Hey team!
I hope you all had a great long weekend! I hope you guys are getting excited about our trip, I know we as your leaders are super excited about it!! Did you start your Journey devotional? How's that going? We'd love to hear some feedback on that.  We're praying for you and look forward to talking to you tonight on our team conference call. Don't forget…7pm Eastern time. Check the blog for details on how to call in.

I've received a few questions from you over the past few days. If there are more, keep them coming. Here's what we've got so far…

1. I have a friend who was wondering if there were kids that needed clothes, cause his mom has a bunch of old children's clothes (from I think it was like age 4 to 11)if you want to pack some children's clothes as part of your designated gifts for people there, that would be ok. You could pack these as part of your ministry bag -just make sure you are bringing the needed ministry supplies as well. Don't go crazy on this as we don't want to open up a used clothing store :)

2. I wasn't quite sure about the dress code someone told me we had to wear skirts all the time and someone said skirts or like capris, I wasn't sure which one? Girls need to wear Skirts for all ministry; however, we can wear pants and capris around the house.

3. I have a camera that charges and a camera that uses batteries I was wondering if I would be able to charge the one or if I should bring the other one? I wouldn't count on being able to charge your camera. This could be potentially difficult due to us having to use adapters and converters to adjust to the voltage difference in Swaziland. In Kenya I had a camera that charged. I used an adapter and converter and still one day it blew up because of a surge in electricity. So I'm just going to play it safe and bring batteries for my camera.

4. Can we bring things like hair dryers...expecting there to be the international plug changes there, or should we buy the plug changer things. No hair dryers/curling irons are allowed

5. Should I bring my own towels Yes; a travel towel that dries quickly is recommended, although not required

6. Do I need to bring detergent to wash my clothes? No, we'll get it there. However, do expect to wash your own clothes by hand. We'll teach you and it will be a fun experience for sure!!

7. In the handbook it says our clothes we wear in Georgia will most likely be ruined and thrown away before we leave, does that mean we need to expect to bring more clothes specifically for Georgia and all it's rain? We just want you to know what could happen if we get a downpour. It's happened before. This being said, don't only bring one pair of pants for the entire time. If they get messed up at training camp, you'll be in a sticky situation heading to Swaziland with no pants. Come prepared for anything, you never know about GA weather.

8. Is it safe to wear contacts in Swazi? Yes

9. Can I wear sweatpants around the house? yes, but make sure you check the handbook to see stipulations on casual wear around the house

10. Will there be a microwave at the house? No. we'll be blessed to have a refrigerator and a stove.

11. Can I pack my ministry supplies in my personal bag so that I can avoid the cost of the second bag, which is $25 both ways. You will need to bring 2 bags as we'll need all the space allowed each person. We'll each be checking 2 bags from GA to Swaziland and you should expect other team things to be put in your ministry bag. We'll be taking over a sound system, quilts for orphans in Swazi, and other items for our trip. It is unfortunate that the airlines are now charging for the 2^nd bag. However, it is very possible that you would not have that 2^nd bag upon returning home, as we'll be leaving everything from that bag there.

12. Are we leaving some of our things to the people of Swazi before we come back?( Things like our blankets, pillows, clothes, etc. ...I personally would love to do this, and have heard of many who do this) This is definitely a possibility. You will however never be required to do this.

13. In the handbook it mentions we will need to bring an insulated cup/mug of some sort to carry water...What size should I buy (perhaps is it something I can carry around my neck?) don't worry so much about the insulated part, just bring a non-breakable water bottle. These can be found at Wal-Mart, Target, outdoors stores, etc.

14. How many skirts, pants, capris, etc. should I plan on bringing? We'll be doing laundry (by hand) probably once a week. Skirts can typically be worn more than once. I'd guess that 3 or 4 skirts would be plenty. It's up to you and whatever you want to haul. People typically pack too much, just keep that in mind.

15. Can I bring a cell phone? no, according to handbook, page 25 you are not allowed to bring a cell phone.