Welcome to the “Hardest and Best Summer of Your Life”! Humanitarian Experience trips are designed to be exhilarating, exhausting, and unforgettable. You will be pushing full-speed ahead from the beginning to the end of your trip, so get ready to roll up your sleeves! This summer, you’ll be strengthening your work ethic, your relationships with your Heavenly Father and Savior, and your love for your group and the people you serve.
As you get ready for your Humanitarian XP trip, here’s more information about what your trip will look like to help you prepare!
Your trip will start with a high-adventure sightseeing weekend. During this time, your HXP group of strangers will become a family! The unique experiences from your trip will fast track authentic friendships and a group bond that’s closer than you can imagine. This is a safe place where you belong—no matter who you are—and can work together to become the best versions of yourselves.
Humanitarian XP trips are all about building relationships, which is why we encourage every Builder to come alone and meet other people who are also seeking growth opportunities and adventure. Not only does this aid group dynamics, but it’s also a good way to prepare for the future! You can’t bring your best friend, cousin, or sibling with you on a mission, to college, or to a job far from home, so signing up solo for your Humanitarian XP trip is a great way to try it out and see what you’re made of.
Aside from coming alone, we’ve found that the Digital Detox is key to building strong relationships quickly. Without the constant distraction and stress of technology, you’ll be able to completely focus on your experiences and you’ll have more headspace and time to grow your relationships with your HXP family.
Get Sweaty
When you get to the worksite, the real love begins. You’ll spend every weekday on the worksite doing construction work with your group and a local team of foremen. You will push yourself beyond physical limits and experience some of the greatest joy you’ve ever felt. After the workday is done, you will spend the evenings learning more about local culture and bonding with youth in the community by participating in family home evenings, sports nights, and other activities. For a general idea of what the Builder “Day in the Life” looks like, click here.
Keeping Builders safe is our number one priority. To make sure everyone stays safe on the worksite, we stick to a few key rules that we’ve coined “The Big Six”.
- Do not use power tools, ever.
- When on a ladder or scaffolding, always be sure to have solid footing and someone on the ground to spot you. Never go higher than 10 feet.
- Never assume: If you have a question about a task, ask your Trip Leader.
- Know where the site’s First Aid kit is kept.
- Wear gloves, goggles, and proper shoes and clothing as required at your job site.
- Always properly wear your hard hat.
For more information about how Humanitarian XP keeps Builders safe throughout their trip, click here.
Embrace the Change
The best advice for Builders preparing for a Humanitarian XP trip is that your experience has everything to do with your attitude. The Builders that come home with the most rewarding, life changing stories are those who decided to be “all in” during their trip. Big changes come when you completely embrace cultural and spiritual experiences.
Cultural
The most anticipated part of a Humanitarian XP trip is stepping out of your cultural comfort zone and experiencing a new place. This is a great opportunity to fully immerse yourself in the culture. When you try new foods, learn frequently used phrases in the local language, pick up traditional dance moves, and commit to embracing everything about where you are, you’ll connect with the area and people in a whole new way.
Start preparing to travel to your location by researching cultural norms and historic information for that area, downloading DuoLingo and practicing commonly used phrases, or sampling treats that you might eat while you’re there! If you are already familiar with the culture when you arrive there, you’ll be able to jump right in.
Spiritual
You will have time each morning for personal study. Use this time to read your scriptures, write in your journal, and reflect on spiritual experiences you will undoubtedly encounter in these humble environments. HXP trips are unique because they are designed to be sprinkled with spiritual experiences. These trips are built to be well-balanced with fun, service, and spiritual moments dispersed evenly.
In addition to scripture study, you’ll also have daily devotionals where you can learn from your fellow Builders and share your testimonies with each other. On Sundays, you’ll attend LDS Church services and participate in various church-related activities. Depending on your trip, this could include attending a fireside, going on splits with missionaries, or visiting local youth.
You’ll have space to figure out your life, what you want out of it, and to ask honest questions. You will deepen your love for the Restored Gospel, and get to know Christ by serving like He did.
Here at Humanitarian XP, we love the saying that there is no comfort in the growth zone, and no growth in the comfort zone. This applies to all of our trips. Starting to prepare for this now will help make your trip a positive growth experience! For more ideas and action items to help you prepare for your trip, click here.