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Frequently Asked Questions
From Potential Missionaries
Q: Who is eligible to go on a mission trip with
Life Link of Southwest Virginia?
Q: Where will I stay while on the mission trip?
Q: What types of projects does the mission team work on in the field?
Q: How much financial support will I need?
From Potential Contributors
Q: How can I donate to Life Link of Southwest Virginia?
Q: Is my donation tax deductible?
Q: Will I receive a receipt for my gift?
Q:
I am unsure of how to designate my gift - what should I do?
Q:
What happens to the money I contribute if the missionary I'm sponsoring is unable to participate in the trip?
Q:
Will you share my personal information?
From Potential Missionaries
Q: Who is eligible to go on a mission trip with
Life Link of Southwest Virginia?
A: Applications are accepted from all over the United States. Life Link is
a non-denominational organization. There is an application/interview process
in place to determine the applicant's understanding and expectations of the
trip, as well as to determine his or her ability to function as a team player
in less than perfect conditions.
Applicants are expected to be flexible, as plans and projects sometimes have to
be altered to accommodate our native hosts. Applicants who do not like or handle
change or inconvenience are encouraged to evaluate their reasons for wanting to
participate and to give serious prayer and consideration before accepting the
responsibility of being on the team.
Q: Where will I stay while on the mission trip?
A: Accommodations for our Kampala, Uganda trips are quite nice. The team lodges in a
guesthouse on the outskirts of Kampala. It is clean, secure, comfortable, and feeds
us well!
The guesthouse has running water, en-suite bathrooms with flush toilets and showers,
a buffet breakfast and dinner, and a beautiful view looking down over the city. Due to
the availability of power, there is electricity about 12 hours a day, a generator, part of
the evening, and a few hours daily with no electricity. This has not been a problem in
the past.
Q: What types of projects does the mission
team work on in the field?
A: Life Link of Southwest Virginia has several different teams that
participate in our trips. We have a Medical Team, a Construction Team,
a Ministry Team, and a Special Projects Team.
The Medical Team coordinates with the director, Doreen Mwesige,
and staff of Life Link Medical Centre in Bulenga Province.
On our previous trip the team provided training to indigenous medical staff, triaged and
treated a variety of medical conditions, and assisted in setting up the then newly relocated
facility. Our August 2009 Team will host a Low Vision Clinic and fit patients with eyeglasses.
The Lions Club has donated 800 pairs to the team for the 2009 trip. The Medical Team will also hold a
diabetic screening clinic and hold nutrition classes for the local community.
The Construction Team coordinates with three facilities: Life Link Medical Centre, King Solomon's
Academy, and Good News Church to work on projects that support the local community. On our previous
trip the Construction Team assisted with the Chicken-Fishpond Project which now provides chickens,
eggs, fish, crop irrigation, and an additional income to residents of that community.
This trip our focus will be on several smaller projects to include installation of a projector, screen,
and speakers in the school, constructing solar food dehydrators in conjunction with our Special Projects
Team, and miscellaneous repairs and upgrades in the school facility.
The Ministry Team works in conjunction with Pastor Solomon Mwesige of Good News Church. On our
last trip the ministry team, led by Pastor Eddie Crabtree of Valley Word Church, held daily and nightly
evangelistic services. There was also an opportunity for several of the women on the team to minister
to the women's group in the area of marital relationships.
This trip the Ministry Team will be holding Children's Ministry services for approximately 1500 children
in a Vacation Bible School type atmosphere. The team will be using multi-media curricula, and it will be
the first event of its kind in this area. We are also looking at opportunities for Street Evangelism
to reach out to both adults and children.
The Special Projects Team is currently being developed. On this trip we will be educating the local
residents in the area of food preservation techniques and providing them with solar dehydrators that our
construction team will be building for them. While Uganda is very fertile in most areas, there are still
seasons where certain foods are not available. This training will help them to have a more balanced diet
throughout the year and make better use of the foods that are available.
Q: How much financial support will I need?
A: Each trip varies dependent upon the length of the trip and the time of year when we travel. The greatest
and most variable cost is airfare. The estimated cost of the 17-Day 2009 Uganda trip is $3755 per missionary, which
includes:
- Airfare & all applicable airport taxes and fees
- Transportation to BWI airport from Roanoke, VA and back
- In-country transportation in Uganda
- Ugandan Visa
- Lodging
- Food
- Travel Insurance
- Game Reserve entry fees
- Team T-Shirt
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From Potential Contributors
Q: How can I donate to Life Link of Southwest Virginia?
A: Contributions can be made in a number of ways. Checks or money orders can be either mailed,
given to your missionary of choice, or dropped off. Cash should never be mailed, but may be either
given directly to your missionary for submission to our office or dropped off. Always request a
receipt for cash donations that are turned in directly to the missionary, as Life Link is not
responsible for monies until they are received in our office.
Q:
Is my donation tax deductible?
A: Life Link of Southwest Virginia is registered with the Internal Revenue Service as a 501 (c) (3)
non-profit humanitarian organization. Donors will receive receipts for their gifts with the
understanding that the disbursement of those gifts lies completely at the discretion of Life Link of Southwest
Virginia and that the gifts are non-refundable and non-transferable, per IRS regulations. Gifts may be
tax deductible; please consult a tax advisor.
Q: Will I receive a receipt for my gift?
A: Yes, you will receive a receipt via regular US mail within one to two weeks. In addition,
you will receive a year-end statement showing all gifts for the year.
Q:
I am unsure of how to designate my gift - what should I do?
A: If you are not sending support for a particular missionary, we suggest that you give to the
LLSWVA General Fund. This enables us as an organization to use your gift where it is most needed.
Please feel free to call or e-mail for more assistance.
Q:
What happens to the money I contribute if the missionary I'm sponsoring
is unable to participate in the trip?
A: Life Link of Southwest Virginia reserves the right to redirect funds dedicated for a particular missionary
in the event that his or her mission trip is over-funded or the missionary cancels his or her team member agreement
with us to assist other team members or the trip in general. Each team member is responsible for explaining this
to potential donors at the point of solicitation of funds. Surplus funds will not be returned to the donor or missionary.
Q:
Will you share my personal information?
No, we do not share your personal information with any non-affiliated organizations. Missionaries may request donor name and address
information for the purpose of sending mission updates and Thank You letters unless you request that your
contribution remains
anonymous. If you do wish for your contribution to remain anonymous, please indicate this at the time of your contribution.