Frequently Asked Questions

General Information

How old are most Servant Team Members?
How many people participate on each team?
How long are the Servant Teams?
What is the cost of the Servant Team?
What if I want to travel on a shorter team?
What if I want to stay overseas longer than the team?
Will there be a time of team training and orientation before we depart?
How can I apply for a Servant Team?

The Servant Team Application

What is the deadline for submitting Servant Team applications?
What should I put on the Medical Insurance page, if I don't currently have insurance that covers me while overseas?
The application asks for a copy of my passport, but I don't have one yet.

After You Have Been Accepted to the Servant Team Program

How do I find out about immunizations, visas, what to bring, etc.?
Where can I find the books that are required for the Servant Teams?
My doctor has told me that I should get some shots that aren't listed in the Servant Team handbook, or that I don't need some of the shots that have been recommended.
Will I meet with my fellow team members before traveling overseas?

General Information

How old are most Servant Team members?
You must be at least 18 years of age to participate on a Servant Team. Historically, most Servant Team members have been 18-25 years old. WMF has no age limitations for participating on a team. Anyone who participates on a Servant Team must be willing to submit to the leadership of the WMF Servant Team Coordinator, many of whom are in their early- to mid-twenties.

How many people participate on each team?

We try to have between four and seven team members participate on each team. Some teams have had as few as three team members.

How long are the Servant Teams?
We have a spring Servant Team and a fall Servant Team, both teams lasting four months. The spring Servant Team lasts from February to June and the fall Servant Team lasts from August to December.

What is the cost of the Servant Team?
The cost of Servant Teams is between $4,800 and $5,500. Please contact Marcia Ghali for the cost for a specific country. This covers the cost of international airfare, housing, and food while on the team, as well as all programming and administrative costs associated with the Servant Team. This does not cover visa toiletries, correspondence and/or any gifts that you may wish to purchase while overseas.

What if i want to travel on a shorter team?
We offer a Discovery Team program that lasts two to five weeks. The Discovery Teams travel to Bolivia, India, Nepal, Romania or Peru. A church or school must sponsor these teams so that WMF does not have to handle all the administrative burdens associated with accepting applicants and fundraising. Discovery Teams range in size from 8-12 participants. If you want to learn more, please visit the Discovery Team page.

What if I want to stay overseas longer than the team?
Servant Team members that want to stay longer must arrange to have their tickets changed on their own. Once the Servant Team comes to a close, Word Made Flesh is not administratively or legally responsible for team members.

Will there be a time of orientation and training before I depart?
Word Made Flesh does not schedule a time where team members come together for training before they leave the States. We do this for both practical and philosophical reasons. First, we do not want to have to raise the price of the team to include the costs involved in this type of training. Also, we do not want to offer a program that separates book knowledge from experience.

While overseas, you will meet as a team to discuss particular books that are required for the team. These times of discussion, discipleship, worship and prayer will occur in the midst of serving in ministry settings. It is our hope that you will be energized by the reading materials and that you would incorporate this synthesis of book knowledge and experience into their lives.

Though there is no formal training, we do ask that you read and reflect on a number of books before departure. These books may be cultural, missiological and/or devotional in nature. We ask you to do this so that all team members can begin to posture themselves as learners in a new culture.

How can I apply for a Servant Team?
Servant Team applications are accepted via an online application process.

Filling out the Servant Team Application

What is the deadline for submitting Servant Team applications?
Applications and all references must be received at our office (not postmarked) by the following dates:
Spring Teams: September 15
Fall Teams: March 15
(Note: For Spring 2008 Teams, the application deadline is October 1)

What should I put on the medical insurance page if I don't currently have insurance that covers me overseas?
Many Servant Team applicants don't have the necessary overseas insurance coverage when filling out their application. If this is your case, put a note on that page of the application, letting us know that you don't currently have insurance, but will purchase insurance before leaving the country.

Before departing on the Servant Team, you must purchase medical insurance that covers you while overseas. To help facilitate finding a company that suits your needs, we have provided several pages of insurance carriers (with phone numbers and addresses) in the Servant Team handbook. Word Made Flesh does not endorse any of these companies but provides these as a courtesy for researching the insurance carrier that best suits your needs.

Word Made Flesh requires that each Servant Team Member obtain a major medical policy. However, the kind of policy you choose depends on you. Some Servant Team Members are comfortable with paying all hospital expenses and then working out any reimbursement issues with the insurance company. Other participants want the insurance company to pay all expenses at the beginning of any treatment. Some prefer to pay a premium to fly home in the case of a major medical emergency, while others are comfortable with the care provided within the indigenous countries that Word Made Flesh serves. You should purchase a policy that suits your needs and comfort level.

In the event of an emergency Word Made Flesh may spend up to $500 for medical treatment. However, Word Made Flesh requires complete reimbursement for any medical expenses incurred.

The application asks for a copy of my passport, but I don't have a passport yet.
If you don't have a passport yet, please note this on the application. You may wait until you have been accepted to the Servant Team to begin the process to obtain a passport.

You may pick up a passport application from any U.S. post office. Some post offices also receive completed applications, but not all locations do so. Be sure to ask where the passport application can be filed.

When you take the completed passport application in to be filed, you must bring the application fee as well as every other piece of information requested on the application. You will not be given a passport if you don't have all the required documents in hand. The passport process may take a couple months, so be sure to allow enough time to receive your passport, especially if you are participating on a Servant Team that requires that you get a visa. You need your passport before you can apply for a visa.

Once you have received your passport, don't forget to send in two photocopies of the inside cover to the Word Made Flesh office.

After You Have Been Accepted to the Servant Team Program

How do I find out about immunizations, visas, what to bring, etc?
As soon as Servant Team applicants are accepted, a Servant Team handbook will be sent to all Servant Team members. A number of different topics are covered within the Servant Team handbook, such as: Servant Team goals and objectives, expectations, preparation, things you need to know, things you need to be prepared for, living conditions, what to bring, guidelines for behavior, fund raising, and overseas safety awareness.

Servant Team members may purchase additional copies of the handbook for $12 each if they would like to give them to friends or family members.

Where can I find the books that are required for the Servant Team?
The required books for the Servant Teams can be found in the country appendix of the Servant Team Handbook. Please use the links on the Resources page to purchase your required books. Five percent of all the Barnes & Noble purchases originating from the Word Made Flesh website go back to the ministry Word Made Flesh.

My doctor has told me that I should get some shots that aren't listed in the Servant Team Handbook, or that I don't need some of the shots that have been recommended. What should I do?
We list the immunizations that have been recommended to us. You should contact your health care professional for his/her recommendations about shots to get before traveling. Also, keep in mind that some of the immunizations require multiple shots. You should start getting your immunizations shortly after you are accepted on a Servant Team.

If you are attending a college or university, ask about getting shots at your school, since they will probably be much cheaper there.

Probably the best source of information on immunizations would be the (CDC) Center for Disease Control. They provide information about immunizations for travel.

Will I meet with my fellow team members before travelling oversease?
Word Made Flesh does not provide a forum for team members to meet before they leave. However, we do provide the names, e-mail addresses, and phone numbers of fellow team members. Team members are encouraged to e-mail or chat online and commit to praying for one another before the team starts.