We’ve surely all heard the suggestion of ‘dressing for success.’ If you don’t look the part, you likely won’t get the part. The candidate for CEO of a formal clothier likely won’t even be considered for a clerks position if he comes to an interview dressed in cut-off shorts and a tank top. Sometimes it really is important to dress intentionally for the activity you’ve planned. That’s just as true for short-term missions trips as it is for a career as an attorney.

When heading overseas to serve among nationals of another culture, it can be imperative to know who the people are that you will be interacting with.  Both the churched and the unchurched may have expectations that could determine--at least in part--what is appropriate attire for the trip.

Additionally, if you work in the rain forrest of Belize, it may require a bit different set of clothing than working in the plains, lowlands or mountains. Because of the specificity required by different trips, we’ll just offer a few general guidelines here and leave specifics up to the team you may travel with.

Work:

Belize can get hot. Period. Although that may lead you to conclude that shorts and t-shirts are the way to pack, you also need to consider the sun and potential bugs that you may encounter. In most cases, we would suggest taking some lightweight, long sleeve shirts, and at least a couple of pairs of lightweight cotton pants as work attire. The lightweight clothing will help keep you cool, but the long sleeves and pant legs will also offer protection from the intense belize sun and any biting insects.

Worship:

In most Latin American countries the people dress nicely for church any time that they go. It’s also common to be asked to attend worship on Sunday morning and evening and Wednesday evenings. While you don’t normally need to be concerned with wearing a tie, it would be suggested to dress in a Business Casual style as a minimum standard.  Additionally, ladies will likely want to wear a dress or at the very least nice slacks.  Shorts at church will likely want to be avoided.

Play:

Other than worship, Belize is a pretty casual country.  As long as the activity allows for it, shorts will usually be appropriate for most any recreational activity like a hike though a cave or a tour of the Maya ruins.  There may be opportunities to swim, and if you decide to, we do ask that ladies limit themselves to one-piece bathing suits and men to boxer style swim trunks.

Planning your dress need not be complicated or stressful, so we hope these few guidelines will help take some of the guesswork out of packing. If you have any additional questions feel free to send us an e-mail or contact us via our contact page.