Go India GO India FAQ


Frequently Asked Questions


Quick Facts:

*All dates subject to minor changes. Trip participants will be notified of final dates prior to the first pre-trip meeting.


Where are we headed?
India, the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world. We guarantee you’ve never been anywhere like it.

 

We will be spending time in Mumbai, a city of approximately 20 million people on the west coast of India. Mumbai is India’s largest city and financial capital. Some even consider Mumbai the “Hollywood” of India (Bollywood produces ten times more films than Hollywood) despite the fact that more than half of the population lives in slums.

 

 

Why are we going?
Because when we GO, God shows up…and we want to continue to see what happens when we allow God to lead us. This year in Mumbai, we are specifically going to build infrastructure and new relationships with local churches.  We will meet new people and learn about India’s culture. We may have opportunities to show love to girls in aftercare homes that have been rescued from forced prostitution, and provide support and encouragement to the people that take care of these girls.

 

We hope to be doing pretty much anything else we can think of to make a difference. Our schedule and activities are still being developed, so we will be flexible.


When are we going?
We are taking two trips to Mumbai. One trip in April and one trip in October. Visit the Trips Page for more info.

Who can go?
We have space for 40 participants for each trip. There are exceptions to this, based on the focus and need of each trip. If we have more than 40 sign-ups for a trip, we will select participants based on the the skills of those who have applied and the needs of the potential work projects. These trips are for people who can lead with humility and follow with grace, who look forward to getting outside their comfort zones, who are spiritually and emotionally mature—Crossroads people, friends and family. You must be at least 18 years old, or 16 years old with a parent or guardian.

How much does it cost?
$3400 for each trip. This covers your flight, hotel, meals, on-the-ground transportation, work supplies and activities. Stuff not covered are things like souvenirs, snacks at the airport, passport fees (if you need a new one this can run around $100), visa fees (everyone needs a visa to get into India and the cost is about $73 plus shipping) and shots or medicine (if you decide to get them can be between $100-300).

What if I don’t have that much money?
Join the club. We have a handshake. Close to 90% of people who have been on one of our India, Mamelodi or New Orleans trips did not have the funds sitting in their bank account or stuffed in a mattress when they decided to go. And nearly everyone raised the funds. Don’t let money stop you. Raising money is actually a very cool part of this experience. We’ll talk a lot more about the finance stuff—and help you generate ideas for how to raise funds. We have an awesome web system that helps with this process, and a little faith goes a long way. Have some and see what happens.

Is there a deposit?
Of course. Airlines and hotels demand one, and so must we. The deposit is $340 per person and is due with your application. It can be paid via check (mailed to Crossroads or dropped off in the office with “GO India / your name/trip dates” in the memo). And the deposit is non-refundable (unless you are not selected for the trip—then your check will be returned to you), because it costs us that much to change your tickets if you cancel. If you don’t have this much money readily available, but truly feel called to GO, please talk to us.

How do I sign up?
Go to crossroads.net/goindia and scroll down to the "Sign-Ups" section at the bottom of the page. There, you’ll find links to fill out an application for your desired trip.

Once you complete your sign-up form, you will need to pay your deposit of $340 by sending in or dropping off a check (see note above about trip deposit). Sign-up forms are not considered complete until the deposit is received in the Crossroads office. Registering does not guarantee a spot on a trip. These trips may require certain specialties, skills, and higher levels of experience with Crossroads and spiritual discipline, and we reserve the right to fill those spots with the specific needs of that trip.

 

All applicants for the April trip will be contacted around January 2, 2012 to confirm their trip participation. If you are selected for the trip in April, there will be a mandatory pre-trip meeting (save the date) on January 19 from 6:30-8:30pm. All applicants for the October trip will be contacted by the end of June to confirm their trip participation. A mandatory pre-trip meeting will be scheduled and all trip participants notified.


What work will I be doing?
We’re not totally sure. We can’t guarantee where you’ll be working, or exactly what you’ll be doing because our work may change based on need (as identified by our partner organization and the aftercare homes).

What is the travel like?
It takes over 24 hours to get there and we fly on a commercial airline. It’s a great time to catch up on sleep, talk to your traveling companions, read, watch movies on your 21st century in-seat entertainment system, listen to every song on your iPod twice, or just do nothing…which you probably haven’t done in a long time. Everyone departs from Cincinnati and lands at the appropriate destination in India.


Can I fly in first-class or make my own travel plans?
Nope. We are taking this trip as one group with one mission. And that means we work together, eat together and travel in the back of the plane together. Because of the complexities of getting people to the other side of the world, all of our travel plans are centrally booked. No exceptions. You will, however, earn many thousands of miles for your flights. So that’s kinda cool.

Where are we staying?
In a very nice, centrally-located hotel. Previous groups traveling to Mumbai stayed at The Leela and others have stayed at the Grand Hyatt. You’ll have access to the basic stuff—showers, beds, food, strangely compelling TV programming and maybe some Bollywood, etc. We will eat breakfast and dinner together at the hotel or local restaurants. And yes, you will have a roommate. And no, there is no shacking up in co-ed rooms unless you are married.

Is it safe in India?
Not a single person has had a minor or serious incident on our previous trips. We will always travel in groups, and we will always have people with us who speak the many languages (English is common). You’ll probably need to get some standard shots (that’s up to your doctor), and we’ll have plenty of water available.

What if I can’t do the work?
While we have jobs for all skill sets, please know that the trip can be exhausting. We will be on our feet a lot, getting up early, and the 24 or so hours in a plane is an obstacle we can’t change. If you have concerns about your physical situation, please talk to us.

What is the trip preparation like?
We will have a series of meetings (approx. one per month) leading up to the trip, where you will learn more about India, learn more about what we are doing, meet others who are going on the trip and just have a good time. We also have a website full of trip resources.

Anything else you really want to tell me?
Thanks for asking. If you want to take a vacation to India, then we encourage you to do so. It’s beautiful. That being said, this is not that trip. Deciding to go with us means you want to be a part of our mission to change the world. In pursuit of that group goal, however, you may not get to do everything you want to do in the way you like to do things. It’s a posture of submitting to something bigger than yourself. But if you do it, we promise an incredible experience! We can do more together than we can as individuals.

Ready to GO? Head back to the Trips Page (you’ll find links to each trip under the "Sign Up" section).