The June 2010 O Squad, returned home recently. Two alumni, Kyle Bradberry and Carrie Campbell, offer their advice to future global missionaries, some of which are excerpted here:
Clothing
- Bring at least 3 pairs of athletic shorts.
- Bring a good bit of underwear… I would’ve been able to go much longer without doing laundry if it wasn’t for dirty underwear. Shirts and shorts can be worn multiple times, underwear not so much.
- (For girls) A white cami tank top for under stuff
Gear
- Packing cubes or airtight squish bags (I did not have either of these so I coveted them all year)
- Pillow and pillow case (that you can wash)
- Don’t get a sleeping pad that is less than 2 inches thick, seriously.
Tech-ish/Entertainment
- Headphone splitter. You’ll be watching movies with friends on planes, trains, and automobiles. If you are going to have any chance of hearing over the shouting outside of vendors, the clucking of chickens, and the rumble of African buses, you are each going to need earphones in both ears.
- Portable speakers (good for team worship times and movie watching)
- Fiction books are generally more enjoyable on the race than your deep Christian books.
- Learn how to play Spades or any other card game for that matter.
Financial
Budget personal spending money if possible. There are so many things to do in each country and it’s a bummer to miss out on something because of no money, I really think $100 every month would’ve covered everything I wanted to do, plus ice cream and Snickers bar runs.
Cameras: DSLR vs. Point & Shoot
I brought my Canon Rebel t1i, and most of the time I was glad for it. I got to take some sweet pics around the world. But there are a few cons to bringing a nice camera that I thought might be worth a mention:
- An increased worry of it getting stolen.
- A big camera is more obtrusive in ministry situations. Sometimes we were out in the middle of nowhere and kids would seem really afraid of my big camera while my teammates could take subtle shots of them.
- It’s harder to just hand to a stranger and ask them to take a picture of you and your team. You’re never sure what results you will get. Especially in Africa with friends that have never held a camera before.
Ministry
- Bring a study bible. With all the sermons you will be preaching, you’ll want one.
[Editor’s note: study bibles are heavy, just sayin’.] - Prepare a few sample English lessons. You will teach English at some point during the year.
- Blog, it’s really not hard. You don’t have to come up with thought provoking posts, just talk about what’s going on. So many people talk themselves out of blogging by making it too big of a deal.
To Optimize Your Experience
- Be aware of how much time you spend on your computer (internet or watching shows). The months where I spent the most time on my computer are the hardest to actually recount what I did or what the Lord was doing. Press into Him, your team, and your ministry. It’s a unique opportunity.
- …Choose abandonment…I spent a good bit of time thinking abandonment would just come. I thought, “Oh I’ll get to Africa and be forced into abandonment.” Even if you’re in the middle of nowhere you can still hold on to your own selfish thoughts and desires. From the beginning of the Race, it is best to choose abandonment.
At the rate the World Race is growing, some of their advice may be moot or not apply; like snowflakes, each route is unique. We hope that future generations — like the July and August 2011 squads (W, X & Y, oh my!) — will still be able to benefit from the experience and wisdom from alumni like Kyle and Carrie.
