January 24, 2005 - AIM Rocks: “Brace yourself”

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AIM Rocks: “Brace yourself”—The AIMer’s Motto

By Scott and Suzi McGarvey
January 24, 2005

(Editor’s Note: This is the third in a six part series on working overseas for a season of your life.)

Living in Europe has its rewards and drawbacks, and Eastern Europe brings its own set of peculiarities for Americans abroad. When missionaries Roger and Becky Buckland first arrived in the Czech Republic, holiday preparations they were used to on other mission fields were non-existent. There weren’t even Christmas cards in the stores.

Today, there are many western-style conveniences, including fully-stocked grocery stores, fast food, mobile phones, and high-speed and wireless internet access. However, inventory stocking is still sketchy at times. Looking for that Labello chapstick you bought last month? The entire shelf is empty—plenty of Rose flavor, but no Classic flavor. Need ground beef for tacos tonight? Good luck, there was an entire freezer of it two days ago; now there’s none. Better go with chicken.

Speaking of shopping, translation can turn any trip interesting. Need dish soap? There it is on the shelf, the brand is “Colon” and it comes in your choice of lemon or fresh scents. Where would you look for peanut butter? With the jellies and jams? Keep searching because it’s in the import section and costs a mere $8.

Being as prepared as possible to live overseas makes your experience much more pleasant. If you’ve done some homework ahead of time, you won’t have to spend as much time acclimating yourself to your new environment. Here are a few tidbits to consider:

Learn the metric system and how to tell the temperature in Celsius. When someone says it’s 24 degrees outside, should you put your sweater on or leave it at home?
Do all you can to learn another language. Take a class, find a tutor, use a tutorial program on the internet, or listen to tapes in your car on the way to work. Being able to take care of basic needs like buying stamps at the post office or adding more minutes to a cell phone makes life much easier when you know a few basic phrases.
Practice talking to people you don’t normally talk to. You’ll meet all kinds of people while you’re an AIMer. Practicing your conversation skills while you’re in the States will make it easier to approach people who don’t share your language.
Try new foods. You’re going to be eating food that you’re not used to. Try eating at new restaurants in your area or find some recipes from the region you’ll be in.
Stay out of debt. Get your credit cards paid off and start saving some money. Though easier said than done, if you don’t have any debt, it will be so much easier for you to raise your funds without having to worry about covering your debts. And you won’t have to worry about it when you return.
Consider partnering up if at all possible. Loneliness is defined as being by yourself in a new culture, new city, and the missionary you’re working with is gone for a week (or more). In addition to companionship, your partner can provide spiritual and emotional support.
Check out all the appliances you plan to bring. American electricity uses 110-120 volts. Much of the rest of the world uses 220-240 volts. Anything rated for 110 volts that is plugged into 220 volts will immediately fry. Most major electronics (camcorders, laptops, and the like) are dual voltage, meaning they are smart enough to know what voltage they’re plugged into or have a switch that you manually change. Dual voltage products have a small tag or imprint that displays the rating 100v – 240v AC 50/60Hz. There are dual voltage curling irons, electric shavers, and irons widely available (including at Wal-Mart).
On top of all of that, the electrical outlets are generally different sizes which means you will need to have an adapter to make your North American plug fit into any other country’s outlet. For more info on adapters, converters and voltage, visit Radio Shack.

Robert and Evangeline Rodenbush wrote an excellent handbook for those working with or visiting missionaries. Pick up a copy of What To Know Before You Go! for a common sense guide to being a blessing and being safe.

ninetyandnine.com

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Scott and Suzi McGarvey have, Lord willing, never lost a wallet, been mugged, or conned overseas; but, there’s still time for that. They haven’t found Classic-flavored Labello chapstick yet, either. They have, however, found a cheap source for Jiff peanut butter. For a price, they’ll point you down the right alley.