Miscellaneous useful items: A mini English dictionary, a stain stick or shout, a sturdy compact umbrella if you can find one, the smallest set of scriptures (preferably one that comes in two pieces so you can pack them separately if needed), and a tape recorder.
Personal Toiletries: If there is some sort of skin care, makeup, hair product, perfume, tampon, item etc. you can’t live without, bring it and bring a good stock of it because you won’t find it in Czech or Slovakia. Of course you can’t do this with everything so take a stock of what is most important and then your family can send you anything else you might run out of.
Luggage: Bring a nice sturdy set of luggage that has wheels you might have to move a lot and it is extremely difficult to do with luggage that is sub par.
Camera: These are your memories so bring as nice a camera that you can afford. You will be glad you did.
Electronics: If you want to bring an iron, a blow dryer, curling iron, flat iron or any other piece of electronics don’t. Do not buy an electricity converter. They don’t work and for the price you pay it will serve you better to simply buy the item in Czech. Many apartments already have blow driers and curling irons anyway so wait till you get there to see what you want to purchase.
Before you buy any piece of clothing, shoes, bag, supplies, etc… consider this. You will be walking everywhere. Generally you pack up the supplies you need for the day and you are out the door on foot until you come home that night. Keep this in mind when you are purchasing things you will need for your mission because weight and comfortableness mean everything when your day is full of walking. Read on to find out some good products I have found!
Coats - You will want to make sure you have a nice warm coat. I would recommend a nice 100% long down filled coat for the winter time. Wool coats are nice but they just don’t keep you as warm and become very heavy after a long day of walking. Down coats are also nice because you can find dressy appropriate styles and colors. Burlington Coat Factory has a large selection and great prices!
Boots/Shoes – If you take only one piece of advice let it be this one. I can’t stress enough how important comfortable shoes are. I went through five different shoes trying to find a comfortable pair in Czech because what I brought simply didn’t cut it. It took me until after my mission to find the absolute perfect shoe. As a waitress I was so tired of coming home every night with sore feet. I did lots of research and asking around and I finally found the perfect shoe: Danskos!
“Dan-Flex clogs have fully flexible, lightweight soles, richly padded insteps and the finest quality leather uppers available. Unbelievably comfortable, virtually indestructible and attractive enough to wear almost anywhere, you may find these to be the only shoes you ever wear.”
They are the epitome of the perfect sister missionary shoe. They are a little pricy but absolutely worth it. I was amazed at how comfortable they were and was so bummed I found them AFTER my mission. These are perfect for walking on cobblestone all day in Czech or Slovakia.
Bag, Back pack or a lumbar pack? It is very important to choose this essential missionary item wisely since you will be carrying it with you every single day of your mission. I recommend getting a good lumbar pack. These are great because you can carry it so many different ways i.e. like a brief case, over one shoulder, or my favorite (and most comfortable!) on your hips. Of all the ones I tested I liked Mountainsmith brand lumbar packs the best because they fit very comfortably and were big enough to fit a note book.
Click here to see a photo of my favorite one.
Clothing: As far as general clothing goes, you can refer to the list sent with your mission call, or click here to view the clothing list online.
Make sure you bring skirts, sweaters, vests, and blouses that are interchangeable. This is more effective and will help you feel like you have more outfits than you really do.
If you have any other questions about what to bring please feel free to contact me any time!
Sister Kristin Majeroni (McGettigan)
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