In India, the people dress very nice. It is important for you all to wear clean, nice clothes when going to ministry sites. Please do not just bring your old “missionary” clothes. Here is a list specific for both guys and girls for what you should be prepared to bring.
Girls:
You will need to wear ankle length skirts EVERYWHERE. During ministry times you will need to wear the skirts or also a Punjabi. A Punjabi is a traditional Indian women garb. This is something that you can purchase in India upon arrival and the Indian women will tailor this for you according to your size. The cost of this is about $8 – $15, depending on the type of fabric you choose. You will be able to wear jeans, pants, or long gauchos on your off days when going to the market. In the house you can wear AIM appropriate shorts (this can be found in the handbook) but if an Indian comes to the door you will need to quickly put on pants or a skirt. As far as shirts, you may NOT wear any sleeveless shirts; cap sleeves are fine and anything else as well. Lastly, as far as shoes, sandals are good for most of the time but when going into the slums you will need to make sure you have closed toe shoes.
Guys:
You will need to have nice polo shirts or long sleeve button up shirts to wear to ministry with nice khakis, nice jeans, or slacks. Around the house and the neighborhood you can wear shorts and t-shirts. As for shoes, same goes for you guys as the girls, you can wear sandals for the most part but need to also bring closed toe shoes.
If you have more specific questions please email [email protected] and we will try and answer your questions. We are praying for you all as your start preparing for this amazing journey ahead!
