Question 6: What happens after I am approved?

Answer:

(through the IMB)
Once you are approved you will be sent a packet of materials related to your project. Other materials for your preparation are on this Web site on the “Getting Ready to Go” pages. READ EACH PIECE OF THESE MATERIALS CAREFULLY AND FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE THE DEADLINES.

The approval packet sent to you in the mail includes:

• A description of the project
• Security information if you will serve in a sensitive region of the world. If you will serve in a nonrestricted environment this information will be omitted from the approval packet.

Approval packet information which is on this Web site and, therefore, not sent by mail includes:

• Immunization information specific to the country of service
• Travel agent information
• A Prepare to Go manual for culture and physical preparation.
• God’s Heart for the Nations Bible study by Jeff Lewis as a guide to spiritual preparation
• Handbook for Funding Student Missions
• A guide for developing a prayer support team
• An insurance packet from Adams and Associates
  1. All students must have international insurance coverage before leaving for the field.
  2. You must list a beneficiary on the insurance form. Beneficiary information is not optional as the form indicates.

Your field supervisor has cultural information and specific details about your job assignment. You are encouraged to contact your field supervisor with culture questions to discover how to best prepare for service in-country. In general, field supervisors do not know logistical information about your project.

Cultural information includes:

• What clothes/shoes are appropriate for the culture and the climate
• Housing on the field
• Food on the field
• Specifics about your job
• Information about the religion and lifestyle of the people group
• Gender roles and how men and women relate to each other in the culture
• Receptivity to the gospel among the people group with whom they work
• How to share the gospel with this people group
• What ministry materials to bring.

If your field supervisor serves in a security sensitive area, you must work with the regional office in Richmond in order to contact your supervisor. To contact a regional office, call 1-800-999-3113 and ask to speak with the regional office for the country in which you will serve. If you are uncertain whether your country of service is considered security sensitive, please contact the Student Mobilization Team.

The Student Mobilization Team can answer most of the logistical questions related to your team’s project. If you have logistical questions, check your approval packet and the Web site first for answers. Once these resources are exhausted, contact the Student Mobilization Team at isd.student@imb.org or 1-800-789-4693.

Logistical information includes:

• Basic information about your job description
• Your missionary supervisor’s contact information
• Cost for your trip (not including the airfare, insurance, immunizations and passport and visa fees)
• Travel agent information
• Immunizations needed for your country of service
• Insurance information and application

(through the state BSU/BCM program)
Your state BSU/BCM office is responsible for coordinating the logistics of your international project if you are assigned to international missions through the BSU/BCM program. Check with your state BSU/BCM office for information about your project and for preparatory materials.