Many short-term missionaries have little experience in foreign cultures. Safety hints and resources for international travel are crucial. Your mission-sending agency is a most valuable information source. In the following article "Cross-Cultural Travel : Safety First !", adapted from The Great Commission Opportunities Guide, author Gwen Kuebler gives practical advice for safety and discernment during international travel.

Foreigners are noticeable - even in Western European countries. Before you pack, consult your mission agency or the host country's embassy for local dress customs. For example shorts are not acceptable street wear in Russia. Camouflage clothing is illegal in some countries, like Zimbabwe. In many places, only women of questionable character wear slacks. In some major foreign cities - like Caracas, Venezuela - citizens and missionaries do not even wear their engagement or wedding rings.

Nations with military governments often forbid photos of military posts, bridges, and even airports. So ask before you snap that shot of your group gathering around the baggage carousel at Harare Airport in Zimbabwe !

Weissman Travel Reports, available through some travel agencies - give informative country-by-country descriptions of do's and don'ts, health precautions, point of interests to look forward to.

Always carry your passport, unless the country requires (or your mission agency recommends) storing it in a hotel or mission safe. At the very least, you should have a photocopy of your passport's information, with two passport-sized photos. This also helps to get a replacement passport if yours is lost or stolen. It's very scary to be in a foreign place without proof of your national citizenship.

Exchange money only at designated banks or at airport exchange counters. People offering this service on the street may be part of the "black market". It could be a punishable crime to deal with them. Keep your money in a pouch pinned inside your trousers or skirt. Magellan's catalog, Essentials for the Traveler, offers a discreet, conceal-able pouch. Be aware that credit cards and travelers' checks may be accepted only at airports and at large city banks. Avoid carrying a purse. Store necessary items in coat or jacket pockets. Many developing nations forbid carrying their currency outside the country.

Although more properly included in an article regarding health precautions, we'd also like to mention a few tips. Eat only cooked food - no raw fruits or vegetables. Don't drink the tap water and don't use ice cubes. Some micro-organisms are harmless to the local people, as their bodies adjust since childhood - but unhealthy for visitors who immune system cannot fight the bacteria.

Knowing your host country's customs rules can ease your initiation into its culture. Your mission-sending agency or the nation's embassy is the best source for specific information. Here are some general guidelines to consider :

Upon arriving in your host country, declare all the money, electronic items and cameras Some countries also want you to declare jewelry - even engagement and wedding rings. Be aware that some nations, like Russia, do not allow importation of organic matter, animals, their own money, or lottery tickets. Keep your signed declarations form. In some countries, it is checked before you leave.

Before departure from your host country, know the departure taxes (if any) payable in local or U.S. currency. Departure tax for most countries is about US$20 or less. Check with your airline or travel agent when you buy your tickets. Be aware that if you go through Customs - even at a stopover airport - you must pay departure tax when you board your onward flight. Have all receipts for all your purchases. Know which items may be excluded from export, like local currency.