India Project

Project Full
Dates
March 9 - 18, 2023
Location
India
Participation Fee
$1,140
What's Included

Overview

***This project is currently full. Anyone who registers will be placed on a waiting list and will be notified of openings on a first-come first-serve basis in the order they joined the waiting list.***

Join Maranatha in the fascinating country of India! There is a great need for churches and schools throughout the entire country of India, and volunteers on this project will be able to help answer prayers for the Pola Adventist School in eastern India.

When the primary school opened in 2011 there were no other schools in the village. They started with just one classroom and an old church building. Each year they added one grade to the school and built temporary classrooms to accommodate the students. The school grew to more than 165 boarding and day students. But the facilities remained inadequate for the school with older students sleeping on the floor, food being cooked in an outdoor shed, and only one toilet for the entire campus. Even with these challenges, families longed to send their kids to this school where they would learn of Jesus, but there simply wasn’t room for any more students.

Maranatha responded to the request of Adventist Church leadership and built a new church for the campus in 2017. Then, they returned in 2020 to build new classrooms and dormitories for the Pola Adventist School. Volunteers on this project will build one of the final classrooms on campus! In addition to the construction, volunteers may also conduct outreach programs such as children’s ministry programs.

This project will include an optional excursion to the world-famous Taj Mahal. It may also include an optional safari excursion to Ranthambore National Park. Details will be confirmed prior to registration opening. Join the interest list to be notified when more information is available.

Scope

School Classroom Construction

Community Outreach

Leaders
Loretta Spivey,
Project Coordinator
Sylvia Wilson,
Children's Ministry Leader
Itinerary
Thursday, March 9
Arrival in Ranchi, India
Friday, March 10
Orientation and First Work Day
Saturday, March 11
Worship with the Local Congregation
Sunday, March 12
Work Days
Saturday, March 18
Worship with the Local Congregation. Evening departure from Ranchi.
Sunday, March 19
Optional Excursion: Travel to Agra, Visit Taj Mahal and Agra Fort. Return to Delhi or continue to Ranthambore.
Monday, March 20
Optional Excursion: Travel to Ranthambore National Park: afternoon safari
Tuesday, March 21
Optional Excursion: Full day safari in Ranthambore
Wednesday, March 22
Optional Excursion: Travel to Jaipur, city tour, evening departures
ARRIVALVolunteers will arrive into Ranchi, India (IXR) on Thursday, March 9, 2023.Please wait for confirmation from Maranatha before purchasing your airfare to ensure there is still space on the project and to ensure you book the right flight.
DEPARTUREVolunteers will depart from Ranchi on Saturday evening, March 18. Those joining the optional excursion will need to book a specific flight to Delhi and then depart from Delhi on Sunday, March 19 or from Jaipur on Wednesday, March 22.
Travel Information

Volunteers will purchase their own plane tickets to and from Ranchi, India. The dates posted are the arrival and departure dates from the project. You may need to leave home a day or two before the advertised start date to arrive on the correct date. Most volunteers will transit through New Delhi and some itineraries may require an overnight layover. Maranatha representatives will meet volunteers upon arrival in Ranchi.

Joining the excursion requires purchasing a specific flight from Ranchi to Delhi. Please note, those joining the optional excursion to Ranthambore will purchase their departure home out of a different airport (Jaipur).

More information including specific flight arrival and departure windows and the optional excursion flight number is available in an information packet, available for download above.

Please wait for confirmation before purchasing your airfare. Booking outside the advertised flight windows could result in additional fees and missed portions of the project.

Travel Resources

CI Azumano Travel:
800-454-4099 or by email with Erle or Azumano Team at corporatetravel@ciazumano.com

Butler Travel:
503-879-5005 or by email with Nathanael at nathan@butlertravel.com

Excursions
Optional Excursion - Taj Mahal - $200

The Taj Mahal, a stunning marble mausoleum, is considered one of the world’s architectural masterpieces. Mughal emperor Shah Jahan built the Taj Mahal as a memorial to his wife, and the tour guide will share information about the life of the emperor and the construction of the beautiful building.

This excursion is an optional add-on that volunteers can choose to join for an additional fee. All hotels, food, ground transportation, activities and entrance fees, and English-speaking guides are covered by the fee paid to Maranatha.

Optional Excursion - Taj and Ranthambore - $635

After visiting the Taj Mahal, volunteers who wish to further extend their travel can continue on to Ranthambore National Park. Visitors have the possibility of seeing Bengal tigers in their natural habitat as well as Indian leopards, wild boars, striped hyenas, sloth bears, langurs, macaques, and crocodiles. Volunteers will enjoy a full day safari in the park. On Wednesday, the group will travel to Jaipur where they will have a short city tour before departing for Delhi that evening.

This excursion is an optional add-on that volunteers can choose to join for an additional fee. All hotels, food, ground transportation, activities and entrance fees, and English-speaking guides are covered by the fee paid to Maranatha.

India Facts & Figures

CAPITAL

New Delhi

POPULATION

1.22 billion

LANGUAGE

41% Hindi, 8/1% Bengali, 7.2% Telagu, and various other languages.

CLIMATE

Varies from tropical monsoons in the south to temperate in the north

RELIGION

80% Hindu, 13% Muslim, 2% Christian

CURRENCY

Indian Rupee

Entry Requirements
  • All passports must be valid for at least six months from the dates of intended return.
  • Tourist Visa
  • COVID-19 Requirements
Medical Requirements & Precautions
Contact Us Want to speak with someone at Maranatha directly? Please call our office at 916.774.7700 to speak with a volunteer specialist. Alternatively, you can send us an email.

 

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