FAQ's

We're back from an awesome week in Honduras!  A big thanks to the Womacks and the Diegelmans for making us feel like part of the FCM family, and to Cindy and the Indiana group for allowing us to join you!  You can find pictures of our week on Leslie's Facebook account.  We also wanted to post the answers to a few of the frequently asked questions we tend to get so that everyone can get more information on the who's, what's, and when's of our future in Honduras. 

Q:  When will you be going?
A:  Once we've established enough monthly income to support us full-time in the field, we'll head to Costa Rica for language school.  We'll need a minimum of $42,000 total funds (equal to 1 year of support)  before we go so that we don't run into any issues with funding while we're there.  Language school is expensive, plus moving expenses, etc., make this necessary.  Once we've completed language school, if enough funds are still coming in, we'll head straight to Honduras after a brief trip home.

Q:  How much do you need to raise?
A:  There is no specific total amount needed in our account before we can go, except for the minimum needed for us to be sure we can get through the whole year of language school without funding issues.  The key to us being able to go is consistent monthly support.  Once we've established consistent support of $3,500/month, we'll be able to go.  That's the equivalent of 70 people giving $50/month, 175 people giving $20/month, or 350 people giving $10/month.  We hope you'll pray about whether God would have you give!

Q:  Why are the monthly living expenses so high?
A:  Despite what you might think, living on Honduras is surprisingly expensive!  Rent in a safe neighborhood will be around $800-$1,000/month, food costs about 20% more there than it does in the States because most things have to be imported into the country and are not locally produced. We'll also need to purchase health and vehicle insurance.  Electricity and water are also MUCH more expensive there than in the States.

Q:  What does my donation go towards?  Is there any overhead taken out?
A:  FCM already has donors that cover the overhead that goes along with running the ministry.  100% of your donations will go towards our living expenses while in Honduras.  (The only exception to this is that, should you donate via credit card, the typical credit card processing fees are taken out.  If you can give by check or direct deposit, that is best, as we will then receive 100% of the donation.)  As mentioned above, this includes rent, insurance, and daily living expenses such as food, gas and other vehicle expenses, utilities, and any other necessary personal expenses.  We assure you we will be very frugal with your donations!

Q:  If I want to give monthly, when should I start?
A:  The sooner the better!  This will allow us to begin building our account up and reach our necessary financial goals before entering language school.  An early start to monthly giving also allows us to view our progress towards the monthly giving we can expect to see once we get closer to entering language school.  We understand that not everyone is in a financial position to give now, but might be in the future, and that's ok!  But for those who are choosing between giving now or waiting until we're ready to leave, please know that this early giving is necessary for us to be able to enter the mission field.

Q:  I'm not in a financial position to give.  Is there anything else I can do?
A:  Please, please pray!  We know that building up prayer support is every bit as important as building up financial support.  Some items we'd appreciate you praying about include our families as they prepare for us to leave (and us, as we will miss our wonderful families very much), God's protection over both the children in the ministry and the missionaries already in Honduras, us being able to sell our home and other items, and for God's blessing on our transition to living in another culture, learning a new language, and adapting to a new lifestyle.

Q:  Are you bringing your dog with you?
A:  Of course!  :)  She will not need to be quarrantined in either Costa Rica or Honduras. All we need is the necessary paperwork stating she is a healthy dog.

Q:  Will you sell your house before you go?
A:  Yes, we will be selling our house, vehicles, furniture, etc.  A few of the missionaries we know have attempted to keep their homes here and rent them, but have found that, as you might expect, it is a lot of work to keep up with a home you own while you're living in another country.  We're going to be busy enough in Honduras as it is!  The potential financial burden of continuing to make a mortgage payment should we not be able to consistently rent our home also affects this decision.

Q:  Are you continuing to work while you're waiting to go?
A:  Yes, both of us are continuing with our jobs while we raise support.  100% of your donations go towards our living expenses AFTER we move and enter language school and the mission field.  None of those donations go toward our personal expenses while we are raising funds and preparing to leave.

We're always excited to talk about missions and Honduras, so keep the questions coming!  We hope you'll continue to pray for us, for our fundraising, and for the people of Honduras!  Thank you for your support as we move forward to where God has called us!

Pictures!

We've got pictures from our last 2 trips to Honduras viewable at http://s558.photobucket.com/albums/ss24/JVanvact1/.  We're headed out for our next trip on Saturday with a group from Indiana.  Please pray for us, the group, and the people God has there for us to minister to!

FCM new website!

FCM has launched their new website:  FCMHonduras.org.  Check it out!  We're working on getting our pictures up from previous FCM trips up for everyone to see.  They should be up later this week.  Keep an eye out here if you want to see what it's all about down there!