Bolivia Riverboat
DVMs, Vet Techs, and Vet Students are needed to support isolated Bolivian riverside villages by providing animal health clinics as outreach for our local partner, Enoel Suarez. Volunteers will stay on a riverboat that will stop at remote villages along water's edge. Join this exciting and unique trip to grow your faith and engage in vet work that includes small and large animal. Building relationships and ministering to others is a strong focus.
This is our first trip to take part in this ministry, but we hope to continue offering several of these opportunities each year. To register or receive more information, click "Express Interest" to the right.
Trip Host: Enoel Suarez (Fundacion Cumpliendo Promesas)
Dates: June 7-14, 2024
Vet Work: Veterinary teams go through each community along the river’s path to help deworm, vaccinate (if available), give vitamin injections, and treat minor issues, like mange, in large and small animals. Minor surgeries may be performed if there are sufficient materials. You see what is brought to you or you walk to houses to treat. It usually is a mixture of large and small animals. The majority of the people in these river towns do not have access to outside sources of care for their animals. Translators will be provided if needed.
Ministry Work: Ministry is often occurring alongside medical/dental/veterinary activities. In each community, there are evening evangelistic services and times spent in children’s ministry as well. You may be asked to share your testimony (through a translator) or give a short devotional. There are also times of sharing morning devotionals with the team on the boat each morning prior to engaging in that day’s activities. As a vet ministry, our goal is to help provide connections with community members through their animals to engage them in the Gospel. Through the work of these trips, multiple churches have been planted along the river communities were there was not any prior.
Number Needed: Depends on additional volunteers on the trip, but most groups sizes are 3-4 veterinary volunteers with 1-2 resource volunteers. Non-veterinary spouses are allowed as they can partner with evangelism, maintenance, kid’s ministry, medical/dental clinics, or any of the other activities that occur during the week-long trip. Children are only allowed with parents and must be 10 years old or older. Parents will need to sign a waiver for any child under 18 years of age.
Maximum Team Size: 6. Vets, 2-4 Vet Techs and/or Vet Students
Cost: $1,270 (not including airfare) Additionally, $170 needs hand-carried in cash for a visa. Participants will need to take $1,000 of the cost down in cash (crisp, new $100 bills) for the host.
Additional Details: Volunteers will fly into and out of Santa Cruz, Bolivia (VVI). Lodging will be based in individual's homes or churches (if needed) until you arrive at the boat. Once on the boat, you will be able to sleep in bunks or a hammock that are separated by gender. You will need to bring your own hammock (lightweight camping hammock), sleeping bag, and camping pad for the bunks. Bug spray and sunscreen are also highly recommended along with light-weight long-sleeve clothing to wear at dawn and dusk to help prevent mosquito bites. A complete packing list will be provided by the trip host.
Each boat trip is a mixture of male and female participants participating in a variety of ministries. Most trips do include "gringos" working in a variety of the ministries. The boat's housing is divided into male and female sleeping quarters with separate bathroom facilities as well.
This is our first trip to take part in this ministry, but we hope to continue offering several of these opportunities each year. To register or receive more information, click "Express Interest" to the right.
Trip Host: Enoel Suarez (Fundacion Cumpliendo Promesas)
Dates: June 7-14, 2024
Vet Work: Veterinary teams go through each community along the river’s path to help deworm, vaccinate (if available), give vitamin injections, and treat minor issues, like mange, in large and small animals. Minor surgeries may be performed if there are sufficient materials. You see what is brought to you or you walk to houses to treat. It usually is a mixture of large and small animals. The majority of the people in these river towns do not have access to outside sources of care for their animals. Translators will be provided if needed.
Ministry Work: Ministry is often occurring alongside medical/dental/veterinary activities. In each community, there are evening evangelistic services and times spent in children’s ministry as well. You may be asked to share your testimony (through a translator) or give a short devotional. There are also times of sharing morning devotionals with the team on the boat each morning prior to engaging in that day’s activities. As a vet ministry, our goal is to help provide connections with community members through their animals to engage them in the Gospel. Through the work of these trips, multiple churches have been planted along the river communities were there was not any prior.
Number Needed: Depends on additional volunteers on the trip, but most groups sizes are 3-4 veterinary volunteers with 1-2 resource volunteers. Non-veterinary spouses are allowed as they can partner with evangelism, maintenance, kid’s ministry, medical/dental clinics, or any of the other activities that occur during the week-long trip. Children are only allowed with parents and must be 10 years old or older. Parents will need to sign a waiver for any child under 18 years of age.
Maximum Team Size: 6. Vets, 2-4 Vet Techs and/or Vet Students
Cost: $1,270 (not including airfare) Additionally, $170 needs hand-carried in cash for a visa. Participants will need to take $1,000 of the cost down in cash (crisp, new $100 bills) for the host.
Additional Details: Volunteers will fly into and out of Santa Cruz, Bolivia (VVI). Lodging will be based in individual's homes or churches (if needed) until you arrive at the boat. Once on the boat, you will be able to sleep in bunks or a hammock that are separated by gender. You will need to bring your own hammock (lightweight camping hammock), sleeping bag, and camping pad for the bunks. Bug spray and sunscreen are also highly recommended along with light-weight long-sleeve clothing to wear at dawn and dusk to help prevent mosquito bites. A complete packing list will be provided by the trip host.
Each boat trip is a mixture of male and female participants participating in a variety of ministries. Most trips do include "gringos" working in a variety of the ministries. The boat's housing is divided into male and female sleeping quarters with separate bathroom facilities as well.