General Info
WHAT is a caravan?
A caravan is a church, service, or school group (or any other kind of group for that matter) of 4 to 100 people that comes to Tijuana for anywhere from a day to a week for a hands-on, short-term, cross-cultural missions experience. A caravan comes to meet the needs of the poor, to contribute to on-going ministry in Tijuana, and to be made into disciples and world Christians. Though there is opportunity to minister to others, the greatest benefit derived from coming to Mexico will be what the Spirit of God does in the lives of caravan participants themselves.
WHY bring a caravan?
Though needs are met among the poor, the real purpose of this ministry is to make disciples, to create world Christians and to mobilize the next generation of missionaries. We appreciate the opportunity to expose participants to cross-cultural ministry and third-world poverty, but our focus is really to present God’s plan for worldwide disciple-making and how He wants us to participate in that plan. The challenges are pointed and the teaching is for the mature. It is not meant to be an adventurous vacation or a means for justifying a trip to Disneyland.
HOW does it work?
Most of what we do involves construction. Jobs may include building 12´x12´ or 12´x16´ shelters for those who don’t have adequate housing, putting on roofs, building outhouses, digging outhouse holes, etc. We reserve the right to decide where the greatest needs are. The materials will be purchased in Mexico and ready for delivery to the work sites. We will provide tools as well as the expertise to get the job done. Some groups also choose to prepare activities for the children that gather around the work site, such as informal games and crafts. Regardless of what is planned there will usually be plenty of children with whom to play and people with whom to interact at the job site.
WHO can participate?
Though Mexico Caravan Ministries is affiliated with the Baptist General Conference, anyone is welcome to participate. The ministry focus is high school and college students. Adults are welcome. You need to provide one leader/sponsor for every 8 students (1:6 for those younger than high school). Group size will be limited by available space (we can accommodate up to 100 at a time). We encourage you to use a selection process, especially for week-long caravans. All applicants should be approved by recommendation only, whether by the pastor, youth pastor, youth leadership team, missions committee, elders, deacons, etc. Please be selective. Choose those who are mature, cooperative and teachable. Our target is those who come to be servants and learners, not those who come to be tourists.
WHERE do we sleep and eat?
You will be staying in a dormitory in the Mariano Matamoros section of Tijuana, Mexico’s fastest growing city. Tijuana 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 seemingly unending human need. Mariano Matamoros is one of the poor, migrant areas of the city.
The accommodations at the dorm are rustic. You will be sleeping on wooden bunks, most of which have foam mattresses. There are indoor restrooms, running water (though not showers) and electricity. You can use local public showers, which are very clean and offer complete privacy. During vacation times you will probably be sharing the dorm with 2 or 3 other caravan groups.
As for meals, you will prepare your own breakfasts and sack lunches at the dorm. Please keep it simple (cereal for breakfast, sandwiches for lunch, juice, rolls, fruit, etc.). There is a stove and refrigerator available. Plan on buying the necessary groceries (including disposable cups, plates and utensils) for breakfast and lunch either in the U.S. or at a super market in Tijuana. Anything you need to get during the week can be purchased in the Mariano Matamoros area. In the evenings you will eat out at local restaurants. Sufficient bottled water will be provided.
WHEN can we come?
We take Saturday or weekend groups year round except for spring break and summer vacation.
We take week-long groups any time during the year, but you must get on the calendar early for those high-demand spring break and summer vacation times since they fill up fast.
A staff member will meet you in San Diego at a pre-arranged time and place to guide you to our dorm. For day groups, plan to meet us by 6:45 a.m. For week-long groups, plan to meet us no later than 4:00 pm Sunday and to leave the dorms no later than 12:00 pm the following Saturday.
HOW MUCH does it cost?
There are two costs. Our administrative fee is $15 person/night (that is waived for day groups which don’t stay at our dorm) or $75 a person for weeklong groups. For weeklong groups a typical week consists of building Monday through Thursday with Friday as a service/debriefing day. Please send your administrative fee as a reservation deposit as soon as we agree upon a date for your group. Make the check payable to “Baptist General Conference”.
In addition to the administrative fee, our building cost is $700/shelter (or per two roofs, at our discretion). Divide the total amount of building funds you can contribute by 700 and that is the number of shelters we will plan to have you build. A group of 10 to 15 can comfortably complete one in a day. We need to know the number of shelters – and have your building funds in hand – no later than two weeks before you arrive so we can buy the materials and plan the projects for you.
As you plan your budget, remember that you are also responsible for your travel to San Diego, your transportation in Tijuana (you can rent vans in San Diego), and all of your food.
WHAT do we need to do first?
Contact Mexico Caravan Ministries to ask about available dates for your group, or to request more information. Contact us soon since we tend to fill up fast. When we agree on a date, send us your deposit to hold that date and we’ll send you the information you’ll need to continue preparing. Hope to talk to you soon!
WHAT else?
You should have enough information to get started. If we can be of any help, please don’t hesitate to contact us through one of the means at the bottom of this page. It is our desire to see young people exposed to and challenged toward missions. We are glad to help in any way we can to see that accomplished.