Conference Call Notes for August 14, 2007
The Countdown begins…
One Month Until our Departure…
This is not very structured…sorry 🙁
However, I would take a look at the Road Rules posted from our documents site…
It has some important info so make sure you read it thorough…I’m not kidding…
Mail is slow so if things are not sent in the next few days wait until training camp…
Can Fax: 770-983-1061
Check with Laura and Estie with what paper work still needs to be completed.
If you try to use the conference call number, make sure that you contact AIM to use our current number…contact Laura for more info.
Reminder….YOU MUST HAVE SKYPE VERY SOON…
SERIOUSLY GUYS IT’S YOUR SAVING GRACE…Thanks Laura.
It’s free!!!! You can call other skype users for free…Go to www.skype.com and sign up… 🙂
AIM needs our feedback about our conference calls so email Laura about how they can improve them…
Laura’s Skype name is WorldRace2006…
Tomorrow… is the deadline for money and paperwork…
Laura will contact Hannah and will post an update to what we need to do…
We do not know the exact date when we return…Laura is going to try to find out…
Bank of Commerce may have a no ATM Transaction Fee… Google it…
We will find out our probably countries soon…
So… here is our road rules manual…
Road Rules are our rules for the race.
These rules govern the logistics of the World Race. They may be changed at any point in the process by the AIM staff. The purpose of these Rules is to clarify issues regarding travel, finances, leadership, World Race policies and communication. In all things we strive to maintain integrity before the Lord.
Areas covered by Road Rules
1. Race Logistics
2. Finances
3. Travel
4. Housing
5. Communication
6. Leadership
7. Visitors
8. Departure from the Race
1. Race Logistics
Fairness
If a team feels that other teams have been given an unfair advantage, then they may submit their complaint via e-mail to the leaders of the team that they are not racing against or to the AIM staff within 12 hours of completion of the race. For example, Squad A may request that the leaders of Squad B review a controversial race tactic, etc. In case there is a question after the race, the complaint, question, or appeal may be submitted via e-mail to [email protected]. All decisions are final and may not be appealed. A minimum of four people on a team must participate in the race portion.
Illness When Racing
The leadership is empowered to excuse sick members from participating in a leg of the race. If possible, the participant should travel to the new location with a leader. If a team member is to be left behind due to illness, they may not stay alone, but must have a teammate, leader, or approved local contact staying with them. Health care is a personal expense.
Means of Travel
Teams may travel by car, train, plane, boat, bus, or on foot. Teams may never travel by motorcycle,* but mopeds may be used in some locations. The use of mopeds requires team leader approval, and they may only be used where other transportation is not available. Participants assume responsibility for their own safety when using mopeds, and agree not to hold AIM liable for any accidents due to the choice of type of travel.
* Exception for motorcycles: Leaders, or a team member designated by the leader, may travel as passengers on a motorcycle in India for purposes of local travel [not during the race]. Those who choose to travel on a motorcycle assume responsibility for their own safety and agree not to hold AIM liable for any accidents.
Seat belts must be used when they are available. Speed limits must be obeyed at all times while driving. Speeding, or asking a taxi driver to speed, is against the race rules and will result in a time penalty. In places where AIM vehicles are used, the occupancy of a 15-passenger van is limited to nine including the driver.
All local laws must be obeyed. While staying at an AIM base, all base rules, must be followed. In addition, AIM staff and local partners are to be respected at all times. Their knowledge of local culture and safety gives them the authority to establish policies, which must be adhered to. If there is any conflict or question, team leaders have the final call.
Teams are permitted to purchase a vehicle for use in North America provided that the vehicle is sold, donated, or properly disposed of prior to leaving the continent, even if that means they are delayed from starting the next leg of the race on time. If a team chooses to purchase a vehicle, it must be done prior to the start date of the race and/or training. Abandoned vehicles will result in a time penalty of 24 hours added to race time.
Teams are permitted to receive a donation of a vehicle prior to the start of the race. The vehicle then becomes the property of the Team and must be disposed of as above. Teams that acquire a vehicle acknowledge the risk of breakdown and/or difficulty disposing of the vehicle.
NOTE: If your car breaks down, the time necessary for repairs will be included in your race time, and you will be responsible for the cost. However, there will be no additional penalty assessed.
Travel Time
Your total travel time will be recorded by the team leaders. Each team must check in with the leaders at the start and end of each leg of the race and submit their finish line photo, with time and date stamp, by e-mail to the AIM office. The quickest time wins. Team leaders are responsible to submit times to AIM. There will be rewards, picked by the leaders, fore each leg of the race and an unidentified grand prize at the end of the race. We may give awards for other team accomplishments along the way. If some teams are larger than others, for example, if some teams are only four in number, then every team can designate four members who will compete in the race portion in order to keep it as fair as possible.
Races can be from country to country…or landmark to landmark…
Violation of Rules
The leadership of the opposite Squad or AIM Staff may add one or more hours to a team’s total travel time for a leg if that team violates any of the rules.
2. Finances
Gifts
Because the race portion of the trip will test your creativity and your faith, it is important that all competing teams have access to the same total amount of resources. If a participant raises additional money, that money will be used by AIM for the World Race at AIM’s discretion; that money will not be made available to that individual’s team to use unless AIM decides to make it available for extra ministry to an area. Extra money raised by a participant will be used at AIM’s discretion for ministry or scholarships, but may not be transferred to another participant. Automobile donations are permitted for any North/Central America portions of a race [see Means of Travel above]. It is likely that teams will be given financial and other resources along the way. Such gifts are allowable so long as they do not conflict with the rules.
You may also want to raise money to help needy people you meet along the way. Donations can be made through AIM, but must follow IRS regulated procedures. For example, you may want extra funds to help with construction projects or providing for families in need. You may raise funds for them through your blog.
Another way to raise funds is by buying and selling local handicrafts or by performing in local markets if allowed. In Guatemala, for example, they make beaded purses that cost $13 and are worth ten times that in the States. Be creative in your fundraising efforts!
Personal Spending Money
While this program requires that you live close-to-the-bone, we are not trying to start “Ascetics Anonymous.” Participants may retain their personal bank accounts for personal expenses. However, in choosing to be a World Race participant, you are choosing to submit yourself to being accountable for spending your money wisely. If a team member is unwise in governing their personal money, leadership may step in to help the participant grow in stewardship. Alternatively team members may elect to follow the Acts 2 community living model and deposit up to a thousand dollars per person in a separate team bank account to be used for personal expenses.
Commerce for clothes & coffee money
You can engage in a minimal amount of commercial activity along the way to make money to cover personal and entertainment expenses. These activities should be approved by your team leaders.
Items purchased with this money are considered personal expenses and do not come out of team (AIM) accounts and receipts are not turned into AIM.
Team bank accounts
Each team will have one or more bank accounts:
AIM will make electronic deposits in each account for the entire team on the first Thursday of each month. AIM will not deposit more money than team members have raised. We reserve the right to adjust the total amount allocated to travel or food & lodging based on the feedback you give us. How you access the money is up to you. We will require a weekly reconciliation of expenses.
The treasurer will be responsible to keep all paper receipts and a log of all receipts. The treasurer will submit weekly reports of expenses via e-mail on the form provided. Hard copies of receipts should be mailed back to AIM monthly during the trip and within 10 days of the end of the trip. Receipts will be placed in weekly envelopes with type of expense, date, and amount in US Dollars noted. More specific instructions on Finances and reporting are found in the World Race Finance Handbook.
To safeguard your accounts, one team member should carry the ATM card and another team member should carry the PIN number. We also advise you to carry the 800 number for the bank account in a separate location and to call within the hour if the card is lost or stolen. Thieves can access your account very quickly.
A participant “Going on Faith” is required to spend a portion of each week contacting supporters and potential supporters via e-mail, phone, and blog. Participants and their team leaders will be advised if their account drops down to $2000. If an individual team member has insufficient funds for the trip and their support account drops down to $1500 before the end of the trip, the individual must drop off the team. AIM will use the remaining funds for arranging the participant’s travel home; the timing of departure will be at AIM’s discretion.
Team Treasurers
Each team will have a treasurer whose responsibility it is to access money for the team, safeguard it, and submit a weekly report. Specific instructions for Finances are found in the World Race Finance Handbook. Each participant is expected to support and help the treasurer with accounting and to obtain receipts for every expense and turn them in to the treasurer each day.
3. Travel
Your Route
In many cases, we will not give you the specific route you will follow until right before the race starts.
Start/End
The Team Leaders are responsible to report all the times to AIM by e-mail within 24 hours of completion of that leg or as soon as possible. At the end of each race, teams must confirm on their honor that they didn’t break any race rules (i.e. speeding). If rules are broken there will be a time penalty assessed.
AIM staff registers your times and ensures that they are posted to the web site. The ending point of each particular leg of the race will be some notable point of interest in the vicinity where we will be working. Make sure that all the digital cameras to be used for start and finish line photos are synchronized with those of the other teams.
Safety
Traveling around the world does not come without safety risks. For example, nighttime travel may include run-ins with dangerous bandits or wandering animals. For this reason, AIM has three rules that apply in countries where participants are driving. Participants must where seatbelts where available, follow the speed limit at all times, and drive only between 6am and 10pm.
If it becomes necessary to drive past 10:00pm, teams must receive permission from “A” leaders or AIM staff in advance of their departure. “A” leaders must check in with AIM staff and thoroughly assess the risks before permission may be granted. If your team is unexpectedly forced to travel past 10:00pm (i.e. there is no safe place to spend the night), your travel time will be doubled as a penalty.
Additionally, in situations where teams are not driving but must use public transportation between 10:00pm and 6:00am, team leaders should consult local contacts to determine safety and advisability of travel at night.
Traveling locally
When traveling to places like internet cafés, ministry sites, or a local family’s home you usually will use local transportation (i.e. buses/trains). Check in with team leaders and local contacts about safety issues in doing so. Travel in pairs or groups, never alone, and preferably with at least one male in the group. In certain countries, females may not go anywhere without male accompaniment. Check with local contact to determine when this rule applies.
If a team member is in need of some solitude, they may request permission from a team leader to be alone for a period of time. The team member must communicate where they will go and for how long. They are allowed to stay at “home” alone (where safe), but they must still travel with another person if they wish to have solitude away from “home.” (For example, two team members could go for a hike and stop at two different places near a river to spend time alone. They would still know where each other were but be able to have alone time.)
We ask that you hold one another accountable to a high standard by not even appearing to flirt with the opposite sex. Local customs should be taken into account in male/female interactions. This applies to interactions within your team and with local people. Participants should be aware that locals might be attracted to team members and incorrectly interpret your friendliness.
4. Housing
Sleeping quarters
Expect to stay in rustic quarters or tents. In many places, you will be in churches, tents or in local homes.
Guys/girls
Guys and girls must stay in different rooms. Because the quickest way to get disqualified is to engage in inappropriate behavior with the opposite sex, it is important to exercise discretion and accountability. More details on policies regarding relationships are found in the World Race Handbook. Inappropriate conduct may result in a participant being sent home. In locations where cost is prohibitive or living conditions are of questionable safety, guys and girls may share living quarters, provided that there are at least three females. Modesty must be observed at all times.
Keep in mind that the eyes of the world are looking to you to prove who Jesus is during this time. Live a life above reproach at all times.
Cost
Teams will follow the monthly budgets found in the Finance Handbook. AIM understands that some countries will be more expensive and some less expensive. If you save money in one location, do not spend that money in another category; save it for a future more expensive location.
5. Communication
Team
Sundown rule: Short accounts must be kept. If you have an issue with someone, let him or her know before going to bed.
Matthew 18: In cases of conflict, apply its biblical principles. The book, The Peacemaker outlines them well.
Team members may not switch teams except: after prayer, with permission of the leadership, and before the end of the first month.
With Gainesville
Teams must advise AIM of their safe arrival in each destination. If travel is over multiple days, check in as often as possible while traveling. Teams must check in at the beginning and end of travel without exception. Call +001 770-983-1060 or +001 770-983-5000 and leave a message on the World Race phone, extension 273 (same extension for both numbers).You can use BLOGS as a way of communication.
6. Leadership
Each group of 30 World Race participants is divided into smaller teams of 5-7 participants. We use various models of leadership. Some groups will have an overall male and female leader, called “A Leaders” and individual team leaders for each small group, called “B Leaders”. Other groups will have “B Leaders” who serve together as a group of elders to shepherd the entire large group. Participants from previous World Race trips may also serve as leadership for your group on the race. It is our desire that all participants grow in their leadership skills through participation in the World Race.
Whatever the form of leadership, you are expected to respect the leaders and to submit to their leadership at all times. You may respectfully voice your questions or concerns, but realize that ultimately they are responsible for leadership. They are committed to listening to your feedback and to making the best decisions for all. While you may be encouraged to exercise various leadership gifts, you are expected to abide by all decisions of your leaders without grumbling or complaining [see Hebrews 13:17 and Philippians 2:14].
7. Visitors
.
Policy about WR Visitors
There will be an opportunity for family to minister alongside and visit World Racers during two designated visitation times throughout the year. These two visitation times will not be time off for the participant, but rather a time for the visitor to be incorporated into the team and engage in ministry along with the team. All team schedules will be maintained during the visitation weeks. Our desire is that a visitor would complement the team’s ministry and contribute to the growth of the participants in a positive way. These selected weeks may vary on each race so your WR administrative team will let you know the dates for your particular race.
One of the goals of the World Race is to initiate participants to their identity and role in the Kingdom of God. Because initiation is hard and because initiates are required to abandon everything, we want to ensure that the process runs its course. While there are great benefits to visitors ministering with the teams, there can be some aspects that are more negative and need to be realized ahead of time.
1. Reconnecting with visitors can cause a lot of homesickness and distraction. Some World Racers take longer to get over homesickness than others. It can be very difficult when a participant has just conquered feelings of homesickness and a visitor arrives causing all those feelings to come to the surface.
2. If parents are part of the worldly “reality” that God is trying to circumcise off a participant, it can be counterproductive to having them visit for the week. It can actually set the WR participant back in their growth process.
3. It can interrupt what God is doing in the team. In the early months, the team is just starting to become a safe place. Bring people in from outside and it ceases to be that. Participants may not be as transparent and vulnerable when there are people that they don’t know and trust ministering with the team.
4. Racers go thru a 6-month preparation process to get to where they are, whereas a visitor comes in with no training and, potentially, some “baggage” or issues.
5. There will be logistical coordination and time required to make the visitation weeks happen.
Visitation request process:
Any visitor desiring to visit a World Race participant during one of the designated weeks is asked to send a request to the team leader through their World Race participant with a carbon copy sent to [email protected]. This request should state why they would like to visit the team.
The team should pray over the requests of visitors and then submit their answer to the squad leader. The squad leader will then pray and check with the WR home office leadership for final approval. Upon approval by the home office, the visitor will be forwarded a copy of this policy so that there will be no misunderstanding as to the purpose of the visitation weeks.
At the end of the visitor’s time, they are asked to evaluate their time and the team is asked to evaluate them and write them a letter. This ensures good communication and accountability.
If you wish to visit people you know internationally, you may request permission from your leaders to do so on your day off. Such visits should be limited to people that you can visit with less than 4 hours of travel. Such travel would be at your own expense.
8. Departure from the Race
If you wish to leave your teammates for any reason, you may request permission in advance from the AIM staff. Such permission would normally be granted only for travel to one wedding in which you are part of the wedding party or any funerals. You may be permitted a maximum of four days leave, including travel time, and such travel would be at your own expense. Support raised money may not be used for this purpose.
Except as stated above, emergency medical evacuation would be the only allowable absence from your team.
