How to Prepare for a Missions Trip
By Hannah Lobb, Victoria University student
Mission trips are not for the faint hearted. In my experience they have proved to be the most challenging and least glamorous of the travel I've done. However, you are guaranteed an immersing, priority shuffling, exhilarating and rewarding experience quite unlike anything else. The relationships with locals, the stories you learn, the work you do and the places you go give you unrivalled insight and, I've found, a much needed reality check. Here's my advice on how to get ready for the rockyride ahead.
Read a missionary's biography
The knowledge you can glean from their thoughts, recollections and experiences is essential to mental preparation. While your reaction to the heat, smells, food, hygiene and sights of being whisked into a third world country is inevitable, being confronted with grinding poverty, personal stories and cultural differences are powerful experiences that will challenge you long after you hit homely tarmac. While any missionary biography is helpful in gaining insight, if you can get your hands on one based in the country (or at least continent) you are headed, do it. Knowing even a little of the history of where you're going will give your trip a different dimension and greatly enrich the experience. Secondly, and similarly,
Learn what you can about your destination's history and it's people
There are numerous ways you can get clued up about what has happened in the past. Youtube has thousands of historical destination videos that can be easier to digest if you don't particularly want to read all about it. However, I would recommend watching some of these videos first, as a way of familiarizing yourself with the country and then increasing and broadening your knowledge with a book or film. Before my last trip to Cambodia I read "First They Killed My Father" by Loung Ung. This was absolutely invaluable because when I visited Tuol Sleng and the Choeung Ek Killing Fields the reality of what I had read sunk in. There is something remarkable about heading to the place you had just read about and imagined. Thirdly,
Learn a little local dialect
This is pretty basic regardless of what type of trip you are embarking on or where you are going. Locals will behave markedly different if you show the respect of attempting their language. Greetings and simple questions are usually plenty to get you by. Luckily for us, English is often a second language in many areas of the world. Inevitably you will have a contact who is the bridge between you and the community/school/family/project etc. you are working with. Make sure you try out your linguistic skills on them first so they can tweak your accent. Lastly,
What to pack
Less is more. Make sure you don't have too many cosmetics and paraphernalia; you most probably will not use it. On the assumption that you're heading somewhere hot, humid and modest make sure to take garments like loose fitting tunics and harem pants. Before my trip to Vanuatu a few friends and I went second hand shopping and purchased basics which is rather fun and ridiculously cheap. Remember that buying garments over there is not expensive and you are most likely guaranteed culturally appropriate and comfortable clothing. Not to mention fun pieces to lounge in back home. A camera and journal is essential, just like any other trip. I like to jot down the day's events and stories every evening before bed, or at least the next morning. These entries will be invaluable! Gifts are also essential on mission trips. Giving the people you meet a taste of where you're from is great bonding (especially if language is a barrier), think flags and national emblem toys. Steer away from flashy gifts, too much is a bit insulting. Keep it simple and thoughtful. One of my friends on the Cambodia trip brought a New Zealand icon colouring-in book for a wee girl in the orphanage we were in, I thought it was a great example. Finally,
Go with confidence!
The best gift you can give is your time. The bonds created and smiles and laughs shared between two seemingly very different are experiences that will touch eachlife indelibly.
