Team Member Handbook
Every year, team members
receive a handbook which contains information about the trip, about where we are
going, how to
behave, traveling in Baja California, Mexican history and culture and some
checklists of things that it is wise to take. There is also a mini-Spanish
language section and the words to songs that we sing at chapel services in the
evening. The approximately 12,000 words of text would take up about 10% of an
old floppy disk as a plain text file but, with the addition of artwork, that jumps to 18
floppies or a good chunk of a CD. Here is just the plain text of the 2007 handbook. The text for the 2008 book will be posted as soon as it is
finished. A lot of the original list formatting has gone astray, but
all the words are all still there. If you are a visitor from
another church group and want to copy any of the content, feel free to do so but kindly
click here to Email
the Author that you are recycling the content. No royalties
please, I just would like to know that my stuff is getting used by someone else
and that I am helping make some one else's Mexico mission trip experience more enjoyable or
some other trip leader's life a little easier.
If any of the writing seems provincial to you, congratulations on your
perceptiveness. The handbook's target audience is people from Trinity
United Presbyterian Church of Modesto right in the heart of California's
central valley. If you come to Modesto, we would like you to visit
us. Sunday services are at 8:30 and 11:00 am.
TEAM COVENANT
In participating in the 2007 Baja California Mission Trip you are participating
in carrying out in the Great Commission (Mark 16:15) to "Preach the Good News to
all Nations." You are promising to:
* To reflect the person of Jesus in all you say and do.
* To give your gift of service to the children at Rancho Santa Marta and all the
people in San Vicente who will be blessed by the work we do; to act in a way
that is loving, Christ-like, with a servant's love and with consideration of
those from another culture.
* To be a member of a team that is cooperative, united and helpful to each other
and focused on being used by God throughout the week as a supportive and
enthusiastic worker in all projects you are assigned to.
* To observe the Rancho Santa Marta dress code.
* To be an encourager to others on the trip. Smile: The Lord loves a cheerful
servant. Fellow teams members don't mind them either.
* To develop a Christian World View.
* To look on the trip as an opportunity to make new friends in, as well as
outside your regular church family.
* To always remain flexible.
* To remember to bring this handbook with you while you are in Mexico. It will
be your "Mission Trip Memory Book." There are blank pages at the end for
you to record your notes and other trivia. It also has the song words for those
who don’t already have them memorized.
Teams have represented Modesto from area churches and the local Rotary Club.
Trinity has sent representatives since 1989 and was joined by Irvington in 1997.
The vision for Rancho Santa Marta, one of few church-oriented schools in Mexico,
is to provide not only for the children's material needs, but also an education
and, most of all, the opportunity to know Jesus Christ as their Savior.
Educational programs include traditional subjects for students with learning
disabilities and a vocational trade school to teach each child marketable skills
in the fields of agriculture, carpentry, small engine overhaul, welding, animal
husbandry, sewing, first aid, office skills, and home economics.
Community outreach includes a vocational school attended by residents of other
orphanages, a youth center in town for local jovenes and outreach ministries to
local residents. Rancho programs include missionary trips by rancho children to
other parts of Mexico and, in 2004, to India. Rancho graduates are now serving
in the mission field. Many Americans have had their first taste of foreign
missionary service at the rancho.
Thousands of volunteer workers and staff have come to the rancho over the years
to contribute their skills and abilities and to interact in the Mexican culture.
It is the volunteers and others who support the home prayerfully and
financially, which makes possible today the ministry of Rancho Santa Marta to
Baja California children and adults.
Before you leave the USA
From Alta To Baja California
Your California driver's license is valid for driving in Baja. Your California
insurance is not. Mexican Financial responsibility laws are very strict. If you
are in an accident, your vehicle and you may be held without regard to fault
until settlement of any damage claim is made. Failure to show financial ability
to pay damages is a serious crime under Mexican law. Purchasing Mexican auto
insurance protects you from this. Don't leave the USA without it! Mexico
recognizes only insurance policies issued by Mexican-licensed companies.
Numerous companies along the border and the Auto Club sell short term insurance
for tourists. Be prepared to pay by cash or credit card.
HINT: The Chevron gas station at 104 W San Ysidro Blvd. at the last off ramp on
Interstate 5, has had competitively priced gas and offers a $5 discount on
Mexican auto insurance to Christians on mission trips if you remember to ask for
it. We have patronized this Christian business for many years. ANOTHER HINT: If
your vehicle is to remain parked except for the first and last
days of the trip, you can save money by buying insurance for those days only.
Ask that your "last day" insurance take effect at 5:00 a.m. on June 24 so it
will be in force when we leave for home Saturday morning. Administrative
per-policy fees are the major part of the cost while additional per-day rates
are relatively modest. WARNING: Buying insurance for two days only means you
will be driving bare if there is an emergency or you want to use your vehicle
during the week or you want to use it to drive a group to the youth center in
town. Plan accordingly! HINT: Many vehicles run poorly on Mexican gasoline,
which can clog gas filters. You should fill up before crossing the border. U.S.
gas prices rise as you near the border. If you will need only a few extra
gallons, take a small gas can and top off when we get to the ranch. All Mexican
gasoline is sold at the same price at government controlled Pemex stations. It
has also been more expensive than gas on the American side of the border.
At the Border
Crossing into Mexico is easy. Once across, it’s "Well Toto, we're not in Kansas
anymore!" Differences in laws, economic conditions, living standards and customs
are immediately obvious. Unless you are pulling a trailer, you should move to
one of the center lanes at the border area before crossing to bypass part of the
always-chaotic traffic and ease your connections to Ensenada. Trailers must go
through the trailer lane at the right side of the border crossing where they may
be stopped for a cursory search.
When crossing the border, the "Tortilla Curtain," the general rule is, "Smile,
but don't speak to officials unless spoken to, and then always do so politely."
Polite always counts in Mexico! If you are under 18, you must have your parental
permission slip or a parent handy. If you are asked where you are going, say that you are visiting friends at a
rancho in San Vicente. Answer any questions honestly but don't volunteer
information about plans to work or evangelize. They all know what you are doing
but part of polite is pretending they don't.
Finding the Rancho
After you enter Mexico at Tijuana, follow highway signs to Ensenada via the toll
road, Highway 1-D, marked "Ensenada Scenic Road" in English and "Cuota" in
Spanish. Take Hwy. 1-D to Ensenada then, when it becomes simply Hwy-1, continue
traveling south. Below Ensenada, the road is in good condition but narrow. Signs
appear frequently stating the distance in kilometers to Santo Tomas, San Vicente
and San Quintin. "Km" marker signs (decimal milestones) are found every few
kilometers along the highway. They give you an idea how far (but not how long)
you have gone or have yet to go. Rancho Santa Marta is located just past the 96
Km. marker sign about five miles (8-Km) south of the town of San Vicente. The
trip from the border, a 130-mile drive, takes normal people about three hours.
Check the map on Page 29 of this handbook. There will be baño stops along the
way. Take advantage of them! SHORT VERSION: Get on Hwy 1-D then Hwy-1 south of
Ensenada, and stay on it until about 100 yards past the 96 Km marker. (There
used to be
a rancho sign but it was down in 2005. It may be back up this year.) Look for
buildings painted with the traditional rancho color scheme, yellow bottom, and
brick-red top. Drive carefully. Traffic on Baja Highway 1 around the ranch is
very heavy. This is because the highway is an asphalt lifeline running the
entire length of the Baja California peninsula. If it goes north or if it goes
south it is probably going to go past the rancho in a big truck and make a lot
of noise in the process.
Toll Gates
Along the toll road, Mexico Hwy 1-D between Tijuana and Ensenada, there are
three tollgates. Tolls can be paid in all dollars or all pesos. The 2004 rate
was $2.35 per gate for cars, a bit more for trailers and shouldn’t be too much
different in 2007. Each toll stop has coin phones and clean rest rooms "for
dignified people like you." Phones to call for emergency assistance are found
frequently on the toll road but not elsewhere. This is part of the premium
service your toll pesos provide. If you want to avoid tolls and court adventure,
you can take the lower quality, but free Camino Libre road, Hwy 1 all the way
from Tijuana to Ensenada. RECCOMENDATION: Take the toll road.
Turista Fees
The Mexican government has established a $15 tourist fee for people traveling
south of Ensenada or staying over 72 hours. According to the rancho, the
government is not collecting the fee at this time. Tourist fees are being
charged to some people who are traveling further south than San Vicente. You
should take enough money to pay the fee if there is a change in procedure by the
time we go.
Roadside Emergency Service
For roadside emergencies, the Green Angels (Angeles Verdes,) known for their
distinctive green and white pickup trucks, provide free assistance to motorists.
Angeles Verdes vehicles patrol major Baja highways each day from 8:00 a.m. to
8:00 p.m. They are supposed to pass any given point at least twice a day. They
carry limited spare parts and gasoline, which are provided at cost. To attract a
green angel, pull completely off the highway and lift your hood. For safety, it
is recommended that you travel with the Trinity caravan and come equipped with a
supply of tools and safety supplies. Here is a checklist of things you should
have with you.
Automotive Security Supplies
Fire Extinguisher Flashlight
First Aid Kit Reflective Triangles
Water Container (filled) Heavy-duty rope
Vehicle Registration Flares
Extra Motor Oil Gas Can
Proof of Mexican Auto Insurance Small Tools
Emergency Phone Numbers Repair Parts
Change for tolls and telephones Spare “Paper” Gas Filter
Directions to the Rancho Matches
A real spare tire (not a doughnut)
You should have most of these items already. Some are part of this handbook.
Check before leaving to make sure motor oil and coolant levels are up, battery
terminals are clean, tires are in good condition and properly inflated and
everything is present and in good working condition. There is a lot of nowhere
along the way and you won't be able to call the Auto Club or run to Pep Boys for
parts and the Angeles Verdes truck may have just made its last pass of the day.
Most road signs use international symbols whose meanings are generally obvious.
Speed limits are in kilometers per hour. Some signs are in Spanish.
Documentation
Travelers going south of the Ensenada area are required by Mexican law to have a
tourist permit. They are issued free at Mexican consulates when you present a
certified copy of your birth certificate. It should be carried with you while in
Mexico. In the all years we have been going to the rancho, no one has been asked
for his or hers. Even if you don't get a tourist permit, everyone must bring a
certified copy of his or her birth certificate. Passports will be required
starting in 2007. If you have been thinking of getting one, now may be the time.
What You May Take Into Mexico
Mexico charges a tax on merchandise imported for sale. If a Mexican official at
the border asks about your cargo, tell him it is for our group to use during our
visit and is not for sale. You must get a permit from a Mexican consulate to use
a CB radio. If you take medicine containing habit-forming drugs or narcotics,
carry only what you will need properly identified, in the pharmacy bottle.
Mexican officials are very sensitive about narcotics and get absolutely
ballistic about firearms. The Mexican army operates highway checkpoints to
search for illegal drugs and guns. We will go through one several times.
Roadway Traffic
The posted highway speed limit is generally about 80 kilometers (50 miles) per
hour. A kilometer (Km) is .625 miles. If your car lacks a kilometer indicator
(it's the thingy with the tiny numbers on your speedometer.) You can estimate
the speed limit in miles per hour as about 2/3 of the posted Km. limit. The
quality of the road makes observing speed limits prudent for all but the
suicidal. Traffic signals are primitive by our standards so you must always be
alert.
Also be alert to road conditions and aware of other drivers. Baja locals, being
more familiar with the highways and Mexican customs, will be able to drive
faster and with greater ease than we turistas who will find the unfamiliar roads
narrow, winding, and in dubious condition. Many local drivers seem to have a death wish so you must drive defensively to
avoid the opportunity to "help them out!" There is a spot a few miles north of
the rancho where a rancho employee went to meet Jesus prematurely thanks to a
pharmaceutically impaired driver!
RETURNING TO THE USA
At the USA border, all travelers must be ready for the pictured annoyance of a
long wait before crossing the border then be prepared to give proof of
citizenship to US Customs and declare any curios purchased. Your declaration in
clear, unaccented English, along with the check run on your license plate,
ordinarily suffices. Your birth certificate and other picture ID should resolve
any remaining doubts. Each visitor may bring back, duty free, $800 worth of
merchandise per month. In the unlikely event that an individual goes over this
limit, the excess can be distributed among other family or team members. You may
also be diverted for a more thorough search. If you aren't packing contraband
(drugs, switchblade knives, liquor, fireworks or Cuban cigars) all you will be
is inconvenienced. If you are caught with any Cuban cigars, don't be shocked by
the fine of $1,000 per cigar. You have been warned!
Money and Shopping
U.S. currency and travelers checks are welcome in Mexico. The monetary unit in
Mexico is the peso. It worth about 9¢ as this is written. Dollars are accepted
freely at the current exchange rate in stores where you we likely to shop. You
may get Mexican money in change at stores in San Vicente. Merchants who cater to
tourists expect dollars and shun credit cards. Traveler's checks can be cashed
fairly easily in Ensenada. We will make a mid-week shopping trip to its turista
section during the trip. Past attempts to use Mexican ATMs have not succeeded.
Stores in San Vicente have little small change on hand and the merchants will
appreciate your cooperation in not using large bills. Except for gas stations,
you should have a dollar supply of ones and fives. If you have to change a $20
bill you may get more pesos in change than you know what to do with. You could
also be stuck with a poor exchange rate. "Leftover" pesos can be donated to
Rancho Santa Marta or used to pay for gas or road tolls on the ride home. If you
have some from last year, drop them in the collection plate at Sunday's church
service. Coins and colorful paper money make cheap souvenirs. (For collections,
keep only the best condition crisp bills and shiny coins.)
If you go to town in San Vicente, go to a small food store and sample some of
the local munchies. They can be purchased in the sanitary packaging you are
familiar with in the USA. Peanuts (cacahuates) flavored with chili and lemon,
fresh pan dulce or acidic, low sugar candy make interesting changes from the
American junk food we are familiar with. A fresh Mexican tortilla makes its
American grocery store counterpart pale by comparison as you will experience
when some show up on the menu one night. Unfortunately they have a very short
shelf life so don't plan on taking any home.
A typical Mexican food market will have a variety of salsas hot enough to cause
blisters. Supermercados in Ensenada have a large selection of these and other
appealing ethnic items not available at home. Devotees of fiery condiments can
stock up instead of just settling for the gringo varieties during our turista
trip in Ensenada.
Life Around the Rancho
What You Will Find There
There are three separate unisex dormitories with bunk beds and mattresses, each
accommodating about 20 occupants. You must bring your own bedding or sleeping
bag. They have bathrooms equipped with American style plumbing and electricity.
Because unreliable power delivery can always be counted on, flashlights and
wind-up or battery operated clocks should be brought for use during regularly
unscheduled power outages.
Some families have opted out of the gender segregation of the dormitories in
favor of portable lodging in their own tents or travel trailers. HINT: If you
elect the tent housing option, be sure to take heavy, nail-type metal stakes,
not wimpy plastic ones, because the ground will be hard as rock.
Water is scarce in the Baja California desert environment. The rancho water
table is low and pumping is expensive. Use it wisely. Rancho well water is safe.
Drink as much rancho water as you want. Conservation includes "military
showers." (Turn water on to get wet. Turn it off while soaping down, and then
turn it back on to rinse.) Be prepared for any repeat of previous years' water
or electricity outages.
Standard Mexican plumbing usage practices will always be in effect. There is a
very delicate septic system percolating into hard adobe clay and a "thrifty
flush" policy: Nothing goes down toilets unless it has been run through your
body first! This includes toilet paper. Used toilet paper should be placed in
the covered can in each bathroom stall. Trashcans are emptied at the fire pit
outside. This is not nearly as gross as rooting out a clogged drainpipe. Please
cooperate; this is very very important!
HINT: Team members, particularly women, should visit rancho
baños before leaving
the ranch for any extended period of time. This is because aesthetic conditions
in many, quote, toilet facilities away from the rancho are not for the
squeamish. They can vary from a whole lot worse to absolutely abominable. Even
at the rancho youth center in town, water delivery and plumbing can be cranky.
Bring some toilet paper along for emergencies. This is not a joke!
MEDICAL CONSIDERATIONS
If you have any chronic medical conditions, you should keep your labeled
prescription medicines with you. San Vicente has vast tracts of arid landscape
and unpaved roads so everybody should be prepared to encounter and breathe in a
lot of dust. You have to be careful and prepared to handle simple repairs of you
by yourself. Fellow team members can always be called on to chastise you for any
real or imagined carelessness or assist at impromptu amputations. Avoiding
trouble is always the best policy.
Bring your health insurance card and a pre-signed claim form and keep it handy
so you can get hurt safely. Medical releases will be required for minors not
accompanied by their parents otherwise they must be euthanized if seriously
injured.
If you had your last tetanus shot over ten years ago or don't remember when you
last had one, get shot before you go: This is routine maintenance and you should
be up to date with it for the general objective of staying alive!
Shoes or boots should be worn at all times when walking around outside to
protect feet from glass, rocks, insects, parasites, thorns, fungi and other
unpleasant surprises. Being a barefoot American is its own punishment. Wear
thongs on your feet in the shower areas.
Summer is rattlesnake season in Mexico. No one we know has been bitten. Yet! You
should be careful when outdoors. Move big rocks with a stick first. Always wear
shoes that cover the whole foot (boots or tennis shoes, but not sandals) when
working. And always keep an eye, as well as an ear, out for rattlesnakes no
matter where you are.
If a snake bites someone, first try to put a tourniquet just above the bite
unless this would result in strangulation. Use a shoelace, belt, bandanna etc.
to keep the snake venom from circulating to critical body parts, and then move
the person very slowly to a safer place where help is available. Kaye Lawrence
will give an anti-venom injection if you ask nicely. Anyone bitten will be
transported to the USA for medical treatment. Since we are a church group,
adding a prayer or two would also be appropriate.
Black widow spiders, centipedes and scorpions are also common critters during
the summer. Nobody in our group has been bit but you should watch out for the
little bugs.
First Aid Kit
Checklist
Here is a pharmacopoeia of things you can bring in your own first aid kit for
emergency repairs, injury prevention or basic psychological relief. Sun screen
has a limited shelf life so make sure you bring a fresh bottle otherwise you may
spread icky goop on your body and still get burned.
Personal Medicine Chest
Band-Aids
Antiseptic
First Aid Dressing Rolled Gauze
Triangular sling bandage Rolled Cotton
Safety pins
Adhesive tape
Rubbing
Alcohol Scissors
Antibiotic Ointment Tweezers
Mosquito Repellent Pepto Bismol
Milk of Magnesia Diarrhea medicine
Aspirin or Tylenol Cough syrup
Cough Drops
Allergy pills
Antihistamine
Dramamine
Eye drops
Teddy Bear
Bee Sting Kit
Kleenex, toilet paper
Sunscreen SPF 15 to 30. Other favored nostrums
Local Weather
High temperatures during previous trips have run from 80 degrees last year to
120 degrees in 1990. We even had rain in 2001! During our visit, it will
probably be about what Trinity folks would expect at home but with more breeze
and no air conditioning. Donations of spare box fans help make the dining area
more pleasant in the heat. If you have a spare or an old one you can donate,
bring it along.
Average rainfall around San Vicente is a desert level of six to eight inches per
year. In 1998, there was only three inches. In 2005, the final total was 21. You
can check out the current weather on the Internet on Yahoo Weather located at
http://weather.yahoo.com/forecast/MXBC0161.html. If you are an AOL subscriber,
go to AOL Keyword WEATHER and input San Vicente, Mexico. While you are at it,
check how much different the weather is in Ensenada.
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