User Manual

1Getting started

Your Africa Cries Out account is used for three things: registering for a mission trip, managing your family's records, and giving. The pages you'll use most:

2Create an account

1. From the homepage click Log In, then choose the Create account tab.
2. Fill in your name, email, a password (at least 8 characters), your year of birth, and a mailing address (street, city, state/province, postal code, country).
3. Click Create account.

Password rules

Passwords must be at least 8 characters and can't be a very common or easily-guessed password (like password or 12345678). There's no requirement to add symbols or numbers — a longer passphrase or a password-manager-generated password (e.g. mugmej-sawWyz-kebpy6) works well and is more secure.

If the email is already in use, you'll be sent to the Log in tab instead. After sign-up your account is created, a personal family group is started with you as its manager, and you're taken to email verification.

3Verify your email

New accounts must verify their email before submitting a trip registration. We email you a verification link when you sign up — open it to confirm your address. If it doesn't arrive, check spam, then use Resend on the verification screen. Once verified, you continue to your dashboard.

4Log in

1. Click Log In and enter your email + password on the Log in tab.
2. If your email isn't verified yet, you'll be routed to verification first.
3. Otherwise you land on your Dashboard. Youth accounts get a youth view; staff/admins also see admin tools.

Youth who were given a login by a parent sign in with their username instead of an email — see Youth accounts.

5Forgot your password

1. On the login page click Forgot password?
2. Enter your email — if an account exists, a reset link is emailed to you. (For privacy, the page doesn't reveal whether an email is registered.)
3. Open the link, enter and confirm a new password (at least 8 characters), then log in again.

A youth without their own email can't self-reset — their parent/guardian resets it for them from the Family page.

6Your dashboard

After logging in, your dashboard shows:

• A reminder banner if your email still needs verifying.
• Quick stats: family members, trip applications, how many are paid, and how many need action.
• Your family list and a table of your trip applications.

Use the account menu (your name, top-right) to jump to your dashboard, profile, giving, applications, or to log out.

7Profile & settings

Profile

Open Profile to edit your name, email, phone, location, gender, date of birth, church, and newsletter preference. Click Save to store changes. Your account type and roles are shown for reference.

Settings & security

• Change password — enter your current password, then a new one (at least 8 characters) twice.
• Two-factor authentication and privacy actions (export or delete your data) are available in Settings.

Newsletter

The Newsletter page lets you opt in or out of ACO updates at any time.

8Family members

If you're the family manager (the person who created the account), open Family to add and manage relatives. Members who aren't managers can view the list but can't change it.

Add a family member

1. Click + Add family member.
2. Enter First name, Last name, Relationship, Date of birth, Gender (required), and — for adults and teens who should have their own login — an Email.
3. Click Add member.

What happens next depends on the member's age and whether you gave an email:

To remove someone, click Remove next to them (the primary account holder can't be removed).

9Youth accounts

Teens aged 13–17 can have their own login so they can see their trip and update their profile, while a parent stays in control.

• With an email: the teen gets a normal email + password login and verifies their own address.
• Without an email: a parent can create a username + password login for them (from Family, or via Add Youth). The teen logs in with that username.
• Parent reset: if a youth forgets their password, the family manager resets it from the Family page and tells them the new one.

Youth see a simplified dashboard with their Profile and My Applications. A youth can add and verify their own email later to manage their own password.

10Register for a mission trip

From the homepage choose Join the Mission Team (or open the registration page). You must be logged in and verified — if you aren't, you'll be sent to log in and returned here automatically. You can Save draft at any point and finish later.

1. Choose your trip group — pick the trip and the date group / team you want.
2. Who is going? — Register yourself or a family member. For a family member, pick someone from your list or add a new one. Their details pre-fill the next step.
3. Applicant & contact — Confirm or edit the applicant's details.
4. Faith & gospel service — Your Christian faith background and willingness to take part in gospel activities.
5. Volunteer category — e.g. Medical, Children's Ministry, Construction. Extra questions appear for some roles; medical volunteers upload a professional license.
6. Emergency & health information — Emergency contact and health notes.
7. Participation acknowledgment & review — Read the acknowledgment, tick the box, and submit.

11After you register

Once submitted, your application appears in My Applications and on your dashboard. The remaining steps are completed from your account:

payment → waiver → flight info → documents

• Payment — pay your registration fee and trip service fee securely by card or PayPal. Your spot is held for a limited window; if payment isn't made in time, the reserved seat may be released and you'd register again if space remains.
• Waiver — read and sign the participation waiver.
• Flight info — add your arrival/departure flight details so the team can arrange airport transfers.
• Documents — upload anything requested (e.g. passport, medical license).

12Track your application

Open My Applications to follow each application through its lifecycle:

registration → payment → waiver → flight info → documents

Status badges show what's done and what still needs action. Family members you registered appear here too.

13Giving & donations

You can give with or without an account.

• Give Now — choose an amount and a fund (general, or a specific project), then pay by card or PayPal.
• One-time or recurring — set up an ongoing monthly gift, or give once.
• Campaigns — special projects such as Pack with Love and the Dr. Idrissa Faye Memorial Hospital show a progress bar and let you fund specific line items.
• Receipts — every gift is receipted by email with a numbered, tax-deductible receipt.

When you're logged in, the Giving page shows your giving history and lets you manage recurring plans.

14Log out

Click your name (top-right) and choose Log out. This ends your session on this device.

15Troubleshooting

• “No account found” / “Incorrect password.” — Check the email spelling, or use Forgot password? to reset it.
• Password rejected. — It must be at least 8 characters and not a common/guessable password.
• Can't submit a trip registration. — Make sure you're logged in and your email is verified.
• Verification email didn't arrive. — Check spam, then use Resend on the verification screen.
• A youth forgot their password. — The family manager resets it from the Family page.
• Still stuck? — Use the contact link in the footer to reach the ACO team.