
Medical info: Medical history, Current medication, Medical Insurance provider, ID#, Group #, Address for claims, Parent Name, Parent Authorization, Parent e-mail, and Parent Emergency Contact Phone Numbers

Then to register for Invasion:
Registration options: Optional $10 T-Shirt, payment option.

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