Traveling to unfamiliar countries to work with unfamiliar cultures is challenging, especially when something as innocent as a misspoken word can bring the trip to a screeching halt.
To better prepare missions volunteers for service, the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions (SBOM) offers two levels of Faith Focused Safe Travel Training as part of its Alabama Acts 1:8 Connections ministry.
“Traveling internationally or nationally on missions is a big undertaking and many things can go wrong,” said Reggie Quimby, SBOM global missions director. “Whether you are going on a missions trip or shopping at your local grocery store, you can be taken advantage of. We want to give people some tools they can put in their tool belt to use in these situations.”
The SBOM offers two levels of safe travel training: Level A and Level B.
Level A is a one-day course that provides basic training for those who travel occasionally to low-risk areas and covers topics like travel safety, general conduct, crime survival and basic crisis policy.
Level B is more extensive, with four sessions of instruction. Level B covers the same topics as Level A with additional information about dealing with unfriendly governments, detention and questioning. In Level B training participants have the opportunity to role-play difficult situations and practice their responses.
At both levels the goal is to get participants to think about the risks and get prepared.
‘We need to be prepared’
“Sometimes when we talk about robbery or detainment, people say ‘that’s not going to happen to me.’ We want people to stop and think about the risk that we’re currently under, not only internationally but also in the U.S., and how we need to be prepared to have safe travel,” Quimby said.
Faith Focused Safe Travel Training is really about helping missions volunteers make better decisions so the goals of the trip can be accomplished, Quimby said.
“It’s for the whole team,” he said. “Good training protects nationals on the field, missionaries on the field and the volunteer team. Anybody traveling can be detained if they don’t have the right answers or the right details. Immigration and customs, even in countries that are our friends, can be friendly or unfriendly. Safe travel training helps everyone travel more safely.”
Covington Baptist Association recently hosted a Level A training course. Otis Corbitt, director of missions and a former International Mission Board missionary, said he is convinced churches do not do enough to prepare adequately for the dangers inherent in travel.
“Our churches prepare very well for the logistics of trips and for the ministry that will take place, but they don’t think enough about the problems that can come up,” he said. “My concern is that it will only take one big disaster to happen with a volunteer team that could lead to teams not going at all.”
Even “honest but human mistakes” can lead to big problems, Corbitt said. Using the wrong word in the wrong context can lead to a volunteer being denied entry into a country. He gave the example of the word “work” used to describe a ministry effort.
“In some countries, that word might suggest you are planning to take a job from someone local, and they may turn you around and send you home,” he said. “Then if they stamp your passport as ‘denied entry,’ other countries may not let you in later.”
Safe travel training is not just to prepare for terrorism or robbery, or even for traveling in closed countries, Corbitt said.
“It’s about knowing how to present yourself correctly so that even the governments won’t think you’re bad,” he said. “It’s even for those responding to disasters or humanitarian needs, like the earthquakes in Nepal.”
Michael Evett, a member of Willow Street Baptist Church, Scottsboro, in Tennessee River Baptist Association, has been traveling with missions teams for two years. He said the training has helped him lead teams and teach others how to be more aware of their words and actions.
“When we go into hard areas, I want people to consider how things look,” Evett said. “It’s so much easier when missions teams have a mindset of not necessarily being afraid but being aware and avoiding situations that might be dangerous.”
Brian Gay, minister of missions at First Baptist Church, Montgomery, in Montgomery Baptist Association, agreed.
“It’s good that team leaders and members go through all the preparations they can to be safe and to appropriately share the gospel in whatever context they go to,” he said. “Some of that involves knowing what to say and when.”
Other resources
Evett also values other resources provided in the training, such as emergency contact information and updates about current events that might present dangers or challenges in the country.
“I’m thankful to know there are people working behind the scenes to make sure our team travels as safely as possible,” Evett said.
Corbitt said that while most teams go to places that are relatively easy and convenient, there are many people groups in places that aren’t safe.
“The gospel is supposed to go to the uttermost parts and those places can be hard to get to. We have to equip ourselves to go there as well,” he said.
Churches interested in hosting a training should contact Reggie Quimby at 1-800-264-1225, ext. 239 or via email at rquimby@alsbom.org. For more information, visit www.alsbom.org/ffst.
Upcoming training events
Upcoming Level A training events
Aug. 13 — Central Baptist Church, Decatur
Oct. 1 — Baptist Building, Montgomery
Nov. 5 — Canaan Baptist Church, Bessemer
Level B training is scheduled for Dec. 8–10
at the State Board of Missions building in Montgomery.
The fee for Level A training is $45.
The fee for Level B training is $250.
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