Mission Trip other frequently asked questions?
May we get a couple of options of possible dates when we could send a team?
Basically all dates are possible dates. We do this 24/7. We also work closely with the other work sites on the Gulf Coast and can help you consider alternate locations if we do not have the room.
Lagniappe is 'full', what does that mean? Couldn't we just get a hotel room and still work with y'all? Could we camp out?
Full means that we cannot host your team. No exceptions. Please do not take it upon yourself to make an 'exception' and allow that last minute person to sign-up. If you take it upon yourself to make the exception you will also be responsible for revoking the invitation you made. Full means FULL.
Some have taken 'full' to mean that they could just 'stay' somewhere else and then still work with us. This is INACCURATE. Our ability to lead quality projects and plan the appropriate amount of work for individuals based on our staff leadership numbers at any given time dictate what we can and cannot lead. Individuals can get hotel rooms in Bay St. Louis and work through Lagniappe IF we have booked a trip for their team and those individuals are included in our numbers AND the majority of their team is staying/eating at Lagnaippe. Lagniappe does not lead/host teams for whom the majority of the team is eating/staying off-site.
Lagniappe has no camping facilities.
Are there minimum or maximum numbers for teams?
Minimum number is 2. Maximum number is 100. The numbers will have some flexibilty based on the gender breakdown, but the entire facility could be booked if needed. We DO NOT allow individuals to stay at the LPC facility who are not with a specified team. If an individual wants to come and work he or she should form a team and book that team for a trip.
We are flying in. Where should we fly to and can someone pick us up?
The closest commercial airport is Gulfport, Mississippi and then secondly, New Orleans International. The closest private airport is Stennis Airport.
Unfortunately, we do not have the ability to shuttle teams from the airport to Lagniappe. You will also need transportation for the day to day site work in the Bay. Rental cars/vans are available at all airports.
I heard that there are special mileage rates that the I.R.S. allows teams to write off on their taxes, is this true?
Yes, it is true. The I.R.S. rate for personal deductions based on mileage for Katrina relief is 32 cents per mile for deduction purposes and 44.5 cents per mile if your church or mission organization is reimbursing you. See the attached .pdf file at the bottom of this page- it is the exact wording and document from the I.R.S.
What is the minimun age?
In order to maintain adequate safety and maintain a positive mission experience we have set an adult to student ratio of 1:6. An adult leader is one who is 21 or older, and all participants are 16 or older.
We brought a group of Jr. high students in the past-- How come we can not come again?
Very simple: our liability insurance and that of our partner organizations requires all participants to be 16 or older at the time of their trip. There are NO EXCEPTIONS to this. If you arrive with any team member younger than 16 you will be asked to make arrangements to send them home. Please understand that you will jeopardize our insurability yearly. We must adhere to this policy for the long term stability of this ministry
We've been trying to reach you by phone, but either can't seem to get in touch with you or haven't been called back yet. Am I calling the right numbers?
We are fielding calls from needy families, interested teams, building supply companies, city permitting agencies, mission sending agencies, potential interns, reporters and the occasional wrong number.
Our office hours are M-F 8 am to 4 pm, but if you can e-mail us that is the BEST way that we can get concise questions from you and answer them at non-urgent times.
We were thinking about coming to LPC for a scouting trip to see what type of work and facilities to expect, when should we do that?
Great question. We'd love to have you, but we have one request- be flexible and CALL BEFORE you come. We can make an appointment to give you a proper tour.
What is your Sunday schedule? Do we have to work?
The Lord's Day at Lagniappe is unlike any other day. We serve breakfast at 8:30 a.m. followed by corporate worship (chapel service) at 9:30 a.m. We then serve a family-style lunch for everyone in the cafeteria at 11 a.m.. Our normal practice is to do our group orientation at 7:00 p.m.
The rest of the day is set aside for the 'rest' of the day. Often teams will rightly consider 'relief work' as a work of necessity and mercy. These are activities they often want to participate in on the Lord's Day. We simply cannot provide the staff support for those teams on Sunday. We are not legislating consciences. We simply must rest. If teams work, we work. Whether it's tools, directions, phone calls, names of suppliers, family contact info, or something as minor as 'where do we get Gatorade to go in the coolers and by the way can you let us in the kitchen to get some ice?' You get the idea. Our interns and staff must rest and the Lord's Day is our day of rest.
What kind of work will I be doing? Can you use me even if I don't have any skills?
The kind of work you will be doing will likely be tied to the kind of work that was finished by our groups or other relief groups the week prior. That means that you will probably only find out the exact work order at orientation or the night before you work. Much of the work will depend on your skills. If you are an electrician- bring your tools- you WILL BE doing electrical work. If you are a plumber, same thing goes. Please be patient with the scheduling and thorough with your team skills assesment- it will make it easier to pair you with a family.
Teams and individuals from teams who are willing to come and serve at the Lagniappe facility cleaning or working in the kitchen during their mission week are 'comped' by LPC. That means that those individuals come with no daily charge as our way of saying 'thank-you' for helping us facilitate the other teams. NOTE: do not misperceive construction 'work' to be hard work and on-site 'work' to be easy work. Breakfast preparation begins at 5:30 a.m. and dinner clean-up ends around 7:30 p.m. At full capacity we will prep., serve and clean-up after 750 meals per day. That is not the easy road. If you come to 'help' in the kitchen prepare yourself for a hearty week of work.
What type of program do you have at night for our group?
Sleep. We're not kidding. Lagniappe Presbyterian Church is a relief facility participating in the restoration of the Gulf Coast. This is not a camp or a retreat center. There is not a ‘program’. We are at ground zero of the greatest natural disaster in United States history. Our ‘program’ is mercy ministry. All of our time, effort and energy is placed toward making the relief work function as smoothly as possible. Daylight is our friend and we work using every ounce of energy and effort toward helping families during all the daylight hours possible. The team that has the true 'Lagniappe' experience will thank us for early dinners and time to sleep. If a team desires nightly ‘programming’ they should prepare for that in advance on their own.
Please note that a 7-session devotional guide has been written and is provided to each team leader and participant. We would encourage teams to appoint a 'chaplain' or someone responsible for leading that devotional time. 7-8 p.m. is designated as a time for 'quiet' at the LPC facility- no basketball, etc. We want the facility to be used by teams at that time for their devotions.
Can I bring young children?
NO. See the answer above. Our minimum age is 16. No young children are allowed are allowed for any reason. This includes: a bad wanting to work with young sons; a skilled leader wanting to set an example of service to younger church members; a mom who promises to just help out around Lagniappe with her kids who won’t get in the way. We CANNOT accommodate anyone younger than 16. No exceptions, we hope you will understand and abide by this policy. It would be equally inspirational to younger members of the church to see adults willing to operate under authority and honor the policy’s of other organizations rather than attempting to pursue an exception for personal reasons that jeopardizes entire organization.
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