HEFY | 2021 - trip leader field guide gather.
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HEFY | 2021
trip leader field guide
gather.
V. Fun
Table of Contents
a.
b.
Sightseeing p. 30
Weekday Activities p. 31
I. Health and Safety VI. Trip Leader Checklist
a. Jobsite Safety Policy p. 6 a. Before the Trip p. 32
b. Seeking Medical Help p. 7 b. Day One of Trip p. 34
c. Mental Health p. 7 c. Everyday p. 35
d. Sexual Predator Safety p. 7 d. Photos and Instagram p. 36
e. General Health and Safety Guidelines p. 8 e. Finances p. 36
f. Contact Numbers and Phones p. 9 f. After the Trip p. 37
II. Spiritual Well-Being VIII. Appendix
a. Keeping the Trip Christ-Centered p. 10 a. Emergency Management Plan p. 44
b. Devotionals and Scripture Study p. 10 b. Extra Medical Information p. 47
c. Church and Sunday Activities p. 11 c. Group Bonding / team building p. 50
d. Firesides p. 12 d. Fireside formats p. 53
e. Temple Visits p. 12 e. mergency Management Plan p. 54
f. Family Home Evening p. 13 F. Special Occasions p. 55
g. Trip Journal p. 13
III. Building Relationships
a. Working with Builders p. 14
b. Working with Parent Builders p. 15
c. Working with Your Co-Trip Leader p. 21
d. Working with the Local Coordinator p. 23
IV. Service and Project Participation
a. The Work Project p. 24
b. Work Groups p. 24
c. Alternative Projects p. 26
d. Responsabile Humanitarianism
2 3
The HEFY Story HEFY was never meant to be a nonprofit. When Glenn and Elisabeth Bingham’s oldest son, David, was seventeen, they wanted him to have a humanitarian experience in an emerging country so he could better understand what life was like for most people. The Binghams saw how many of David’s friends of oth- er faiths were going on “mission trips” and they looked for something similar run by mem- bers of their own faith, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Unable to find any in their area, Glenn decided to take David to the Amazon community of Santarém, where Glenn himself had served a mission years before. Thus the first HEFY expedition in 1999 consisted of just David and Glenn, working together to provide better facilities for street children. The experience created a special father/son bond and a keen desire in David to serve. The next year the Binghams were contacted by several other parents who wanted a sim- ilar experience for their own youth and they soon set up another expedition to Santarém with ten teens who would continue building the new center for street children. Meanwhile, David enrolled in BYU and then received his mission call to the Philippines. Glenn and Elisabeth realized that this experience was something that they wanted to continue for their three younger children, so they formed a nonprofit organization based on shared values as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. According to Glenn, “We didn’t set out to start up an organization for Latter-day Saint teens, we just wanted to give our own kids a great experience and take along some other teens with us. For the first four years we volunteered our time and took one or two groups each summer.” As the organization grew, the Binghams stepped back and a professional staff continued their legacy. Today, nearly 20,000 Builders have served with HEFY in over 60 global loca- tions. Although HEFY has been in operations now for 22 years, it never fails to surprise us how the Lord brings willing people to the right place at the exact time they are needed. As a Trip Leader, we believe there’s something unique and important that only you can do this summer. So get yourself ready, because we are counting on you to write the next page in the incredible story of HEFY. Always remember: there will be miracles.
HEALTH & SAFETY HEALTH & SAFETY
Health And Safety Seeking Medical Help
Keeping the builders safe is your number 1 priority. The group’s safety relies heavily on Be very familiar with the Emergency Management flowchart (Appendix A) so you can act
the Trip Leaders’ awareness and judgment, so practice the habit of constantly looking quickly and appropriately in any emergency. If there is an emergency, get the person to
for potential concerns. As a Trip Leader, you will manage many different tasks at once; medical help as soon as possible. Through your Trip Leader app, you have access to im-
if you are not constantly vigilant this can prevent you from recognizing key risks or issues. portant medical resources and critical information.
Rely on the help of your Parent Builders, your co-leader, your local coordinator, and the
Holy Ghost to look for potential risks and to help you make clear judgments. If a Builder requires medical attention, one of the language-fluent Trip Leaders should ac-
company the Builders to the hospital or clinic and stay with the participant. Keep in mind
Don’t ever ignore your own, your co-leader’s, or the Parent Builders’ concerns about that two people should never be alone together. Always follow the “Rule of Three.”
certain situations. Be sure to familiarize yourself with the specific health concerns of One Trip Leader should always stay with the group if the other leaves it, so please take
each of your Builders before the trip and to brief your Parent Builders of specific Builders’ advantage of your Parent Builders to ensure you always follow the Rule of Three.
health issues. Builders’ health information should be accessed in the HEFY Trip Leader App
prior to your departure. Mental Health
Along with physical health concerns, you will have access to your Builders’ mental health
information. Depression and anxiety are common problems among youth. It will be help-
Jobsite Safety Policy ful to learn ways to best help those who struggle with depression and anxiety. The HEFY
On-Call team will be reviewing and addressing any major concerns directly with you,
You must be familiar with the jobsite safety policy before the first day of the project Know-
your Builders, their doctors, and their parents. If you have any concerns about a Builder,
ing and enforcing these rules can literally save lives.
please do not wait to discuss it with the HEFY On-Call team. This information is very
personal and we expect you to treat it with absolute confidentiality.
1. Trip Leaders, Builders and Parent Builders may never use power tools.
2. When standing above ground, ensure the person has solid footing and someone
Sexual Predator Safety
else is “spotting” them on the ground. Never be above 10 feet off the ground.
“The Rule of Three” is critical to the Builders’ safety. It is one of
3. Never assume: if you have a question, ask!
HEFY’s most important rules. No one, absolutely no one, is ever The rule of
4. Know where your First Aid Kit is at all times. Review the planned emergency pro-
to be alone or alone with someone else. three is for
cedures before starting on the work.
5. Everyone must wear gloves, close-toed shoes, pants*, hard hats and goggles. everyone, no
You, your co-leader, and the Parent Builders should never be
6. *Pants are required on the work site. This is a universal safety rule on construc- exceptions.
alone with the Builders. This rule protects everyone. Emphasize
tion sites and Trip Leaders must enforce this rule to help prevent cement burns
and reemphasize the importance of the Rule of Three for ev-
and other very real dangers.
eryone on the trip by encouraging your Builders to take care of
each other. Ask them to have each other’s back. If someone goes to a bathroom outside
their hotel room, they should be accompanied by at least two other people. Therefore,
Please take these rules very seriously. We trust you to honor them to keep your
when Builders notice another Builder headed to the restroom, encourage them to jump
Builders safe.
up and go with him/her rather than making him/her awkwardly ask for companions.
Pants are
required on the work Sexual abuse is a real danger on our trips, and as a Trip Leader, you must do everything
site. This is a universal you can to ensure your Builders’ safety. Watch for suspicious people both in and out of
safety rule on the group. Remember that sometimes, some of the biggest predators can be other Build-
construction sites and ers on the trip. If you have to let a worker go or send a Builder home because of inappro-
Trip Leaders must priate conduct, do not hesitate. Please be especially vigilant in situations like sightseeing
enforce this rule to boats, etc. where the group is in a seemingly safe location, and with HEFY hired vendors
help prevent cement like tour guides or bus drivers.
burns and other very
real dangers. Make extra sure that the Rule of Three is absolute in International Airports, where your
Builders are both very visible and very vulnerable. The rule of three is for everyone, no
exceptions.
6 7
HEALTH & SAFETY HEALTH & SAFETY
General Health and Safety Guidelines Contacting HEFY
• Do not allow Builders to touch street animals in any situation. EVER. Dog bites are far
too common on HEFY trips and rabies shots are very painful.
• Emphasize hand washing/sanitizing (especially before meals). HEFY’s Office Phone Number: You can always use your cell phone to reach the
• Encourage everyone to drink plenty of water before, during, and after working. Con- HEFY team at +1-801-900-4111 to help with any questions during the HEFY work
sider using Parent Builders as a resource to regularly remind everyone. Set alarms on day.
your phone to regularly remind your Builders.
THIS IS THE EASIEST AND MOST EFFECTIVE HEFY’s 24-Hour Trip Leader Emergency Number: You can use your cell phone
THING YOU CAN DO TO PREVENT ILLNESS. to reach the HEFY on-call team anytime at +1 801-882-7797. You can use this
• Prevent the group from getting too hot by number day or night. Be sure it is programmed into your contacts and marked as
finding shaded resting areas on the worksite, a Favorite.
avoiding long activities in the hot sun, and
wearing hats. Prevent them from getting too Other Emergency Options: If for any reason you are unable to get through on
cold by not swimming in very cold water, be- this number, you can call us directly in an emergency at the following numbers:
ing exposed to rain and wind too long, or not
having enough blankets at night. Amy Antonelli: +1 650.468.4907
• The First Aid Kit contains an Epi Pen, which is Kelsi Christensen: +1 970.231.3246
to be used for any major allergic reaction. You Jordan Murray: +1 385.234.8993
will receive training on its purpose and how to Jeff Derricott: +1 385.777.9475
use it at Trip Leader Training. You are respon-
sible for making sure the Epi Pen is always
with the group. Non-Emergency After Hours: If you have a non-emergency question after 5pm
• If your trip falls on a Fast Sunday, no one is MST , you can either send an email to tripleaders@hefy.org, or message your
required to fast, but allow the participants the Program Director on WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, or GroupMe. You
opportunity. will get a response the following day.
• If you suspect the food is making your Build-
ers sick, tell your Program Manager immedi- Country Contacts: You can find a list of all your local country contacts on your
ately. He or she will quickly make adjustments Trip Leader App and in your location-specific Builder Handbook (Local Coordina-
and, if necessary, change the food provider. Don’t go back to any problematic restau- tor, Health Clinics and Hospitals, the US Embassy, etc).
rants. Contacting Program Directors: Use WhatsApp or FaceTime Audio to contact PD.
• Remind your hotel that the groups do not drink coffee, etc. Coffee and any alcohol
should be removed from the rooms prior to your arrival.
• Please see Appendix B for additional Medical Information.
Contact Numbers and Phones
Each Trip Leader will have access to a phone with local SIM cards in order to coordinate
the project and activities, and to use for any emergencies. You will need to occasional-
ly refill your phone with minutes and data. If you lead the first expedition to a country,
you will receive the country SIM card from the Local Coordinator or tour guide when you
arrive, or you will receive instructions on obtaining a SIM card at the airport. Sometimes
you will have to purchase the SIM card, minutes, and data at different stores – your Local
Coordinator will help you navigate that. Be sure to download GroupMe, WhatsApp, and
FaceTime Messenger/Audio on your personal phone for use during airport travel. HEFY
data and minutes should not be used for personal calls and emails, but those can usually
happen for free using the local WiFi.
8 9
SPIRITUAL WELL-BEING SPIRITUAL WELL-BEING
Keep the Trip Christ-Centered Try to show up to Sunday meetings fifteen minutes early the first week so you can meet
While health and safety are your first priority, the with the Church leaders and reassure them that, at the direction of the local leadership,
spiritual and emotional well-being of the Builders the Builders are prepared to offer prayers, give talks, teach lessons, play the piano, or
are crucial to their experience. Follow the Spirit to administer the sacrament as needed. You can offer for the Builders to speak or provide
know how to best meet the needs of your Builders. musical numbers in Sacrament meeting and YM/YW for the following week if the local
Prepare now by drawing close to the Savior. Ask the leaders so desire.
Lord for specific guidance in knowing how to best be
of service to your Builders. Follow the invitation of Take time the first Sunday to meet with the local leaders and coordinate the activities
President Nelson in a General Conference address, for the next two weeks. Have the Builders go around and greet all of the members in the
“My dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to in- chapel. Builders should not all sit together in one large group; they should be encour-
crease your spiritual capacity to receive revelation... aged to sit in small groups with different families in order to get to know the locals.
Choose to do the spiritual work required to enjoy the
gift of the Holy Ghost and hear the voice of the Spirit Missionary Visits
more frequently and more clearly.” Our tourist visas do not allow us to participate in proselyting. If doing exchanges with the
missionaries, you may only work with new members
Devotionals and Scripture Study or inactive families. During our stay, please do not in-
Every morning and evening, take time to stay gos- vite friends of other faiths to Church or provide them
pel-centered. Make that a non-negotiable. In the with The Book of Mormon or other Church material.
morning, have the group gather for a 30-minute scripture study. You and your co-leader If you think that someone may be interested in the
may decide to assign the group study topics. Note that some Builders might need help Gospel, it would be best to give the full-time mission-
knowing how and what to study. You may also want to designate a Parent Builder or a aries the referral information as the group leaves. Af-
group of Builders to be in charge of assigning Builders to give the morning and evening ter you have returned home, it would be appropriate
devotionals. Some Trip Leaders invite their Builders at the beginning of the trip to write for you to email them or send them any material you
down their most pressing question, and then each morning the group draws one ques- think would be helpful. It is often difficult not to do
tion to study. formal missionary work when interacting with people
we love during our trips, but violating these guide-
Evening devotional formats typically consist of a song, spiritual thought, and group lines and engaging in any proselyting activity during
prayer. Many Trip Leaders set an example of a devotional the first night, and then invite our project could result in future HEFY groups being
their Builders to give the rest of the evening devotionals. As always, follow the Spirit to banned from entering the country for visa violations.
best meet the needs of your group. The last night in-country should be reserved for a
testimony meeting or opportunity for the Builders to share their spiritual experiences Sunday Activities
with each other. If there is not a small service project or missionary visits planned for Sunday in between
church and the fireside, you should fill the afternoon with spiritual activities. Take the
Church and Sunday Activities participants to a place where they can feel the Spirit (the temple grounds, a beach, a
As a faith-based nonprofit, HEFY always tries to align with the vision and values of The park, etc.), and have them write letters home to their parents expressing love and grat-
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Please remember that we are guests in that itude. You might also consider teaching the youth how to bear their testimonies in the
area, and that we respect the authority of the local leadership and support their goals local language. You can visit the hospitals, orphanages, or retirement centers and sing to
for the area. patients. Hold a journal-writing session, have a “get to know you” activity with the group
to learn more about each participant. Have a “get to know the Lord” activity where they
All group members should attend both Sunday meetings (where possible). Try to trans- spend time alone in pondering and prayer if you have a conducive location. Do NOT
late in Sunday School or Young Men’s and Young Women’s. The local Bishopric can ar- spend all afternoon sleeping; your Builders have limited time in your location so please
range for translation during Sacrament Meeting if they would like, but we don’t want to don’t waste it.
distract from the spirit of the meeting. It is a great experience for the youth to simply feel
the Spirit at Sacrament Meeting without translation. Feel free, however, to quietly trans-
late a few necessary things to the people near you during Sacrament meeting.
10 11
SPIRITUAL WELL-BEING SPIRITUAL WELL-BEING
Firesides Family Home Evening
Check with the Local Coordinator and/or church On Sunday, coordinate with the Bishop to line up four homes that you can visit in small
leaders to ensure that firesides are lined up with groups for FHE on Monday night. Make sure the Bishop knows that you do not want to
Firesides should meet the
the local wards each Sunday evening. Be open go to the four wealthiest families. Holding a ward FHE in the church prevents our par-
needs of both our group ticipants from the only opportunity they will have to enter the homes of the community
to the Spirit when deciding the format of these
firesides; they do not need to be the traditional as well as the local ward they are serving to see how they live. Divide the group into four groups and send a Trip
format. Allow the youth to take the lead on plan- or branch members so be Leader or Parent Builder with each group.
ning and preparing the firesides. Find devotional sure to coordinate with
formats in Appendix D. You might want to pro- local leaders. We want to Missionaries are sometimes available to participate and can act as translators. Notify the
vide a musical number and/or supply inexpensive Bishop on Sunday that our groups will provide an activity and refreshments (soda and
be a blessing, not a burden
refreshments like soda and cookies. You and your cookies). Ask the members of the family to share how they joined the Church (or gained
to the church. their testimony), have the HEFY Builders be prepared to share the same with the families
co-leader will likely need to provide translation in
non-English speaking countries. they visit. The goal is to interact at a personal testimony level.
Firesides should meet the needs of both our
group as well as the local ward or branch members so be sure to coordinate with Trip Journal
local leaders. We want to be a blessing, not a burden to the local church. Journals are an important part of ensuring that the Builders’ experience does not end
when they get home. Encourage the Builders to make journal writing a priority every
day. If they miss even one day, there will be so much that happens the following day, it
Temple Visits will be difficult to remember it all.
Every trip will be visiting the temple. For
those trips that will be doing proxy bap- Have them record their experiences and how they felt during those experiences so they
tisms, call the temple as soon as you arrive will be able to refer to their journals when they return home. Give time for journal writ-
in the country to reconfirm the appoint- ing and encourage everyone to write in his or her journal on a daily basis. Make sure this
ment. Often the Local Coordinator can help does not interfere with scripture reading. Good times for journaling are after the nightly
with these arrangements. Early on the trip, devotional and Sunday afternoons.
ask the Builders if they have their temple
recommends with them. If they have a
recommend but left it at home, the temple
staff can usually look it up.
If a Builder is unable to enter the temple
for whatever reason, make arrangements
for the youth to stay on the temple grounds
or in a waiting room with a Parent Builder
or Trip Leader. Consider leaving the female
Parent Builder with the waiting Builder
while the female Trip Leader does baptisms
first, then have the Parent Builder or Trip
Leader switch. Remember under Church
guidelines, males and females can witness
in the temple and priests can officiate in the
baptistry. No extra local brethren will be
needed.
12 13
BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS
Working with the Builders room. Where it is impossible to have an adult in each room, assign one of your more
As a Trip Leader, you are on your trip for your Builders. responsible Builders to the room without an adult. Room assignments should always
Pray for and love all your Builders equally. Remember that you don’t have the option of change a week into the trip in order to help group dynamics.
“not liking” one of your youth. The ones who are the hardest to love are the ones who
often need you the most, and whose lives can truly be changed if you see and treat them One of the secrets to avoiding cliques and unifying the Builders is to divide them into
the way the Savior does. Find opportunities for Builders to speak to you about what is committees. Committees offer the Builders the chance to build and contribute to the
on their minds. It can be hard, embarrassing or awkward for a Builder to tell you what trip in a variety of ways. You and your co-leader may consider dividing the group into
is really on his/her mind, so give them opportunities to talk to you and the other adults. four to five committees based on the Builders’ talents and interests. Ideas for commit-
Create opportunities for them to talk to you by sitting next to different Builders on the tees may include:
bus, checking-in on their rooming groups, talking with them at meals, or joining their • Team Building/Game Crew | This committee could be in charge of creating unity
work group for a few hours. Try to establish a personal relationship with every single through instigating games while on the bus, during lunch, or in the evenings. They
Builder by learning about their families, interests, etc. As you get to know each of them, could also have the special assignment to be deliberate about making sure everyone
include their specific challenges and trials in your nightly prayer. If appropriate, let them is feeling seen, included, and loved.
know that you’ve been praying for them. • Devotional/Music Crew | This committee could be responsible for assigning morn-
Tell them you love them. ing and evening devotionals. They could also help plan the firesides including musical
numbers.
Don’t allow members of your group to • Positive Vibes Crew | These Builders have the job of finding the everyday miracles.
think less of themselves (“I can’t do it” They look for the silver lining in the hard stuff and they point out the beautiful. They
or “I’m too stupid/lazy/weak, etc. to be recognize that for every 100 things there are to complain about, there are another
able to do it”), and keep an eye out for 100 things to be grateful for. They find the good stuff.
put-downs like “she’s too slow” or “don’t • Recognition Crew | The Builders could have the responsibility of highlighting
be stupid.” At the beginning of the trip, achievements of group members. In the evenings, this committee could perform a
guide the Builders in making their own short recognition ceremony to spotlight individual/group accomplishments.
standards and goals for how they will • Bodyguard Crew | These Builders take on the job of keeping everyone safe. They
treat each other throughout the trip. find ways to make the Rule of 3 fun, constantly encourage drinking water, hard hat
reminders, when the group is on the move they keep an eye on the headcount, etc.
Not only should the Builders refrain • Culture Crew | This committee could be responsible for helping the group learn dif-
from crushes and exclusive relation- ferent local phrases, asking members stories about the history of the area, teaching
ships, but as a Trip Leader you should common customs of your region, what are the popular foods and how they are pre-
do the same. Whether you are single pared, etc.
or married, make sure your relation-
ship with your co-leader and with other Builder Digital Detox
young single adults in the area remains One of the most fundamental secrets of success on an HEFY trip is the concept of
visibly professional while on your trip. a “digital detox.” Builders are not allowed to use cell phones, music devices, and/or tab-
While the Builders love to try and insti- lets at any time during the trip. Many will bring phones for the domestic portion of the
gate romantic relationships, they will trip; be sure to collect their phones and devices upon arrival in the trip country. One time
quickly lose confidence and trust in you during the trip, you will give your Builders the opportunity to hand-write a letter home.
if they see that you aren’t abiding by the You will then take a picture of these letters and email them to their parents on behalf of
same standards that they are. Avoid the Builders.
too much focus on your personal rela-
tionships at home, including too many You should send this email from postcards@hefy.org, not from your own email. Trip
stories of kissing, dating, etc. Keep the Leaders should have absolutely no direct contact with parents while on their trips
focus on the service, the faith, and the miracles. through phone, email, or Instagram. If you get communication from parents, let the HEFY
On-Call team know and they will respond. Your focus should remain entirely focused
During the first few days of the trip, observe group dynamics and individual behavior in on your Builders, and we want you to stay present on your trip. You should not also be
order to make appropriate room assignments. Bed sharing is not allowed for any mem- managing the myriad of questions that will continue to come if you engage in conversa-
ber of the group, male or female. ALWAYS have a Trip Leader or Parent Builder in each tion with parents at home. You might also inadvertently trigger unnecessary worry for
15
14
BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS
things that HEFY has already planned for. Please let the office handle all communication
Rules in the Builder’s Field Guide
with home.
A few dealbreakers (aka the stuff that’ll get you sent home)
Although we strongly encourage Builders to go their whole trip without contacting home, The “Three’s actually not a crowd” Rule
if a Builder has a special need that requires an exception, please let the office know and Whether at the worksite, during sightseeing, at church, or even in a large detached hotel
we can facilitate the call. If a Builder has a mission call waiting for them, or a sibling bathroom, all Builders must be in a group of at least three people. It may seem silly to be
returning from a mission/opening their call, sometimes it can be special for the entire with at least three people at all times, especially in a church, hotel, or private sightseeing
group to be part of that experience. If this is the case, work with the office to set some- boat, but the safety of our Builders is the most important thing to the HEFY office and
thing up. the Trip Leaders. Get ready to take care of each other, friends. Have each other’s backs.
The people in the group will become your family, so love each other enough to make
Language Training sure that no one is off by themselves.
For countries where English is not the primary language, take time each day to teach the This rule also prohibits anyone to pair off......need we say more?
Builders some basic words in the country’s language. This will empower the Builders to
connect to the culture and people. The Builder Handbook for your location has a list of
words that are common on the worksite and useful in getting to know people. Kissing
Actually, we will say more. You’ve probably heard about the legendary HEFY kissing
Conduct and Discipline policy. Let us be clear here...we are, in the abstract, pro-kissing (in the right settings). But
Both Trip Leaders should discipline equally. Do not allow your co-leader to carry the on an HEFY trip, pairing off becomes a serious distraction to why we’re there: to help
brunt of the hard conversations. Back each other up; don’t make one the fun guy and people. Kissing, pairing off (or anything like unto it) totally changes the group dynamic
one the mean guy. Every night in your Trip Leader counsel, share the burdens equally. and affects everyone on the trip. So we are asking you to keep your focus on serving,
and even if you meet the girl or boy of your dreams, please try to restrain yourself from
The majority of the Builders will never cause serious problems, but every now and then kissing them until you get home.
you and your co-leader, together with the HEFY leadership will have to make the decision
to send a Builder home. From the start of the trip, make regular Incident Reports detail- If you decide you simply can’t wait to kiss someone on your trip, you’re welcome to make
ing escalating behavior in order to have a paper trail and to show the office and poten- that choice. Just know that you’ll be choosing that instead of staying on your trip (i.e.
tially the Builder’s parents of consistent destructive behavior. The Dealbreaker rules are you’ll be flying home early at your own expense and never coming back to HEFY). Either
clear, and the Builders should understand during their Builder Briefing that choosing way, we love you.
to break one of these rules is choosing to go home. There is no discussion afterwards;
those two choices go together. Don’t describe it as “punishment” - make sure your Build- Sneaking off
ers are clear about it being their choice to make. No matter how confident you feel going off by yourself in another country, or how good
that treat from the market next door sounds, sneaking off is a serious risk. As a group,
The decision to send a Builder home is always very hard. Do everything you can to miti- you are super visible wherever you go—people are definitely going to notice you, and
gate issues before it comes to that. However, once a rule has been broken, the negative some people may not have the best intentions. Your safety is the most important priority
impact the Builder might have on the rest of the Builders for the remainder of the trip to HEFY and the Trip Leaders,but it should also be yours as well. If we discover that you
must be considered, and one person who continues to violate the trip standards can snuck out, we’ll have to send you home (or prohibit you from returning next year). We
make it difficult or impossible to achieve the trip objectives for the rest of the Builders. love you guys, which is why we’re pretty strict on this one!
If you feel like a Builder may need to go home, contact the office. If HEFY leadership When you signed and notarized your Builder Agreement Form, you agreed to stay with
decides to send the Builder home, the office will make the arrangements and inform the the group at all times. It’s more fun to hang out with your friends than to walk along a
Builder’s parents. On average, HEFY sends home early an average of 10 Builders each street in the dark by yourself, anyway.
summer for health or behavioral reasons.
Health Code
Below is a copy of a document sent to all Builders informing them of actions that will get HEFY has chosen to follow the same health code as The Church of Jesus Christ of Lat-
them sent home. You will be expected to hold the Builders to these dealbreakers. ter-day Saints. We expect all of our Builders to abide by this standard. In other words: no
drugs, alcohol, or coffee. Simple as that!
16 17
BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS
Working with Parent Builders For your reference, the following text is given to Parent Builders and is agreed upon when reg-
The Parent Builders’ purpose is to support you, make sure that participants are safe istering as an HEFY Parent Builder.
and adhering to the Code of Conduct, work alongside the youth, and to be a friend and
listening ear for problems and concerns. Generally you should try to keep Builders and Instructions for Parent Builders
their parents in separate work groups, unless individual circumstances dictate otherwise.
Role of the Parent Builders:
Parent Builders have been trained to anticipate taking on the following roles. You have a Most of the relationships that Latter-day Saint Builders have with adults are either with
lot of responsibilities a you should delegate some of them to Parent Builders to help with their parents or Church leaders. As an HEFY Parent Builder, you are a coworker, peer,
the overall expedition. The following roles are and friend working side-by-side with these youth. You will have a unique opportunity to
taken from the Parent Builder training: positively influence them in a way that Church leaders or parents may not.
Your purpose is to support the Trip Leader, make sure that Builders are safe and adher-
• Loving Example: Work alongside the youth, be ing to the Code of Conduct, work alongside the youth, and be a friend. Parents should
a friend to ALL & keep up with the ‘teenage’ decide together with the Trip Leader if they want to work closely with their own children
pace even when you’re tired. or in separate work teams. The best Parent Builders are the ones who are willing to step
• Storyteller: Be the eyes and hears for all the back and let the Trip Leaders lead, even when they believe they could do things better.
parents at home. Capture the miracles in As a Parent Builder, feel free to volunteer to take any extra responsibilities from the Trip
words and pictures. Leader after consulting with him/her. HEFY Trip Leaders have been selected because
• Safety Guru: At tourist spots, airports, and in they are intelligent, responsible, and fun youth leaders who often speak the language
general, keep an eye open for safety concerns (where it applies) in the countries we serve. They are fantastic, highly qualified individu-
& review emergency procedures with the Trip als that we have identified as having the skills and qualities necessary to lead a success-
Leader. ful expedition.
• Healer: Band-aid Czar, Sunburn Suppressor
and Water Watchdog. The Trip Leader has many duties and responsibilities during the expedition and he/she
• Sheep Herder: Help the Trip Leaders gather. may not think to ask for your help. Your Trip Leader has been instructed to delegate
• Influencer: Be the trip optimist. Be flexible & responsibility to you as a Parent Builder, but he/she might not recognize all the respon-
see the miracles. Smile. sibilities. If you feel that something is not getting done, please talk to the Trip Leader
• Guardian Angel: See what the Trip Leaders about it, and then, with their permission, do it. If you feel that you could be more useful
don’t see. Be aware. on the trip, talk to the Trip Leader and determine together what else you can do to help.
• Trip Leader Champion: Let the Trip Leaders lead, be their number #1 fan and vocal You should expect things to go very well, but when travelling there will always be some
supporter. things that go wrong. Help the Trip Leaders in any way that you can to assist and support
It can be helpful to you to assign one Parent Builder to always carry the first aid kit and them in leading the group. If you disagree with a decision that your Trip Leader makes,
help participants with minor injuries or illnesses. Have Parent Builders do a headcount have a private discussion with the Trip Leaders and the other Parent Builder to deter-
when going to and from activities. Assigning each Builder a number and doing a regular mine a unified solution.
vocal “count off” works well every time you get on the bus.
Expectations of Parent Builders:
This is the secret to having a great Parent Builder relationship: Hold a brief nightly • Get to know the names of each Builder on the trip. Adults and youth should be on a
counsel with your co-leader and both Parent Builders either before or after the group first name basis.
devotional in which you pray for your Builders all together. During the counsel, invite • Review emergency procedures with the Trip Leader. Learn how to use the Epi Pen in
them to provide you with their observations and feedback; they may have valuable in- emergencies. Help make sure that the first aid kit is with the group at all times.
sight and perspective. However, remember you are the Trip Leader and if necessary, you • Make an effort to learn the local language. Your experience will be much more re-
might need to remind Parent Builders of their supporting role. warding if you can communicate somewhat.
• Assist in “herding the sheep.” Help the Trip Leader gather the youth for breakfast,
meeting the bus, devotionals, etc.
• Keep up with the fast “teenage” pace of the entire trip, even if you get tired.
• During sightseeing, airports, and in general, keep an eye open for safety concerns.
• Be aware of the spiritual and emotional needs of group members and notify the Trip
18 Leaders.BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS
You will likely have nightly adult counsels with the Trip Leaders where you should feel Rules for all Trip Leaders and Parent Builders
free to offer your observations and feedback. Make suggestions on any changes that
may need to be made or report any emerging discipline issues. Regular work place conduct is applied here. You can never be too careful in this
_________________________________________________________________________ area. Protect yourself and protect your participants.
a. Adult leaders should never be alone with a single youth, or another
Parent Builder Technology Use adult leader of the opposite sex.
In order to join the HEFY expeditions, Parent Builders leave behind big responsibilities b. If a builder of either gender wants to speak to you privately, be sure
like children, jobs, and Church callings. Be sensitive to their needs, particularly regard- that your co-leader, other Builders, or a Parent Coach is nearby and can
ing communication with their families/work back home. While it might be necessary for visually see you.
Parent Builders to be in touch with their work or families back home more often than the
youth builders, ask them to limit calls or emails to early morning before breakfast, late c. Limit physical contact to handshakes, high-fives, and side hugs.
at night after the group meetings, or at lunch breaks whenever possible. Make sure they d. An adult should never sleep alone in the same room with one youth.
are removed from the group when they use their phones. Remember that you’ve asked e. Males and females should not share or enter each other’s bedrooms.
the Builders to give up electronics to focus on the trip, so help the adults be an example
of this. Under no circumstances should the Parent Builder ever allow a youth to use their
phones unless in extreme emergencies. Working with Your Co-Trip Leader
HEFY makes every effort to pair people who will bring
Rules for All Trip Leaders and Parent Builders complementary strengths and weaknesses to the trip.
Regular workplace conduct is applied here. You can never be too careful in this area. Sometimes, however, you might not agree on every-
Protect yourself and protect your participants. thing, and you must be prepared to work out issues
with your co-leader. Trip Leaders need to talk regularly
• Adult leaders should never be alone with a Builder. with each other even when there doesn’t seem to be
• If a Builder of either gender wants to speak to you privately, be sure that your any pressing issue. You need to listen to each other and
co-leader, other Builders, or a Parent Builder is nearby and can visually see you. express views as openly and often as possible. Decisions
• Limit physical contact to handshakes, high-fives, and side hugs. almost always should be reached together, except when
• An adult should never sleep alone in the same room with one youth. some emergency or crisis requires instantaneous action;
• Males and females should not share or enter each other’s bedrooms. even then, you should discuss things together as soon
as the situation permits. If there are serious emergen-
cies, always call the HEFY On-Call team.
To achieve success, co-leaders should.
• Recognize differences in personalities: Difficulties on HEFY trips can arise because Trip
Leaders have different personalities. One leader may like to give the group less time for
showering and spend more time at dinner, while another might prefer to give the group
more time to get cleaned up and eat dinner more quickly. Obviously neither person in either
situation is wrong or right: they are simply different. Acknowledging such differences and
talking about them early on makes resolutions much easier.
• Recognize differences in leadership style: Some leaders prefer to be more aggressive, or
directive, in their approach, while others are fairly passive, or non-directive. At certain times
and in certain situations, each technique has its merits. Before you go on the trip, get a good
idea of both your own and your co-leader’s styles and strengths. Anticipate situations where
you might have to modify your own leadership style for the benefit of the group. It is im-
portant to avoid the situation where one leader is the disciplinarian and the other is the fun
leader (the “good cop/bad cop” scenario).
• Communicate as often as possible: If you let each other know how you feel about the
decisions that are being made and about how the trip is going, difficulties will come out into
the open while they are still small and easy to deal with. Avoid talking negatively to the partic-
21BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS
ipants about your co-leader EVER. In fact, you should actively find reasons to praise him/her Working with the Local Coordinator
and point out their strengths . Every night you should establish a time apart from the youth
to talk with your co-leader about each of your Builders and the logistics and plans for the
Local Coordinators are vital to the success of HEFY and it will serve you well
next day. to develop a close relationship with them. They are there to assist you and
• Be unified: Disagreeing in front of the group can cause the group to lose confidence in you, help you with everything on the ground in the country. Help the Coordi-
your co-leader or both. They can always tell when there is contention or lack of respect be-
tween two leaders. Your co-leader will become your best friend while on the trip if you con- nators understand the HEFY Mission and objectives. Remember, they are
stantly look for things about him/her that are amazing. Watch out for their health and energy there to support you, not the other way around. You and your co-leader
levels. Serving your co-leader in small ways can boost their energy and in turn shape the
will make the ultimate decisions. While you are the ultimate decision mak-
group dynamic. This is a major success factor for the entire trip.
er, treat your Coordinators with respect because, although they do receive
In-Country Trip Leader and New Trip Leader some monetary compensation, it is not much, and they dedicate long hours
Both leaders should work together to create a successful trip, both shouldering equal re-
sponsibility to ensure the trip is successful. The following are major Trip Leader responsi- to helping HEFY function in your country. If there is ever a point of confu-
bilities, which you and your co-leader should divide prior to the trip to ensure everything sion or conflict with your Local Coordinator, please let your Program Manag-
is covered.
er know immediately so that they can help to clarify.
It is up to the Trip Leader who has already been in the country to train the new Trip
Leader on all the country logistics, keeping in mind that the new Trip Leader will soon A few helpful pointers when working with Local Coordinators:
become the trainer. The new Trip Leader should never “coast” and the old Trip Leader
should never dominate. Respect each other as equals and always look for ways to sup- • Never under any circumstance should you give the Local Coordinator
port, sustain, praise, and encourage one another. You will most always create tension if money, items, gifts, etc. unless specifically directed by your Program
the newer Trip Leader doesn’t feel like they can contribute to the logistics or the sched- Manager. Oftentimes they will ask for favors, but please be sure to run it
ule for the day. It will also create tension if the new Trip Leader is only “fun” and not car-
rying the burdens. Please share information freely so that both of you can equally love by your Program Manager before you do anything.
and plan for logistics. • You will likely be working with them on a
A great way to do this is to hold a nightly leadership counsel. That is the number one
daily basis and will want their number on
thing you can do as a co-leadership to maximize your impact. Invite your Parent Builders speed dial.
to join you for the beginning, and collectively discuss all your Builders together. Pray to- • You should review the Local Coordinator
gether for them, especially those you are concerned about. Go over in detail the logistics
and plans for the next day so that everyone is clear about what to expect. Praying for the Handbook (included at the back of this
success of your co-leader is a great way to engender love. book). Especially if you are opening a new
From the following list, decide together who will own which task: location, it is important that you establish
• Work project management and safety the precedent of adhering to the HEFY Lo-
• Severe injuries to hospital
• Overall schedule management cal Coordinator methodology.
• Group safety • Your Local Coordinator is expected to be
• Group dynamics
on the worksite several times a week if not
• Monitoring the Spiritual level of the trip
• Secondary project coordination every day.
• Daily health management (hand sanitizer/washing duty) • We have worked with many of these indi-
• Daily dinner reservations
• Errands/supplies purchasing viduals in the past and they are therefore familiar with HEFY; however,
• Minor visits to hospital (diarrhea, sinus infections) you may still need to remind them of HEFY priorities and principles as
• Payment and receipts
well as any new policies that differ from preceding years.
• Scheduling/Confirming Activities
• Translating 22BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS SERVICE & PROJECT PREPARATION
• You probably want to sit down with the Local Coordinator at the begin- You may need to help the foreman plan for upcoming days (i.e. encourage them to
pre-order material so you aren’t sitting around waiting for it.) Knowing what needs to be
ning of the trip to reconfirm the plans. You will coordinate the different
done will help you divide the work and pace the group throughout the day. Be proac-
evening and some weekend activities with them as well as the organiza- tive about ensuring every Builder has a job. You might want to encourage the Builders
tion of the project. by working alongside them but be careful to not take work from them. Do not allow the
foreman to allocate all the harder jobs to the boys; the girls are often ready and wanting.
• Many Local Coordinators think our youth need time to relax, hang out,
or rest from all the work they are doing; explain that having down time is It will be very important for you to make sure that the foreman or other workers who are
teaching us know that their responsibility is to teach us how to do the work and super-
not part of our program, and that it often results in behavioral problems
vise rather than do the work themselves. We want our participants to do as much of the
among the groups. work as possible. Our groups are capable of doing labor-heavy tasks, including mixing
• Talk frequently with the Local Coordinator about the culture and see if cement and mortar, laying brick, plastering/stuccoing, painting, and roofing.
there is anything we should know that can save us from embarrassment. Successful worksites occur when the participants and workmen are friends and focus on
Also, they know the area better than you so listen to their concerns about the project. Challenge the participants to learn the workmen’s names.
safety.
Jobs such as installing windows and doors, plumbing, and any electrical work should be
done by professionals. Remember, no Trip Leaders, Parent Builders, or Builders should
be using power tools.
This is very important: If one group or project finishes early, make sure that you
have something lined up for them to do so that no one is ever standing around.
SERVICE & PROJECT PREPARATION
Finding more work may be as simple as saying: ‘We have four youth that need something
to do. Show us the next project and teach us how to do it.’ If youth are not busy due to
The Work Project lack of tools or supplies, you are authorized to buy what is needed to correct the situa-
The service project is critical to the success of the entire trip. Your responsibility as a tion up to $500. In most cases, you should work with the Local Coordinator to make sure
Trip Leader is to gauge your Builders’ energy and make sure they have enough to do. It that there are sufficient supplies when you arrive each day.
is important to put in a full day of work (7 or 8 hours of actual work). There will be days
when your evening activities require you to leave the worksite early, bad weather that Project Purpose
prohibits work, or moments near the end of the trip when the youth are exhausted. You and your group will be working hard on the jobsite for several days in a row. It’s
Some worksites require different schedules than others; for example, if you are working easy, in the heat and the grime, to forget the bigger picture. Make sure you often cre-
in extremely hot weather you might need to take more frequent and longer breaks. A ate a clear line of sight between the daily tasks of the group and the real objects of
successful service project is always the result of two things: your service. Make sure they know what they’re really doing. Tell them the story behind
1. Having enough work for all the youth to do (your Builders should never be sitting the need—why are you doing this? What is going to change as a result of your service?
around doing nothing unless on a break). Whose lives in particular are you changing? Sometimes doing a little research before
2. Ensuring that the youth understand the value/big picture of the work. Teach them your trip can create the big picture—i.e. “learning English in India gives a person a 500%
about the issue they are helping to solve from both a macro and a micro level. greater income earning potential…”
Workload Each night at your devotional or on the bus ride back to the hotel, ask the youth to pay
The Builders want to work hard, but at times the foreman and workers worry about attention to their surroundings at the worksite. Have them point out ways that your
overworking them. Help the local workers understand what the Builders are capable of group is having a short and long-term impact on the community or on individuals, es-
and the sacrifices they’ve made to be there. You almost always need to find more work pecially in a gospel context. Sometimes the youth won’t notice how needed their service
rather than less. Meet with the foreman the first day of the project to get an idea of is, or how much their love and heartfelt service are changing lives. Give them frequent,
what the group will do for two weeks. Also, meet every morning to determine what work positive, and specific feedback about the work they are doing and the difference they are
needs to be done that day. making.
25SERVICE & PROJECT PREPARATION SERVICE & PROJECT PREPARATION
Work Groups HEFY Responsible Humanitarianism (R.H.)
Depending on your project, we recommend that you divide everyone up into 4 worksite Anyone choosing to serve in a foreign location knows that it is a daunting proposition.
groups of 5 people. You should select one of the youth to serve as the youth team lead- Far too often, well-intentioned people decide to spend a week or two in an emerging
er. Use these groups as an easy way to divide up the overall group for various projects country doing “service” with little to no understanding of the unintended, negative con-
and activities. For example, it is much easier to say, “Bill’s group will go work on the shin- sequences of their efforts. They believe they are doing good, but unfortunately, they
gles while Sarah’s group is doing the spackling in the kitchen” as opposed to dividing up end up hurting the people that they came to help by inadvertently damaging their social,
the individuals each day. Give the youth team leader the responsibility to make sure that economic, or environmental systems.
the group is all working well together. They will be more effective than the adults. Don’t
make the Parent Builders the team leaders. At HEFY we know that foreign volunteers can be miracles for people who struggle in pov-
erty when service is done correctly. We have seen that happen over and over for the last
Approximately every 3-5 work days, change the groups around to help everyone make 20 years in hundreds of global locations as our volunteers provide people with access to
closer friendships and have opportunities to lead. You will also want to rotate groups health care, education, and social services critical to their well-being.
according to the workload. For example, if one group has been doing heavy labor such
as cement mixing, the next day you may have them go do the painting. Youth should However, we have also learned that setting out to serve abroad requires a sincere com-
work on the secondary project with the members of their designated work group. Work mitment to understanding the people and places where we serve. In our efforts to bless
groups can also be used for family home evening groups on Monday nights. the lives of our brothers and sisters around the world, we have a responsibility to learn
before we act. Any organization claiming to do humanitarian work perfectly is likely un-
aware of the complexities involved, and we understand that more than most. So here at
Service & Project Preparation HEFY, we live by a simple creed: to try to do as much good and as little harm as possible
in our efforts to help and to love.
Alternative Projects
Sometimes the construction projects are such that it is not possible to keep the entire So… what is “voluntourism”?
group busy on the construction itself. HEFY will prepare alternative projects that you can HEFY’s unapologetic mission is to change lives through service – by that we mean the
use in the same area where your group is building, but you should also look for other lives of Builders as well as the lives of those we serve. We have learned over the years
opportunities where our youth can serve. For example, you could arrange for one group that it’s a symbiotic relationship; unless our project is truly sustainable and has long-
to go to the village school to read to the kids and teach them games during the recess term impact for good on the community, it does not have the life-changing effect on
times. Working with the local community helps the Builders connect with the people they Builders that we promise.
are serving. There are generally always common facilities like schools, health clinics or
churches that are in desperate need of paint or deep cleaning. Unfortunately, an ugly term has grown up in academia over the last ten years known as
“voluntourism.” It is used derisively to refer to people who perform humanitarian work
Extra projects like painting may entail an additional expense to purchase paint and sup- as a mechanism to boost their own image, or to those who go into poor communities
plies. You are always authorized to spend up to $500 as needed to make sure the Build- just to take pictures without
ers are productively working on service projects. If you need to spend more than $500, ever getting to know the peo-
call or email your Program Manager for authorization. ple they serve. It also refers to
those who work on projects
Project Quality & Pricing that are completely unsus-
Don’t encourage the worksite groups to speed up or rush their work in order to meet tainable—or worse, detrimen-
goals or deadlines. Our primary objective for the project is to build at professional qual- tal—to the locals in order to
ity level. Challenge the Builders to demonstrate professional quality work. Let the work- gain the admiration of others.
men check and “judge” their work. Give recognition or awards for the best quality work. And sometimes, it just refers
Have the workmen maintain the quality of the construction by having the Builders redo to people who have never
work that is not professional quality. While it is nice to finish the project as planned, it is thought about the repercus-
much more important to have the work meet our quality standards. sions of their efforts or taken
the time to understand what
they are doing.
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