Trip Information

In the Basque Country, found in the northeast of Spain, Servant Life partners with long-term missionaries who are doing work among the Basque people. The culture of the Basques can be found in 4 provinces in Spain and 3 provinces of Southwest France. Although the majority of the population is bilingual, Basque is the first language of 1 million of the 2.7 million people in Spain. Despite that fact, there are zero evangelical churches in the Basque language; the Joshua Project estimates that 0.5% of the population is evangelical, which defines the Basque people as an unreached people group. We partner with missionaries who are facilitating evangelistic efforts and seeking to establish church planting movements among these people. Their vision is to see local churches in the communities where they work actively reproducing indigenous churches as they share the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This is accomplished through their 4-part strategy: strategic prayer, leadership development, cultural exchange, and community investment. 

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What will my team be doing? 

Teams will be a part of a series of day hikes along the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage with the opportunity to speak to Basque people about faith along the way. This will give a foundation for understanding more of the culture of the Basque Country in particular. There will be chances to meet people from all of the world and have conversations that we pray will be a meaningful part of their journey. Early in the week, teams will be participating in day hikes and will return to their hotel/dorm/apartment each night. Groups will also provide afternoon mini day camps for preschool and elementary aged kids. This is focused on serving the working parents in our school. The last few weeks of the school year are half days and that can prove to be quite challenging for working parents. Through this project we can offer them a very affordable option for afternoon childcare while sharing the love of Jesus through games, skits, and songs and all in English. Groups will also have the opportunity to organize meet-ups with high school students for the purpose of cultural exchange and gospel conversations. Through daily meet-ups with high school students, our volunteers actually have the chance to get to know and invest in the lives of students who have had little or no exposure to the gospel. What starts off as awkward conversations turns into life changing dialog about finding purpose and joy in life through a relationship with Jesus. 

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What does a general weekly schedule look like?

• Saturday. Depart from the U.S.

• Sunday. Arrive in Spain; get settled in; orientation for the week ahead; cultural outing.

• Monday - Friday. Ministry days: Camino de Santiago ministry; day camps / Bible clubs; English lessons. (One afternoon for sightseeing)

• Saturday. Travel day. Depart for U.S. that morning, arrive the same day.

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What does my cost include?

• In-country transportation. In-country transportation. From the moment you land at the airport until the moment you leave, we will take you everywhere during the week. You will not need to arrange your own transportation, but teams should be prepared to do some walking as we navigate different villages and communities.

• Housing. Your team will sleep in a hostel or hotel style lodging with bunk beds and access to shower and bathroom.

• Meals. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner, every day! (Note: You need to pay for your own meals at the airport, while traveling, etc.)

• Supplemental Traveler's Insurance. In the event of a medical emergency, you'll be covered with an international policy!

• T-Shirt. Every participant gets an awesome mission trip t-shirt.

• Pre-Trip Training Material. We provide training sessions, trip overview documents, assistance from our team of mission trip experts, and communication with in-country missionaries to make sure your group is fully prepared for your trip.

• Pre, During, and Post-trip Devotionals. This 4-week printed missions journal will help every team member grow and encounter Christ.
   

Airfare is not included in the trip cost, but will be taken care of by Servant Life's travel agent who gets humanitarian rates and often free baggage. You may book on your own if you prefer to do so, but we ask to approve the itinerary first.