Our last blog started a discussion on lessons we can learn from those American short-term missionaries who were arrested in Haiti. The incident raises the general issue of knowing the laws and regulations that might affect your planned ministry. We looked at children and money concerns in the last blog. Today we’ll look at medicine and some miscellaneous issues.
Medicine—Taking quantities of medicine into countries is common for ministry teams, especially for those teams doing medical missions. But doing this could get you into a lot of trouble if it’s not done the right way. This is true even if the medicine is an over-the counter drug. Know the laws. Work with physicians and others in the country who can advise you on the appropriate way to get in your supplies.
Printed materials–Some countries restrict or tax large quantities of imported printed items, even if the intent is not to sell the literature. Again, know the rules. Like money, this may be a situation where dividing it among the team members to carry may make it perfectly acceptable.
Sometimes just the fact that the materials were printed in another country becomes an issue. There was an organization in the U.S. that mailed literature to a large number of households in another country. The organization did it as an outreach. What they did was legal, but it made a lot of people in that country mad. It wasn’t the content of the material that got everyone upset, but where it was printed. You see, people resented that it was printed outside of their country. So in this case, the problem stemmed from a cultural issue not a legal one.
Driving–If you plan on driving an automobile in a foreign country, make sure you not only know the differences in the laws but also that you have the appropriate insurance. Many U.S. insurers will not cover their policy holders abroad. If they do, it may not be adequate coverage or you may have to pay out of pocket for an accident there before getting reimbursed at home.
Don’t assume that renting a car overseas is the same as renting a car at home. You might be accustomed to declining the insurance in the U.S. but find yourself needing it abroad. Also, be prepared to drive a standard transmission car as many international rental companies do not offer automatics.
We’ll wrap up this discussion in our next blog with four tips to keep the Haitian situation from happening to you.