THINGS I DIDN’T NEED
Money Belt: I had the waist one and wearing it under my clothes made me hot and sweaty. Plus it was terrible to have to draw my shirt up every time I needed to get out my passport, buy something, or otherwise utilize the belt in any way. A couple of our squad leaders were talking about how, really, you just needed to live the way you do at home here on the field. Just buy (or bring) a wallet from home, and save the money belt for….well, never.
Drawstring Backpack: My dear friend Ellice gave me a beautiful drawstring backpack for Christmas, complete with my name embroidered on it. Her little girl, Laurana (my heart and soul), has one just like it so we match! The problem is that wearing my big pack on my back and my daypack on my front, it was really difficult to carry a drawstring backpack around in my hand. I should have brought (and I will probably buy one sometime soon) a sidesling bag- you know one of those big purses that have the shoulderstrap. That way I can keep my hands free when traveling with all my dang luggage (which was a LOT).
More Than 2 Pairs of Pants: I really only need one pair of pants to wear running around on our off day, and one pair of pants for manual labor (until you get struck with a flying piece of rock shrapnel from a sledge hammer, you’ll never believe me). The rest should be shorts for working out (every day!), and dresses or skirts to bounce around town (or be respectful in certain cultures). Although once I got out here, I was informed that most girls on my squad were planning just to buy skirts once we get to Africa (the main place we’ll be wearing them)- there they have skirts and dresses in colorful and comfortable abundance.
Camera Bag: Listen. Before you panic, just know that a camera bag makes you a HUGE target to beggars and thieves, it’s bulky and awkward to manage, and you’re constantly dragging your camera in and out of it. Per a professional photographer on my squad, I should just wrap it in a sarong or long skirt for safekeeping, and wear it around my neck/shoulder when in use. One less thing to carry! (And even at this point, ONE WEEK on the Race, this is a BIG DEAL). (No joke.)
Actual Hiking Weekend Pack: I thought I was being really clever when I bought a weekend pack to take as my daypack. It’s a little bigger, it has back support, and all kinds of cool hiking accessories. Well, it SUCKS. It doesn’t carry as much as most of the regular backpacks that racers brought, it’s super skinny so it’s twice as tall (or more) than a regular daypack, and I have to either gatecheck it at every airport, or struggle to force it to fit in the overhead compartment with every other passenger’s bags. NOT FUN. I should have just brought a regular (40 liter or so) backpack. It’ll be cool when I get home, though.
THINGS I WISH I WOULD HAVE BROUGHT:
Shower Stuff Holder: I don’t know how to write this any better, but I wish I had brought something other than ziplock bags to hold my shampoo and conditioner bottles, soap, toothbrush, toothpaste, contact case, saline solution, and glasses. Carrying all of that to and from the bathroom, along with clean clothes and a towel is ROUGH. I should have brought one of those small hangy-bag things, that separate everything into pouches, and rolls up like a burrito. Anything to make your life simpler is a really, really, really good idea.
Mesh Laundry Bag: Plastic bags are great and all, but I really wish I would have brought a legit laundry bag. Having dirty, sweaty, smelly clothes just hanging around your tent with you at the end of a long, hot day is not the formula for sweet dreams. Our team leader, Ben, brought a mesh bag with him and has been hanging his dirty clothes in a tree next to our tents. His tent is clean, emptier than the rest of us, and his laundry is kept all together in one location (mine are all over the dang tent). (and smelly). (and dusty).
Probiotics: I bought some, but ended up “not having room.” Blarney! Super important. I was told I could find yogurt (which has probiotics in it) just about anywhere…well, I haven’t found any and I’m sick. Yuck. Bring some probiotics with you!
THINGS I’M SUPER GLAD I BROUGHT:
Kleenex: I got a sinus infection INSTANTLY, and these were LIFESAVING. In a land where toilet paper and Kleenex are expensive and you have very little access to them, bringing some along really made my life so much easier, particularly when our first missions assignment involved playing in dust and dirt.
Baby Wipes: Again, lifesaving. Feet, face…other important areas…. When the showers are freezing cold and water is a precious (not endless) commodity, you just can’t bathe every day. …Or every other day. But, again, playing in dirt all day, you need a little somethin’ somethin’ to make your face feel less repulsive and painful.
*Super Sweet Elk-Hide Journal: I find myself wanting to journal more than ever because I think my journal is so cool and fun to write in. I even put airline ticket stubs, stickers, and ministry promo stuff in it. Menus, notes from friends or people I meet at ministry sites….anything and everything goes in there and it’s even cooler.
Ipod: Honestly, being able to sleep in my tent by myself at the end of a day is precious to me. I crave alone time almost more than anything else, and it is really restoring to me. However, in the mornings when I try to spend time with the Lord, just me and Him, often I’m overwhelmed by all the sounds surrounding me: the trucks passing by on the highway (SO loud), the young kids living on the property laughing and calling to each other as they wait for the bus to school, birds in the air, older boys walking around the property doing chores…just so much to see and hear. Having my headphones in and listening to some of my favorite worship music really helps to tune everything out and focus on whatever my sweet Jesus is trying to tell me. It also helps to have upbeat, fun music to sing and dance to when your ministry is manual labor.
Tervis Mug: I know this is a real luxury, and it really takes up space, but being able to have hot coffee every morning (and to keep it hot) and not to have to share that in my unbelievably-necessary-Nalgene-full-of-water is so, so nice. I know that I’ll be using it quite a lot in the future.
Really Nice Camera: I know people say they get lost, stolen, or broken, but that is seriously a risk I am willing to take. The places we’ve seen just in a week, the faces of the boys on the property where we’re staying- these are things I want to really remember, things I want to share with people at home, and the better the quality, the happier you are with the product. I also brought a little point and shoot, which comes in handy when you’re in the most dangerous country in the world (the “Welcome to Honduras” speech we received at our ministry briefing).
More to come in Month 2!
Missionary Moment #2: When a hug transcends language barriers and says more than words can anyway.
