Several years to eight months before
your team's mission:
Æ Pray for God's
guidance to a people group, missionary, or part of the
world.
Æ Select your project.
Æ Reserve the project
by contacting the
·
1-800-999-3113, ext. 1255 or jramirez@imb.org
Æ Pray for God to move
in the hearts of the participants whom He desires for the team.
Eight
to six months before your team's mission:
Æ Begin the selection
process for team members.
·
The
Æ Contact the field
supervisor and ask the "Questions for field supervisors."
Æ Contact the travel
agent to secure block seating for the number of people on your team.
·
Names of the team members can be sent to the travel agent later.
·
Ask about group discounts for teams of 10 or more.
·
Ask about visas entry requirements for your country of destination
and the process for applying for visas, if required.
Æ Make sure the entire
team has passports and that their passports are valid for at least 6 months
after your project's return date.
·
Passport applications are available at
your local post office or at http://travel.state.gov/passport/index.html
Six to three months before your team's mission:
Æ Receive your team leader packet from the CMT. All information in
packet is online at www.thetask.org/students/approved.
·
Travel agent info
·
Spiritual preparation info
·
Physical preparation info
·
Cross-cultural training info
·
Insurance info
Æ Begin Immunizations.
Æ Send the SMT a copy
of your travel itinerary.
·
·
Or send the itinerary electronically to Pam Marth (pmarth@imb.org)
Æ Begin getting immunizations
·
Find the list of required and recommended immunizations at www.thetask.org/students/approved/immunizations
Æ Enroll for travel insurance.
·
One application is sufficient for the
entire team.
Æ Spiritually prepare your team
with "God's Heart for the Nations" Bible study.
·
Three months before your mission:
Æ Research you mission
country and people group.
·
Get several travel guides for information about the country and
culture. Each guide has a different focus of information, so several will give
you comprehensive information.
·
People group research Web sites
Æ Check airline weight
and size limits on checked baggage and carry-on bags.
·
Most airlines list this information on their Web sites.
·
If you have a domestic flight within your host country, the
luggage limits will be much less than the limits on internatinoal
flights. Be sure to check luggage restrictions for all airlines you will fly
and check both domestic and international restrictions.
Æ Begin a packing list.
Æ Physically prepare your team
with the "Prepare to Go" materials.
Two to One months before your team's mission:
Æ Complete the team registration and submit it online to the
SMT.
Æ Have each team member
make 2 copies of their passport ID page and their plane ticket.
·
Be sure they copy the last page of the ticket, not the itinerary.
·
Have team members give one copy to someone who could fax the
documents overseas in case either a passport or plane ticket is lost or stolen.
·
Have team members take the other copy with them on the project,
stored separately from the originals so at least a copy is available if the
originals are lost or stolen.
One month before your team's mission:
Æ Have team members get
copies of regular prescriptions and necessary amounts of medication to take
with them.
·
Take each medication in its original container with the pharmacy
label on the container in case customs officials ask about the medications.
Æ E-mail the field
supervisor about gifts to bring to the field.
·
Ask what items available here (food, magazines, etc.) you can
bring to them and their children.
·
Ask what types of gifts and how many gifts you should bring for
the nationals whom you will encounter.
Æ Shop for gifts,
travel-sized toiletry items and other travel necessities such as batteries and
film.
Æ Have team members
bring all luggage they will take with them to a team meeting, packed as if they
will leave on the trip. Carry the luggage around campus/community with you for
several hours, including up and down staircases, stopping to get something to
eat, etc.
·
Weigh a suitcase by standing on a bathroom scale, noting your
weight, then picking up the suitcase while you are on the scale. subtract your weight with the bag from your weight without
it to find the weight of the packed suitcase. Overweight bags incur charges
from $70 to $400, depending on the airline. You must reduce the weight (leave
things behind) or pay before you are allowed on the plane.
·
Encourage the team members to remove items that are not really
necessary or that you think you might need if your suitcase is unmanageable on
the campus outing.
One week before your mission:
Æ Have team members
compile a list of names and addresses to take.
·
Remind them to include those who gave them money for the trip in
order to send a short newsletter, as well as family and friends.
Æ Have team members put
all of travel documetns in a folder.
·
Separate your original passport and plane ticket from the
copies.
·
Remind them to pack this folder in your carry-on bag, not in your suitcase!
Æ Get cash and other
forms of money each team member will need to take.
·
Check with the field supervisor about the denominations of the
bills to bring and how new and clean the bill should be. Many money exchangers
will not accept bills that are torn, crumpled, wrinkled or have writing on
them.
Æ Have team members
give their travel itinerary and emergency contact phone numbers to parents or
guardians.
·
Contact phone numbers include:
o
Your field supervisor and any other number on the field that the
supervisor has provided to you.
o
Travel agent contact information.
o
§
(800) 999-3113
§
studentteam@imb.org
Æ Check the weather report at your destination to make
sure you have the right clothes packed.
One Day before your mission:
Æ Reconfirm all
domestic and international flights for the next day.
Æ Have students send "Debriefing Tips for Family and Friends" to
their parents or guardians, grandparents and close friends.
Æ Take God's glory to
the nations!
One week before you return from your mission:
Æ Begin debriefing your experience with the materials
from SMT website.
A few days after your return from mission:
Æ Encourage your team
members to find a family member, friend, or former missionary in your church
who has traveled overseas on mission and set a time to talk with that person
in-depth about your experience.
Æ Call your church
staff to ask how your team can share your experience with the church.
·
Ideas on places to share your story
Æ Encourage team
members to write down
·
Use the "How to Tell Your Story" tips
·
Practice telling these stories until you can tell them in 3-5
minutes with a distinct point to the story.
Æ E-mail your field
supervisor to thank him/her for hosting you.
Æ Mobilize other
students to pray, give, and go on mission to the nations.
One month after your mission:
Æ Complete the "Settling Back In" debriefing exercise .
Æ Deliberately get involved again
in your local church and/or local campus ministry again.
Æ Challenge each team
member to write out a personal action plan for next semester to reach the
nations in their community and on their campus.
Æ Keep mobilizing other
students to pray, give and go on mission to the nations.