Although traveling is one of the most fun parts of life, it can also be extremely stressful. From the flight, to navigating the roads in a foreign country, to hailing a taxi when you do not speak the language, there are many transportation related issues that can make travel stressful. However, transportation does not have to become a travel woe. With a little prior planning, getting around your destination can be a breeze. For this installation in Passport Health’s holiday travel tips countdown, we review how transportation in your destination can be made less stressful.

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The types of journeys that are open to a traveler are endless. No matter the particulars of your travel journey — whether it includes a restful sojourn on a sandy beach, a thrilling hike up a rocky mountain peak, medical mission work in a developing country, or a tour of the cultural highlights of a foreign nation — each journey provides a wealth of life changing experiences.

Philanthropic travel, in particular, affords travelers the opportunity to marry their wanderlust with their desire to help others in the destination country, often providing an even more rewarding experience as a result. Project C.U.R.E. sponsors such trips every year via the organization’s PhilanthroTravel program that gives travelers a unique opportunity to connect with communities and individuals on a personal level while serving those in need by delivering important medical supplies. Unlike making a one time monetary donation, active participation in philanthropic work gives people the opportunity to see their donation in action and gain a new perspective on travel.

Passport Health was fortunate to participate in a recent Project C.U.R.E. PhilanthroTravel trip to Panama and had the opportunity to work with other volunteers to deliver a cargo container full of medical supplies to a hospital in the country, as is highlighted in the video above.

Remember that proper preparation lays the groundwork for any successful journey, but when your travel plans include medical mission work, your personal health and safety are even more crucial. After all, you will only be able to help those in need if you yourself are healthy and well. Therefore, let Passport Health be a part of your journey; schedule an appointment at a Passport Health travel clinic in advance of your trip so that we can arm you with all of the vaccines, medications, and health advice you will need to stay healthy as you help others.

Just one question remains: What will your journey be?

Ideal winter travel destinations vary greatly from person to person. Many head to the mountains to go skiing or snowboarding while others go south to warmer, more tropical climes. However, just like going into snowy weather, there are some perils that come with travel to these tropical regions. For this post in Passport Health’s holiday travel tips series, we look at six diseases and viruses to be aware of if you are traveling to a tropical region and what you can do to avoid running into problems.

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Water is crucial to human existence, but many places around the world do not have safe drinking water, making travel to those regions difficult and potentially very dangerous without proper preparation. For day seven of Passport Health’s travel tips countdown this holiday season, here are key tips to avoid waterborne illness while on vacation.

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Poverty, disease, hunger, and war are all human ills that Baltimore, Maryland, based World Relief hopes to help people all over the world to overcome. Established in 1944 as the humanitarian arm of the National Association of Evangelicals, World Relief is celebrating its 70th Anniversary this year. Serving over 4 million people, World Relief focuses on a wide variety of issues by upholding its mission statement that, “In our own backyard and around the globe, we stand with individuals and communities through the process of healing, reconciliations, transformation and empowerment.”

As World War II came to a close, many churches partnered with sister organizations in Europe in hopes of addressing some of the major humanitarian concerns brought on by the war. As a part of this effort, the National Association of Evangelicals established the War Relief Commission in order to send supplies to Europe. The Commission’s efforts continued long after the war ended, and, in 1950, its name was changed to the simpler World Relief.

Although initially World Relief focused on being a reactionary organization, arriving soon after disasters to support those affected, it soon changed its focus to longer-term development in order to help the poor and underserved to rise from subsistence. One method of achieving this goal has been microfinance, or giving small loans to help individuals start business they may not otherwise be able to get off the ground.

One story shared by World Relief is of Sahara Begum, a Bangladeshi woman who started her journey to small business ownership when her husband became paralyzed from an illness. After working at a poultry farm to support her family, Sahara wanted to start her own farm, but she couldn’t find the capital needed and had nothing to use as collateral. With a small loan of just $60, Sahara has been able to start her own poultry farm and now has a yearly income of $3,000 that has helped her escape poverty in her Bangladeshi community.

More stories like this happen all over the world thanks to World Relief’s efforts in training, health, and finance that have allowed many individuals to free themselves from what would otherwise be debilitating poverty.

The same is true for World Relief’s efforts to reduce child mortality, save mothers’ lives, and support AIDS prevention and training. These are all very important issues, particularly as we near the deadline for the United Nations Millenium Development Goals.

World Relief currently operates in 19 countries and focuses on: agriculture, HIV/AIDS, peacebuilding, anti-trafficking, immigrant services, refugee resettlement, child development, maternal & child health, savings, disaster response, micro-enterprise, and teacher training.

For more information on World Relief and its efforts, visit the organization’s website. For more information on some of the countries in which the organization is active and what you might need in order to travel there safely on a humanitarian mission, visit the destination advice pages on the Passport Health website.