Why serve with ADRA Connections
ADRA Connections is the Adventist Development and Relief Agency’s (ADRA) short-term mission program. A trip with ADRA Connections takes volunteers into the field to put compassion into action and make an impact for communities in need, no experience necessary. Through ADRA Connections, volunteers are given the chance to take that life-changing adventure, find their purpose in service, create life-long friendships, and see faith in a new, transformative way.
We want our volunteers to focus on the experience, so we take care of the logistics! Once a trip is booked, our team takes care of lodging, in-country transport, meals, and other details.
You will need to coordinate and pay for your airfare, but once you arrive, we’ll meet you at baggage claim and take care of everything until we drop you back off at the airport at the end of the trip.
We take the safety and security of our trips very seriously. ADRA Connections works closely with the ADRA office in the country we’re visiting to ensure all safety measures are in place for volunteers. We have a safety plan and a medical plan prepared for any and every emergency. We provide personalized planning before your trip, experienced in-country staff, travel insurance – everything that can be done to ensure your safety and well-being.
All ADRA Connections projects fit into the context of a larger strategy of development. What does this mean? It means that we want to make sure any project we work on has established community support and a team to continue the work in that community after our volunteers return home. We believe that true change comes from within a community, and our role is simply to support and offer our volunteers as well as community members in the country we serve an opportunity to create connection. All ADRA Connections projects fit into the larger ADRA mission. To learn more about ADRA’s global work, visit ADRA.org.
Every new day on an ADRA Connections trip is an opportunity to share the love of God. As part of the service experience, we come together with volunteers every morning and evening to talk about the work we’re doing and how it fits into the bigger picture of loving like Jesus.
Meet Adam!
ADRA Connections Manager
Adam works with each country office to make sure that every trip is safe and every project is sustainable and impactful. He leads groups to destinations all over the globe to work on key components of each country’s project. He loves to travel and learn about people, languages and cultures, but he loves helping people even more. Adam loves to exercise, be outdoors, read, play basketball and study the Bible.
Frequently Asked Questions
First, check out our available destinations and projects on our Trips page. Once you’ve found a project your group is interested in, contact us and let us know how many people are in your group, what destinations you’re interested in and the dates you’re considering. We’ll send you all the information you need to get started on planning for a great service adventure!
Individual volunteers are welcome to apply to join in one of our organized open group trips! Go to the Contact Us page and let us know that you’re interested in volunteering. We’ll send you information on current trips on the calendar.
We offer trips to many different destinations and a variety of different projects. We can coordinate with groups to organize a trip or with individuals to help you plug into a planned trip.
The truth is, no two days are alike. That’s what makes it fun! You can expect, however, every day to start with devotions and an early breakfast, followed by a brief team meeting to discuss the activities and work for the day. Lunch and dinner will also be provided. After lunchtime, there’s usually time to relax before going back to the work site. After dinner, there’s time for socializing and worship. A few of the days spent in country will include excursions to nearby cultural attractions.
The goal of every CNX trip is to provide direct support to a community project being implemented by the ADRA office in that country. ADRA Connections upholds ADRA International’s value to deliver international relief and development assistance to individuals in more than 118 countries—regardless of their ethnicity, political affiliation, or religious association. For this reason, we do not host evangelism events, sessions, or arrange to give bible studies to members of the communities in which we work. Instead, we demonstrate God’s love and compassion by creating empowering partnerships, supporting local infrastructure, and promoting responsible action for people in poverty and distress.
Volunteering with CNX is an opportunity to serve oversees in a sustainable way. Every CNX project still needs funding, meaning every volunteer’s financial support is still needed to implement the project. The trip cost is set to cover the project materials, skilled laborers, and all the logistics needed to accommodate the group. Trip cost does not include airfare.
Each trip is different. Trip costs can range anywhere from $1,500 – $3,000 per person. We can help you with fundraising tips and tools to make financing a trip easy, and our scholarships and discounts help make trips affordable and accessible to all volunteers.
Trip costs include in-country expenses such as food, fresh drinking water, lodging, transportation, cultural excursions and travel insurance. Costs also include project expenses such as material costs and skilled local support staff. Additionally, you’ll receive a fun swag bag with a water bottle, buff and more. Trip costs do not include airfare.
When signing up you will be asked to pay a $250 non-refundable deposit to register for a trip. Any amount that has been fundraised can be refunded up until 30 days prior to the trip’s departure date. If you decide to cancel after the deadline, funds raised may only be applied towards a future trip. *Exceptions may be made if the trip is canceled by the team, whereupon refunds may be available.
Unfortunately, no. Funds raised for a volunteer trip to cover logistics are not tax deductible. If you’d like to make an additional contribution to the project (a gift that would be tax deductible), please reach out to us and we’ll help you process your donation.
See the World.
Make a difference.
This is ADRA Connections.