Lightnings of
God Ministries Int’l
Preparation Form
In preparing for a trip such as this there are some important steps that you must follow to be ready to travel. On this information sheet, you will find helpful information that will prepare you for the ministry outreach ahead.
1) Passport: Everyone is required to obtain a passport. A passport is needed to travel to any
foreign country. To apply for your
passport, you must fill out a passport application which you can acquire at your
local post office or the Clerk of Courts.
Take the application with your birth certificate and two 2”x2” passport
pictures (pictures may be taken at your local AAA travel office or some other
quick photo store) back to the Clerks of Courts or post office and they will
send it to be processed for you. It
will take three to six weeks to process your passport.
Make sure you apply right away.
If you already have a passport but it needs to be renewed, you can obtain
a renewal application from the same places motioned above. You will need to make two copies of your passport,
keeping one copy with you in case your original passport is lost or stolen and
the other copy leave with a loved one at home.
1)
Visa: Most all countries require foreigners to have a
visa, which gives them permission to enter the country. The visa must be processed and stamped into
your original passport. The cost of the
visa is already included in the cost of the trip price. We will need you to complete the enclosed
visa form, provide two 2”x2” passport photos (do not tape, stamp or write on
them), and send us your original passport.
Make sure your passport is signed before you send it to us. Attached to the visa application is a
“sample visa application” form to be used as an example. Please send the application form to us as
soon as possible, but no later than three weeks before the trip.
2)
Vaccinations: Even though many countries do not require any, we highly recommend that you
prepare yourself for any unforeseen sickness or disease. Check with your local health care department
regarding their recommendations regarding your specific health
requirements. Our recommendations are 1)
Yellow Fever. 2) Meningococcal (for
meningitis). 3) Typhoid. 4) Hepatitis
A. 5) Cholera 6) Malaria. These
vaccinations will cover you for most countries, but you will still need to
check with your medical advisers. The
cost of these vaccinations may vary.
These vaccinations should be completely received no later than four
weeks before departure. A copy of your shot record needs to be left behind with
a family member.
3) “Home Front” Responsibilities: Make sure everything is in order at home before you leave on such a trip. Make sure your spouse or loved one has proper information concerning all legal responsibilities. This may constitute setting in order the Power of Attorney or other pertinent information. This is a personal decision.
4) Clothing: Men will need to bring nice pants to wear, as well as nice casual shirts for daily use. In the meetings you will be required to wear dress pants as well as shirt and tie. Ladies will be required to wear either skirts or blouses or some type of comfortable dress. Pants are not acceptable in most foreign cultures for women. Comfortable walking shoes are important because there is a lot of walking. Jeans are not acceptable in all places so we recommend that none be brought. Dockers as such are acceptable for men only. No tight clothing! Must be modest dress. Never take any clothing that you can’t afford to get damaged. The condition or environment is going to be quite different than what we have here in the States. You may want to bring a light raincoat or a small umbrella in case of rain. Most of the time your clothes will be washed in the home where you will be staying. Take responsibility to see your own personal items are washed yourself.
5) Luggage: Each person traveling is allowed to have two-checked baggage along with one carry-on accompanied with a purse, camera bag, briefcase, etc. Your carry-on must be reasonable in size. Your checked luggage can’t weigh above 70 lb. This is monitored very closely. Checked luggage is supposed to be 62” in total size, including length, width and height. This is not watched for unless you have a really oversized piece of luggage.
6) Electric current: The current can be in range of 220v to 240v AC, depending on what country you may be in. If you plan on bringing electric razors, hair dryers, curling irons or other electric appliances you will need an all-purpose transformer adapter to convert the current, one that has different types of plug-ins. Kenya is 240v. Since voltage adapters do not always work, nor do the outlets, ladies may want to bring a propane curling iron with an extra propane cartridge besides the electric one. Men may want to have a safety razor on hand, too.
7) Toiletries: Since personal hygiene is very important, we need to make sure we are properly prepared in this area. Make sure you have your shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, toothpaste and toothbrush, etc. We not only want to be dressed properly but we want to smell good as well. There are other things that may be needed as well as personal items. These are things that get overlooked at times. Due to the heat in many areas we go, we recommend that if you’re sensitive to the heat that you bring a bottle of suntan lotion to protect your skin. Also, we recommend that each one bring some type of insect repellant. Many times you will need to wash your hands and there will be no place to do it. We recommend each one to bring some type of wet towels such as Johnson’s baby washcloths, facial tissues, toilet paper and deodorant soap, etc.
8) Sundries: You may want to take some snacks such as dried fruit, nuts, and nutrition bars as helpful food supplements if you would like to enjoy a “taste of home”. These items can be enjoyed on the plane as well as in the country you are going. It is good to take a camera with plenty of film. Sunglasses, sewing kits, flashlight, etc. are often needed when away from your home environment.
9) Extra money: You may want to have extra money on hand to purchase extras you may need or want such as sodas, bottled water (advisable and cheap), souvenirs and other items you may want to bring back to America. In most countries, not true in all, you can purchase things very cheap. People have taken an extra $250 to $300 dollars and have found it sufficient but this is a personal judgement and depends mostly on what you want to bring back or consume. Some amount is always needed.
10) Currency: There will be an exchange rate for foreign currency. We will make sure you will be able to exchange monies without any hassle or difficulty and without any one taking advantage of you. The exchange rate varies from day to day. There is no guarantee of what it may be when we arrive.
11) Time zones: There is a great increase in time zones in traveling. Kenya is 8 hours ahead of EST.
We appreciate your desire to be with us on this trip and we pray that your life will be touched greatly as we touch the hearts of many on this mission outreach. I hope that most of your questions will be answered by the information in this packet. If you have any further questions you can contact us at (937) 275-9808.
We ask that you take considerable time in prayer concerning your coming on one of our ministry outreaches and allowing the Holy Spirit of God to direct your heart. We understand that not everyone will have the desire to go and minister on the foreign field where the conditions may not be the best, but we know the time is at hand and there is so much to be done. There are millions of people in the nations of the world today who need to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We will be in prayer for you and your families as you prepare and allow God to direct you for the Mission Field.
In His service,
Ken and Angel Harbaum
Lightnings of God Ministries Int’l