Orientation information

Now that you’ve been approved to go, it’s time to PREPARE to GO.

Prepare to be changed.

Prepare to see God work among the people and among the nations.

Prepare to participate in His work.

Prepare to GO.

Spiritual preparation

Spiritual preparation is crucial to the effectiveness of your international mission. Read the information on Being a World Christian and complete the study on “Becoming a World Christian” on the Traveling Team’s Web site (The Traveling Team is a missions organization with which the IMB’s Student Mobilization Team partners) prior to departing for the mission field.

• Spiritual readiness (Download Adobe Acrobat. pdf file)
• Prayer strategy—Required, Not Optional! (pdf file)
• Thirty-one day prayer guide
• More Prayer Resources
• Daily Devotions for the mission field.
• Standing Firm … Pressing On: Devotions to prepare for missions and to take with you to the field.

Other Bible Studies for mission preparation

• Explore Corella Ricketson, editor
• God's Heart for the Nations by Jeff Lewis
• Experiencing God On Mission by Henry Blackaby and Avery Willis
• Follow Me: Lessons for Becoming a Prayerwalker by Randy Sprinkle

Physical preparation

• Living and serving in other cultures (Download Adobe Acrobat. pdf file)
• Pack smart, pack light (pdf file)
  • More packing tips
  • Take Only a Carry-on Bag
• Common-sense safety (pdf file)
• Hints for healthy living in developing countries (pdf file)

We asked students who were previously on mission what they would like to say to the next year’s student missionaries. You will find their comments throughout this orientation packet.

Culture/Ministry preparation

“Preparing to enter another culture is not just a good idea, it’s a matter of survival so that culture shock doesn’t derail you and your ministry. Two must-read books before you go are:

• Foreign to Familiar by Sarah Lanier
  • A great in-a nutshell-view of cultural misunderstandings and how to overcome them
• Ministering Cross Culturally by Sherwood Lingenfelter and Marvin Mayers
  • “An excellent resource to understand yourself and the differences between Western personality traits and how much of the rest of the world behaves.”