Dear Soon to Launch World
Racers,
I
am so pumped for you! You are about to
take a journey that will be one of the best times of your life. Just remember, you signed up for this, so it will
be what you make it. You can have a
GREAT experience or, unfortunately, have a crappy one. It’s all about your attitude and perspective. I am not the same woman when I left; so be
completely prepared for what God has in store for you. AIM staff tells you before launch to “Drop
all expectations.” Seriously, take that
and do it. Be content in every
situation. Be flexible and open to
whatever may come at you. This is going
to be a year of simplicity; from ministry to lifestyle, so don’t let expectations
take you out of this amazing opportunity.
As a former world racer, I have written a few
recommendations to help you out during this time of preparation. Take ’em or leave ’em….they are here for you
to enjoy and read.
One: Bring
some type of meds that will keep your bowels moving. (fiber pills, probiotics,
laxatives, etc.)
Being constipated in Africa is NOT fun!
Two: Bring clothes
you regularly wear at home….and you won’t mind giving up.
Just prepare yourself for all types of ministry. I recommend bringing more t-shirts with
sleeves than tank tops (girls). In most
countries, dress code for women is more modest than the U.S. I would bring 2 tank-tops for hanging
out/debrief/off days. Bring four nice
shirts/blouses for church and then lastly, 2 t-shirts….and that’s it! Remember, you can pick up clothes from your
squad mates at debriefs or you can shop at local markets. Your clothes will stink, get dirty, and these
are the clothes you will be wearing for the next 11 months! Yes, your closest
just got a WHOLE LOT smaller!
Three: Seriously,
bring VISA!!!
I had Mastercard and I was
ok 9 out of 11 months; and then I got to Rwanda & Kenya. 2 months with no access to money can be quite
difficult. This is one tip from TC
(training camp) I wish I took instead of listening to my bank. Thank God for Western Union; but it can be a
hassle finding the time and transportation to go in town and pick it up. So, save yourself a trip and stress and just get
a Visa card. The commercials are
right….Visa is accepted everywhere!!
Four: The less
electronics you have, the lighter your pack will be.
Do not take every single
electronic you own, trust me, you will survive.
It could be safer and will be waiting for you when you get home. For
music, I recommend an iPod touch or iPhone.
These are both great options for apps, music, camera and tools
(calculator for all you treasurers).
It’s ultimately your choice, because you’re the one that has to carry it
for 11 months. But just consider, there
are possibilities for theft or torrential downpours. In the end, you will be fine with
minimal. I only brought my computer and
iPhone. The only reason why I brought my
computer was because I was a treasurer.
If I wasn’t, I probably wouldn’t have brought it.
Five: Don’t bring
duplicate toiletries.
In the beginning, I had a
toiletry bag for my pack and another one for my daypack, in case my pack got
lost. (Thanks TC for that fear!) I came
to realization month 2, and sent one of my toiletry bags home. By the end of the race, I had one toiletry
bag in my big pack that carried majority of my stuff and had a Ziploc bag of
essential toiletries in my daypack (toothbrush w/ travel case [regular one],
toothpaste [travel size], deodorant, & baby wipes). My recommendation: You either a) start
off and buy all travel size toiletries or b) buy a regular size bottle of
shampoo and body wash and refill from there.
The girls on my team bought community shampoo and body wash loved doing
it! Also, body wash or a bar of soap –
choose ONE, not both!
Six: Girls: If you are specific on tampons,
STOCK UP!! If you don’t mind cardboard applicators or pads, you’ll be just
fine. Also, if you can invest in a
Go-Girl, get it. I didn’t have one and I
was envious of the girls who did. They said
it helps with squattys and on travel days when your bus pulls off on the side
of the road for your bathroom break.
Seven: Buy something small or do the same thing in
each country and record it. It will
make a neat souvenir. I collected
bookmarks in each country and my friend Shawna Moffatt danced in each country
and she has a cool video to look back on.
Whatever you choose to do, just remember, consider the weight.
Eight: Bring a speaker, multi-person splitter,
& an external hard drive. (If you bring a computer)
These three things are
perfect for movies during down time, team-bonding, travel days, and/or debrief. The external hard drive is good for back-up
in case your computer crashes.
Nine: Take advantage
of the perks you get on your international flight.
G Squad loves Qatar
Airlines! They provided: earplugs, eye
mask, toothbrush and toothpaste. If you
are a risk taker, you can also take the comfy blanket they provide. Also, sign up for frequent flyer accounts (United/Star
Alliance, Delta, American Airlines).
Take advantage of all those hours of travel you’ll endure!
Ten: Don’t go crazy
on a TENT…but don’t be too stingy either.
I used mine 4 out of the
11 months, and one of those months I loaned to the guys for manistry month,
where one of my poles broke randomly (so they say, and I trust them). Then in Cambodia, the OTHER pole broke
randomly! We were inside a church, too! I ended up ditching my tent in Kenya before I
left.
Eleven: Get a LEGIT
mattress pad.
I slept on mine 6 out of
the 11 months. I bought the ex-ped air
mattress pad from REI. Month 1 it sprung
a leak and month 7 one of the “valves” broke, so 2 became one giant one, which
made it where I was sleeping on a slant for 2 months. Even if you have to go a couple ounces
heavier, it will be worth it! Protect
your back, especially if you have back pain issues to begin with. (I had back issues coming in and by month 11
I got a herniated disc. Now the sleeping
pad is not what caused it, but I’m sure it didn’t help.
Twelve: Prepare yourself
for CHANGE.
Route change, team change,
ministry site change. My squad, team
& I experienced all three. So, even
if you look at your route and see that you should have summer “all year long”,
prepare yourself. You might just find
yourself in Eastern Europe in the middle of winter. Thank you Jesus for second hand stores!
Thirteen: Zip-up hoodie
TRUMPS regular hoodie, in my opinion.
It’s a sweatshirt AND a
jacket. Helps with layering and less
bulky.
Fourteen: Don’t bring
excessive accessories (headbands, scarves, jewelry, makeup) unless you’re going
to wear it on a regular basis.
You don’t need 15
headbands. You don’t need 4 scarves. You don’t need a jewelry box. You don’t need a makeup case. CONDENSE & gather in small cases. I used a small, soft case that my mom got
from Clinique’s bonus packages.
Fifteen: Bring some
dryer sheets & travel size fabreeze.
Save both of these items
for the 2nd half of the race.
I put a few dryer sheets in a Ziploc bag, and once my clothes started to
get a “stinge” I placed one of the dryer sheets in each of my packing cubes to
help “freshen” everything up. Both of
these items will be dire in Africa!
Sixteen: Bring the
necessities.
Don’t think luxury. You are not dropping off the face of the
earth, although your family and friends will think so. You will be surprised with what you find in
overseas grocery stores and malls. Pack
like you are going on a 2 week camping trip.
I’m being for real.
Seventeen: Kindle >
actual books.
For weight purposes, don’t bring actual books
– it’s a waste of space. Invest in a
Kindle – they are great! I am so glad I
purchased one. Same applies to your
Bible. You can get one on your Kindle,
but you may not want to carry that during door to door ministry in Cambodia. Bring
a small, travel, paperback Bible.
Eighteen: Don’t stress
about bringing a bug net.
Our
contacts in Africa provided mosquito nets for each of us. I would bring one only if you have the weight
or you have to reassure your family & friends that you will be taken care
of. You can always ditch it when you
leave Asia.
Nineteen: Bring
addresses of ALL your supporters & send them postcards.
Trust me, they will love and
appreciate it! If you have the money and
the hand strength, you can do 1 to each supporter from each country, or you can
do what I did, and make sure each supporter gets 1 postcard throughout the 11
months.
Twenty: Be smart &
practical when it comes to souvenirs.
You’re going to want to
pick up some cool stuff from the countries you go to. Just be practical with what you can carry on
your back. You can send stuff home, but
it can get quite pricey. I only sent
stuff home 3 times while I was on the field, and one of those times was from
New York during a layover.
Twenty-One: Yes to bug
spray.
2 cans at maximum and save
it for the buggiest places. I had a hard
time finding bug spray in the countries we went to. I used the most bug spray in Nicaragua than I
did the entire time in Africa.
Twenty-Two: Prepare yourself
to get sick.
You might not get the flu
or malaria, but you will get at least a cold or stomach issues. Either way, Cipro will be your best
friend. So, that is one med I would make
sure you have! Cold medicine
(Day/Nyquil) is a good investment. Don’t
go overboard on meds. Bring what you
know you’ll need.
Twenty-Three: Don’t bring
anything that you’re NOT going to use.
Sounds pretty obvious, but
I’m telling you, you’ll get to month 5 and ask yourself “Why did I pack
this?” I brought a jump rope and thera-bands
for exercise and didn’t use them once. I
also brought a shower in a bag, and didn’t use that either. Use your discernment. You’re going to want to exercise. Some of G squad’s favorites were the Insanity
workouts and just plain running.
Twenty-Four: Bring an
ENO hammock with a bug net.
It’s very portable and
comfortable. Bring it and thank me
later. I love mine! One item I did NOT ditch at the end of my race.
Twenty-Five: Purchase the
lightest sleeping bag.
I bought mine from REI (Travel
Sack: Sleeping Bag/liner 55 F) and it was perfect. Although, I only used mine 4 out of 11
months, but that happens.
Twenty-Six: ZIP-LOC
BAGS!!! (GALLON & SANDWICH SIZE)
These will be your pack’s best friend for the
next 11 months and they will LAST the entire time! I have seriously considered writing Ziploc a
letter complimenting them on the quality of their products.
*************************************************************************************************
Well, that’s about
it. I hope some of the recommendations
have given you better insight on how to prepare and pack for your world
race. I want to leave you with one last
thing.
You can read blog after blog on
packing lists and preparation, but that’s not what’s going to prepare you for
the World Race. What will prepare you is
to just be you. Go into the World Race willing and ready to
change when God calls you to. Be open
and vulnerable with your team. Don’t be
afraid to ask the hard, deep questions; it’s ok. There will be times that come during the Race
when you’ll yearn to just go home, but don’t stop pursuing God. Keep preserving
into the ministry, your team and most importantly, God. I realized and walked through many things on
the Race, some stuff that continues to come up, but now, I recognize them and I
have the full knowledge to fight them alongside my Heavenly Father. Your Father wants GOOD things for you, so
everything you will experience in the next 11 months: good, bad, easy, hard, is
GOOD and it is blessed.
If you have any questions,
please ask. I would love to answer them
for you. Best wishes on your world
race! Enjoy and soak up every minute of
it. I will be praying for you all!
To all my supporters,
thank you for all your support and prayers throughout the past 11 months. Without you, I wouldn’t be able to give
recommendations to future racers. I am
immensely blessed.
