4. For women, pants are ok for doing children's
ministry or construction.
5. Remember insect repellent.
6. Remember sun block for daytime.
7. Use antibacterial hand gel frequently but
discreetly.
8. Bring
Poncho…..it may very well be raining and you might be in the back of the
pickup!
9. A
light jacket is suggested for rainy nights and Antigua
10 when
riding in the back of the pick-up please remember to keep your knees and
elbows
flexed do
not lock them. one hand on the bars at all times and please no
sitting on the bars.
Don'ts
1. Don’t leave ministry site without advising the
Team Leader or Missionary.
2. no "colorful" make-up such as eye shadow, blush or
lipstick. only Very light makeup, watch, and
one pair of stud
earrings are acceptable in the village.
3. Light or No fingernail/toenail polish.
4. For
men, no shorts are allowed in the village, only at ministry center.
Start thinking outside your bubble.
On this mission trip you’ll see up close that not everyone thinks
like you, lives like you, looks like you, talks like you, or believes like
you. Recognizing that will help you deal with the differences between the
people and cultures ahead.
Get the right attitude.
There’s nothing like the intensity of
a mission trip to bring out the best and worst
in a person. Start
praying about and practicing these attitudes that will be so important in
making your trip a success:
Selfless: how can you put other’s needs
above your own?
Servant: who can you serve today that
will take you out of your comfort zone?
Flexible: how patient are you with
unexpected changes and obstacles in your day?
Teachable: how ready are you to learn
different ways of doing things and looking at situations?
CULTURE:
Get ready to be flexible. Things in other cultures don't run on
tight schedules, as things in the States usually do.
Make use of the "waiting" time
you're sure to have. Use the time to get to know your teammates better, or
nationals who may be with you. Keep a bible/book with you to pull out
during these times. Choose
some Scripture to memorize and work on it while you wait.
Greetings are very important in many
cultures. Here, everyone always greets each other personally, either with
a handshake or women with a hug and slight kiss on the cheek. it is
considered rude not to greet everyone when you walk into the room.
Please put this into practice.
Remember that common body language says a
lot. they may not speak English but they can understand facial
expressions.
make an effort to
learn a few phrases. Learning
the phrase, “How do you say…" "como se dice". Or my name is "me
Llamo..." Even God bless you, "dios le Bendiga" can be very useful.
Make sure to pay attention to any
dress-code guidelines you may have been given for the culture you are
visiting.
Dressing appropriately can really have an
effect on how people treat you. As well as how they receive from you!
In many cultures, like here, showing
respect to those older than you is very important.
Hospitality can look different in other
cultures. Our family-style way of serving meals and serving yourself is
NOT common here and in many other countries.
If
you're going to be eating meals prepared by nationals, be ready to have a
full plate of food set in front of you, and be ready to eat it!
Put aside any picky eating habits during
your trip.
Don't make promises you won't keep about
staying in touch with people or sending them things, or even just saying
I'll pray about it, etc.
Sometimes even mentioning something as a
possibility, "I'll pray about it" is understood
as a promise.
Long church services in languages you
don't understand can be killers!
To help pass the time, try to at least
pick out what passage of Scripture is being taught and spend time reading
and meditating on it. Also,
let everything be a cue to pray!
Pray for the pastor as he preaches.
During worship, pray that God would be glorified in the service. If
a child cries, pray that he/she would grow up to love and serve the Lord. If
a chicken runs through, pray that God would provide adequate food for the
community. Find at least 3
people to make eye contact with during the service.
You get the idea, stay spiritual.
MINISTRY
Almost anything can be
turned into a creative ministry tool and open up a chance for you to talk
to someone. If there is something you can do that you think may be of use
during your trip, ask your team leader to find out if it would be
appropriate where you are going.
Here are a few ideas to
get your mind thinking:
Singing or playing an
instrument come in handy
Can you draw? Keep a
drawing pad in your backpack and pull it out to entertain people. You can
draw something and have someone tell you how to say it in the local
language.
Do you like to take
pictures? Some people never
get a family photo taken. It can be a great ministry.
GIVING THINGS AWAY
You are going to a place
where people are living in poverty, you may be asked for things, and you
are probably going to want to give to help meet the need.
Giving is good, but has to be done carefully or it can cause more
damage than good. Make sure your giving is done appropriately. Be careful
about not giving things in a way that will create jealousy or cause
fighting.
If
you give your watch to a child, all the others will want it and it may
cause problems. It is best not to give away money to people.
It may not be used for the purpose you intend. If you want to give
away your clothes or other items, ask the missionaries for the best way to
do so. The missionaries
probably know the needs of the community best, and they can help make sure
your donation gets into the right hands.
Be aware that giving away donations can be a lot of work for
others. Don't assume
that the local pastor wants that responsibility. It's not that they don't
want to help meet needs; they may just not have time. Bottom line...ask
the missionaries what will work.
