Your mission trip will be different from any other travel experience you have ever had. You will transcend cultural boundaries, arriving in a world where the rules are different and many of your habits or practices are inappropriate. We typically arrive in Tanzania after a two day journey, deprived of normal sleep patterns. You may be understandably irritable; patience may not be among your prime virtues at this time. Unfortunately, customs, immigration, and health formalities can be tedious and may very well tax your patience. Please try to relax, keep an open mind and recognize that all of these officials have a job to perform. Also, they are all important in the context of the Third World hierarchies and it would be a serious mistake to offend them.

Be prepared for the unexpected! If it can happen, it almost always will. Many of your expectations are not easily met in Third World nations. Every effort is made to plan an efficient schedule, but things CAN and DO change. Please do your best to have a positive mindset WHEN these things happen. To Tanzanians, time is a relatively irrelevent element except as it relates to seasons or as a distance measurement. Leave the need for rigid time schedules at home.

You will be exposed to different cultures, different ways of life and different politics. The East African people are by nature friendly, courteous, and hospitable. Their culture is one in which respect for elders and visitors is ingrained. Tanzanians are friendly and accommodating as long as you approach them with the same respect and dignity with which they approach you. REMEMBER THE GOLDEN RULE! Learn as much as you can beforehand abou the country, culture and people.