Saturday, December 3, 2011

THINGS TO CONSIDER WHILE PACKING:

- Limit what you bring to one bag and leave space to bring souvenirs back home

- Dending on what month you come, the weather will be very different (and remember, we are opposite seasons as those in the Northern hemisphere).  E-mail us and we can give you some specific temps.
 - You will be able to wear shorts of decent length on free time

- Dressy clothes aren’t needed. During times of ministry or church girls can wear pants, capris, or skirts.

- Clothes tend to get very dirty and red-stained so you may want to bring inexpensive clothing items. Your host family will be handwashing your laundry daily (provided there’s no rain).

- Shoes that you can get muddy and are good for walking in the mud
- Pocket Spanish/English dictionary

-Bring Spanish notes from past classes (brush up on Spanish ahead of time?)
- Bathing suit

- Mosquito repellant (no aerosol can)

- Sunscreen
-Alarm clock (so you can be on time for clinic!)

- If you are a light sleeper, you may need to bring ear plugs (for the all-night roaster crowing) and face mask (your family may sleep with the lights on)
- Rain coat/poncho

- Travel umbrella

- Your medicines (anti-diarrheal and antibiotics can be found easily and cheaply here)

- Small notebook for language learning

- Bible, maybe even a Spanish/English Bible
- Towel and wash cloth

- International calling card if you want to make phone calls (FYI past students have had little success with this)
- Water bottle/canteen
- Flashlight
- Our electricity runs on 220. People here are very conscious of their electrical bills. Anything that you bring that will plug in may be spending money that they don’t have especially if it is a heating (hair dryer) device.

- You will be around small kids in clinic, your families, neighborhood and church - you may want to bring colors and coloring books, stickers, bubbles, balloons, a craft, etc

- Youth in our church and community will be drawn to you so you may consider bringing games or ice breakers to do for youth group
- Our water comes from a deep community well. We drink it and offer it to our American visitors. However, you are welcome to bring a water filter or iodine tablets if you so desire.

- Stethoscope and blood pressure cuff if you have one already

- A watch with a second hand will be handy when doing vital signs

- Do not bring a computer or other expensive electronics

- You will not need malaria prophylaxis medicine in this region of Paraguay (www.cdc.gov)

- Make and bring a copy of your passport tucked in your suitcase. That way, if your passport gets misplaced you will have an easier time replacing it.

- Past interns have spent an average of $200 on souvenirs and gifts for supporters

- Enough memory/storage device for all your picture taking

- Games are a fun way to interact with Paraguayans and your host families
-Bring a positive attitude, go with the flow, don’t grumble or complain, be humble, be willing to learn, be prepared to not be able to communicate as well as you would like, get ready for some real fun and be praying for God to open your eyes to some new perspectives.

- Bring a small gift for your host family like dish towels, pot holders, pictures frames, table cloths, something special from your home state, etc. You may also enjoy bringing special foods to share with your family like fixin's for s'mores, Mac and Cheese, pancake mix, trail mix, candies, gum, etc

-Past students have enjoyed cooking an American meal for their host families.Consider bringing spices or other ingredients that you may not be able to find here.
- Your host family will love to see pictures of your family and of your home state. It will be a great way to practice language

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