Iris Harvest School of Missions | Iris Ministries, Inc.

Home
About Us
Where We Serve
- All Regions
- Africa-Central
  - Kenya
- Africa-Northern
  - Sudan
- Africa-Southern
  - Boane
  - Chimoio
  - Dondo
  - Lichinga
  - Machava
  - Madagascar
  - Malawi
  - Maringanha
  - Matola
  - Mieze Village
  - Nampula
  - Pemba Center 1
  - Pemba Center 2 (Village of Joy)
  - South Africa
  - Zimbabwe
  - Zimpeto
- Africa-Western
  - Sierra Leone
- Americas
  - Nova Friburgo
  - Sao Paulo
- Asia
  - India
  - Indonesia
  - Nepal
  - South Korea
- Middle East
  - Israel
Get Involved

Frequently Asked Questions

Purpose for attending the school
FAQs

What to expect at school

Living in Pemba

List of items to bring

Purpose for attending the school

Iris Harvest School is taking place on the edge of a precious revival. Please be aware that you will face heavenly warfare and witchcraft as the nation is taken back to its eternal destiny. You will be trained and equipped to be a pioneer, bringing light into the darkest corners of the earth. This school is for strong committed Christians who dare to take this risk!

What age must I be?

You must be at least 18 years of age. (No exceptions.)

Can I come with my family?

Yes! Our heart is to release families into missions. We won't have childcare, but your children are welcome to play alongside our children at the center. Some outreaches are more challenging than others. However, we will have outreach opportunities for families as well. Children 5 years and under are free. Ages 6-12 pay half price. The tuition covers a small percentage of the cost for each individual. It is an act of faith in God's provision.

Can I stay on after attending the School and serve at Iris?

Students HAVE TO LEAVE Iris within 2-3 days after graduation. If you want to come back as a long-term missionary, you must re-apply after returning home. We need to get to know each individual first and hear about them from God, before taking them on as a long-term missionary.

We require everyone who wants to come as a long-term missionary attend our School first. Opportunities to serve at different Iris mission bases will open up, but only a few of them will be in Pemba.

Can my friends/family/pastor visit me during my time at Iris Pemba?

We are looking for people to serve at Iris, loving the lost and broken to life. That's why we are here. However, if they want to serve at Iris they can apply for short-term missions.

How do I get to Pemba?

You will need to book a flight to Pemba and then apply for a Mozambican visa.

When will I know if I have been accepted?

If your student application, pastor and friend/co-worker recommendations are completed and submitted online, we will let you know ASAP.

What does the $2400 USD tuition include?

Communal housing, a diet of basic African cuisine (mostly rice, beans, potatoes, fish & goat) and outreach transportation. The tuition does NOT include: toilet paper, candles and matches for when the power is off, taxi or trips downtown, extra snacks or sweets, personal spending money, the cost of your airfare, your visa, medical or travel insurance and drinking water.

Weekly Schedule

You have the amazing privilege to be impacted by many outstanding anointed men and women whom God is using today in his kingdom!

Monday-Friday, you will have class in the morning from around 8 -1. In the afternoons, there will be some optional classes and workshops. In the evenings we will have a variety of activities including wonderful guest speakers, small groups, soaking, mission movie nights, worship, and having fun together on our porches.

You will usually have Saturday off unless you are on outreach. On this day, you can go to the internet cafe, do laundry, go to market, go to the beach, or do other things you enjoy, such as visiting your new Mozambican friends, etc.

On Sundays, you will get to help with our regional church meetings.

Overnight Outreaches

There will be overnight outreachs during the school. To get to our destination we often have to drive several hours on bumpy roads on open 3.5 ton flatbed trucks. The outreaches will be in very simple outdoor camping settings. You have to bring your own tent, sleeping bag, pillow and inflatable mattress. There will be no showers or electricity. Since it will be winter in Mozambique, when we are in the mountains for our outreaches, it can get as cold as 60°F/15°C at night and up to 90°F/32°C during the day.

There will usually be no running water or electricity.

Please see list below of what to bring for outreaches.

Housing

God gave us a wonderful, large piece of land where we have built a new Iris Center (a school and housing for several hundred pastors, housing and schools for 500 children, housing for missionaries and a conference center). The first School was the very first project at the center.

Up to twelve students will share one house, two bathrooms and one small living room with their house leaders (1 or 2). There will be one fridge and propane gas stove available.

Since water is often not available, please be prepared to use latrines. A small amount of shower and washing water (not drinkable) will be available for sharing in the student house.

Our water comes from our well or has to be hauled by water trucks from other wells to our center. The water is NOT DRINKABLE! Some of it is salty water (not seawater). Some of it is sweet water but not purified. Propane gas is very expensive, thus boiling water on the stove is too costly to be practical. Very often, we don't have enough sweet water for drinking, showers and laundry. Be prepared to buy your drinking water in bottles at our water store! (Twelve 1.5 liter bottles cost $9-10 US or $50-70 per person, per month).

Expenses and Currency

Living expenses are very high in Pemba! You must bring all you need with you. Many things you are used to aren't available. However, the retail choices have been improving. If available, the prices are high. For example, 1 liter of milk = $2 USD; small plain cereal = $7 USD.

We recommend you bring US dollars. They are the only currency readily exchangeable in Pemba. Be sure that you bring only newer US bills, with the large portraits, as older-style bills are NOT generally accepted. Visa is fairly widely accepted, MasterCard less so. Travellers checks are almost never accepted.

The local currency is the metical (plural meticais; abbrev. mt). The exchange rate is approximately $37 USD = 1,000,000 meticais.

Note: Renting a car is nearly impossible at $100 per day when available. There are taxis available. Bicycles can be purchased for about $100 USD.

Diet

As a student of Iris Harvest School, we want you to eat with our staff and kids. We are blessed to have a good diet of basic African cuisine (mostly rice, beans, potatoes, fish & goat). Most of the local Makua people are not so blessed.

The circumstances won't normally allow you to buy your own food. If they do, we still kindly request you to join our life and meals. To honor the mission environment you will be living in we don't want you to eat out in a restaurant more than three times a week.

However, we recommend you bring some comfort food/snacks with you. Across the street are people who sell roasted peanuts, sweet wheat, honey treats and bananas. Coke products are usually available at the resturants. The more specialized or processed foods are seldom stocked by local stores or street vendors. We estimate that considerably less than 5% of the local people are able to purchase anything from retail stores or restaurants.

Washing Clothes

Please be aware that you will wash your clothes by hand. There are no washing machines or dryers. Bring some clothes pins. Jeans, for the most part, are not practical since they are too hot and difficult to dry in the sun. Avoid light colored fabrics since the water causes discoloring.

Sanitation

You will find that, in a third-world country, sanitation will not be of the quality you are accustomed! Showers will often be "bucket showers". Cleaning products will be very useful; for example some soap, hand soap, laundry detergent, wet wipes, hand sanitizer, alcohol wipes, bathroom and kitchen cleaning products, etc., are not readily obtainable in Pemba. The flexible package of wet wipes or small bottles of hand santitizer that can be purchased at Wal-Mart should be your constant companion to avoid bacteria and infection from your hands to your mouth.

Health

Information about Injections

Make sure you are up to date on all childhood immunizations. Discuss this with your doctor/health provider. Mozambique does not require you to be vaccinated prior to entry but if you have traveled from a Yellow Fever infected country into Pemba, you will need Yellow Fever vaccination certificate to prove it. This may be the case for a small number of people.

Hepatitis A, B
Tetanus, Diphtheria (make sure you have had booster within the last 10 years)
Poliomyelitis
Typhoid
Meningitis (African version), as you will be accommodated in groups of 14
TB (Tuberculosis) For some countries this is routine, for others it is not

Other vaccines for consideration

Rabies Pre-exposure vaccination - normally considered for travelers spending extended periods of time in an affected country. Strongly recommended for those working around animals.
Flu/Influenza Vaccine and/or Pneumoccal vaccine
Yellow Fever (if coming from an infected country)
Cholera (if epidemic at the time in Mozambique)

Anti-Malaria Medication

It is advisable that you take anti-malaria prophylaxis while here. This is discussed in a previous section on the website. Please discuss this with your doctor or travel medical specialist. In the past, some people chose?not to take medication for well thought-out, valid reasons. Some however were not informed properly of the risks, options of treatment, or left it too late to arrange. If you come from Brazil, the type of malaria there is a different strain and you will not have any greater immunity from malaria in Mozambique. If, before God, you decide not to take medication, which a few students have done, please make an informed decision regarding this. Iris requests that people do not take Larium due to some of its side effects. Iris has had bad experiences with people not making informed decisions and not being responsible regarding their medication. This has resulted in these people's resources being depleted.

Note: Anti-malarial medication can interact with other medications. You must discuss options with a doctor.

Anti-Malaria Medication for Children

Larium can be used for children! It is advisable that people traveling with children to discuss anti malarial medication with a doctor. Malarone is not advised for Malaria prophalaxis in children less than 40 kg. So children can have it - if they are older and over 40kg. It apparently can be used as treatment for children if required. This is based oninformation from NZ sources. Malarone can only be used short term - due to lack of research for long term use.

Internet Access

Iris has only one phone line for the Pemba base. It will not be available to students. Access to the internet is only available for use by Iris staff. We ask all students to use the internet cafe down the road, where you can go online to contact your family and friends. However, we especially long to pursue the presence of God during these three months and expect Him to move in our lives and be transformed by Him. Spending too much time on the internet, even e-mailing, can be a distraction from this pursuit. For this reason we ask that students limit visits to the internet cafe to twice a week. We have been working on better internet access at the base. It is not likely that it will be available this fall.

Phone

As stated above, we have just one telephone line, which is needed for office use only. Students CANNOT be reached through this line, except for emergencies! If you need a phone we request you to bring a dual- or tri-band non-locked or non-blocked cell phone. SIM cards can be bought here for just $5 US. With a Mozambican SIM card you can be reached easily by anyone from the other side of the world. This is the main way we communicate in Mozambique.

You can purchase a phone here for about $100 USD, used sometimes for less. Be sure to have a local missionary with you during the purchase in Pemba. It is very easy to get ripped off by local merchants. For placing calls, you will need to purchase time cards that are available locally. This is inexpensive for Mozambican use but very expensive for international calls. When you have a SIM card in your Mozambican cellphone, incoming calls are not charged to you. The least expensive method for your friends at home is an AT&T phone card that can be purchased at retail stores such as SAMS, about 26 cents a minute from the US to Mozambique.

What to bring to Pemba

In Africa many things are not available or they are very expensive and of poor quality. We have listed for you all the required items you must bring. Since they are difficult to obtain here, we will kindly request that you donate and leave some of these materials behind for mission use at Iris.

Housing Items

pillow
all your bedding sheets (please bring any shade of solid blue only).
sleeping bag
key-chain for your house key (one you can wear around your neck would be the best)
flashlight/torch (needed for outreach as well; a good kind are those you can strap on your forehead, leaving your hands free)
lantern (when power is off)
batteries (rechargeable ones are very good to have; be sure to bring a battery charger which can be used with 220 volts)
one set of silverware per person (please don't bring plastic cutlery)
trash bags (they are hard to get here)
ziplock bags & tupperware or similar food storage containers are always very useful here. They are not available locally.
if you like coffee we request you to bring a french coffee plunger (Bodum)
Power is 220 V and a two-pin round plug. Bring a converter (220-110 volt) and several adaptor plugs if you have electronic items (such as a cellphone, digital camera, battery charger, etc.) Please note - the voltage consistency is very poor when electricity is on. Your laptop or camera AC transformer may not be enough to protect them against power surges.

Note: We will provide you with a mosquito net.

Toiletries

You probably won't find your toiletries here. For that reason we request you to bring all of your needed items.

Girls

bring all your monthly hygienic toiletries
hair conditioner is very expensive

All

shampoo
towel
sun block (high SPF; 30 or more)
hat
lots of wet wipes

Any items you can buy as concentrate would save space and last longer. You do have to provide your own toilet paper. It can be purchased here for about $1 US per roll.

Clothing

Important info: the soil on our base is red dirty sand. You will get dirty quickly. Since you have to wash all your laundry by hand, you may not want to bring too many white clothes with you. Earth and dark-toned colors are easier to wear and maintain during the time of year you will be visiting. As a mission school, we long to reach the heart of people in a different culture than ours, we want to be sensitive and respectful. Pemba is a Muslim area. We don't want to offend them or their culture. Following are some guidelines:

Ladies:

You will be fine with most of your short-sleeved or sleeveless tops. You will need long sleeves for mosquito protection in the evening.

This is very important. Malaria is your greatest health risk. Although expensive, clothing is now available that has been treated with mosquito protection that can be purchased retail in the US at an Outdoor World or similar store.

But...you will not be allowed to wear anything (trousers or skirts) shorter than beneath the knee. Don't show your knees!!

No Shorts Allowed!

The only shorts allowable are those which completely cover your knees, such as capri pants. These you are allowed to bring!

For class and church, you must wear a dress or a skirt/capulana. This is a length of cloth, wrapped around your waist, which the Africans wear as skirts, baby carriers, etc. Capulanas can be purchased locally for a reasonable price of $5-$12 USD.

Bring skirts/capulanas or dresses and shorts that go below the knee, capri pants and/or trousers. Be aware that the heat, dust and insects can be serious irritants for many. Wearing shorts under your skirt or capulana could save you from skin discomfort. Baby powder or corn starch works well for most.

Men:

It is OK for you to wear shorts...modest ones.

Although we are in a third world nation, the people dress in their nicest clothes on Sunday for church or conferences. To honor them, please dress in a respectful way. (Please don't wear cut-offs to church).

Swimwear

We have the great pleasure of living at one of the most beautiful beaches in Pemba. Still, we need to be very aware that we live in a Muslim culture. We don't want to offend any of these dear people. For this reason we have rules for you to follow:

Ladies

Please never wear bikinis.
Please bring a modest one piece bathing-suit and a swim skirt or board shorts

Men

Shorts are a must, no Speedos please.
Please bring long, loose-fitting swim shorts

All

Swim shoes for protection from coral and sea urchins. This is very important. Parts of the beach are stony. A coral cut can cause serious infection. The last thing you need in a hot climate is a swollen and infected foot. Sea urchins are plentiful. Our beaches are natural and not groomed by large tourist hotel complexes.

Overnight Outreaches

tent (please no see-through mosquito bug huts)
sleeping bag (temperatures can go as low as 60°F/15°C, especially in the mountains)
pillow
inflatable mattress if you need one
insect repellent / mosquito spray (not just for outreaches); 100% DEET content repellant (available at Wal-Mart or camping/travel stores) is very effective. Pack them in a ziplock bag. They leak. If you can't tolerate or are worried about chemicals you may bring a milder repellant. Plan to remove the DEET as soon as possible after a bush trip or evening meeting from your face, particularly around the eyes and mouth. Follow directions carefully. Faithfully, use your provided mosquito net when sleeping even though they limit air movement around you.
sweater/sweatshirt
long trousers
simple day pack with needed toiletries, etc.
lantern or flashlight/torch, a small penlight for under your pillow

Girls

long stretch pants (bug protection while wearing your skirt)

For Class

please bring everything with you for notetaking (paper, pencils, journal, etc.). You can't buy these here!
we will send you a list of books.

Other useful items you can bring

cloth and towel for your dishes
wet wipes and hand sanitizer
laundry soap (can be purchased here)
Portuguese dictionary
Portuguese/English Bible to learn the language
tri-band non-blocked cell phone (SIM Card and time cards can be purchased here)
walkman, CD player and worship music
guitar or other instruments
snorkel to see the corals and fish in our beautiful ocean
laptops, cameras and other electronic gear may be brought at your own risk (we suggest insuring these). (To be able to use your laptop, you will need a power-voltage regulator. This will cost you approx. $75 USD. Since voltages vary greatly, your supplied card may not protect your laptop.)

Iris Guidelines

Please keep in mind that this is a third world nation and some of your belongings are very attractive to the poor. We request that you do not bring expensive items with you. We keep life very simple here.

WE ASK OUT OF RESPECT TO OUR MOZAMBICAN CULTURE THAT YOU DON'T: Smoke, drink alcohol, use drugs, wear body piercings (other than normal ear-piercings for women) or have intimate relationships outside of marriage. Do not enter houses of the opposite gender. Participation in all activities is expected. Less than 80% is grounds for dismissal.

TO HONOR THE VISION & MANDATE OF THE SCHOOL, PLEASE ACCEPT THE ABOVE SUGGESTIONS. IRIS STAFF RESERVES THE RIGHT TO SEND STUDENTS HOME AT THEIR OWN EXPENSE.

How to apply for the school

Step 1: Read through all of the above material about Iris Harvest School.

Step 2: Start the application process online. Application procedures will be indicated clearly in the instructions for completing your student online application, pastor's recommendation and friend/co-worker recommendation.

Step 3: If your application is completed, we will try to let you know whether you have been accepted ASAP.

Step 4: If you are accepted:

Book your FLIGHT: Apply for your VISA: Once you are accepted, we will email you a letter of invitation. You will need this to apply for your 3-month visa.
let us know your arrival & departure time in Pemba, as soon as you have booked your airplane ticket

Step 5: Be sure your health arrangements are in place

arrange your Health and Travel Insurance
check the list of suggested injections. Notice that some injections must be taken up to a few months before leaving!
If you decide to take a malaria prophylaxis, be aware that the dosage usually starts before you enter the malaria area (with Malarone, two days before entering Mozambique and two weeks after leaving).

How to book your flight

Please note that we require you to book a round-trip ticket only! Be sure your travel agent can book all the flights. Booking flights separately within Africa may result in connection problems. We suggest, if you will not be using your selected travel agent that you consider one of the following through which we have had good experiences.

International Flights To Africa

We have two excellent International travel agents who have worked with us to book good flights all the way to Pemba.

The first is Eunice Mitchell. She works for Menno Travel, a Christian Travel Agency (www.mennotvl.com) based in Abbotsford, BC, Canada. You can ask her about special missionary airfares as well and she is also able to book international flights to Africa (for our non-American International students such as Europeans, Kiwi's, and Aussies. She now has a team working with her specifically for the Iris School; Susanne, Beatrice, and Ernst.

Her contact information is: Eunice Mitchell Menno Travel eunice@mennotvl.com 1-800-667-5559 Monday through Friday 1-604-853-0751

The second is an excellent international travel agent for booking flights. Her name is Shelly Prosch. She is based in the United States. Most of Heidi's tickets are booked by Shelly. You may contact her via email by clicking here. She is also able to book international flights to Africa via e-tickets (electronic tickets which do not require paper tickets) for our non-US international students. After emailing Shelly and purchasing an e-ticket, you simply go to the airport with proper photo identification.

Luggage weight limits

Even though we are asking you to bring a long list of items, there is a very strict weight limit on flights. For example, the Johannesburg to Pemba leg has a 25 kilo (55.1 lb) weight limit. To avoid nasty fines, please go to the LAM check-in before flying and purchase another baggage ticket for extra weight. Though it will cost one up-front fee for the extra weight, you avoid being fined per kilo.

Applying for your visa

Please apply for a visa as soon as you receive your letter of invitation from us and have booked your air travel, since you will have to indicate your entry and exit dates and cities on the visa application!

After receiving your acceptance letter, you will need to send us your passport information: Last name, first name(s), Passport number, Expiry date of passport (DD/MM/YYYY), Nationality, Passport place of issue

We will need to fill in this information on your letter of invitation. This is required to apply for your visa.

Order a visa application from the Mozambican Embassy in your country. See steps below on how you can do that.

After receiving the visa application in the mail or downloading it from a website, fill in the form as clearly and completely as possible.

Application Questions

The following are the questions on the application for you to review. Please have the following information ready to enter into the online application.