Tour Dates: 4/11/2010 to 4/22/2010
Tour Cost Per Person: $3,929.00 Additional fuel surcharges may apply.
Deposit Needed: $380.00
India is a land rich with diverse cultures, traditions and religions being practiced every day by the richest castes all the way down the poorest. In the midst of all these, most children are treated as second-class citizens, and often put to work at a young age. Most of these children do not have a chance to enjoy childhood, to laugh, to cry, to play or to dream of who they want to be someday. You will be exposed to these sights in Kolkata, where Compassion particularly wants to minister. These are the children in poverty that your sponsorship is helping, helping to be what God wants them to be. In Bangladesh, a country devastated yearly by cyclones and flood, death and disease are common among the poor. You will witness and be part of the ministry that helps these people, giving them hope, courage and God's love. Compassion will be offering an educational trip, showing how the ministry is working in these two countries amid the challenges presented by diverse people groups and lack of basic infrastructure. With your help Compassion is reaching out to more than 80,000 children in these nations.
Days 1–3: The Journey Begins
We will meet at JFK International Airport, where we will be briefly introduced and then embark on our life-changing journey. After an approximate 20-hour flight, we will be arriving in Kolkata, India, where we will meet our local Compassion host, anxiously waiting to show us the ministry there.
Days 4-7: East India
Our trip begins with meeting our Compassion office staff to understand the ministry taking place there. Our group will begin understanding Compassion's ministry in this country amid the cultural and religious practices that hold the majority of the people in bondage. Our trip will expose us to the lifestyle and struggles that impoverished Indians face every day, with the hope that we will have a passion to break the cycle of poverty among the children in Jesus' name.
Those of you who sponsor children from east India will have the opportunity to meet your child while here.
Days 8–12: Bangladesh
After a 30-minute plane ride, we will arrive in Bangladesh. You will quickly learn that the lifestyle and culture here are very different from those in India. Bangladesh is a predominantly Muslim country. It has one of the highest rainfall averages in the world, and flooding is a common occurrence. Compassion Bangladesh uniquely helps the children in poverty and churches that are ministering through holistic programs. You will see and experience how God works among the local staff and church leaders in ministering to these children and their families through your sponsorship.
Tour Schedule Details:
Registration: Our trips fill up quickly on a first-come basis, so it is important to register soon! Once we have received your registration along with a deposit of $380, we will confirm your place on the tour and you may then purchase your domestic air ticket. The final payment of $3,549 is due no later than Dec. 20, 2009.
Please click on the Register Now button below to complete the registration form online. If you'd rather register by mail, click on the link to the printable Registration Form above right, below the photo.
Price: The cost of this tour is $3,929 per person for double occupancy.
Included in our tour price are round-trip airfare between JFK International Airport and Kolkata, India, lodging, all meals, travel in-country, tips, your child's travel, guides and translators during the tour, admission fees, departure tax and administrative costs.
Costs not included in the tour price are transportation to and from JFK International Airport, passport and incidentals such as snacks, additional beverages, laundry, phone calls, film and other personal items. You may want to bring extra spending money for shopping at the local markets.
Safety and Preparation: This tour will be moderate in difficulty because of impoverished conditions. Also, there will be some walking, rides on bumpy roads, and long days. We will have a work element in this tour.
Compassion constantly monitors the safety of our destination countries and will make any adjustments necessary to protect our tour participants, sponsored children and in-country staff. We believe it is important to provide safe, comfortable accommodations, traditional meals and reliable transportation so that your focus can be on what God is teaching you and the impact of the experience rather than concern for your personal safety and well-being. Please read the Tour Conditions and General Information document before finalizing your decision.
BACKGROUND CHECK:
In order to ensure the safety of our children and determine eligibility to travel with Compassion, we now require all travelers (over the age of 18) to complete a criminal background check. Please visit https://www.ministryopportunities.org/USCITours to complete your online background check at the time of registration. If you are unable to complete this online, please contact us and we will send you a paper form for you to fill out and return. Compassion uses a third-party vendor, Protect My Ministry (www.protectmyministry.com) to process background checks. The results of your background check are confidential and all personal information is encrypted and secure.
RESERVATIONS should be made well in advance and require a nonrefundable deposit of $380 per person. Final payment of $3,549 is due no later than Dec. 20, 2009.
AIR TRANSPORTATION and FUEL SURCHARGES:
Air transportation as included in the tour is based on economy-class transportation and is subject to all rules and regulations governing these fares. Fuel surcharges are added on a per-ticket basis at time of confirmation. In the event these surcharges are increasingly higher than budget estimates, we may require additional funds to cover these surcharges. We will communicate any pricing changes immediately.
In the event that you need to cancel your trip, please refer to our cancellation policy below:
REFUNDS / CANCELLATION In the event that you need to cancel your trip, please refer to our cancellation policy below:
All deposits are nonrefundable.
Fifty percent of the tour cost will be required for cancellations 59-31 days prior to the Sponsor Tour.
One hundred percent of the tour cost will be required for cancellations 30-0 days prior to the Sponsor Tour.
Only written cancellations accepted.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: COMPASSION INTERNATIONAL reserves the right to adjust or alter any travel program when necessary or desirable for the protection, safety or improvement of said travel program, or when local conditions do not permit operation as published. COMPASSION INTERNATIONAL reserves the right to accept or deny participants application at its sole discretion.
RESPONSIBILITY: COMPASSION INTERNATIONAL makes arrangements with airlines, hotels and other independent parties to provide you with the travel services you purchase. These parties are independent suppliers over whom we have no direct control. In the absence of negligence on our part, we are not responsible for any claims, losses, damages, costs or expenses arising out of injury, accident or death; damage, loss or delay of baggage or other property; or delay, inconvenience, loss of enjoyment, upset, disappointment, distress or frustration, whether physical or mental, resulting from (1) the act or omission of any party other than COMPASSION INTERNATIONAL or its employees; (2) mechanical breakdown, government actions, weather, or other factors beyond our control; (3) failure to obtain documents, passports, visas and health certificates valid through the date of reentry, when required, in which case a cancellation charge will be assessed; (4) failure to follow instructions including but not limited to check-in and checkout times and baggage handling; (5) cancellation or change for any reason in the travel services offered; and (6) medical or health problems or physical disabilities. COMPASSION INTERNATIONAL reserves the right to cancel or alter the travel services at its discretion, except as otherwise noted herein. In the event of change, COMPASSION INTERNATIONAL will try to substitute comparable services; in the event of complete cancellation by COMPASSION INTERNATIONAL, we shall refund all monies paid to us. COMPASSION INTERNATIONAL will not be responsible for any other cost incurred by participants.
To register for this tour, click the "Register Now For This Tour" button below.
Note: To register online, you need to have a Compassion web account.
You will be prompted to log in to your account (or create an account), and then you will be
taken to the tour registration page.
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