Q: Can I Register for a trip without paying anything?
A: Nope. If you're serious about wanting to join us, then we're excited to have you Register and experience Peak with us! If you're just checking us out, we invite you to keep browsing the site.
Q: Does the Registration Fee apply toward the cost of my trip if I decide to go?
A: No. The registration funds are purely to cover administrative expenses on our end, and are non-refundable.
Q: What's the difference between the Registration Fee and the Application Deposit?
A: The Registration Fee covers Administrative expenses. The Application Deposit is fully applied toward the cost of your trip.
Q: Is the Application Deposit refundable?
A: No. The Application Deposit serves as a down payment for your trip and applies toward the total cost. Once we receive your Deposit we begin making arrangements with you in mind (think: international travel, lodging, etc.). The non-refundable Application Deposit not only gets you started on the support you'll need to raise, but it also provides a buffer for us should you need to back out for any reason.
Q: What if I need to back out for some reason?
A: The Registration Fee and Application Deposit is non-refundable. Once you apply you will receive a Preparation Packet. All the information regarding how additionally raised funds are handled are in that packet, including what happens if you back out.
Q: What kind of shape do I need to be in to do a Peak Performance experience?
A: That depends on the trip you choose, and the information is in each Preparation Packet. You can get a rough idea of the demand of each trip by checking out the trip description. References to multi-day treks can be assumed to be more difficult. References to day-treks and day-hikes will definitely require some exertion, but not as long-term.
Q: I've read the descriptions, but I'd still like to know what we'll DO on the trips. How do I find that out?
A: The Instructors for each Peak experience can answer your questions about specifics pertaining to their particular course.
Q: I've been on other mission trips. How will this compare?
A: There's no real way to answer that question. The one thing we would ask you to remember is that every experience is different. Even if you repeated the same trip with the same people to the same place, it would be different. Life is dynamic, always moving, ever changing. No matter what you've done or where you've been or who you've gone with, this experience will be different.
Q: What about training - how does that work?
A: Because our participants come from all over the planet, formal training will not begin until you arrive in Minneapolis.
Q: Will we have a way to meet our teammates before arriving in Minneapolis?
A: With the internet there are countless ways to connect as a team prior to your Peak Performance experience, and we encourage you to take the initiative in that! Email, Facebook and phone calls to one another are a great way to begin to get to know each other.
Q: I'm concerned about how to connect with my family and friends once I'm overseas. What do you suggest?
A: Email tends to be the easiest way to connect. International phone calls are an option, but can be spendy. We suggest you consider setting up a blog site where you can "check in with the masses", letting them know about your experiences along the way. One thing we strongly encourage is: Be all the way here. You are embarking on this experience because you feel led by God to do so. It is an unfortunate thing when people get overseas and miss out on the experience because they are connected to the internet or phone. We will give you time to do this, but even at that we encourage you to spend more time in the experience than you do on technology.
Q: What happens if I get sick or injured overseas?
A: In each of our locations overseas we are connected to clinics, doctors and nurses who care for our participants. There is more information about this and International Health Insurance in the Preparation Packet.
Q: How long have you guys been doing this?
A: The simple answer is: combined we have over 40 years international student-mission experience. This does not include the experience of our seasonal staff. To find out more about what we've each been doing to acquire these experiences and more, check out our individual staff pages.
