Sending a mission team to a foreign country requires a bit more planning and coordination than a typical short-term mission does.
If you have a Brotherhood Mutual Passport to Ministry® international travel insurance policy, you will be protected for a number of emergency situations that may arise while you’re traveling.
You may be able to avoid many problems, however, if you embark on the trip with a plan that helps preserve your security and peace of mind while traveling. Here are some suggestions to consider as you plan your foreign mission trip.
Do Your Research
Consider security risks. Investigate whether political unrest, crime, terrorism, or other conditions could affect your safety or security. Visit the U.S. State Department’s Web site, www.travel.state.gov, to learn of any warnings issued to U.S. travelers.
Locate aid providers. Determine the location of the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate through the U.S. State Department’s Web site. Find out what services or advice officials there can provide.
Map hospital route. Find the nearest hospital or medical facility. Determine how you would transport an injured participant to the nearest treatment provider.
Document Your Plans
Register your trip. Consider registering your travel plans with the U.S. State Department, so that it can better assist you in an emergency. You can do it through a free online service. This will help officials contact you if there is a family emergency in the U.S., or if there is a crisis where you are traveling. In accordance with the Privacy Act, information on your welfare and whereabouts will not be released to others without your authorization.
Sign your passport. Make sure you have a signed, valid passport, and a visa, if required, and fill in the emergency information page of your passport.
Share your itinerary. Leave copies of your itinerary, passport data page and visas with family or friends, so you can be contacted in case of an emergency.
Obtain Insurance
Review your coverage. Many domestic health insurance policies don’t cover medical expensesincurred in a foreign country. Make sure your policy covers the cost of hospitalization, medical care in case of illness or accident, emergency air evacuation for medical reasons, and repatriation of the body in case of death.
Consider auto insurance. Many foreign countries, including Mexico, require the purchase of a local auto policy. Failure to obtain the appropriate coverage could lead to uninsured exposures as well as serious legal entanglements with local authorities.
Protect Your Health
Obtain vaccination information. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) or World Health Organization (WHO) provide health precautions related to your project destination and list required or recommended vaccinations.
Get a physical. Schedule physical and dental checkups four to eight weeks before your trip, since most vaccines take time to become effective and some vaccines must be given in a series over a period of days or weeks.
Prepare for the Worst-Case Scenario
Expect medical emergencies. If possible, recruit someone with medical training to serve as a team member. Illness and injury are serious threats during mission trips, since quality medical care is not always available.
Create a communication plan. Designate one contact person at home to relay information from the mission field to families, the congregation, and reporters. If there were an emergency, you would want accurate information, not hearsay, to be communicated.
This article originally appeared at www.brotherhoodmutual.com.
