In 42 days - 6 weeks exactly - I will traveling back to India! This fourth trip halfway around the world will focused on the counter-human-trafficking efforts in Northern India. Data shows India to the be the hub of human trafficking in Asia, but there are people fighting back against this epidemic and we are going to do what we can to join in that fight.
We will be bringing training and hopefully some respite to the men and women who work directly with survivors of trafficking everyday.
The three previous trips have all had very different purposes, but as I am gearing up for this trip next month, I am noticing 3 big shifts in my life when it comes to how I prepare myself to travel halfway around the world.
1. I am more thoughtful about what I put into my brain: My media input shifts to focus on India and my response to what God is doing there as the days count down to leaving. Studying the history and culture of the place I am traveling to helps put the places we see and the people we meet into the context of a larger story.
I also will begin changing the music I listen to. I am inspired by music that tells a story or puts a captivating picture in my mind. One of my favorite albums to listen to is:
It not only captures the sounds and rhythms of India, it gives an honest perspective on being an American traveling there.
2. Prep physically: It takes a toll on the body to travel that many hours in a plane and sleep in strange beds eating unfamiliar food along with trying to flip your internal clock (India is about 11 1/2 hours time difference from where I live). Being in shape, staying healthy, drinking water and even acclimating yourself to the some of the local foods before you go is a great way to prep. . . Chai tea anyone?
3. Plan and prep your mission: Our first trip to India, we were tasked with planning a week of "camp" for a small village in southern India. As we were meeting as a team leading up to the trip, four of us who worked for a camp, did our best to give input to the process. (for more on that trip, check out the blog posts here, here, and here).
Two weeks or so before we left, the entire week was handed over to us to plan the days. It was awesome, but a little nerve-wracking. The last minute planning had us scrambling for supplies and we even held several meetings huddled by the bathroom on the plane. The fellow passengers and flight attendants loved us. . .
So plan for as much as you can if you are going with a specific mission in mind.
For this trip, we have be getting trained by different experts in order to be the vehicles to bring some of that expertise to the Safe House Moms and other people who work with the survivors on a regular basis. From a Hands that Heal curriculum to Behavior Modification basics to Crisis Management, we have tried to listen to the needs and come prepared to respond.
So there are my three ways that I prepare to travel to India.
If you want to be a part of what we are doing over there, check out this link for more information!
We will be bringing training and hopefully some respite to the men and women who work directly with survivors of trafficking everyday.
The three previous trips have all had very different purposes, but as I am gearing up for this trip next month, I am noticing 3 big shifts in my life when it comes to how I prepare myself to travel halfway around the world.
1. I am more thoughtful about what I put into my brain: My media input shifts to focus on India and my response to what God is doing there as the days count down to leaving. Studying the history and culture of the place I am traveling to helps put the places we see and the people we meet into the context of a larger story.
2. Prep physically: It takes a toll on the body to travel that many hours in a plane and sleep in strange beds eating unfamiliar food along with trying to flip your internal clock (India is about 11 1/2 hours time difference from where I live). Being in shape, staying healthy, drinking water and even acclimating yourself to the some of the local foods before you go is a great way to prep. . . Chai tea anyone?
3. Plan and prep your mission: Our first trip to India, we were tasked with planning a week of "camp" for a small village in southern India. As we were meeting as a team leading up to the trip, four of us who worked for a camp, did our best to give input to the process. (for more on that trip, check out the blog posts here, here, and here).
Two weeks or so before we left, the entire week was handed over to us to plan the days. It was awesome, but a little nerve-wracking. The last minute planning had us scrambling for supplies and we even held several meetings huddled by the bathroom on the plane. The fellow passengers and flight attendants loved us. . .
So plan for as much as you can if you are going with a specific mission in mind.
For this trip, we have be getting trained by different experts in order to be the vehicles to bring some of that expertise to the Safe House Moms and other people who work with the survivors on a regular basis. From a Hands that Heal curriculum to Behavior Modification basics to Crisis Management, we have tried to listen to the needs and come prepared to respond.
So there are my three ways that I prepare to travel to India.
If you want to be a part of what we are doing over there, check out this link for more information!
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