MISSIONARY TRAINING:
1. What is an Internship Program?
– Internship Program is a 3-months training that provides a platform for every trainee to experience a little taste of the realities in pursuing missions. Every tne needs a starting point. Everyone needs to take the first step. The program itself was built with teaching classes, ministry exposures, group evaluation, outreach planning, mentoring program that leads them to answer 2 important things:
A. What God is asking them to do? (Vision & Mission Statement)
B. Where is God asking you to go? (It can be a specific location, or a nation, or a tribe)
2. What is an Apprenticeship Program?
– Apprenticeship Program is a 1-year training that is focused on 2 important things:
1. Pioneering the Vision
Our goal is that missionaries will use this specific season as a platform and a starting point in pioneering the vision (starting the ministry) that God has laid in their heart.
2. Four (4) Areas of Stability
A. Spiritual Stability
B. Emotional Stability
C. Financial Stability
D. Ministry Stability
Many missionaries have been casualties in mission due to the fact that they were unaware of their instabilities in areas of their lives. It is important for them to solidify areas of their lives knowing that the mission field is a battle ground wherein they need to have stronger foundation for them to enforce the Kingdom of God.
3. What are the qualifications for admission?
– Everyone is invited to be part of God’s mission. As a program, one of the important requirements we ask is recommendation of the local church where you are part of. From the very beginning, we believe that missionaries are sent-out ones of the local church. We believe that the Pastor must give recommendation if the trainee is ready for the training, or is it really the right time to be trained. Our goal is to make sure that the Pastor will send people who are deeply engaged and involved in the ministry.
– If regarding educational attainment, it is necessary to have a 2 or 4 years degree because it is needed to apply for work permit and visa.
4. What will be the schedule look like?
– This information will be given as part of the mission orientation. But just to have something to consider, our normal office hours (work hours in the sight of the government) is 9am to 6pm. Daily devotion will be beyond those times as well as the schedule for home visitations of every outreach.
LEGALITIES:
1. Do I need a visa to stay in Thailand?
– Most countries give at least 2 weeks to 30 days for foreigners. In Thailand, foreigners are normally given 30 days except for other nations like Brazil to which they give 3 months. To stay longer, it is required for every trainee to apply for a Visa.
2. What Visa do I need to apply?
– For every volunteer worker or trainee of AMO, your visa will be categorized as “NON-Immigrant O”. It is a visa given to those people who will be applying for a work permit which is necessary to any volunteer worker intending to stay more than 3 months in Thailand.
3. How will I apply for my visa?
– To apply for your visa, you must first need to coordinate the dates of your arrival. You will then be given instructions by the legal department of AMO on how you will process it and where.
4. What are the requirements to get my Visa?
– For singles / unmarried, you need an original copy of your birthday certificate, certificate of your highest educational attainment coming from your school. In addition, feel free to bring certificates from any training program you also enrolled thus it can help in applying for your work permit.
– For married couples, in addition to your original copy of birthday certificate and certificate of your highest educational attainment, you must have a red-ribbon of your marriage contract because the Thai Embassy won’t recognize a marriage certificate that is not certified by an Embassy or Department of Foreign Affairs.
5.
How much is it to process a Thai Non-O Visa?
– If you will apply it here in Thailand, the Visa costs THB2000 or more or less
$70 depending on currency conversion. Price may vary if the government policies
changes.
6.
What if I want to apply for my Visa from where I am?
–
It is okay to apply for your Visa from the nation where you are. However, it
takes necessary arrangements because the Legal Department in Thailand needs to
prepare the documents you need to apply for the Visa.
7. How will I get a work permit?
– To get a work permit, the first step is to apply for a “Non-Immigrant O – Visa”. Once you get the visa, the Legal Department will then process your document to get your Work Permit.
– You will be required to provide Birth Certificate, Certificate of Highest Educational Attainment and a medical certificate from a certified clinic or hospital accredited by the Labor Department here in Chiang Rai, Thailand.
– The work permit description is also based on what is available for the AMO Foundation flowchart and also based from the recommendations of the Labor Department.
8. How much is it to process a Work Permit?
– It depends on what the Labor Department will give, but normally it is either 6 months of 1 Year. The price is THB1500 ($50) for 6 Months & THB3100 ($100) for 1 Year. Price may vary if the government policies changes.
9. How long does it take to process the Work Permit?
– If the applicant has all the necessary documents that the Labor Department requires, it will normally take around 2 weeks to process. But if in case there are discrepancies, it may take more days to comply until the documents are complete.
10. What is the proper flow in applying for Visa’s and Work Permit?
– Non-Immigrant (O) Visa is the starting point of all the documents required to stay in Thailand. After getting this Visa, you will then apply for the Work Permit. After receiving your Work Permit, the Legal Department will then process your documents to apply for renewable 6-Months & 1-Year Visa through the Provincial Office in Chiang Rai.
11. How much is the renewable 6-Months or 1-Year Visa?
– Whether you get a 6-Months or 1-Year Visa, the visa extension price is the same THB1900 or around ($70) depending on currency conversion.
12. What is a Re-Entry Visa?
– The regular Non-Immigrant (O) Visa prohibits the visa holder from exiting Thailand. Once the person exits Thailand, the Visa is automatically cancelled and the only way to have it is by processing a new Visa through the Embassy again, just like how it all started.
13. How much is a Re-Entry Visa?
– There are 2 options to choose from: Either you pay THB1000 ($34) every time you will exit Thailand or you can pay THB3800 ($130) multiple entry as long as you have your visa.
14. What should I know about Passport?
– You must regularly check your passport’s validity. In case of expiring Passports, you can renew your passport through the Embassy. Depending on which nation you are coming from, most Embassy are located in Bangkok although some might have in Chiang Mai, 3 hours away from Chiang Rai.
– It is recommended to plan in renewing your passport 6 months prior to its expiry date or before all your passport pages are consumed.
15. How much in total should I prepare for all my Legal Documents?
– Work Permit – THB3000 per year
– Visa Application – THB6000 ($200) if applying in Thailand which includes travel and hotel.
– Visa Renewal – THB3800
– Re-Entry Permit – THB3800 Multiple Entry
16. Do I need a driver’s license to drive in Thailand?
– Every tourist has a 1-Month period to which you can drive around Thailand. However, if you will be staying longer than 1-Month, you have 2 options to choose from: You can either apply for an International License from where you are, or if you have an existing drivers license from your home country, you can show it to the Transportation Department here in Thailand and they will issue you a Thai driver’s license for TH600 ($20).
17. If I don’t have an existing driver’s license, can I apply in Thailand?
– Yes, you can apply for a driver’s license in Thailand. You just have to follow their procedure which includes watching a 4-hour video, exam and a test drive. If you pass all their requirements and exam, you will be issued with the local driver’s license that is valid for 2 years.
18. What are the document requirements in applying for a new driver’s license?
– Photocopy of all passport pages with stamps.
– Photocopy of work permit.
– Thailand residency certificate / certificate from AMO Foundation.
– Medical certificate from a local clinic or hospital.
19. Do I need insurance?
– Yes, it is highly recommended that you come to Thailand with an insurance policy. There are uncontrollable cases (which we don’t pray to happen) wherein having an insurance policy will help. It is so costly to pay for hospitalization if without insurance.
20. Can I get insurance in Thailand?
– Yes, we can recommend insurance company which we have proven trustworthy. You can apply here for a price of ($100 per year) for a basic medical and accident insurance. There are other options to take depending on what coverage you want to take.
21. How can I apply for insurance in Thailand?
– It is easy to get insurance in Thailand, all they will require is that you must have a Visa and a Work Permit. But if in case of short-term trips and internship which won’t require to apply for work permit, insurance must be applied in the nation of origin.
DORM SETUP / ACCOMMODATION:
1. Do I have a room to stay or should I find a place for myself?
– Every trainee is required to stay in the AMO Dorm for the whole training duration. It will be prepared for you before your arrival.
2. What are the things I need to prepare for my Dorm?
– You just need to bring your own bed cover, pillowcase and blanket. There are beds, pillows, cabinet and fan that are already available for you to use.
3. How much does it cost for my monthly dorm expenses?
– The basic price for the regular dorm is THB1,500 ($50). There is another private room that is setup with an air conditioner at a price of THB4500 ($150) but it depends on its availability.
4. Do I need to buy anything for the room?
– The dorm is not like a typical room, it is smaller. It only has a bed cabinet and a fan. You can buy anything you want for your Dorm as long as it can fit. If there are necessary changes that you want to request, feel free to communicate your request to the Mission Base Director managing the Dorm rooms.
5. What does it mean to live in a Dorm room?
– The Dorm room is not a single room shared by the trainees. Each trainee will have their own personal space that has divisions from one another. It may not have total privacy as you can hear the voice of other trainees near you, but you are assured that it is your personal space.
6. How is the living condition?
– The training is setup with a communal living condition inside AMO Mission Base. Every trainee and even some graduates are living in a 4-story building which has an office space, Church Center and Dorm rooms. Every person who lives within the base shares the same kitchen and bathrooms.
– Each person has a role to play and it varies every month. There will be cleaning assignments as well as cooking, marketing etc…
FINANCES:
1. How much monthly support do I need to raise?
– To give everyone a chance to be part of God’s mission, we encourage people to raise at least $300 so that even people from 3rd world countries can afford to be a missionary. This $300 can be allotted for Tithes & Offering, Food, Lodging, Transportation, Ministry Fund and Other Personal needs.
2. Will $300 be enough for all the necessary expenses?
– Though $300 can provide for basic monthly needs, this budget does not include other expenses like Visa’s, Work Permit, Short-Term mission trips, Insurance and many more. This budget is based on monthly basic expenses. You can check the Legalities section to know expenses related to Legal Documents.
3. Should I raise more than $300?
– The $300 is for basic personal expenses every month and it is advisable to have at least $500 to include Legalities expenses and short-term mission trips.
4. How much is normally the monthly ministry expenses?
– Monthly ministry expenses are based on which ministry that you are going to plug in, with collaboration with the leadership and ministry leaders.
5. How much does it cost to have a motorbike?
– Second hand motorbike can range from THB10,000 ($340) – THB35,000 ($1,200)
– If motorbike is below 5 years old, it can cost about THB20,000 ($700) or higher.
6. How much does it cost to buy a car?
– Second hand car can range from THB50,000 ($1800) – THB500,000 ($18,000)
– If car is below 10 years old, it can cost about THB 250,000 – THB 500,000
7. If I needed to buy a motorbike or a car, can someone help me?
– Yes, we can provide you recommendations on how to buy, where to buy or if the asking price is good enough. We also have mechanic friends who can check if it is in good condition.
MINISTRY :
1. What ministry will I be part of?
– Since the goal of the training is to pursue the vision of God and activate the ministry gifts, every trainee will be involved in all ministries related to AMO. Mainly, you will assigned to support a specific community for pioneering purposes, but then there are other ministries that you will also be involved with (from time to time) like, campus ministry, orphanage outreach, livelihood program sustainable farming, church-based ministries, Children & Youth, English & Skills Development Program and many more…
2. Are there any ministry expenses?
– Every community outreach has their own agreed monthly contributions based on the forecast of their expenses. During the ministry orientation, the leader will orient you regarding the history of the outreach, their ministry plans and their monthly contribution. Normally it can range from $35-$50 per month.
– There are also short-term mission trips where you can occasionally join. The ministry contribution depends on the length of the trip, mode of transportation, hotel expenses, food and ministry budget.
3. What are the ministries of AMO?
– Pastor’s and Leaders Bible School Training
– Church Planting
– English & Skills Development
– Campus Outreach
– Youth & Children’s Ministry
– Short Term Mission
– Conferences for the Body of Christ
– Church-Based Ministry
– Missionary Training
– Livelihood Program
– Community Development