Category Archives: safe travels

Keeping a Large Group Organized on a Missions Trip

Africa, airport, Article, baggage, carry on, checked baggage, country, flight, free airfare quote, frequent flier, God, group members, humanitarian airfare, international travelers, international trip, internationally, large groups, medical emergencies, Missionary, missions trips, passport, safe travels, safety, Tabitha Lovell, travel, travelers, traveling, trip, world, www.cheapmissionstrips.com

DSC_3019smallWhen helping my customers with their large groups traveling together internationally, I like to recommend a few helpful tips for the journey.  The one thing that I always say is plan for the worst and HOPE for the best when it comes to large groups.  Travel insurance is a very important factor to think about which I recommend to our groups first and foremost.  If you purchase a good policy, your group will be covered for medical emergencies, emergency evacuation, and things like lost baggage!!!  Losing luggage on your international trip is every traveler’s nightmare. No one ever wants to be in this position, but let’s face it, these things can and do happen and it is always best to be prepared in the event that you find yourself in this crisis situation.  Travel insurance will be very helpful to compensate for some of the loss if this should ever occur.

Another important thing I like to recommend is to make sure the group is all wearing the same shirt on the day they will be traveling.  This sounds like a silly thing, but for large groups, this is an easy identifier to make sure that members of the group can easily recognize each other and stay together in the airports.  This will be very helpful, especially if each group member remembers to wear them and the colors are very bright and distinctive.  You may not think about safety issues as much on US soil, but as soon as you step foot in another country and find yourself in an airport all the way across the world, you will find that every safety measure that you take now will be appreciated when you are out of your comfort zone. 

You may also want to make sure each person has their passport in a special passport carrier around their neck so that no one in the group loses their passport.  It is always good to make copies of your passport and carry one in your checked baggage and another in your carry-on just in case you happen to lose your passport somehow on your trip.  Having a copy will be life-saving if you have a forgetful group member who leaves their passport somewhere in Africa and is trying to get on their flight without it.

Also, please remember that if you are a group leader and are a frequent flier, your group members may not be.  Please make sure that you remember to educate your group on what to pack.  If you have any questions about what to carry on with you, please direct members of your group to http://www.tsa.gov for all of the necessary requirements for carry-on items and how to pack liquid items in your carry-on bags.  This can be very time-saving if all members of the group have a good understanding of what to expect when going through security, so that we can all KEEP THAT LINE MOVING if you know what I mean!!  And I know that for all of you international travelers out there, youKNOW what I mean.  ;)

I hope that these tips are helpful for all of you group leaders and group members of missions trips this summer!  Please visit my website for more helpful tips and for a free airfare quote for the missionary and humanitarian airfare we provide! www.cheapmissionstrips.com

God bless and Safe Travels!
~Tabitha :)

Keeping a Large Group Organized on a Missions Trip

Africa, airport, Article, baggage, carry on, checked baggage, country, emergency evacuation, flight, free airfare quote, God, group members, Groups, http://www.tsa.gov, humanitarian airfare, international travelers, international trip, internationally, large groups, Missionary, passport, safe travels, Tabitha Lovell, travel, Travel insurance, travelers, traveling, trip, world, www.cheapmissionstrips.com

DSC_3019smallWhen helping my customers with their large groups traveling together internationally, I like to recommend a few helpful tips for the journey.  The one thing that I always say is plan for the worst and HOPE for the best when it comes to large groups.  Travel insurance is a very important factor to think about which I recommend to our groups first and foremost.  If you purchase a good policy, your group will be covered for medical emergencies, emergency evacuation, and things like lost baggage!!!  Losing luggage on your international trip is every traveler’s nightmare. No one ever wants to be in this position, but let’s face it, these things can and do happen and it is always best to be prepared in the event that you find yourself in this crisis situation.  Travel insurance will be very helpful to compensate for some of the loss if this should ever occur.

Another important thing I like to recommend is to make sure the group is all wearing the same shirt on the day they will be traveling.  This sounds like a silly thing, but for large groups, this is an easy identifier to make sure that members of the group can easily recognize each other and stay together in the airports.  This will be very helpful, especially if each group member remembers to wear them and the colors are very bright and distinctive.  You may not think about safety issues as much on US soil, but as soon as you step foot in another country and find yourself in an airport all the way across the world, you will find that every safety measure that you take now will be appreciated when you are out of your comfort zone. 

You may also want to make sure each person has their passport in a special passport carrier around their neck so that no one in the group loses their passport.  It is always good to make copies of your passport and carry one in your checked baggage and another in your carry-on just in case you happen to lose your passport somehow on your trip.  Having a copy will be life-saving if you have a forgetful group member who leaves their passport somewhere in Africa and is trying to get on their flight without it.

Also, please remember that if you are a group leader and are a frequent flier, your group members may not be.  Please make sure that you remember to educate your group on what to pack.  If you have any questions about what to carry on with you, please direct members of your group to http://www.tsa.gov for all of the necessary requirements for carry-on items and how to pack liquid items in your carry-on bags.  This can be very time-saving if all members of the group have a good understanding of what to expect when going through security, so that we can all KEEP THAT LINE MOVING if you know what I mean!!  And I know that for all of you international travelers out there, youKNOW what I mean.  ;)

I hope that these tips are helpful for all of you group leaders and group members of missions trips this summer!  Please visit my website for more helpful tips and for a free airfare quote for the missionary and humanitarian airfare we provide! www.cheapmissionstrips.com

God bless and Safe Travels!
~Tabitha :)

Having a Prayer Agent

adoption, agencies, airfare, airport, Amsterdam, Article, brother in Christ, Cheap Missions Trips, Christ, fare, flight, flights, God, International, itinerary, Lord, ministry, PRAYER AGENT, PRAYER AGENTS, prayerfully, safe travels, travel, travel agent, TRAVEL Agents, travel industry, Uganda, Ugandan
by Tabitha Lovell Sometimes when working with teams and individuals in the travel industry, I am reminded that there are other agencies out there which can compete with prices that we offer. However, I am not certain that there is any competition that can compare with having a PRAYER AGENT vs. just having a Travel […]

Saving Money on Adoption Travel

adopt, adopted, adopted children, adopting families, adoption, Adoption travel, adoption travel agent, agents, airfare, airline, airlines, airport, arrive, Article, book, booking, child, contracted fares, depart, discounted fares, discounts, families, fares, flights, humanitarian, humanitarian fares, humanitarian work, International, internationally, lowest fares, one way, one way ticket, orphan, round trip, safe travels, save money, saving money, tickets, travel, travel agent, trip
by Tabitha Lovell Did you know that you can have access to special airfare for your International Adoption Travel? If you are not yet familiar with all of the ways that you can save on your Humanitarian and Adoption travel, you really need to read on! Specialized agents have access to discounted fares for adopting […]

What to Wear on Your Missions Trip

Africa, African country, airport, America, Article, baggage, British, country, cultural, destination, foreign countries, foreign country, International Travel, Lord, mission trip, missionary airfare, missions trip, safe travels, trip, Uganda, Ugandan, United States

by Tabitha Lovell

by Tabitha Lovell

While I was in Uganda, I observed some cultural idiosyncrasies that I made a note of and thought that it would be helpful for me to pass them along to others.

I have thought about and put together some Do’s and Don’ts of what to wear and what not to wear for your next mission trip. One thing to be cautious of is wearing scented perfumes including scented shampoos and lotions can attract mosquitoes and other bugs which can cause malaria. You will not want to wear any heavily scented items just to be safe.

There are many cultural differences in foreign countries which we are not always aware of here in America. I was riding on a “Boda Boda,” (which is more commonly known as a motorcycle) in Uganda, Africa where I was told that I need to make sure I wear a small purse because if my purse is too large, someone may think that I am very wealthy and will try to steal my purse!

I was also told that women need to wear long skirts and not pants. This was partly based upon our individual missions base, however, this was a more widely accepted way of dress for women. Someone mentioned to me that it is not considered “lady-like” for a woman to be riding a bicycle! This seemed a little strange to me due to our cultural differences here in the United States. From what I understand, this is a bit degrading for women in Ugandan culture to be riding a bicycle.

Also you will want to make sure that you pack the lightest weight clothing as possible, based upon the weather in your destination of choice. This will help you to avoid baggage fees for your baggage being too heavy to check in at the airport. Universally, a fifty pound baggage limit is standard, so packing too much can cost you extra cash.

As a woman, I am finding that dressing modestly is very important. Many people have differences in opinion regarding this topic. However, to keep it simple, modest dress will cause less problems than dressing in a more revealing way.

I was surprised that the people in Uganda were dressed very nice. The word that I learned was a very British sounding word that is used to imply that a person looks very classy. If a Ugandan says, “You are very smart today!” (Smart pronounced “Smaat”)
This means, you look very classy and well put together! I loved hearing this from them!
It still makes me smile thinking about it.

If you are visiting an African country for your missions trip, you can expect that people will not be dressed shabby no matter how much or how little money they have for that matter. For church, you will want to dress up with nicely ironed clothes, looking neat and clean. This will help you to feel comfortable and feel like you fit with the way others are dressed, especially in Uganda.

So, what do you do with all of your gold and silver necklaces? What about your wedding ring for that matter? Well, you leave all the valuable jewels at home! Flashy jewelry and flashy hairstyles will need to be deescalated. You will want to downsize some of the “Bling” so to speak. Careful attention must be taken to avoid any unnecessary or problematic attention being drawn to yourself.

In fact, the attention should be focused upon the Lord and not on us, so we will want to deflect some of the attention away from us if possible. I suggest purchasing wooden jewelry to replace your gold and silver or precious jewelry. Many jewels and beads can be purchased while in the foreign country you are visiting. This can be an economic stimulus to the economy of the country you are visiting as well! This is just another reason to leave the expensive jewelry at home.

Ok, now for shoes!!! You will want to make sure your shoes are appropriate for the nature of your trip. If you are going to a very hot place, you may want to pack some sandals or buy them there in that country. Also, tennis shoes are very valuable in the airports for comfort when walking long distances.

I hope this information was helpful to you in planning your next missions trip! Please feel free to visit our website where you can find out about the benefits of missionary airfare for your next missions trip.

Safe Travels,

Tabitha Lovell, International Travel Specialist/Owner

Adoption Airfare LLC

What to Wear on Your Missions Trip

Africa, African country, airport, airports, Article, baggage, British, church, country, destination, foreign countries, International Travel, Lord, mission trip, missions trip, safe travels, trip, Uganda, Ugandan, United States

by Tabitha Lovell

by Tabitha Lovell

While I was in Uganda, I observed some cultural idiosyncrasies that I made a note of and thought that it would be helpful for me to pass them along to others.

I have thought about and put together some Do’s and Don’ts of what to wear and what not to wear for your next mission trip. One thing to be cautious of is wearing scented perfumes including scented shampoos and lotions can attract mosquitoes and other bugs which can cause malaria. You will not want to wear any heavily scented items just to be safe.

There are many cultural differences in foreign countries which we are not always aware of here in America. I was riding on a “Boda Boda,” (which is more commonly known as a motorcycle) in Uganda, Africa where I was told that I need to make sure I wear a small purse because if my purse is too large, someone may think that I am very wealthy and will try to steal my purse!

I was also told that women need to wear long skirts and not pants. This was partly based upon our individual missions base, however, this was a more widely accepted way of dress for women. Someone mentioned to me that it is not considered “lady-like” for a woman to be riding a bicycle! This seemed a little strange to me due to our cultural differences here in the United States. From what I understand, this is a bit degrading for women in Ugandan culture to be riding a bicycle.

Also you will want to make sure that you pack the lightest weight clothing as possible, based upon the weather in your destination of choice. This will help you to avoid baggage fees for your baggage being too heavy to check in at the airport. Universally, a fifty pound baggage limit is standard, so packing too much can cost you extra cash.

As a woman, I am finding that dressing modestly is very important. Many people have differences in opinion regarding this topic. However, to keep it simple, modest dress will cause less problems than dressing in a more revealing way.

I was surprised that the people in Uganda were dressed very nice. The word that I learned was a very British sounding word that is used to imply that a person looks very classy. If a Ugandan says, “You are very smart today!” (Smart pronounced “Smaat”)
This means, you look very classy and well put together! I loved hearing this from them!
It still makes me smile thinking about it.

If you are visiting an African country for your missions trip, you can expect that people will not be dressed shabby no matter how much or how little money they have for that matter. For church, you will want to dress up with nicely ironed clothes, looking neat and clean. This will help you to feel comfortable and feel like you fit with the way others are dressed, especially in Uganda.

So, what do you do with all of your gold and silver necklaces? What about your wedding ring for that matter? Well, you leave all the valuable jewels at home! Flashy jewelry and flashy hairstyles will need to be deescalated. You will want to downsize some of the “Bling” so to speak. Careful attention must be taken to avoid any unnecessary or problematic attention being drawn to yourself.

In fact, the attention should be focused upon the Lord and not on us, so we will want to deflect some of the attention away from us if possible. I suggest purchasing wooden jewelry to replace your gold and silver or precious jewelry. Many jewels and beads can be purchased while in the foreign country you are visiting. This can be an economic stimulus to the economy of the country you are visiting as well! This is just another reason to leave the expensive jewelry at home.

Ok, now for shoes!!! You will want to make sure your shoes are appropriate for the nature of your trip. If you are going to a very hot place, you may want to pack some sandals or buy them there in that country. Also, tennis shoes are very valuable in the airports for comfort when walking long distances.

I hope this information was helpful to you in planning your next missions trip! Please feel free to visit our website where you can find out about the benefits of missionary airfare for your next missions trip.

Safe Travels,

Tabitha Lovell, International Travel Specialist/Owner

Adoption Airfare LLC

Last Minute Details to Prepare For Your Missions Trip

Africa, air, airline, airplane, airports, Article, baggage, carry on, checked baggage, departure, flights, International, last minute details, mission field, missions trip, passport, plane, safe travels, travel, traveling, trip, trip insurance

by Tabitha Lovell

by Tabitha Lovell

When taking an international missions trip, you will want to make sure that you have taken care of some very important last minute details. Here are a few helpful steps for preparing yourself for your missions trip before your departure.

A few things to keep in mind:

1. Make sure you have at least 2 copies of your passport in case your original is lost. Storing one of the copies in your checked baggage is a very good idea.

2. Purchase a secure silk money belt for your travel which can be hidden under your clothes for safety. The silk material is very nice as it allows your skin to breathe which is very important when traveling for a long time in the airplane.

3. Taking a baby aspirin during your travel is a good idea when sitting long hours on the plane to help with the risk of blood clots (make sure you check with your doctor about medications.)

4. Make sure that you remind yourself to take small walks during safe walking times while in the air to help with the risk of blood clots as well from sitting in one position where blood can pool.

5. Make sure you have an electricity converter so that you can plug your appliances into an outlet.

6. Check to find out what Immunizations are needed by contacting the CDC website.

7. Check the weather where you are traveling to pack appropriate clothes for the season.

8. Bug Spray (Including DEET) is recommended for travel into areas with mosquitoes to help prevent malaria from bites.

9. Good shoes for walking in the airports and working on the mission field are a must!

10. Check Baggage Limits with the airline to make sure that you don’t have to pay extra for bags over the limits.

11. Make sure you have purchased trip insurance from a reliable source.

12. Bring Cash Money with you on your trip in large bills with newer dates. Banks in Africa will not take small bills less than 50 USD.

13. Bring toiletries in carry on baggage using the new regulations for carry on liquids. (Treat carry on bag as survival bag in case checked bags are lost during your flight. You will want to make sure contact lenses, solutions, and medications are in carry on bag.)

14. Reconfirm your flights 72 hours prior to departure with the airline.

I hope that you take time to make sure that all of these details have been taken care of! We pray that this will help to equip you for your next missions trip!

Also, keep in mind that seeking the LORD is the most important step! Make sure that before all else, you have allowed the LORD to work in your own heart to prepare you…..the rest will fall into place as you desire to walk in His wisdom.

Safe Travels,

Tabitha Lovell, International Travel Specialist and Licensed Nurse /Owner
Adoption Airfare LLC

Last Minute Details to Prepare For Your Missions Trip

Africa, air, airline, airplane, airports, Article, baggage, carry on, checked baggage, departure, flights, International, last minute details, mission field, missions trip, passport, plane, safe travels, travel, traveling, trip, trip insurance

by Tabitha Lovell

by Tabitha Lovell

When taking an international missions trip, you will want to make sure that you have taken care of some very important last minute details. Here are a few helpful steps for preparing yourself for your missions trip before your departure.

A few things to keep in mind:

1. Make sure you have at least 2 copies of your passport in case your original is lost. Storing one of the copies in your checked baggage is a very good idea.

2. Purchase a secure silk money belt for your travel which can be hidden under your clothes for safety. The silk material is very nice as it allows your skin to breathe which is very important when traveling for a long time in the airplane.

3. Taking a baby aspirin during your travel is a good idea when sitting long hours on the plane to help with the risk of blood clots (make sure you check with your doctor about medications.)

4. Make sure that you remind yourself to take small walks during safe walking times while in the air to help with the risk of blood clots as well from sitting in one position where blood can pool.

5. Make sure you have an electricity converter so that you can plug your appliances into an outlet.

6. Check to find out what Immunizations are needed by contacting the CDC website.

7. Check the weather where you are traveling to pack appropriate clothes for the season.

8. Bug Spray (Including DEET) is recommended for travel into areas with mosquitoes to help prevent malaria from bites.

9. Good shoes for walking in the airports and working on the mission field are a must!

10. Check Baggage Limits with the airline to make sure that you don’t have to pay extra for bags over the limits.

11. Make sure you have purchased trip insurance from a reliable source.

12. Bring Cash Money with you on your trip in large bills with newer dates. Banks in Africa will not take small bills less than 50 USD.

13. Bring toiletries in carry on baggage using the new regulations for carry on liquids. (Treat carry on bag as survival bag in case checked bags are lost during your flight. You will want to make sure contact lenses, solutions, and medications are in carry on bag.)

14. Reconfirm your flights 72 hours prior to departure with the airline.

I hope that you take time to make sure that all of these details have been taken care of! We pray that this will help to equip you for your next missions trip!

Also, keep in mind that seeking the LORD is the most important step! Make sure that before all else, you have allowed the LORD to work in your own heart to prepare you…..the rest will fall into place as you desire to walk in His wisdom.

Safe Travels,

Tabitha Lovell, International Travel Specialist and Licensed Nurse /Owner
Adoption Airfare LLC