I find it funny that one of my friends asked me tonight, "Who actually reads your blog?!" Only to find out I am just shy of 2800 readers.. So thank you all, in his words I appreciate. And if he ever stumbles on this one post I hope it makes him smile, mostly out of annoyance.
To the matter at hand:
If you are ever planning an trip as an international servant some
things you should know. Its a "Leave the gun, take the cannoli" type
of situation. There are certain things one can afford to leave behind, and for
the few countries i have lived in, four.. I can at least share some of my pent
up knowledge.
As a rule I take these five things, no matter where I am headed.
It just has worked out that they are
always useful.
1) Wet wipes (baby or antibacterial) -Wonderful for when you have no water and need
a quick clean or wonder if the person ahead of you had e coli-
2) Pain killers, ibuprofen -you never know what kind of meds you can get
so have at least a bottle-
3) Re-hydration tablets - LIFE SAVER anyplace hot, have these on hand
and get into the habit of drinking them-
4) Power bars or breakfast bars (at least
15) -eating habits differ from place to
place always have a snack in case they
give you dinner at 10 pm and you had lunch at 11-
5) Flashlight with one extra set of batteries
(or solar one) –self expiatory-
Puerto Rico
So technically this is part of the US, but when you get there or
if you have already been there, it’s more like an 2nd world country.
They have Walmart, Walgreens and Applebees. So in short there is
not much you really need to bring that you can’t get in the states. The only
things that can run a bit expansive are paper products, notebooks, calendars
and so forth. I do suggest in inventing in a small handheld blender, perfect
for fresh smoothies. The fruit you can get fresh makes the best breakfasts..
Bahamas
I had the great pleasure of staying the Bahamas a few different times,
exploring three of the islands out of 700 of course. Everything there is way
more expansive. They have very little that is produced there so importing ta is
sky high. Even most of the meat, besides fish, is brought in so is priced
ridiculously high. Consider becoming a vegetarian while there if you are on a
tight budget.
Also if you have white girl hair, like myself, bring your
shampoo.. to get it there is not cheap and sometimes impossible to find.
Sunscreen, hand held fan, a hat or umbrella is a must for the
intense heat.
Fruit and fish are cheap as well as rice and chick peas, a local
favorite. Basically anything you think you need bring to this place otherwise you could have to live without unless you are on Paradise Island.
Ecuador
Besides the 5 things I always bring.. For here I would suggest no
small amount of Pepto-Bismol (stomach relief). The weather ranges here so be
ready for anything in one day.
If you have clothing you don’t feel like you
need to keep take it along and sell it at the end of the trip.
I love bringing the roll up water bottles everywhere once I have
finished the drink it’s an easy carry.
I found things I needed were easy to get here, most people have
wifi and in some areas you can wait for a delivery truck to come by and you can
grab your groceries from him instead of walking to the store down the street. Dvds are cheap and they let you watch part of it to make sure the quality is good.
Zimbabwe
Medicine is cheap so is the alcohol here.
White girl shampoo again is hard to come by and is way overpriced.
(Normally because
the ones buying it can afford it to be a bit more.) Make sure
to have a first aid kit with you, just because meds are cheap doesn’t mean
Band-Aids or roll gaze is.
They have great coffee, tea and such here if you decide to splurge
on anything I’d bring a coffee syrup.. It can make a difference after five
months to have a cup that is just like home.
Make sure that you have a power bank with you, lately the power has
been fine but it hasn’t been all that great over the years. Thinking in terms
of solar is best, no lack of sun there. If you are there for a while serving in
the field you may want to bring one or two Tupperware bins to hold food. They cost
a ton here and having a few has been a great investment. I even bought a small non-stick skillet and it was such a great thing to bring. They are mucho $$ here. (I also bought in packets of my favorite seasonings like taco mix for dinners.)
Overall if you are a picky eater or someone who has lots of
allergies you may have a bit more to overcome for those who don’t. Being an
international servant or need greater is all about leaving the comfort zone in
every way. Be prepared to get dirty, get hungry (at least once), get tried, get
sick and get annoyed or aggravated. Sometimes you sit down and go over the pros
and cons of this path you’ve chosen and in the side of Pros, you have: Reaching
Out to Serve My God…its all worth that pain, annoyance and extra cost. I
suggest taking a few articles with you so that if everything goes wrong you
have something to bring you back to the focus.
This is where my memory
stops, if you have any questions about something I may have forgotten about
please ask, it might help jog my brain. I have been other places but these are
the major spots I have spent more than a few weeks at, so focused on those.
The other day I had a hard time telling if this was my real life and the one in the States is my "Holiday" life. The friends here make me feel like I have always known them, like this is my congregation. I know that might cause a bit of pain for some, but there is room in my heart for many these days.
I sadly only have just over 3 weeks to go, so those in Michigan awaiting my arrival it is close.
This week brings Harare International Festival of Arts is here so hopefully i can grab a few artsy shows before i come home.
