WHY CROSS EXCHANGE?
Cross exchange was created to bridge the gap between traditional work exchanges and missions trips.
Traditional
Work Exchange
Christian
Mission Trips
1.
TRAVELER ARRANGES PLANS WITH HOST FOR WORK EXCHANGE (INCLUDING DATES)
Traveler arranges plans with host for stay & agree upon work exchange
2.
TRAVELER FLIES TO HOST HOME LOCATION
3.
TRAVELER COMPLETES AGREED-UPON WORK FOR HOST, IN EXCHANGE FOR FREE ROOM & BOARD
TRAVELER Works in Exchange for free ROOM & BOARD
4.
TRAVELER EXPLORES, ENJOYS THE LOCATION, & LIVES LIKE A LOCAL!
We believe exploring the world and making a meaningful impact shouldn’t come with a hefty price tag. Designed for students, recent graduates, and budget-conscious travelers, Cross Exchange provides a unique opportunity to deepen your faith, serve others, and experience new places—all while keeping costs low. The only major expense is your travel, as housing and meals are generously covered by your host, often with thoughtful extras like shared groceries or communal meals.
This affordability reflects Christian stewardship, encouraging the wise use of resources to focus on what truly matters: serving others, building lasting friendships, and creating meaningful memories. With Cross Exchange, you can embrace purposeful travel without sacrificing your budget.
Affordability: Travel on Any Budget
Here’s how a typical trip with Cross Exchange compares to other common travel experiences. All figures assume a one-month stay for one person.
While all values are approximate, this table shows just how much further money can go with Cross Exchange, allowing you to immerse yourself in meaningful experiences with greater peace of mind. It’s an affordable choice that prioritizes both purpose and practicality.
*It is important to note miscellaneous costs during a vacation are often much higher because nothing is included, and more free time leads to more spending.
Comparison of Travel Costs
Expense
Category
Cross
Exchange
Mission
Trip
Program Fee
Accommodation
Meals
Flights
Misc. Costs
Currently free
Covered by host
Covered by host
$500–$1,000
$2,000+
Included in fee
Included in fee
$500–$1,000
N/A
$2,250
$500
$500–$1,000
$500*
Vacation
Total
Estimated
cost
$800–$1,300
$2,700+
$3,750+
By utilizing our worldwide network of Christian hosts, travelers can engage in missional service in a fresh new way. Whether assisting a local church, orphanage, widow’s home, or anything in between, these experiences not only bless the communities being served but also deepen travelers’ understanding of what it means to live out their faith in action—across borders, cultures, and contexts.
Missional: Christian Faith in Action
(assuming $75/ night)
(eating out/groceries)
(activities, apparel)
$200
(activities, apparel)
$200
(activities, apparel)
The beauty of work exchanges is that a fair trade is made without needing to pay any money: the host welcomes the volunteer into their home and provides room and board (under most circumstances), and in exchange, the volunteer accomplishes an agreed-upon amount of service for the host family.
With short-term missions, some missionaries have stated that the volunteer is the primary beneficiary of the trip, leading to the high price-tag that almost always accompanies them.
Who Benefits
Who BenefitS?
Cross Exchange seeks to be more like a traditional work exchange in this regard: the host and volunteer should both feel they are receiving a good deal without any money being exchanged.
Traditional work exchanges involve a wide variety of service options, including housekeeping, childcare, manual labor, and just about everything in-between.
There tends to be less variety of jobs for people on short-term missions trips, as the volunteers’ efforts tend to be directed toward building projects or engaging with the local community.
Types of Service
TypES of Service
Cross Exchange resembles a traditional work exchange in this regard, as travelers can volunteer with their host family in whatever service option they agree to. This flexibility allows travelers with varying skill sets to contribute in ways meaningful to them while developing new skills, too!
Traditional work exchanges have no religious affiliation. On mission trips, the organization and the volunteer are generally both Christian.
Religious Affiliation
Religious Affiliation
Cross Exchange exists in-between these two worlds. All Cross Exchange hosts are professing Christians (with each signing our Statement of Faith) and commit to making faith involvement in the local community available to travelers (usually in the form of church services or similar gatherings). Travelers are not required to sign this statement, but are expected to at least be open to learning more about the Christian faith. Travelers and hosts are encouraged to have candid conversations about faith prior to committing to a work exchange to ensure both parties have realistic expectations.
Cross Exchange facilitates a unique experience by merging aspects of traditional work exchanges with Christian mission principles.
How It Works
How it Works
Travelers connect with hosts to volunteer on agreed-upon projects, receiving room and board in return without any exchange of money. Unlike typical mission trips where volunteers often bear significant costs, Cross Exchange emphasizes a balanced, mutually beneficial arrangement where both host and volunteer gain from the relationship. The traveler coordinates with the host, buys his/her plane ticket, and then embarks on the journey!
Generally speaking, volunteers on a work exchange live with the host family- either in a spare bedroom, private external room, or something similar. Meals are usually shared with the host family.
On mission trips, it’s more common to see the volunteers living in accommodations not connected to a home. Meals more frequently resemble a large-scale cooking operation to feed the entire team.
Living Arrangements
Living arrangement
Cross Exchange much more closely resembles traditional work exchanges in this regard: Cross Exchange hosts welcome the traveler into their home and share meals with them.
Mission trips give a lot of the responsibility for the participant's safety to the trip organizer, which leads to less autonomy and flexibility for the volunteer.
Safety
Safety
Cross Exchange seeks to prioritize safety without compromising the build-your-own adventure ethos of our platform. Among other features, our staff personally vet each host through a video call, helping confirm the identity and authenticity of each hosts’ profile, which is unique to Cross Exchange. We also offer host and traveler reviews so both parties can see what experiences others have had with that traveler or host family. Please visit our Safety page for more details on this important topic.
