ENVISION MEXICO HANDBOOK

INTRODUCTION ABOUT THE SITE As a ministry we are committed to growing the local Mexican church here in Baja California. Our job is to understand culture in order to know how the Gospel best intersects with people’s lives. Our team is honored to join the work that God has already begun in our area. We work along side the Mexican Christian & Missionary Alliance churches. One day, we hope to see Mexican missionaries sent out to all nations to share the Good News of Jesus Christ.

MEET THE TEAM David and Aleah were married in July 2010 and have been serving together in ministry since they were dating. David is from the San Francisco Bay Area and Aleah is from Redding, CA. David and Aleah served with Envision in the Dominican Republic for two years before moving to Mexico in May of 2014. They became the site coordinators in December 2014. Mindy first joined Envision Mexico in June 2012. After serving as an intern for a year, she made the transition to site associate. Mindy is from Everett, WA. She previously served with the C&MA in Germany, for two years and is presently working through the consecration process.

GENERAL INFORMATION TEAM COSTS

INTERN COSTS

The general cost is $495 per individual, on the ground, in the country, for 7 days. The in-country expenses cover meals, lodging, and personal travel insurance. Airfare, car rental and car insurance excluded.

The general cost is $950 per intern, on the ground, in the country, for one month. The in-country expenses cover meals, lodging, laundry, in-city transportation, and personal travel insurance. Airfare excluded.

MONEY QUESTIONS Both pesos and dollars are accepted in Baja California, Mexico, so there is no need to exchange currency. But if you plan to use dollars, bring small bills because you will receive your change in pesos. $50 or less should be sufficient spending money for each person unless they plan to buy a significant amount of souvenirs.

HOUSING + FOOD In Maneadero, just outside of Ensenada, we have a team center complete with dorm rooms for guys and girls, bathrooms with showers, full kitchen, and common area to eat and hang out. There is no laundry available, so please plan to bring enough clothes for your entire stay. The team center is equipped with WiFi. As a rule, we only allow team leaders or adults to have access. You and your team will be expected to perform daily chores at the team center such as sweeping, moping, washing dishes after meal times, cleaning the bathrooms, etc. Meals are provided for you. Breakfast is a continental breakfast with various options, lunch is sandwiches and chips, and dinner is a traditional Mexican meal. We can accommodate some dietary restrictions. Please email the site coordinators with any dietary needs of your group members as soon as possible.

GENERAL INFORMATION COMMUNICATION The team center has wifi available to team leaders and adults as needed. We will limit internet access if we notice that it is a distraction. Team members are welcome to bring their phones however you will want to place phones in “Airplane Mode” before crossing the border into Mexico to ensure that you do not receive international fees/charges.

AIRPORT + ARRIVAL INFORMATION When booking your flights, fly into and out of San Diego (airport code SAN). Your group will need to rent a van (or multiple vans) to transport your group and your luggage to the ministry site. Star Rentals in San Diego has great prices and they bring the vehicles to the airport for you to make it really easy. Turn-by-turn directions from San Diego to our team center will be given before your trip. Any modern GPS (google maps) will also provide directions if desired. It is important that all trip participants have their passports out and ready to be viewed at the border when crossing if requested by border officials. You will need around $15 for tolls (round trip) so make sure you have that before crossing into Mexico. IMPORTANT: When shopping for airfare, plan to arrive in San Diego BEFORE 4 p.m. on your arrival date and plan to leave San Diego AFTER 2 p.m. on your departure date. This allows enough time for travel to and from your destination in Mexico.

VISAS Visas are only required for anyone who is staying in Mexico longer than one week.

HEALTH CONSIDERATIONS In our experience, the most common thing that affects people is dehydration. Drink lots of water.

PACKING LIST SUGGESTED ITEMS • Clothes: including one nice outfit for church. Jeans are acceptable with a button-up shirts/nice blouse. • Tennis shoes/Walking shoes • Flip flops • Swim-suit (one-piece or tankini for women) • Beach towel • Shower towel • Toiletries • Sunscreen • Sunglasses • Hat • Sweatshirt • Prescription meds • Camera • Water bottle • Bible, journal, pen

HOW TO DRESS Mexicans like to dress nice and look good. They tend to dress more conservative than your average American. Please leave your construction (unless we have communicated that you will be a part of a work project) and “missions trip” clothes at home. Bring and wear your every-day clothes (excluding shorts or sleeveless shirts). The only thing your clothes will experience is a little dirt. • NO tank tops of any kind, at ANY TIME. Your shoulders need to be covered AT ALL TIMES during your time in Mexico. • NO shorts of any kind, at ANY TIME. Pants, capris, and long skirts (past the knee) are acceptable. • ONE-PIECE or TANKINI swim suits only.

MINISTRY VISION OF THE SITE The biggest issue Mexico faces is that its people live without the saving knowledge of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Catholicism is the unofficial religion of Mexico, with almost 90 percent identifying with the Roman Catholic religion. Our goal is to meet the needs that are going unmet in our area in order to show the love and grace of Christ and ultimately to welcome the lost into a right relationship with God.

TEAMS Saturday- Arrival Sunday- AM: Prayer, breakfast, chores, church. PM: Lunch, ministry activities, dinner. Monday through Friday- AM: Prayer, breakfast, chores, team time. PM: Lunch, ministry activities, dinner, ministry activities. Saturday- Departure

INTERNS Internships vary because there are many factors that go into an internship, such as the time of year, length of stay, language proficiency, skills/talents, etc. If you are interested in an internship with Envision Mexico and want to learn more specifically how you can serve as an intern, please contact us at envisionmexico@gmail. com.

CULTURAL SENSITIVITY Due to Mexico’s size and it’s proximity to the States there are many stereotypes of what Mexico and Mexicans are and are not. We ask that each person who comes would suspend judgement, not label differences as good/ bad or right/wrong, and that each person would exercise caution of their actions and words during their time in Mexico.

CONTACT INFO HOW TO GET IN TOUCH (AND STAY IN TOUCH) Site Directors: David and Aleah Nishizaki Site Associate: Mindy Hocking Email: [email protected]