Please answer the questions below honestly, thoughtfully, prayerfully, and in as much detail as possible. Your application will be read and considered by a committee.

Please write out your testimony in the space included below and on the following page. Include three parts in your testimony: 1) Life before Christ (what was your life like before salvation), 2) Salvation experience (how you were saved, what were the circumstances around your coming to Christ), and 3) Life as a Christian (what difference has Christ made in your life, how have you grown in Christ). [NOTE: You will get a chance to share your testimony with children at Rainbow Express during the Outreach]

I, the undersigned parent, give my permission for my child to participate in the 2022 ACC Youth For the Nations Refugee Outreach from June 23-28, 2024.  I release Arlington Chinese Church and any representative of Arlington Chinese Church from any liability for injury to my child and damage to or loss of my property. I understand that this release applies to the activity stated above. I have been informed that the nature of the activity with Arlington Community Church and have given my consent to my child's attendance of and participation in that activity. I also give permission to render medical aid in the case of emergency.

WHAT TO BRING:
    • Bible
    •  Pen & something to write on
    • Sleeping bag (or bedding) & pillow
    • Air mattress? -- we will be sleeping on the floor of classrooms
    • Clothing for 5 days / 4 nights -- it’s June / July in North Texas, so it's likely to be hot--but you must pay attention to the dress code (see below) -- Conservative clothes that are comfortable while working with children and appropriate for Muslims. NO tank tops (boys included), short shorts, low cut tops or tight clothing. Dress more conservatively than usual, please. T-shirts are great.
    •. One piece (modest) bathing suit, swim shorts, & beach towel
    • Toiletries
    •  Spending money (for snacks / drinks when we stop to get ice and water before each Rainbow Express program)
    • Daily backpack (to take with you as we go out), including the following:
          o Your materials for the day
          o Water bottle
          o 1st aid kit
          o Candy / small prizes to give away to children
          o Extra activities to do with the children
    • Sunscreen, hat, & sunglasses
    •  Snack food to share with the rest of the team
    •. Bag to put dirty clothes in
    •. Games to play during free time
    • A Christ-like attitude of service and love

WHAT NOT TO BRING:
    • Student CELL PHONES may not be brought to any places where they will be serving, and we encourage students to leave them at home and use only the leaders’ phones to communicate if needed during the trip.
    •  Other electronics.
    •  Obviously, no drugs, alcohol, weapons, or bad attitudes.

WHAT TO WEAR:
    - Modest clothing for serving outside
    - Comfortable closed toe shoes

DRESS CODE:
Modesty is the rule for this mission trip. We ask all participants to dress modestly, comfortably, and in something where they are ready to work. Here are a few specific guidelines for dress:
    • Shorts are fine all week long. Please no short shorts.
    • No tight clothing or low-cut tops.
    • T-shirts are great to wear, but please no tank tops or any other kinds of sleeveless shirts.
    • Baseball caps are fine, but please wear forward at all times. Do not wear bandanas or any other type of head gear.
    • No leggings / tights / yoga pants / “jeggings” unless wearing modest shorts over them.

For the Nations Refugee Outreach is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit serving refugees in the Dallas area. We offer a wide variety of educational programs to help refugees continue in the long process of adapting to life in the United States. We also help families adjust to life in America by advocating for them. Most importantly, we share with refugees the good news of Jesus Christ.

Mission
  • To provide educational and family services that help meet the practical needs of refugees and to share with them the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Vision
  • Over the last several years we have developed high quality, effective educational programs and have shared the good news of Christ with many DFW area refugees. Our vision is to bring these proven programs to more and more of the area’s large refugee population.

Goals
  • To teach English and literacy to children and adults.
  • To teach life skills to children and adults.
  • To provide family services for refugees.
  • To connect refugees with the community.
  • To share the gospel with refugees.
  • To teach the Bible and the Christian faith to refugees.

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To our Summer Teams,

Summer is coming! We are excited to welcome you into the refugee community and can’t wait to serve with you.

God is passionate about bringing people from all nations to himself. At For the Nations, we want to join in this work! We believe God is working to extend His kingdom to the far corners of the world and to the far corners of our own hearts. At For the Nations we share God’s good news openly and consistently.

As we have taught the gospel in the refugee community over the years, a few things have become very clear to us. We want to share just a few of them with you as you begin preparing your hearts to come serve. The goal is to get you thinking about the special challenges of sharing the gospel cross culturally, and loving people that come from very different perspectives.

First: The answer to the question, “What do you believe about who God is?” is incredibly important.

In our ministry, we work with many people who believe that there is one God who is all powerful, completely merciful, and sent Jesus into the world to show them God’s perfect will. These people aim to give glory to God almost constantly and are completely devoted to His will. These people are Muslims. Knowing specifically what Christians believe about who God is cannot be a “minor issue” while working in this context. Often times the biggest obstacle to our Muslim students is the idea that Jesus is God. At For the Nations we want to share the truth about who God is in a loving and biblical way. It is incredibly important that we have a thoughtful and accurate understanding not only of what God has done, but also of who God is.

Second: We are never finished knowing God.

As we share the love and light of Jesus we are continually made aware of our own need for the light and love of Jesus. Part of our mission to the refugee community must be staying attentive to our own need for a merciful Savior and seeking to know our God more deeply each day. We want to grow in our knowledge of, love for, and trust in our great God!

Third: We need help!

One thing our very communal refugee communities remind us of is the fact that we can never really do anything valuable alone. As we seek to know God more deeply and to share His never-ending love, we need God’s help, we need each other’s help, and we need the help of the godly community in all places at all times. God calls us into a new family that crosses the boundaries of time and place. We want to listen to whatever good things we can learn from our brothers and sisters in Christ!

As you prepare to join us this summer in sharing the light of the gospel we want you to reflect hard on your answer to the question, “Who is God?” We want you to pray that God would make you more clearly aware of your continual need for His grace and mercy. Pray also for your team, our team, the refugees, and the Church all around the globe. Ask that God would remind you that we are in need of His loving and enduring community!

Can’t wait to see you all!
-For the Nations Staff