March 2-9, 2013
$1,400.00 

Mission

Joining the parishioners of St. John the Baptist Orthodox Cathedral in Honduras, the Real Break Honduras team will care for orphans, feed the hungry, visit with the sick, all this through the various large ministries run by St. John the Baptist Cathedral.  The only Orthodox Church in the country of Honduras, Fr. Jorge works non-stop to serve his flock and the surrounding regions of San Pedro Sula in order to teach the Holy Orthodox faith and share the love of Christ through various ministries run by the Church.

This trip will be lead by Fr. Michael Marcantoni. Having been sent to Honduras to aid Fr. Jorge during Holy Week and Pascha, Fr. Michael returned to the states with a vision to share the eye opening and awe inspiring experience he had as he witnessed the community of St. John the Baptist and all their service to the people of Honduras.

The goals of this trip are to support the work of the Orthodox community in the impoverished country of Honduras by playing with orphans, serving the sick and homeless, and interacting with children at the school run by the Church. Team members will also experience the life of the Church in a different country, and interact with the parishioners of the Church.  

About St. John the Baptist Cathedral and its ministries

St. John the Baptist Antiochian Orthodox Cathedral in San Pedro Sula is the only Orthodox Church of any kind in all of Honduras, and by far the most stable Orthodox parish in Central America.  Despite its small size (about 200 active members), the great desire of this vibrant community to serve Christ, lead by Fr. Jorge Faraj, has resulted in a parish life with many large ministries.  Aside from it’s K-12 trilingual (Spanish, Arabic, English) school, the community of St. John the Baptist operates the St. Nektarios orphanage, which is on the church property, the St. Panteleimon Medical Dispensary, and the St. John the Merciful Food for the Poor program. 

The only source of income for these ministries is the K-12 school they run on the Church grounds.  It is a full school system with a computer lab, athletic program, etc.  The orphans of St. Nektarios orphanage attend the school and receive their education.  The orphans have also all been brought into the Orthodox Church and are fully integrated into the sacramental life, where they actively singing at Orthros and serve in the altar.  The orphans are adamant about referring to one another as brother and sister, they have a cook and two full time care givers in addition to Father's oversight. 

The St. Panteleimon Medical Dispensary ministers to the poorest and sickest of Honduras. People come in off the street and can receive treatment even if they cannot pay.  The community is hoping to be able to install lab equipment to better serve the people.  It is staffed by a local doctor who volunteers her time, in addition to her normal practice.

Father Jorge Faraj grew up in this parish and is now parish priest.  In addition to these ministries, the parish also functions as a training ground for candidates for the priesthood from Central America and Mexico.  Fr. Jorge also travels to assist at Hogar Rafael, in Guatemala, as well as other surrounding countries like El Salvador to perform liturgies and services for the few faithful in those areas.

Trip Registration

There are limited spaces for each destination. To secure your spot, register online at www.ocf.net with a $150 deposit. Final payment will be due by January 30, 2013.  However, if you opt to set-up a credit card hold, final payment is not due until 2 weeks after the end of your trip.  To set up the hold please call 661-412-2267 by January 30, 2013 to securely process this information.

Trip Cost - $1,400.00

The cost includes the international flight, transportation during the trip, any necessary airport or entry/exit fees, travel insurance, lodging, meals, and materials; however, it does not include the domestic flight to and from Miami (MIA).  You are strongly encouraged to book your domestic flight as soon as you receive confirmation that your Real Break trip is Active - There are enough participants for the trip to happen.

If you fundraise over the trip cost, you are eligible to receive a reimbursement of the cost of your domestic flight up to the overage amount fundraised. Please refer to the 2013 Real Break Information Packet at www.ocf.net for more details.

SUPPORT THE MISSION – YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

Most groups we serve rely on donations to continue their ministry, as does OCF. Support your mission and OCF by fundraising more than your trip cost! Excess funds will be given to support the work of St. John the Baptist Orthodox Church in Honduras with a small portion used to cover OCF’s operation costs.

Refund/Cancellation Policy

Please refer to the Real Break Information Packet at www.ocf.net for detailed information regarding refunds and cancellations.

Travel Arrangements

Your international flight to and from Honduras will be booked by OCF so that the team will fly together. Each participant will be responsible for making their own domestic travel arrangements, updating this information online in their registration, and e-mailing this information to realbreak@ocf.net. The international flight to San Pedro Sula will leave Miami (MIA) on American Airlines flight 941 at 1:00 PM on March 2, 2013 and will return to Miami (MIA) on American Airlines flight 944 at 11:35 AM on March 9, 2013.  Please book your flight to Miami (MIA) on March 2, 2013 before 10:00 AM and out of MIA on March 9, 2013 after 2:35 PM.

Proceed to the American Airlines counter, where the team will assemble.  If your domestic flight does not arrive in time to catch the international flight, OCF will aid you as much as possible but will not be responsible for your flight arrangements.

We recommend that you register with the state department before you leave at https://step.state.gov/step/

Entry and Exit Requirements

A valid US passport is required to enter and depart Honduras. Certificates of naturalization, birth certificates, driver’s licenses, and photocopies are not considered acceptable alternative travel documents.  Non US citizens must check Visa requirements for entering and exiting Honduras. 

Living Conditions

We will be staying in a secure hotel where bedding and towels will be provided. You don’t need to pack sleeping bags or bedding.  Meals will be provided during the trip. 

Immunizations

There are no immunizations required by the U.S. but the Honduran government requires proof of measles and rubella vaccinations. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that ALL travelers (regardless of destination) be up to date on the following normal childhood immunizations:

• measles/mumps/rubella (MMR Vaccine),
• diphtheria/pertussis/tetanus (DTP Vaccine),
• influenza
• chicken pox (or varicella), and
• polio

In addition, Hepatitis A and B as well as Typhoid are strongly recommended for travel to Honduras. These shots are available through a family physician or a public health clinic (generally, clinics are much less expensive). These shots are a one-time immunization and if you plan to do future traveling it is worth it to get them now. Many other travel destinations require the same immunizations. Begin getting your shots several months before your departure.  If you have any further questions consult the website for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (www.cdc.gov).

Emergencies

In case of emergency during your trip, please call 800.919.1OCF (1623) or you may call the Fr. Jorge Faraj at 011.504.25661637 or 011.504.25500183. Also, your trip leader will be providing you with his phone number in case you have problems with your domestic flight.

Clothing

Mission work through the Orthodox Church has always been an effort to bring the Gospel of Christ to all people through meekness, and humility.  Therefore everything that we do or wear represents an image of who we are.  T-shirts with suggestive, crude, or derogatory language will draw negative attention to your group.  Please do not bring them.

What to Bring?

• A positive attitude
• US Passport
• Work clothes (we suggest jeans and t-shirts)
• Work shoes/sneakers (no sandals or open-toed shoes while working)
• Sunscreen and sunglasses
• Warm clothes for evening and night (light jacket/sweater/heavy sweatshirt highly recommended)
• Comfortable sneakers
• Sunday church clothes -- nothing too dressy is required but for the guys, a button shirt and slacks and for girls, a shirt covering the shoulders, and skirts or dresses.
• Camera
• Sufficient clothing (no opportunity for laundry)
• Flip-flop sandals for showers
• Personal toiletries
• Bible/Spiritual Reading
• Bug repellent
• Notebook, pen, etc.

What NOT to Bring?

• Alcoholic Beverages and/or Tobacco
• Illegal Drugs (prescription/over-the-counter drugs must be kept in their original containers)

Missionary Presentations

To further our children’s education on different parts of the world, we ask that each missionary prepare a short presentation for our children in school.

Length: 3 to 5 minutes (7 minute max if necessary as we must fit in everyone’s presentation into a set amount of time)

Topics to cover:

• Name
•  Age
• Where from (city and state)
• Occupation (if a student, tell name of school and major)
• Family members and ethnicity (Greek, Slavonic, Arabic, Russian,
  Ukrainian, etc.)
• Any other detail about your life that you think would interest the
  Children

MainTopic To Highlight: Church

• What is the name and jurisdiction of   your Church?
• How are you involved in your Church?
• How many altar boys does your Church have?
• How many people or families are there in your parish?
•  The children love to know similarities and differences
    between their Church and others.

Language: Someone bilingual will be there to translate for you. If you speak
Spanish, you can give the presentation without a translator.

Multimedia: You can use any type of presentation aids that will make it more
interesting for the children: posters, large photos, PowerPoint, or a short
DVD or video. When you are here, please let us know before the scheduled
time for presentations if you need special equipment for a PowerPoint, DVD,
or video. DVD’s and videos may be left here for future use if you would like.

Groups of Presenters: If 2 or more of you are from the same Church, city, or
state, you may present together and use a bit more time than what is allotted
for an individual presenter.

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Download Real Break Honduras - Trip Information Packet  (PDF Format) 

Download 2013 Real Break Participant Information Packet    (PDF Format)

View 2013 Real Break Fundraising Essentials