Go in God's grace and listen, listen, listen.  There will be friction on the mission with those who go to serve and those who have been there many, many years.  Be at peace.  Learn the language, eat the food, go to the music or wedding invitations.  Please remember when you return, we want to know how it went.

Your best present is your presence.  Be there for THEM. In giving you will receive so much joy and blessing.  Start off slowly and learn their culture first.  Do only what you're asked to do for six months.  Man is one of the most adaptable creatures on earth.  You will learn to adapt to the conditions.  Pray for patience, peace and acceptance.  God is there for you.  Learn to depend on him and not your own insights.  Observe what the different roles are for men and women.  I, Jerry, was leading a building project and one day asked a guy if he wanted to take some leftover materials home.  He said yes.  I said great, take them by break time.  Break time came and they were still there. I  wanted them moved, because they had nails in them and it was unsafe, so I said, please take them by lunch. At the end of lunch they were still there.  “Do you still want them?” I asked.  Yes, he said.  Ok, move them by the end of the day.  At the end of the day, his wife came and she carried them home.  See, what I was asking him to do was women’s work, and I didn’t know that. I  had embarrassed him by asking him to do it himself.  So, take time to observe what types of work that men and women do.

When I served, I put my culture, my life, behind me.  I made a decision to participate in their cultural rituals. I  gave myself to them and my life is richer for it. Also, learn the language.  If you don’t, it’s a disservice to yourself.  You won’t be able to participate in Mass and you can’t really engage without it.

In our training prior to assignment as Secondary School teachers in Malawi East Africa, we were told to basically keep our mouths shut and just observe during our first year — only after that our opinions and insights might make sense.  We didn't always follow those instructions, but should have!  By the 2nd year we realized that many of our first impressions of "what was wrong in Malawi and what they should do about it" were hopelessly naïve and just plain wrong.  Looking back, we are embarrassed by many of the opinions stated in the letters we wrote home that first year.  In the 2nd and 3rd years we better understood the culture, the issues Malawians faced, and were much better equipped to be a positive force in helping educate and equip our students in finding ways to improve their lives and their country.

A couple of suggestions of what to bring: a set of American measuring spoons & cups and a conversion chart for dealing with metric recipes.

On our way to our mission assignment our luggage was left behind in Honolulu because the cargo space was full.  Our luggage would be sent on the next airplane. We arrived at our mission station and immediately began to contact the airline to find our about our luggage.  Worry, worry, worry.  After all, we needed our clothes, etc., right?  Wrong!  The local people at our mission station assured us they would provide us with everything we needed and they did. After two weeks our luggage arrived and we didn't even notice.  Any worry was for nothing, wasted effort and clearly lacking in faith.  One lesson we learned from our three years of mission service is how God provides what we need right in front of us when we look carefully and think creatively.

I would suggest journaling while there —  when I go back and read my journals from then I’m blown away.  I feel like God revealed some of the most beautiful stuff ever when I was in Thailand.

Words of wisdom:  When snorkeling or skin diving in the ocean in PNG it is suggested to wear a t-shirt.  You can get a bad sunburn if exposed to the sun longer than 15 min.  Get in the habit of putting on sunscreen in the morning, as sun damage can be a health issue.

This is your experience and no one else's. So enjoy your time there.  Missioners have come before you and will come after you.  Our work is never finished. God will be there waiting for you and always goes before you.

Mostly —  Let go and let God.  Say that over and over to themselves as they go through life as a missionary.  It was the hardest thing I've ever done but the most rewarding.  Leave the heart open to different ways of doing things.

My advice would be to always keep an open mind; nothing will be as you expect it to be.  Remember that the first year you are there you will be gaining more from the experience than you will contribute.  It really does take about a year to understand and fit into a new culture.  Sit back and listen, don't try to make changes.  What may seem a bit backwards to you very well may be progressive to those you are there to serve.  Don't assume that just because the education level among the general population is lower, that the people are not intelligent, that's FAR from the case!  My approach to going in was to expect the worse conditions possible, filthy and bug ridden.  When I got there my cement-floored, cinder-block duplex felt like a mansion.  Life in the missions is definitely what you make it.  Live, Love and Learn.  It's an opportunity of a lifetime!  The biggest lessons I learned was the difference between wants and needs, and that there are amazing people in all corners of the world!

When I served in Cameroon and in South Africa, I had to "un-do" a lot of my thinking and preconceived notions — even with the nine months of training given my class by LMH back in 1982-83. And one piece of advice they gave us was: If you plan on taking pictures, do it within the first six months, because after that you won’t notice the opportunities as much; they will all become routine.  And if you have not yet read the “Ugly American,” it would be helpful to take it with you and read it in your spare time.  Ah yes, time — allow yourselves to be absorbed with their interpretation of it.

Be a good listener and go out and enjoy the people.  The experience changed my life.