NPH: Friends of the Orphans

January 2010

Dear School Representatives,

Friends of the Orphans Northwest is in the process of organizing our first annual youth mission trip to the Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos home in Jinotepe, Nicaragua. This trip will include youth and young adults from several high schools and parishes in the greater Seattle area.

This experience allows young people to respond to their call as disciples of Jesus Christ. Through baptism, we are all called to ministry, especially with a preferential option for the poor, homeless, sick, orphaned, widowed and imprisoned. This trip will enable our youth to enter into the lives of orphaned and abandoned children and live out their baptismal call.

Participating young people, via the immersion into a different language and culture, will also develop a greater understanding of poverty and cultural diversity. It will help them distinguish between "needs" and "wants", which is becoming increasingly difficult in our country. We are confident that participants will walk away with a greater appreciation of their blessings and an understanding of the difference they can make in the lives of others.

Lastly, this trip provides an opportunity to live and work with the orphans and experience firsthand how Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos is transforming the lives of children. It will certainly change the participants’ lives in the process! Young people will directly witness the impact of their generosity in the lives of others, namely the poor, and develop friendships with children in other parts of the world. Overall, the trip is designed to model the importance of caring and sharing with one another, the epitome of stewardship.

We have allocated 20 spots for the trip, including chaperones, which will take place Sunday, June 26th – Sunday, July 3rd. This trip is being organized by former Friends of the Orphans Board Member Joe Cotton, a professional lay minister with the Archdiocese of Seattle and Residence Hall Minister at Seattle University and Kristen Bagley, Regional Events Manager with Friends of the Orphans.

The cost of the trip this year will be approximately $1100.00, which includes airfare, room and board at the orphanage, ground transportation, fees, and admission to all excursions.

Friends of the Orphans will organize the logistics of the trip, including transportation, room and board and activities during the trip. Working with a representative from your school Friends will ensure that appropriate paperwork, medical forms, waivers etc are received and ready for use on trip. It will be the responsibility of the school to create a selection process for students, provide responsible adult chaperones and lead any fundraising efforts you feel necessary to help students cover the cost of the trip.

If you’d like more information regarding our organization and/or the NPH orphanages, please visit Friends of the Orphans at www.friendsoftheorphans.org or contact Kristen Bagley at (425) 646-3935 or kbagley@friendsus.org.


Sincerely,


Kristen Bagley
Special Events Manager
Friends of the Orphans - Northwest Region