Link Year is a one-of-a-kind discipleship program that will help you grow closer to Christ and discover God’s purpose for your life. While experiencing ministry in Colombia, Ecuador, and Perú, you will create an incredible Christ-centered community and be mentored by Link Year leaders. Through this journey, you can expect to grow spiritually, emotionally, and learn to be a Kingdom Builder.
$7,500
Cost includes in-country ground transportation, lodging, meals, activities & ministry funds, travel insurance and more. Airfare is not included.
Up to $3,500 in scholarships are available to those that qualify.
Most Link Year participants will have the opportunity to help raise resources for their trip. Training and equipping will be provided to assist in this process.
Yes, this program is designed to serve those 18-22 years old.
Discipleship is a continual process of learning and growing in our walk with Christ. Just like the example that Christ set for us with the original followers, we too should continually learn and grow stronger in our personal relationship with Him. A key aspect to discipleship is the personal relationships you will build and a willingness to be invested in by your Link Year couple.
The process of discipleship can look differently for each person but the heart remains the same, becoming deeper followers of Christ and working to be more like him. If you choose to participate in Link Year, you are choosing to participate in discipleship. You will participate in devotionals, in-depth Bible studies, personal relationships, small group meetings, ministry, and living in a Christ-centered community. These opportunities will be led by a Link Year couple, whose primary prayer and goal for you is helping with your discipleship process.
Your day to day will look very different in each country and at each ministry. You can expect to serve in ministries most days for a section of time in the morning and afternoon. Each week you will have one day off other than Sunday. These days off can be used for rest, cultural experiences, or catching up with people stateside.
In Colombia, the majority of your time will be spent with the same ministry in Bogota, however there may be opportunities to partner with ministries in other regions.
In Ecuador, you will spend blocks of time at one of the four locations and engage with that specific ministry for weeks at a time. Ecuador’s ministries are spread out throughout the country.
In Perú, your time will be spent primarily in our Trujillo location serving at each ministry during different days of the week, depending on the needs of the ministries.
Keep a positive attitude and be flexible with the ministries. It will make your schedule a lot more enjoyable and productive!
Each ministry location is different and will have a variety of things for you to help with. It would be good to prepare yourself, however, for a few types of ministries and projects.
At some locations, the physical infrastructure needs work so you will be expected to participate in construction. Several of our ministries focus on children and youth; therefore, you should anticipate running programs, lessons, games, arts and crafts, and more.
If you possess a particular skill or trade, you may be asked to run a small workshop or class for teenagers. At each location, relationships are highly valued so being open to developing and investing in relationships will be key.
You also should be prepared to share your testimony at any point.
If you need to return home for an unforeseen reason (for example – death in the family), Inca Link will help you with the travel arrangements. However, the expense of your travel will have to be covered on your own.
It is rare, but Inca Link has had to send people home for a variety of reasons. These cases have usually been due to a breach of the Link Year contract that the Linker signs upon acceptance into the program. Inca Link has also had to send people home due to health reasons.
In the case that someone is sent home, Inca Link will cover the cost from the Linker’s funding. If someone has to travel with them for health reasons, this expense will also be covered by the Linker’s funding.
In the case that you get sick, you will be taken to the best hospital in the city where you are located. The hospital that you will be taken to meets high standards and is a good place for treatment. You also will have health insurance that will cover the cost of treatment.
A huge part of your personal growth will be to move past some of our North American addictions like control, scheduling, efficiency, and connectivity. You will be encouraged to not spend much time online but utilize your time developing relationships with those around you.
There will be times when WiFi is available to you so you can connect with people back home. Not every location has internet access, but on your days off you can visit cafes or shops that do have WiFi access.