Are you planning a vacation? Did you know there are many opportunities to "bear witness to Christ" and "mediate the love of God" while doing so?
Check out some of these ideas.
This
company has developed a sort of cross-cultural exchange
program with the nomadic Masai in East Africa whereby
the Africans receive direct benefits from tourism and
guests are exposed to the tribe's culture.
This
adventure-trip organizer works with grass-roots outfits
to boost the local economy in countries like India and
Sri Lanka. in China it supports the Nature Conservancy
by training locals to be Yangtze River guides.
This
pioneering adventure-travel company is committed to low-impact
tourism, support of conservation and cultural groups and
fair working conditions in Peru and Nepal. They provide
boots and health insurance to porters.
Check
to see if your cruise line is a member of the Cruise Industry
Charitable Foundation, which provides support for ocean
reasearch and preservation efforts as well as scholarships
for kids in the areas where the ships do business.
Participants
in Habitat's Global Village programs spend one to three
weeks helping build houses for needy families in any of
60 countries, including Mozambique, Ireland, Samoa, New
Zealand, Guyana and the U.S.
Improve
health conditions in remote regions by packing extra first-aid
kits.
These
small cruise ships go everywhere from Antarctica to the
Galápagos. When a traveleer donates $250 or more
to a cause like the Galápagos Conservation Fund,
he or she receives a $250 travel voucher toward a future
trip.
If you want something even challenging check the information at Global Volunteers. You can spend some time helping out in China, the Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Ghana, Greece, Hungary, India, Italy, Jamaica, Mexico, Peru, Poland, Romania, South Africa, Tanzania, the United States and Vietnam.
And there are plenty of other options:
ACDI/VOCA
African Conservation Experience
African Conservation Trust
Blue Ventures
And if you are travelling in the US and want to find a Mass near you try:
For
Travelers: Mass
times and Churches throughout the U.S.
