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The Australia Adelaide Mission |
Mission Life |
Australia
What Should I Take (and What Shouldn't I?) |
Aussie terms / slang
Along with your mission call, you should have received several papers. One of these deals with what you should (and shouldn't) take along with you on your mission. I've copied the paper here, and included my own comments and suggestions.
| Item |
Quantity |
Comments |
| Trenchcoat |
1 |
Believe me - they didn't include this as a joke! A comfortable, warm
trenchcoat will be a lifesaver on those cold, wet Australian winter days.
Try to find a coat that is waterproof (or at least water-resistant). You should be able to get by without the recommended winter overcoat if you buy a trenchcoat that is warm enough. |
| Garments |
6-8 pair |
It would be advisable to pack 10-12 pairs of garments, and if you have
extra space when you're done packing, fill it with garments! You can never
have too many, especially since it is more difficult to get garments once
you are in Adelaide (they have to be ordered). |
| Dress shirts |
8 |
Dress shirts are another thing you're likely to appreciate more and
more the longer you're on your mission. Try to find shirts that are wrinkle-free,
since you often won't have the time or desire to dry or iron them properly.
Also, Australia is warm, so bring mostly short-sleeved shirts. If it's
too cold you will probably be wearing a suit coat anyway. |
| Suits |
2-3 |
This is the standard dress. One really nice suit is good to have, but
the others, remember, are work suits, and will probably get ruined and
left in Australia (you will not take home a lot of the stuff you bring out).
These don't have to be as nice, and can even be purchased here in Adelaide
for less than what you might find in the US, as you can easily make it
through the MTC with just 1 suit. |
| Dress pants |
3-4 pair |
How comfortable your pants are may very well determine how happy you
feel for 24 months. Pick pants that are comfortable, breathe well, are
wrinkle-free, and durable, and you may want to consider buying pants that
are a size larger than what you currently are. If you have access to one,
there are places in Utah that sell pants with a double layer of material
in the seat. If you spend much time in bike areas, these type of
pants could last twice as long as regular pants. It's best to have pants
that match your suit jackets, as you wear these to dinner dates and for
most of the winter. |
| Shoes |
2-3 pair |
If your shoes are uncomfortable, every step you take will be painful.
Before you start your mission, find the most comfortable shoes you can,
and take the time to break them in BEFORE you have to spend 12-14 hours
a day in them! Good shoes tend to be expensive, so take along 2-3 pairs
if you can. Doc Martens are a popular choice, but any comfortable and durable
set will do. |
| Bed sheets / blankets |
1-2 |
The mission arranges for you to buy a blanket and a set of sheets upon your arrival. This will save packing room for the flight over, but you may want to purchase your own sheets in the United States if you're particular about the kind of sheets you have. The bedding arranged by the mission is good quality and will be perfect for 99% of missionaries. |
| Money |
$300 (US) |
You will need about $500 Australian currency to purchase necessary
items (bike, bedding, etc.) on your arrival. Remember that your money will
be converted to Australian dollars. Depending on the exchange rate, this
means you'll have between $500-$600 after conversion. Almost all missionaries
ride the Liahona bikes supplied through the mission; this will cost you
about A$450 ($450 Australian dollars). You'll probably have $100-$200 left over, and that will quickly be depleted after you buy all of the things you need. Every two
weeks you'll receive your support payment from the mission. You will have
a bank card that you can use most places, or at ATM's to get cash. I'd
recommend that you not have your parents send you extra money, except for
special needs (such as that $200 didgeridoo you have to have), or birthdays,
Christmas, etc. Learning how to budget what you have will be better in
the long run than depending on extra cash. It may also be a good idea to
set up an account that both you and your parents can access for money transfers
from home. Checks cost money to cash and can take up to a month to clear,
so electronic transfer is by far the easiest way. |
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