During Your Stay
Code of Conduct
We are striving to present a responsible, caring image as respectful visitors from a foreign country. To that end, we must do our best to conduct ourselves in an appropriate and respectful way.
Be sure not to make jokes or speak disparagingly about the country, local food, accommodations, practices, or people. Please do not show pictures of your vehicles, houses, or all the wonderful things you have in the United States because we are so much richer than the Ghanaians. We don’t want to make them feel bad about what they have compared to what we have. Refrain from cursing and using God’s name in vain. Refrain from drinking alcoholic beverages or using tobacco products.
Be prepared to serve and represent Christ. We ask that you work with the resident missionaries to determine how you can best serve them and the work. Remember you are a guest.
What to Wear
As you know, while on a mission trip, the way you present yourself is important to the message you are presenting. Yendi is a primarily Muslim area and we do not want to offend anyone by dressing inappropriately. In order to respect the culture of the Ghanaians, we request that you dress appropriately for the culture.
Men and women should dress conservatively as to not draw negative attention. This means women travelers may want to opt out of short spaghetti strap sundresses. Women in Ghana typically wear long short sleeve dresses. Women who wear pants in the Yendi area are considered “flirters” or looking for a relationship. Men should wear pants and a shirt at all times. Refrain from wearing tank tops, sleeveless shirts, sheer or see-through, tight or spandex clothing. Also, do not worry about bringing dress clothes e.g. suits and ties. Most of the Ghanaians in our area do not have these types of clothes to wear. The worst clothes in your closet are better than many of the clothes the Ghanaians in our area own. You can wear them while you are in Ghana and then give them away before you leave Yendi.
Seek to serve, not self-glory.
If you have gifts please only bring what has been asked and let the resident missionaries distribute gifts at a time deemed appropriate.
Don’t make promises you can’t keep. Please do not promise to give anyone anything or that you will think about giving them something. If you promise someone something, they do not forget the promise and will ask the resident missionaries when the gift will come.
If you feel someone needs assistance, please work with the resident missionaries to get them the assistance needed.
Clean Water
ONLY DRINK BOTTLED WATER. Drink lots of water; it is very easy to get dehydrated in the heat of Ghana. Make sure the seal has not been broken before you buy it. If you find yourself in a situation where bottled water is not available the water can be boiled to make it safe to drink. This means, don’t drink the water from faucets or water fountains. Don’t use ice cubes at restaurants. Don’t brush your teeth or gargle with any water except bottled water. Only rinse your tooth brush with bottled water. Don’t let any of the water from the shower get in your mouth.
DON’T WASTE WATER. Yendi is in an area where water is limited and precious. During the dry season, we must seriously conserve water. While you are at the mission house please do not take long showers, and limit the number of showers you take a day. You would be surprised how much water you can save if you get yourself wet, turn off the water, soap up, and then turn the water back on to rinse off. Also, do not flush the toilet every time you use it.
Food
The resident missionaries are typically unable to cater to special dietary needs and do not have access to many fresh vegetables. Uncooked fruits and vegetables must be washed in an iodine or chlorine bleach solution before consumption. Also, refrain from eating any food off the street unless it is pre-wrapped or has come straight out of the fire or grease. Your help in the preparation of meals and purification of water is appreciated.
Illness
If you begin to feel ill during your stay, tell the resident missionaries immediately even if it is in the middle of the night. Do not feel shy about letting someone know you have travelers’ diarrhea and/or nausea so you may get the needed medicine and medical attention.
Restrooms
Facilities inside Ghana are limited. We have found a few places that have toilets along the way and we will stop when we get to them. However, it might be necessary for you to go to the restroom in the bush (along the road). If necessary, we will carry a sheet and make a screen to hide you from oncoming traffic. If you need to go to the restroom, alert Red, the driver, by saying, “I have to kick a tire!” He knows that is his cue to find a suitable place to pull over.
Money
Cash is recommended as traveler’s checks are difficult to cash and most places do not accept credit cards. If you do bring a credit card to use during travel, it must be activated for international use. Currently visitors to Ghana are restricted to 5,000 dollars in cash to enter and exit the country. Currency restrictions may change and can be verified at https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/country/ghana.html.
Check the cash you are bringing in carefully. If the bills are torn, folded, worn, or have any ink marks on them you will get a worse exchange rate or they may even be rejected. It is recommended you only bring new unmarked 100 dollar bills for the best exchange rate. Once in country dollars can be exchanged for cedis, the currency of Ghana.
Communication
If you need to contact someone in the United States, the resident missionaries have a cell phone you may use. The phone uses pre-paid minutes. Calls from Ghana to the United States are generally cheaper than calls from the United States to Ghana. You may also consider bringing an unlocked cell phone with you and purchasing a phone card while in Ghana.
An internet connection is available at the mission house, and you will be able to send text only emails. We are unable to download photographs and/or video.