After more than two years without a team visiting our center, 2022 brought the return of travel with two teams. This week, we are excited to announce 2023 travel dates as well as our new Travel Coordinator, Alexis Totin. In 2023, we plan to send teams in April, September, and November.
We know what an important role travel plays in The Raining Season, and we are just as anxious as many of you to once again get our feet back on the ground in Sierra Leone in 2023. Our staff does an amazing job loving and serving our kids, but with nearly one hundred children, teams are able to give our children and staff a little extra love and attention. It is difficult to prepare your heart for the experience, but this week we are answering some common questions about travel. Our children and staff welcome teams with open arms. You instantly become part of the TRS family because we are one fambul. Every moment, from the welcome ceremony to the goodbye ceremony, the Holy Spirit is working. The Holy Spirit is working not only in our children, in our staff, and in the Freetown community but also in the travelers.
MEET ALEXIS TOTIN
As we begin to plan the 2023 travel season, we want to introduce you to our new Travel Coordinator, Alexis Totin, and extend our thanks to Ally Currie, who served as The Raining Season’s Travel Coordinator from 2018 to 2022 but has stepped down because of other commitments.
Alexis joins The Raining Season staff in addition to her full-time job as the Director of Sales at a large party rental company called EventWorks in Nashville. In her free time, she enjoys CrossFit, fly fishing, and hanging out with her three-year-old son, Jax. Alexis is no stranger to travel or The Raining Season. She was raised overseas in Saudi Arabia and also lived in Nigeria. She has always been passionate about learning about new cultures and studying different parts of the world. She has also traveled on three teams to Sierra Leone. Alexis shared this about The Raining Season and her new role, “My trips to The Raining Season have always been life-changing when I see the spirit of the Lord in the children and the staff and their passion for life and people despite the circumstances in their lives. I witnessed the miracle in Gabriel as well as others that are a testament to why The Raining Season does what it does! I am looking forward to bringing on new travelers so they can experience Sierra Leone and the wonderful people who are a part of TRS.”
WHY ONLY THREE TEAMS IN 2023?
After COVID-19, we were looking forward to a full travel schedule in 2023. The summer months are often the most popular time for teams to visit. A typical year would bring teams to our center ahead of the rainy season in May, June, and July. However, 2023 is an election year in Sierra Leone. There is an election in June, and an election year can impact the political climate in Sierra Leone. We want to provide the best experience for our travelers, so both our in-country staff and U.S. leadership have decided not to travel during the election season.
WHO TRAVELS WITH TRS?
TRS invites everyone to prayerfully consider traveling with us in 2023. High school students, college students, married couples, single, retired, families...ANYONE can travel with The Raining Season. A full team would include 10-15 people, including a team leader who has traveled multiple times. Your team will likely include some who have traveled to Sierra Leone before, while others will be traveling for the very first time.
WHERE DO WE STAY IN COUNTRY?
Teams stay at The Hub Hotel in Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone. Freetown has over 800,000 people, and our child life center is located in the heart of the city. The hotel has a full restaurant, wifi, air conditioning, and hot showers but is easily accessible to The Covering and Roots Houses.
WHAT DOES A TRIP CONSIST OF?
Your trip will be nine days, including travel. While in-country, you will spend time at The Covering and Roots House with our 90+ beautiful kids. You will also have opportunities to participate in community outreach around Freetown and other parts of Sierra Leone. We look for ways to join the good work already happening in Sierra Leone and be a part of serving the community where our kids live. Throughout the week, you will have time to play with the kids, attend devotions, complete service projects, take kids from the center to the beach, enjoy an authentic African cooked meal, attend church at the center, and many other activities that are unique to each trip.
HOW MUCH DOES A TRIP COST?
The total cost can vary from $2,700-$3,500. Prices can vary according to plane tickets. The cost of the trip includes airfare, hotel accommodations, money towards a community project, a beach trip, and several in-country activities. Trip payments will be set up in four allocations that will be communicated to you once you are placed on a travel team. It is not uncommon for travelers to fundraise to support the cost of their trip.
HOW DO I APPLY?
To apply to travel, there is a simple travel application as well as a non-refundable $150 application fee. Once we have received your application and payment, your place on the team will be reserved, and we will email you a TRS Missions Travel Guideline. This will ensure you have all the information needed for your trip. The travel application will be shared in our weekly email and on social media soon!
Each trip is unique and different, but most importantly an opportunity to love and serve the children and staff at The Raining Season. Will you join us in 2023? Email travel@therainingseason.org to learn more.
Many blessings,
The Raining Season