Making Your Mission Trip More Affordable

 

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In order to keep mission fees as affordable as possible, we allow teams to purchase some of their own items needed for their stay at the Mission Base and for their ministries.

 

Our hope is that while you’re on the ministry base with us in Mexico, you'll feel at home. Our mindset is that "Mi casa es Tu casa" (My house is your house). We don't operate like a hotel service, we basically loan you the base during your time here. The following items will save you money if you buy them instead of us providing them. Taking this in mind, here are some additional items to consider for your mission trip.  

 

Food

 

In order to make your trip as affordable as possible we allow groups to take care of some of their own meals (we provide large, furnished kitchens with all the cooking utensils you'll need for this). Food is not covered in your mission trip fees. More on food

 

Meal prep can be very easy if you consider the following options:

 

• Some mission teams have each person bring their favorite box of cold cereal for the week in Mexico. Milk and fruit can be brought with you, or purchased here in Mexico. This provides a quick, healthy breakfast with little costs or work.

 

• We provide an option (highly recommended) to groups of eating the Sunday evening meal and the noon meals (Monday-Thursday) at the church you will be serving at. These meals are prepared and served by the women of the church. This is a wonderful way to save time, money, and get to know the people and culture of Mexico. It’s a popular hit among all groups (you will be hard pressed to buy and cook a meal for less than the fee and the cost even covers the meals so all the Mexicans who will be serving with you can eat with you as well). This option costs $4.00 per person per meal. And once again, this amount also includes enough money so the Mexicans who are ministering with you can eat with you as well.

 

• The remainder of the meals can be prepared at the base or you can eat out at some local taco stands. The facilities are very accommodating (two stoves, refrigerator, freezer, large work areas, large serving bar & more). An option to consider if you don’t have a cook is to designate a kitchen and meal coordinator to oversee the meals and kitchen. Divide the group into food teams and allow them to plan the meals (with the oversight of the kitchen and meal coordinator). Meals can be pre-cooked in the States and then prepared in Mexico.  Make sure you have healthy meals as you will be exerting extra energy while on your trip. Also, you can eat out at local taco stands if you'd like which cuts down on meal prep too.

 

• It is best to purchase main items in the States before crossing the border (costs are less and selection is better). Following is a recommended shopping center close to the borde food4lessshopping Items like fruit, bread, and milk can be purchased locally in Mexico if you wish.

 

Cleaning Items

• Several liquid hand soaps (anti-bacterial).

• Small bottle dishwashing liquid

• Couple scrubber pads for pots and pans

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Items for Meals at the Mission Base

• Napkins

• Paper plates (we recommend using paper plates, bowls, cups & etc. for eating, this cuts down on work & time)

• Paper bowls

• Paper cups

• Plastic eating utensils

 

Miscellaneous Items

• Small bathroom trash bags (10 gallon)

• Large trash bags (40 gallon)

• Paper towels for kitchen and bathrooms

• Toilet Paper

• Hand Soap

• Baby wipes for cleaning hands after V.B.S. and etc. (put in vans)

 

First Aid Kit & Medicines - To carry with you. We have first aid kits at the ministry base for use as well.

• Neosporin

• Hydrogen peroxide

• Tylenol

• Imodium AD  

• Sun block

 

Purified Drinking Water in Mexico

We will have at the Ministry Base 5-gallon bottles of purified drinking water for your use. These bottles will be full upon your arrival, and then can be filled with purified water at all grocery stores for less than $1.00 each as you need more. It will be your group's responsibility to purchase your own water. There is no need to bring purified water with you unless you would feel more comfortable doing so.

 

Vehicle Insurance

Although vehicle insurance is not required in Mexico, you might want to have it just in case.  We strongly recommend that you purchase insurance prior to your trip. Purchasing insurance at the border can be costly and time-consuming. Click for more on auto insurance

 

Bibles in Spanish 

• 2 cases for teams of 20 or more, 1 case for mission teams of 20 or less. These can be ordered from American Bible Sales (Lockman Foundation), Tel: 714-879-2283, 800-535-5131, or go to their website AmericanBibleSales.com

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Important note: Be sure to select their case price as they’re much cheaper. This is a new version of the Bible called the NBLH (Nueva Biblia Latinoamerica de Hoy) which is equivalent to the NASB in English (New American Standard Bible). This is the Spanish version our ministry likes best.

 

Spanish Bible Tracks 

• 500 Go Missions to Mexico Spanish Evangelism Tracts (250 for teams of 20 or less). Free tracts you can print and bring with you. These tracts will be used for your door to door evangelism ministries. Click here for free tracts

 

Following are the English version of the Spanish tracts you can print if you’d like to have some for your own use and be able to follow along with those sharing in Spanish. Click here for English version        

 

• 500 Other Spanish Bible Tracts from the Following Options (250 for teams of 20 or less):

 

Free “Print Your Own” Tracts - These are nicely done tri-fold tracts you can print yourself. Click here for tracts

 

Fellowship Tract League - This website offers free tracts (donations are welcome and appropriate) www.fellowshiptractleague.org/spanish.html

 

Chick Publications, Tel: 909-941-8128, www.chick.com  One of the more popular tracts is, "Esta Fue Tu Vida" (This was your life"

  

Crossway Publishers - www.atstracts.org  (Go to "Catagory" on the left side of their page, then select "Spanish"). It is best to order a variety of different tracks.  Here are a few we recommend: "Y ... Entonces Que" (And now what), "Iré al Cielo" (Will I Go to Heaven?), "4 Verdades que Dios Quiere que Sepas" (4 Truths God Wants you to Know)

 

Matthias Media - Two Ways to Live: www.matthiasmedia.com.au/two-ways-to-live-spanish

 

VBS Snacks & Crafts

We will need you to bring some crafts and snacks for your children's ministries. We provide the VBS program, and all the media and equipment necessary, but we'll need you to cover the crafts and snacks. You will be doing 5 V.B.S.'s and will need 100 crafts and snacks per V.B.S. Click here for more

 

Game Equipment for Vacation Bible School Ministry

The beginning of VBS is started by playing games and drawing a crowd. Be sure to bring some game equipment for your game time for your VBS's.  Click for more

 

Prizes for Vacation Bible School

As a reward for memorizing Bible verses, we hand out prizes at the end of the week. Please bring about 50-75 prizes for children who can say their memory verses for the VBS time. More on VBS prizes

 

Pastor Offering

We’ll give you the option of giving the pastor of the church you’ll be serving at an offering at the end of the week. This is voluntary but recommended because most pastors have to work in Mexico to get by. Because your pastor will be with you most of the week he won’t be able to do his regular job to provide a living for himself and his household. A suggested offering amount would be between $150 - $250 Dollars. This offering can be taken up while in Mexico giving all your team members a chance to participate.