Interested in a working holiday
with a group? Stop by to visit while you are in the area.
Check
this page for recommendations of
activities and places to stay!
ESD is not a travel agency nor is it a hotel or youth hostel.
You would be surprised by the travel questions
we get from website visitors!
If you are on the island and would like to visit ESD
for a few hours one day, please send an e-mail to esdluquillo@gmail.com to make arrangements.
1.
Do you agree with our Doctrinal Statement? While total agreement is not necessary on every paragraph, we do need to know that you and your group are Christians, willing to submit to God's Word and willing to work with the present staff and administration of ESD.
2.
Read, print, distribute to each team member,
get signed, and also plan to enact this agreement which will help you know our expectations of visiting workers and the standards we strive to uphold. Read this document answering the
Frequently Asked Questions of previous work teams.
If you are in agreement with these two documents,
contact our school office to begin the process of making a plan that will be mutually beneficial to all ministries involved. As a first step, we ask that you complete a brief
background questionnaire so that we know a little about you. The questionnaire was made up for an individual but you may modify it for a group.
The e-mail address listed as a contact on the form is no longer in use. Please send e-mails to esdluquillo@gmail.com
The
Round Trip Missions website will help you to organize and prepare your team. Look into their resources as you pray about bringing your group to ESD.
Some things work teams should NOT do include:
We know all too well that accidents happen and ask that your team come prepared to practice SAFETY FIRST. (Thanks to our models in the photos above who are demonstrating (1) twisted ankle (2) sunburned feet tops (3) self-inflicted wound requiring stitches and (4) clunked on the head during a game.) Other
NOT TOs are available through
this link.
If you are in agreement with working to prevent accidents, you are welcome to continue the
application process to bring a group to work at ESD! (This form was created to groups from the island though it can be modified for use with off-island workers and work teams.
The e-mail address listed as a contact on the form is no longer in use.)
Read a LETTER WRITTEN BY ONE WORK TEAM MEMBER. This will give you an idea of how teens are influenced by missions trips and what they did while here.
General Information
We
have two short-term worker suites. Each has three bedrooms equipped with between 1 and 4 beds
- there are 7 beds in one suite and 11 in the other, as well as bathrooms and a kitchenette. The suite above the classrooms has a lounge in the back with a TV dvd
player sofas and table and chairs. They are all comfy in a tropical sort of
way.
The E.S.D. area is secluded but not isolated. The school
grounds (go to our homepage and scroll down to the google map - you can
SEE the area) are near to a little neighborhood. We have a gate which
we keep closed for most of the day and all of the night to keep
out strays and keep our dogs from chasing cars.
Our area is safe and well-patrolled by the police.
Are those contrary ideas? Most of the people in the area respect and
help us. There are a few random passersby that may cause trouble but
mostly they pass by. Our last incident was in October 2009 when
someone tried to get into our minivan. They gave up after breaking the
door handle. We think they took our GPS.
Leave nothing of value in vehicles anywhere in PR.
Again,
looking through our website and you will see pics of the buildings which
are secure. There ARE bars on the windows and some of the doors -
security was in mind when building. All doors have locks - we use them.
We
usually ask for $10 per person per night to cover general expenses -
electricity, water, incidentals. We do have some sheets but each person
should bring along a beach towel and a bath towel. Some groups have brought sheets along and donated them to the worker suites for others to use. We appreciate this and when we get an overflow of sheets, we take them to local hospices and donate them there.
When considering expenses, if you are able to use our vans, add $100(?) for van wear and tear + wash it before you leave for the airport. Fill it up on your way to the airport and we will be happy to have it
back in similar shape to what we loaned it. The van is 15 passenger so
with the sleeping capacity of 14 and the need to have a driver (or GPS!) to
get you around, a nice team size is 14!
When you do come, we can meet
you with a 15 passenger van + another vehicle to carry so that all luggage and supplies can be
hauled to Luquillo which is a 45 minute drive when nothing gets in the way!
Read our VISITOR'S