General Trip Information
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GROUP INVOLVED: Individuals wanting to be actively involved in short term building projects in El Florido, Mexico, and who will commit to any necessary team preparation prior to the trip. What is the purpose of this trip? Why should we consider the Mexico 2010 Trip? What will we be doing? How much will this cost? We will raise funds through a couple specific fund raisers that you are required to participate. You however are ultimately responsible for your support. We will work together on this to ensure money is not a hindrance to your participation. Who can go? We are teaming up with "Mexico Caravan Ministries" of San Diego, California. The following will give you an idea of what Mexico will be like, what you can expect and what will be expected of you. Read on and get excited about ministry in Mexico! GENERAL TRIP INFORMATION As you are thinking about our trip to Mexico, you most likely have many questions. To answer some of those and to help you more adequately plan and prepare for the trip, we're providing you with this basic information. It should give you a clearer idea of what to expect, therefore reducing the anxiety factor with the fear of the unknown. Mexico is a different culture so there may be culture shock, but we want you to be as prepared as possible. Some of these areas are flexible, but you need to realize that there are good reasons for making the itinerary and overall plans that we do. We need you to come down as learners and servants with attitudes that are flexible, adaptable and willing to serve. By working together, we can make this a profitable trip that will have a far-reaching spiritual impact. A Caravan - A caravan is a church group that goes to Mexico for anywhere from a few days to over a week for a hands-on, short-term, cross-cultural missions experience. The purpose of a Caravan is to meet the felt needs of Tijuana's urban poor; to help make disciples and world Christians; and to raise up the next generation of missionaries. Though you will have the opportunity to minister to others, the greatest benefit derived from coming to Mexico will be what the Spirit of God does in your lives. To create an environment conducive to the spiritual challenge the following information and guidelines are offered. Accommodations - You will be staying in a dormitory in the Florido section of Tijuana (see "Tijuana"). Florido is a poor, migrant area of the city. The accommodations are rustic. You'll be sleeping on some bunks (with foams). There is running water for washing (though not for showers) and plenty of good bottled water for drinking and cooking. There are kitchen facilities and electricity. During your time you'll probably be sharing the dorm with up to 100 other short-term missionaries. During our travel times, we will be staying in various Hotels/Churches along the way. Attitude - The single most important aspect of your preparation for coming to Mexico is that you prepare to come as SERVANTS! If you are adaptable, flexible, and willing to serve (in whatever capacity), you're ready for Mexico. Also come as LEARNERS and OBSERVERS, not as typically obnoxious, arrogant, boisterous tourists. Remember that you are representatives and ambassadors both of your country and of Jesus Christ. Border Crossing - Entering Mexico it is unlikely that you will be stopped or asked any questions. If you are stopped be polite and answer whatever questions are asked. Returning to the U.S. we may have a long wait. We will attempt to enjoy the vendors! The border official will ask for your citizenship, what you're bringing back from Mexico (small souvenirs only), and possibly what you were doing in Mexico. Be honest, polite, and succinct. Absolutely NO joking around! Unless directly asked, you should let your driver answer all the questions. Building - Most of our work will involve construction. Jobs may include: 12' x 12', or 12’ x 16’ shelters, roofs, school rooms, outhouses, digging outhouse holes, etc. Mexico Caravan Ministries reserve the right to decide where the greatest needs are. There is currently an adequate supply of tools, so you don't need to bring any. However, tool donations to Caravan Ministries are a possibility. Please ask Pastor Dave before taking any tools down. Children - Enjoy the children, play with them, and let them help you work. But they are not allowed in your vehicle or in the dorms where you are staying. Small gifts are OK but not money. Hard candy, stickers, hair elastics or small toys are best. Do not take children anywhere without specific parental approval. Climate - It is basically the same as San Diego (which in the summer is very similar to Kamloops), usually quite hot from May through September. Clothing in Mexico - In Mexico the rule is modesty. Be neat and conservative (nothing sloppy or wild). No shorts, no torn clothing. A hat and sunscreen are recommended, with possibly a light coat for the evenings. Since it is very dusty, contacts are not recommended. Ladies- Modesty is the rule. Capris are not to be worn at any time while in Mexico. Bring work shoes or runners. No excessive jewelry or makeup. Talk to Pastor Dave if you need more clarification. You will basically need work clothes, pants (no capris), don't be sloppy; no suggestive (or even “possibly” suggestive), or tight clothing (inc. tank tops, sleeveless shirts, anything low cut, etc.). Men - No shorts, keep shirts on even while working. Bring work shoes or runners. Nights are very cool in Mexico, however in the dorms there is no air conditioning. When traveling we might be stopping at a few places where we’ll be sleeping at a church on the floor. You will be responsible for providing a blanket / thin sleeping bag while on this trip. Keep in mind that it must be able to fit into your bag while traveling… Clothing outside of Mexico – When we are traveling, remember that we are still representing Summit Drive Baptist Church and Jesus Christ. We don’t want to attract un-needed attention because of clothing choices. Please try to bring along modest clothing for traveling as well as modest night-wear. When we are at the beach a bathing suit is fine (but again, choose wisely), the focus this trip is missions. Culture - Mexico is a people-oriented culture. It doesn't focus on productivity, plans, effectiveness or getting the job done. Make sure that people, not the job, take first place. Being polite is very important...shake hands a lot, smile, say gracias (thank you) and por favor (please). We're in the midst of poverty. Don't stare, point, and make faces or noises. Don't be obnoxious, arrogant tourists. Three cultural blunders to avoid: don't throw things to each other - hand them directly; don't use the word estupido (stupid); be generally polite and courteous to everyone. Driving – we will be driving in 12 passenger vans. For most of the days you will be assigned to a van for the half day. Try and make the most of it and get to know your fellow team mates (you never know what they could teach you J). Emergencies - Phone numbers to contact in order of priority (they may change the closer we get to the travel dates). A list of contact information while we’re traveling will be provided in the back of the Go Guide (parents of the team members will get a copy of the Go Guide as well): Summit Drive Baptist Church, Kamloops - (250) 828-1333 Food/Eating - The thought of eating in Mexico is usually a cause for extreme stress. Following a few simple guidelines can alleviate much of that stress and make it an enjoyable experience. Generally speaking, just like here, Mexican food is great! What should be avoided are the small push carts whether they are selling ice cream, hot dogs, corn on the cob, fresh fruit, whatever. Anything in the little corner stores is fine. There is no problem with sodas or packaged snacks. Don't be concerned about the water. Even in the poor areas people only drink purified bottled water. Ice, however, should be avoided whenever possible. If you are offered something in a home, my advice is to eat whatever is set before you (that was Jesus' and Paul's advice, too). Chances are there will be no problem. The offense given by not eating is greater than the risk taken by eating. All-in-all there is very little reason for concern. Relax! The stress isn't worth it. Enjoy the food. It's great! Food/Eating Costs – All food costs are your own responsibility when NOT in Mexico. While in Mexico, Pastor Dave will be responsible for providing groceries and money for your meals there. Prior to our arrival in Mexico, you will have opportunity to eat in various restaurants or grocery stores with members of the group at your own personal cost. You can anticipate approximately 25 meals at an average of $7 / meal ($175 US). Most people do it for much less. Go Guide – This is the booklet each team member as well as parents of the team will receive several weeks before leaving for Mexico. It will have outlined the itinerary for the two weeks, emergency contact information, guidelines for the trip, your responsibilities, and team devotionals (God Times). It will also be available on the Summit Drive website for those wanting to follow our trip day to day. Health - In the summer it is deceptively hot. To avoid sun stroke, heat exhaustion or dehydration wear a hat, get plenty of shade, and drink plenty of liquid. Bring a small container for holding water. Eat adequately and wisely. Get plenty of rest. Don't play with the animals! We recommend that you get a tetanus shot if you haven't had one in the last five years, any other vaccinations are your choice, but most likely not required. Anyone under 21 must have a treatment consent form. In case of a medical emergency there is a very good Christian clinic in Florido two doors down from the dormitories. In most cases we would cross the border for treatment in the U.S. Journals – Feel free to bring along a journal if you want. Your Go Guide will have lined pages in it for journaling on each day. Laundry - We will have 1 or 2 hotels that will have some sort of laundry facility available if you need to do laundry on the trip. You will be responsible for providing your own laundry detergent and money for the machines. Language - In Mexico "se habla español". It is definitely a Spanish-speaking country. Very few people in the Florido area speak much English. So we will bone up on our Spanish. Learn whatever you can, use whatever you learn. The people will love it! Bring a Spanish/English dictionary if you can. Meals – Certain members of our team will be responsible for general meal preparation in Mexico. We will eat breakfasts in the dorm. There is a stove and refrigerator available. You will either prepare sack lunches to eat at the work sites, or the meal will be provided for you by the family whose home we are building. In the evenings we will eat out at local restaurants. It is alright to buy the necessary groceries for breakfast and lunch in the U.S. before going into Tijuana, however anything we need to get during the week will most likely be purchased in the Florido area. Plenty of bottled water will be provided by Mexico Caravan Ministries. Money - Mexican currency is the Peso, though U.S. dollars are accepted everywhere. Traveler's checks will do you no good in Mexico and are NOT recommended for the trip. You may need to have adequate cash for the odd expense in Mexico. It's a good idea to have extra spending money available for snacks and souvenirs (as little as possible). Please carry as little money with you as necessary while traveling and in Mexico – the risk of it being lost or stolen is higher than normal. We will make a couple planned stops to access ATM’s (your standard Canadian bank card will easily access your Canadian account for a small fee) while traveling. However, paying by interact with that card will not work in the US (they only work in the ATM machines). It is usually not a good idea to give money directly to people. Please let your leaders guide you in your spending. Packing – Once the vans have been packed for the day, they will stay that way until we get to the hotel for the night. There will be a limited amount of space in the vans, so a VERY TINY bag will be all that you can bring along into the vans. Sizes will be determined by the leadership team when we get closer to leaving. Passports – All Canadian citizens will need passports for entering and returning to both the U.S. and Mexico – NO EXCEPTIONS. It is now required for your all passports to be valid until 6 months after our trip. If they expire before February 2010, you will need to apply for a new one as soon as you can! When we enter the US, our passports become a kind of visitor’s visa. If we get stuck, our passports must be valid for that long. If you are not a Canadian citizen, but are on a visa, please bring that along with your passport. Passport Applications are available Online as well as at most Canada Post Offices. Please give yourself 2-3 months for processing. Permission Slips - Anyone under 21 must sign the parental permission slip as well as the treatment consent form and everyone must sign a release of liability form. If issues arise from that, please contact Pastor Dave as soon as possible so that he can help you with sorting it out. Radios - No iPods, radios, walkmans, MP3 players, game boys, etc. are permitted. There will be plenty of music to listen to along the way. If you have any Christian CD’s that you think the team would like, please drop them off with Pastor Dave prior to departure and we’ll try to make them available to listen to on the trip. Reading Material - Reading Material for the trip is basically limited to your Bibles. No fashion, teen, skate magazines, or secular reading of any kind is allowed without approval from Pastor Dave, and he loves to say “no!”. Registration - Please register ASAP. We will not be taking more than three vans, so there are limited spots available. The first 25 places will be reserved for first time applicants. Showering – There will be no showering while we are in Mexico. There are washrooms available for washing your face and hands. Mexico Caravan Ministries does not allow people to wash their hair in the sinks or waste water to fully bath. Keep in mind that you are a missionary and that not showering is a small sacrifice. Schedule - When in Mexico, we will be under the direct supervision and guidelines of Caravan Ministries – their pre-determined schedule is primarily what we will be working under. The following schedule is only a guideline for our group. It is important that you stay flexible and open to the needs of the people whom we are working for. Sunday AM - Go into Tijuana. Orientation in the evening. Shopping - One of the attractions of Tijuana is the shopping. Bargaining is the standard, and expected, approach to shopping. We might have opportunity to do some shopping. If we do, you should be ready to deal! Social Relations - No flirting! Be very cool toward the opposite sex. Girls especially...no direct eye contact with Mexican men, NO touching at all; basically talk to females and children. Mexican men already have the wrong impression of North American women – we are not interested in continuing or encouraging that reputation. If there are boyfriends/girlfriends in the group, no public display of affection during the week. Please cool it for the sake of the ministry. Tijuana - Tijuana is Mexico's fastest growing city. It is attracting people from all over the country, and even from Central and South America, because of its proximity to the U.S., the availability of jobs, and the availability of land. The rapid growth, which has swelled Tijuana to about 3 million people, has created sprawling new migrant communities, some of which spring up in a matter of weeks, with vast and unending human need. It is precisely that need in those communities to which we direct their efforts. Valuables - It is best to keep your valuables locked in the vehicles during the day, but brought into the dorms at night. It's O.K. to bring cameras, possibly even video cameras. Don't bring excessive jewelry or other "gadgets". Use good judgment. If in doubt, don't bring it. Generally speaking, all valuables will be as safe in Tijuana as they are at home. If you’re still wanting more information on what to bring, feel free to ask one of the leaders or someone who has gone before, they would be happy to tell you what they found useful…and that they didn’t need half the clothes they brought the first time J. We trust this has answered some of your questions. More information will be given out at a later date. As you anticipate being a part of our trip to Mexico this summer, pray that God will give you wisdom and guidance from now until we leave – in fact, say a quick prayer right now that God would prepare you! If you have any more comments/questions, they can be directed to Pastor Dave Fields. Blessings!
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