ALL ABOUT ENCUENTRO PUERTO RICO 2016
Where: San Juan and Arecibo Puerto Rico
When:
Second week July 10 – July 16, 2016 (7 days/6 nights)
Additional day on the island approximately $38
NO PASSPORT REQUIRED
What’s included?
Transportation to and from airport, daily transportation to mission sites and
Gloria a Dios services, meals Monday through Thursday. Friday is a FREE DAY
with an Evening City Wide Crusade. Transportation provided for all scheduled
events (except tours).
Areas:
Puerto Rico has two Nazarene Districts, West District headquarter in Arecibo
and East Nazarene District headquarter in San Juan.
Itinerary:
First Day:
Arrive at airport and transported to hotel
Team Passport Devotions
Second Day: 10:30 AM Breakfast/Brunch
11:45 PM Gloria a Dios Service
1:00 PM Depart to Mission Site
2: 15 PM Children & Youth Crusade
6:00 PM Dinner
7:30 PM Evening Evangelistic Service
11:00 PM Team Passport Devotions
Third Day: Same as Second Day
Fourth Day: Same as the Second Day
Fifth Day:
Same as the Second Day
Sixth Day: FREE DAY/Beach & Tours (Meals not furnished)
7:30 PM City Wide Crusade (Transportation furnished)
Seventh Day: Depart
NOTE: Many teams will come in a day early or depart a day later. These will be
given the opportunity to attend one of the Puerto Rican Nazarene churches.
Transportation provided.
Type Mission Sites:
Many of the sites are in rural areas with some up in the mountains. Each district
has a school K – 12 with facilities for groups up to 300. Most churches have nice
clean facilities. Sites located in San Juan will have the daily challenge of CRAZY
roads and too many automobiles. Most of the Nazarene pastors can
understand English, but translators will always be needed. Suggest each team
bring someone to assist with the Spanish. If not, you’ll be assigned to a site
with a translator. Note, the Puerto Rican Spanish is a little different than Mexico
(or Texas).
Puerto Rican Nazarenes:
VERY POLITE and quick to assist. The youth are excellent students and have
learned to speak some English by listening to TV. PR voted to be a Spanish
speaking Commonwealth, so all schooling, government offices etc. are Spanish
only. The Speedy Spanish Book can be downloaded from the web site, this will
be the best tool you carry.
You will find our PR Nazarenes rather conservative and deeply spiritual. When
greeting, they will hug and kiss you on the cheek. Living by the sea they eat a
lot fish dishes. Fried bananas and beans and rice are the big items on their
menu.
They have many GREAT musicians. The services will be alive with the Salsa type
Puerto Rican instruments and singing.
The children are very loving. You’ll have a difficult time leaving and will always
have a warm spot in your heart for the youth and little ones you served. They
are very bright and learn quickly. We are picking crafts that will hold their
attention. Puerto Rico is an expensive country to live so many of the children
don’t have the basic school supplies needed. These supplies and new clothing
are much appreciated.
Children & Youth Crusade:
 Prepare for large number of children and youth.
 Children and Youth Crusade Manual printed bi-lingual.
 Children’s music with CD can be downloaded from Web Site
(encuentropr.org)
 Bring or purchase on island: peanut butter, jelly, bread, pre-sweeten KoolAid and cookies etc.
 Bring sport equipment for recreational activities.
 Bring lots of balloons, prizes, crayons, scissors (pack in your suitcase), and
other supplies needed.
 Need poster board with marking pencils.
 Need First aid-Kit
 Wear comfortable walking shoes.
 Try and bring a translator. If not, we will assign you a site with one.
 We will let you know what facilities and equipment is at your church. A
profile of your ministry site will be furnished.
 Appoint directors for each area of the crusade. We will get names and
numbers of the corresponding Puerto Ricans.
 Contact the Puerto Rican pastor at least 75 days before arrival about your
team informing him what you have to offer in supplies and talent. If you
have a struggle communicating use a local translator.
Evening Evangelistic Service:
 Have each participant learn basic Spanish in order to give greetings, their
name, age and the location of their home, city and as much as possible.
Please let them know you have made a real effort to speak Spanish.
Recommend you study the Speedy Spanish book for 30 minutes 4 times a
week. You’ll be amazed how much you will learn and retain.
 Have each participant write out their testimony, get translated and
practice reading. Help to insure the testimony has substance. Have each
or your team members read sometime during the 4 nights of services.
 Practice the Spanish hymns and choruses. Words and CD can be
downloaded from Web site.
 If you have musicians that can sing, see if you can find Spanish words for
their songs. If not, use hymns or choruses the Puerto Ricans would know,
(I’ll help you with this). Instrumentalist can play along during service and
also play solos etc. Most of all, use as much of your team as possible. The
Puerto Ricans will do the same. Sometimes these services get a little
long. THEY WILL BE GREAT!!!
 They especially love to hear our youth directors and pastors preach. 15
minute sermon translated is about 35 minutes. Write out your sermon
and practice with a local translator. If you can’t take the translator with
you, send sermon ahead to your PR pastor and they will have someone
ready. This is very important since many times the sermons don’t make
sense since the translator doesn’t know what it was you were trying to
say.
 Inform the pastor how many nights you plan to preach. (They prefer you
preach all 4 nights) Suggest you let the local pastor assist you with the
altar call.
 Don’t be in a hurry to leave. Give both sides time to communicate. Don’t
worry you’ll find with the Speedy Spanish book you can go on for hours.
Sports Teams:
 Conduct daily sport clinics
 Play tournament with Puerto Rican teams
 Give their testimony at half time in each game.
Most of our teams will be from our Nazarene Universities. District of local
churches with teams that can play high school level can have the same type
schedule as the university teams.
Orchestra:
 Persons (Youth and Adults) that can play high school level music will be
sent the scores and CD in order to practice.
 Practice at the event will begin the evening of the first day when we
arrive and again the morning of the second day.
 This team will present concerts throughout the island.
 They will also play for the Gloria a Dios services in both San Juan and
Arecibo.
 Play for the City Wide Crusade.
Construction W&W Teams:
 There are several construction needs at our island Nazarene churches.
 A team or individual will contact the Event Director of Work & Witness
and discuss the different projects available.
 Each W&W team will be responsible for the cost of construction materials
needed for the week they are at the site.
 Each team leader will coordinate with the W&W director as to the tools
they need to bring. Most of the island churches will have these tools.
 These teams will be able to go earlier in the morning and transportation
and food will be furnished. The chef of each city will prepare food for
their breakfast and lunch. You might want to consider stopping and eating
a hot breakfast rather than prepared in a box.
 They will have the opportunity to attend the evening services at or close
to where they are working.
 Youth groups can elect to do a construction project or a site needing both
Children’s & Youth Crusade as well as construction.
Tours:
There will be several tours made available at a substantial savings of what the
island tour conductors charge. We do this by renting buses and vans and using
our Puerto Ricans as tour guides. A list of these will be made available after we
make the October – November 2014 trip.
Housing:
The East Nazarene District is headquartered in San Juan where the hotels are
typically national chains. All will have pools and most rooms are quads, some
three and many for two. The West Nazarene District is limited to 3 hotels. Two
that are smaller and privately owned with pools and one 24 room Resort.
Behind the resort are 8 beach houses (dorm style) with 8 bunk beds per room.
These come with no bedding. Encuentro is buying pillows and a cover and
asking each person assigned to this property bring a sheet, pillow case and
beach towel. Each day someone will come and wash the towels. The air
conditioner is turned on at 8 PM and off at 8 AM. Refrigerator and hot water
showers are included. Always a good ocean breeze. Couples will be able to stay
at the Resort which owns these houses. The convention center we are using is
between the resort and beach houses.
Transportation:
The island has no public transportation excepting in the Old San Juan District.
Taxis and Charter buses are the only thing available. We are working with a
Baptist church to rent 25 school buses. Don’t fret it only gets to 85 degrees. We
will be using rented vans to move our teams from the airport to a central area
where they will be loaded into buses going to their hotels.
Medical:
The hospitals are very nice and modern but if someone needs to be hospitalized
we will assign a nurse to care for them. Walgreen is the main pharmacy and will
refill any prescription. We suggest you carry prescriptions, name and number of
your doctor and name and number of your pharmacy.
Encuentro will have a medical team in both districts. USA doctors and nurses
can practice in Puerto Rico. We are asking all churches to insure their
participants with the Work & Witness Insurance from our Nazarene
Headquarters.
Food and Water:
The water is very clean but we still recommend drinking bottled water. Each
island church will furnish a large water cooler and Encuentro will furnish bagged
ice.
Food is about 50% higher than in USA. They have ample stores is which to
purchase but in rural areas the smaller stores will be even higher. Puerto Rican
food is very healthy but some will have a different taste then what you have
experienced. I loved their beans and rice and fried bananas. We are asking
them to be careful about cooking dishes that you wouldn’t eat. (Here’s hoping)
Encuentro is paying for the food they prepare and have requested big delicious
meals. I’ve never tried their desserts but I hear they are great.
You can buy peanut butter, jelly and bread everywhere!
Rules and Dress Code:
 No short shorts worn at the mission site or at any of our churches.
 Guys are to wear a shirt while at mission site or at any of our churches.
 Each team will wear look alike shirts when arriving at airport as well as
each day at the mission site. This can be the Encuentro Event shirt, your
team shirt or shirts the same color.
 When speaking or performing at the church wear clothing that is
appropriate. Each Youth Director discuss with your island pastor and
make this decision.
 When leaving the hotel property everyone will travel with a group of 5 or
more, preferably with 2 guys.
 Guys and Gals are never to be in each other’s rooms at any time unless
with an adult member.
 Don’t take someone else’s medicine.
 No use of tobacco or alcoholic products
 No recreational drugs.
 Suggest you never leave your camera, electronics or valuables in the
room.
 Curfew is mid-night
Assignments:
 Each youth director will have their own mission assignment.
 I will personally work with the team director to discuss your team size,
strengths and physical fitness. Some sites are challenging to reach and we
will assist you in locating where you could have the best ministry
opportunities.
 Those teams staying an extra day or arriving a day early and want to be
involved in the Sunday Morning Service, the church will assist with
transportation.
 I will discuss with you the type neighborhood and what I think you should
expect as to the number of children and youth.
 We will discuss a plan B in the event the church is not large enough to
handle the number children attending.
 We will discuss the distance and time to and from your site. This is
important if you decide to go to the East or West coast ministry sites.
Registration:
 Teams and participants will be able to register on line.
 The www.Encuentropr.org has a registration form that is connected to a
secure site for privacy and security. Your information will be encrypted
and used only for the medical director and airlines.
 All airlines require name as on driver’s license or passport, birthdate, and
residence address. All students under the age of 18 will need notarized
parent or guardian permission (airlines sometimes require).
 The Encuentro will reserve 1200 seats per week. These are first come
basis or you can make your own flight arrangements.
 There are 1327 flights weekly from USA to Puerto Rico.
 If you plan to make your own reservations suggest you do so starting as
soon as possible.
 We are encouraging teams to arrive a day or two early or depart a day or
two later.
 Teams arriving or departing early or later will have the opportunity to
worship at one of the island churches. There are many things to do or see
including 240 miles of beaches. W&W teams can begin working as soon as
they arrive.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
 Q. Will I get sick drinking the water? A. The water is very clean. However
the mineral content sometimes is different than you have at home and
this could upset your stomach. This no different than traveling to another
part of the USA.
 Q. What if they serve me food I don’t like or can’t eat? A. NEVER make
faces or show distain and absolutely never spit it out. Suggest if you see
something you are not sure about, take a very small portion. This is a
mission trip so be prepared with your favorite snack foods. The event
Food Director is working closely with our churches in planning the evening
menus.
 Q. What if I’m on special diet or I’m a vegetarian? A. Take foods to
supplement your diet. There are many stores including SAMS and COSCO.
 Q. Do I need sun screen? Yes, especially if at the beach or out in the sun
for a sustained period of time.
 Q. How many bosses will I have? A. Only one, your team director. There
are event security personnel and they will report serious infractions to
your team director.
 Q. Is this trip tax deductible? A. The answer is YES, however please ask
your tax advisor. You should pay all monies including air to your church
and let them pay. Tours, souvenirs, extra food and any personal items
should not be considered tax deductible. The Encuentro Puerto Rico 2016
is the event name for Encuentro Youth Mission, Inc. which is a Federally
Approved 501C3 nonprofit corporation. Encuentro Youth Mission, Inc. will
issue you receipts for all monies sent directly to this office. For tax
purposes suggest you pay your airfare through your church, District or
Encuentro.
 Q. How is the money paid for construction materials? A. All monies will
be sent to the Global Nazarene Work & Witness Department. We need to
be notified so we can assist in assuring materials are on the site when you
arrive. NOTE; Monies sent 120 days or less prior to your arrival should be
sent to the Encuentro Office. The Puerto Rican Event W&W Director will
then make the purchases needed. Most W&W teams will make additional
purchases and if using cash be sure to retain a receipt for IRS.
 Q. Can I make a tax deductible donation? A. Yes. Four (4) designations for
donations: Named participant, Scholarship Fund (persons needing
assistance), construction materials, or a specific Puerto Rican Nazarene
church.
 Q. What if at last moment I can’t go, do I get my money refunded.
A. You can transfer all of your monies to a person not already registered.
Since all monies go to paying in advance our event cost we are unable
to make a refund. Event Insurance can be purchased. We will be
issuing this information on the web.
 Q What are the age requirements? This event can accommodate
families, youth and all ages of adults.
 Can we barter at the markets? A. Yes and NO. Most of the open air
markets and street stands will barter. The better air conditioned stores
will have fixed prices. You will find the Puerto Rican made souvenirs to be
beautiful and inexpensive.
PLEASE CALL OR SEND ME YOUR QUESTIONS?
Bob Bolton encuentropr@gmail.com
520-350-2448