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Is Our Area of Mexico Safe and What are the Risk in Travel?
Some of you might be wondering whether or not it’s safe to come to Mexico. You could be a concerned parent pondering whether or not you should
allow your son or daughter to come. Or, you might be a leader weighing whether or not you should endorse your church to come. Following is some
help and perspective on the matter from us as a family who live in Mexico as long term missionaries. Also, at the end of this page is a special
section devoted to safety issues.
1. Why should my child go?
Discipleship has a price tag. Making Jesus Lord is a process which involves the sacrifice of time, and of desires or rights. Giving up rights, an
unpopular activity in our rights-conscious society, finds its ultimate expression in the Christian who forsakes all to pursue a call to missions. Doing so
involves taking a risk. As parents, we have to weigh the risks to which we expose our children.
The risks involved in a short-term mission experience are many:
- The risk of a possible mishap while traveling
- The risk of being rejected while sharing your faith
- The risk of being vulnerable with your team
- The risk of contracting an illness or having an accident
- The risk of being unprepared to deal with culture shock
Against these risks we must weigh the risk of not engaging in a short-term mission experience:
- Students will grow up with a narrow, self-centered world view.
- No one will share Christ with the lost.
- Students will inherit a lukewarm Christianity.
- Materialism will never be challenged.
- Students will live their lives as takers, not givers.
By the time your students reach their junior year of high school, you’ve made your mark as parents. A short-term mission trip can be a life-changing
experience. Encouraging them to go may be your last, best shot at helping them to understand and identify with the Great Commission.
2. When should my child go?
Is junior high too young an age for your children to go to the mission field? Some of the best projects involve junior high participants. A recent group
from Edgewater Church in Grants Pass, Oregon, is a good example. During the day they worked hard helping a needy church. In the afternoons
they led a VBS with around 100 children. By the end of the week, the group of 30 had helped a needy church and led around 40 children to Christ.
Many led vacation Bible school, and all of them shared the Gospel door-to-door and prayed with the sick and needy.
We're talking about middle schoolers—kids fresh out of elementary—naive about many things, awkward, and vulnerable. Kids hungry for ministry. If
we're to build up the generation of radical disciples that this world needs, then we need to start with kids in junior high.
3. Is a Mission Trip Important for my child?
Given the recent surge of interest and involvement in short-term missions, you'd think that it was a new phenomenon. Actually, it is a tradition as old
as Christendom. In the sixth chapter of Mark, Jesus sent not a select few, but all of His disciples out as missionaries for a short period. The disciples
tasted what life would be like once they eventually became full time missionaries. This experience became foundational to their growth as they
traveled from village to village with only God's power to guide them.
Wouldn't it be great if the process was still so simple? Advances in transportation and other technologies have brought the world to our doorstep.
Not all short-term mission experiences are alike; the choices can be bewildering. Regardless of the place we let our child go to, there's no
guarantees that nothing will happen to them. However, we do have the guarantee that missions is important and was Christ' last command. We
have the promise Christ will be with us as we go to the uttermost ends of the earth and will not allow anything to happen to us that is not within His
will. Letting your child on a short-term mission opportunity takes work, but a little effort up front can pay off in an experience which God uses to
change lives forever.
4. How should my child get ready?
Although all youth groups are given the same preparation materials, the time invested varies markedly. Inadequate preparation causes a youth
group to drift. Students have inconsistent attitudes and mixed motivations. They function as individuals rather than as a team. When it’s time to
minister, they hang back—unsure of themselves, their faith, and their skills.
In striking contrast are students whose leaders invested themselves in preparation for the mission field. They lead people to the Lord. Between
ministry times, they pray with intensity. An hour and a half of team sharing time is "too short." While praying as a group, a girl who has been holding
out on God breaks down in tears, asking the Lord to take her back.
Same students, different results. It is the investment made in a deliberate and thorough preparation process that produces desired results. These
students will never be the same. They'll impact their world for Jesus. Good mission preparation begins with recruiting a strong prayer base. It
involves learning about the poor overseas and then seeking out the poor in your own community.
Good preparation marks the cost in advance and produces faith as a result. A good sending organization will ask participants to commit to daily
quiet times of at least 30 minutes. Students should look for opportunities to minister at least once a month in their communities, putting evangelism
and service principles into action.
5. How can I help?
- You can encourage – The leaders work very hard to be available and to lead with excellence. Encouraging the staff can be one of the most
productive ways for you to contribute to the wellbeing of your student.
- You can give – Frequently, you may hear about needs on the field related to your student’s ministry. When coordinated with the base director
and home office, gifts to meet these needs are ordinarily welcomed.
- You can go – We have an open door. We're sure your student's Youth Group would love to have an adult sponsor. You are welcome
accompany and see for yourself the ministry with which your child is involved.
- You can pray – Prayer is a constant and a given. Stay in touch through the trip updates and with your student to know how to pray.
6. Is Our Area of Mexico Safe and What are the Risk in Travel?
Some of you might be wondering whether or not it’s safe to come to Mexico. You could be a concerned parent, a prospective leader considering a
mission trip, or a leader weighing whether or not to endorse your church's mission trip. The following info is factually based and designed to help
you assess the situation from a factual standpoint. It also provides a perspective from us as Long Term Missionaries who live here year around with
our families.
Safety Facts about Mexico
- Our area of ministry is in a rural, agricultural setting with no little or no safety issues whatsoever. We are not in a large city, but a farming
valley made up of smaller communities.
- Your church group will be staying in a very safe, gated and fenced Mission Base where we as missionaries live. Your mission team will be well
taken care of.
- Most of the issues in Mexico have occurred over 800 miles from our area and involve infighting among drug traffickers. They do not involve
tourist or the common people.
- Mexico's murder rate has fallen sharply from a decade ago. The National Public Security System reports that in 2008, the most recent year
with available data, 12 people per 100,000 were the victims of murder. In 1997, the number was 17. In the late 1980s, the murder rate
hovered near 20, according to the National Statistics and Geographic Institute. From a factual standpoint, Mexico is really safer than ever.
- When comparing the murder rate per 100,000 in the larger cities in the U.S, you might be surprised to know what they are verses the larger
cities of Mexico. New Orleans is highest with around 60 murders per 100,000, and the average, per other larger cities, is around 30 per
100,000. The border city of Tijuana (which you don’t drive through when coming to our area, but use a bypass freeway to go around it) is just
13 per 100,000. It's actually 3 times more dangerous to visit Washington DC than Mexico.
- According to Peter Greenburg (a CBS International Reporter) there have been less than 20 occurrences of Americans being involved in any
violence over the last 3 years. And these Americans were actually Mexicans who are also U.S. Citizens and involved in drug related issues.
There have virtually been no incidents regarding tourist.
- The point of view from most of us who live in Mexico year around is that things have improved over the past several decades. Unfortunately,
only the bad news gets out and the good news is unreported. Here's the good news: the current president (Calderon) is working very hard to
clean up Mexico. His administration has changed all the border officials and hired new, young, college educated people to take their place.
As a result, there is now virtually no corruption and bribes accepted or allowed at the border crossings. You are treated professionally and
with courtesy. There has also been a serious change among the police and as a result, there are also no bribes or abuses taking place in
this area as well. The military is also patrolling the highways and providing security with checkpoints to help with this as well. In addition, there
is a branch of the government called, "The Green Angels" who patrol the highways offering help to travelers who break down or need help.
Things are really much safer than in past history. We who live here have seen big changes and feel better than ever about safety and travel
in Mexico.
- Most of the incidents mentioned in the media are isolated and mainly take place at night or in questionable areas. The newest U.S. Travel
Update for Mexico says to use caution when going to Red Light Districts. It also recommends going to recognized tourist areas. Other than
that, it is not telling folks to stay away from Mexico, but to just use reasonable caution as with travel anywhere, even in the U.S.
- Contrary to what some might think, and the media portray, there are not people with guns randomly shooting at vehicles as they drive by.
Virtually every incident is drug related and involves drug traffic infighting.
- The main highway you’ll be using on your drive down is the major (and only) highway of the Baja Peninsula. Everyday there are about 10,000
cars that use this highway and there have been virtually no incidents whatsoever on this road.
- If Tijuana presents a problem, know that you will not enter Tijuana and will bypass the city altogether on a major freeway when driving south to
our area. We use this freeway all the time and feel very safe. And once again, this freeway bypasses Tijuana so there’s really nothing to
worry about.
- If even getting close to Tijuana is a problem, you can enter Mexico east of San Diego via Tecate. The highway is #3 and connects in
Ensenada. Tecate is a small border town and the road is quiet and peaceful.
- Mexico is very concerned about its tourism and is patrolling all its highways with additional police and soldiers to ensure maximum safety. The
area is also patrolled by Green Angels who help tourist whose vehicles might break down and keep watch as well.
- It's also pertinent to say that some of the media attention has been made a little sensational (as the media tends to do) and blown out of
proportion. The murder rates in Mexico have actually fallen over the past 25 years and are better than ever. However, because the type of
murders is high profile, they are reported. In the past this wasn't the case, so what was not reported was not thought about.
- A good case could be put together from things that happen in Southern California (or other places in the U.S.) that it's not safe to travel there
as well. We are all accustomed to small risk in life and coming to our area of Mexico is not a large risk.
- A number of years ago my folks visited us and brought their camper trailer. They were pulled over at one of the soldier checkpoints and
thought they were going to have big problems. However, the soldiers recognized they had some loose lug nuts on one of their trailer tires.
They quickly jacked up the trailer, tightened the lug nuts and sent them on their way. Most people are very friendly and helpful in Mexico,
even officials of the government.
- We've been hosting mission teams for 13 years (well over 250 total mission teams hosted) and have had no issues whatsoever. We are on
schedule to host another 25 teams this year and foresee no problems whatsoever.
- We are Long Term Missionaries who are in our 14th year living here. You will be well taken care of by us. If we thought your lives were in any
way in danger, or things were even remotely out of hand, we’d let you know.
- We can also provide references of recent team leaders who have currently been here if you’d like to talk with someone other than us.
- During your time with us in Mexico, someone from our ministry will be with your team at all times and act as your host.
And Most Importantly - We have God's Promises to Protect Us As We Serve Him
- We serve a big God who has our days numbered! We’re not going to die one minute earlier or later than He has determined for us. There’s
no safer place to be than in His will doing His work!
- We can be in the safest place on earth, but if God plans to take us home, we won't escape God and avoid death. In the same way, we can be
in the unsafest place on earth and if it's not our time to go, no force on earth will over ride God's perfect plan for us.
- We have the promises of Psalm 121, which talks about God's promise to protect and watch over us.
- We have the examples of Saul, with the whole Israelite army, who tried to kill King David but was unable to do so because of God's protection
over him.
- We have the examples of how God protected the Apostle Paul as he shared the Gospel everywhere and many tried to kill him, but were
unable to do so because of God's protection.
- Scripture is full of how God watches over His own and protects them. It's a fundamental truth of the Bible.
- God actually is greatly displeased when we don't trust Him and give way to fear. Fear is Satan's greatest tool in stopping the spreading of the
Gospel. Our lack of trust deeply displeased God and makes Him out to be a tiny God who is unable to protect us.
- God delights in our faith and we grow in the Lord as we exercise it. On the contrary, we stay small and our faith shrinks when we don't trust.
- Lastly, God says in 1 Timothy 1:7, that, “He hasn’t given us a spirit of fear (or of timidity), but of power, love and self-discipline. It’s Satan who
fills us with fear and scares us away from serving God. It’s Satan’s favorite tool because it works so well. Fear has stopped more people from
sharing their faith and serving God than any other thing. God promises to be with us until the end of the age as we share the Gospel (Matt.
28:20). What a precious promise! God also says, “That if He is for us, who can be against us?” (Rom. 8:31) Not one hair of our head will fall
to the ground without God knowing it. And if He watches over the birds of the air, how much more will He watch over us who are involved in a
mission trip fulfilling the Great Commission of sharing the Gospel?
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| Short Term Mission Trip Opportunities to Mexico! We are Long Term We are Long Term Mission Teams in Missionaries who use Short fulfilling the Great Commission! Page loading, please wait! |
| Go Missions to Mexico Inter-Denominational Ministry |
| Fees Per Person-7 Day Trip Children (6-12) $200 Pre-School (0-5) Free Fees Include: Lodging, building materials & tools for work projects, VBS Program, media & ministry equip., coordination of ministries, and our on site assistance! |
| Missionaries who use Short Term Mission Teams in fulfilling the Great Commission! We host: Youth Teams, Family Teams, Adult Teams & Church Teams. All with any kind of work & ministry emphasis desired! |