Many of you may have a lot of the same questions so I just want to address some of those. If you think of any other questions, feel free to post it in the comments section or email me and I’ll do my best to answer them.
How much money should I bring?
That is completely up to you and depends on how big of a spender you are. There may be times you’ll want to go out for a nice dinner with your team, or on a day off you and your teammates may want to do a fun activity that costs a little more, or even getting a few souvenirs for family. For things like this you will need to bring your own spending money. Carrying around a lot of US Cash can be pretty dangerous. My suggestion is bring around $100 USD and divide it in your bag in different hiding places. Then for spending money, bring a debit card and use it to withdraw in the local currency from any ATM there. From my experience, Visa debit cards are accepted pretty much everywhere. Make sure you tell your bank where you’ll be this Fall and for how long. That way when you use it at an ATM overseas your bank won’t suspend your account for suspicious activity.
Can I bring my computer?
Every few weeks, you should have a day off of ministry. During this time, you may go into town and grab some internet where you can use Skype to call home, write emails and blog. There will be internet cafes around, so you can use the computers there. Whether you bring a laptop or not is up to you. Something to keep in mind is that you are responsible for it. If it were to get lost or stolen and you'd be devastated, it might not be worth bringing. Most importantly, you will be held accountable for how much time you spend on your computer. We never want it to become a distraction from your team or ministry. Keeping that in mind, your team leaders will be holding you accountable and as long as you're willing to submit to that, then you're okay to bring a laptop.
How can I fit everything in one bag?
If you can’t fit everything then you are probably over-packing! For your luggage, my personal suggestion is an internal frame hiking backpack. It's just easier to carry and pack. Make sure it stays under 50lbs and remember that you'll be the one carrying it, so if it's too big or heavy then you'll have a difficult time. You may only bring one checked bag. For your carry-on bag, I recommend you bring a school-sized backpack. This will be good for daily use when you’re in country. You do not need to pack 3 months-worth of stuff. Seriously. Probably 2-3 weeks’ worth of clothes is more than enough because you will be able to wash your clothes somehow; whether it’s hand-washing or machine-wash. Things like shampoo, toothpaste, soap, deodorant, etc., can be purchased in country so you don’t need to stock up on those items if you don’t care about name brands.
Blessings!
Erin Miller
770-983-1060 Ext. 321
