Prepping for Your Missionary's Specific Country

Q: "How do we prepare for a specific country or climate?"

Climate first. Hot, humid missions call for lightweight, breathable, quick-dry fabrics and moisture-wicking layers; cold missions need real coats, wool socks, and waterproof boots. Rainy areas: waterproof shoes and a good umbrella.

What's hard to find in-country. Shoes in your size, modest clothing, and specific toiletries can be tough to find abroad — bring enough to last, since reshipping is slow and pricey.

Voltage, visas, and vaccines. Check plug types and voltage. Entry, visa, and vaccination requirements change often and vary by country, so verify the current rules for the assigned country through official sources and the mission office — and start visa paperwork early, since some countries take months.

Ask an RM who served there. The best country-specific advice comes from someone who's lived it.

Tip: Pack a second pair of broken-in shoes for an overseas mission — you may not find your size there.

"What we need now is the greatest generation of missionaries in the history of the Church."

— Elder M. Russell Ballard, "The Greatest Generation of Missionaries" (October 2002)