Have you been thinking about serving on a short term mission but the timing was never quite right? Mission work was always too expensive or would take too much time from your family and busy practice.

Since 1997, our CMDA Ventura Chapter has been conducting two day short term mission trips to Ensenada, Baja, Mexico. Lead by Dr. Ramon Vidauri Monarez, a Mexican physician who lives and works in the city, these trips are a good opportunity for you to provide medical/dental care to the less fortunate and let them know of the love God has for them. We encourage you to bring along the whole family. In addition to health care, on the trip we also provide ministries in evangelism, music, clothing, video presentations, and whatever other talents the mission team members may bring.

Friday - July 10, 2009

5:30 AM - Ventura team members meet in the parking lot of the Camarillo Christian Church, 1777 Arneill Road, Camarillo 93010, phone 805-482-3116.
6:30 AM - After prayer, caravan leaves from church in Camarillo to the Park N Ride in Irvine. The Advance Setup Team drives straight to Ensenada without stopping in Irvine.
9:00 AM - Caravan arrives at Park N Ride, intersection of I-5 and Jeffrey Road, in Irvine where we will meet other mission team members and load up more supplies.
10:00 AM - We all leave the Park N Ride and head for the border to get car insurance at Mex Insur. Take the I-5 south to the 805. About 8 miles from the border exit on E Street from the 805 and go right to the first shopping center on your right. You will see the yellow Mex Insure sign.
11:30 AM - Arrive at the shopping center, 99 Bonita Road, Chula Vista, to get lunch and purchase car insurance at Mex Insure.
12:30 PM - Leave for Ensenada. We will cross the border together, go through Tijuana and take the coastal toll road to Ensenada. There are three toll booths, $2.50 each booth, each way.
2:30 PM - Arrive in Ensenada, Mexico, check into motels, dorms and freshen up.
3:30 PM - Leave for clinics and set up.
4:00 PM - 8:00 PM - See patients.
9:00 PM - Dinner - eat out.

Saturday - July 11, 2009

8:30 AM - Meet at the Posada and leave for clinics.
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM - Work in clinics.
4:30 PM - Fiesta at the village

Sunday - July 12, 2009

10:30 AM -1:00 PM - (Optional) Dr. Vidauri invites you to attend church services with him at the Calvary Chapel.

EVENTS ON FRIDAY:
In Ensenada, the main meeting place will be the Posada el Rey Sol motel where most of us will be staying. It is on the corner of the main drag and Ave Biancacarte. There is not much parking available so you may need to find a parking place a block or two away and walk to it. Ramon will meet us there and help us all get settled.

Those people staying at the other nearby motels should phone the motel to get the address and we will point you in the right direction once we get there. If you need help with finding the address or haven't yet gotten lodging, let me know. After checking in at your motel, come back to the Posada.

At 3:30 PM, we will go to the Calvary Chapel to provide health care until about 8 PM. After finishing, you will come back to the motels and freshen up. We will eat out at a local restaurant (optional).

EVENTS ON SATURDAY:
We will meet at the Posada at 9AM and prepare to go back to Calvary Chapel. We will finish at about 5:00 PM and all get together again at the Calvary Chapel.

Then you are on your own. We will make sure everyone has a ride home.

There is no charge for going on the mission trip. The only expenses will be for your travel, food, lodging, and other items you wish to buy. Students could go very inexpensively if they shared a car ride ($20 for gas) and motel room with others or stay in the clinic dormitory (no cost). If you would like to share a ride or lodging let us know.

We will be staying at motels in downtown Ensenada. The preferred motel is the Posada El Rey Sol. The cost is about $80/night. You will need to make your own reservations for lodging. The number for the Posada El Rey Sol is 011-52-(646)-178-1601. The sooner you call them the better, preferably at least three weeks before the trip.

If the Posada El Rey Sol is filled up, try the Days Inn-Villa Fontana at 011-52-(646)-178-3434. Other ones to try nearby are: Best Western Casa del Sol at 011-52-(646)-1-78-1570; Best Western El Cid at 011-52-(646)-178-2401. A little ways from the Posada (and cheaper) are: Hotel Santo Tomas at 011-52-(646)-178-1503; Hotel Cortez at 011-52-(646)-178-2307. If you still have problems, let me know. It would be best if we could all stay at the same motel.

If you would like to cut down on expenses, you can share a room with someone at a motel or stay for FREE downtown in the Calvary Chapel which has many classrooms to sleep in and large bathrooms, hot water, and showers. It is also near some markets where you can pick up some food. Parking at the chapel is behind a gated fence. Because there are no beds in the classrooms you will need to bring a sleeping blanket, pillow, cot, and air mattress. Let us know which of these options you prefer.

Bring a little fruit and snacks or bars so that we can be flexible in our travel times and work hours. The food and water in Ensenada is safe for consumption. However, if you are concerned about “tourista” bring Pepto-Bis-Mol tablets and take 2 four times a day while on the trip. Also, bring an extra roll of TP, some towels, and 1 gallon of drinking water per person.

After seeing patients on Friday, we will most likely be eating dinner together in a restaurant (cost $7-8/person) unless you get lobster or drink a lot of sodas. Two fish tacos are a dollar. The next morning we will get up early, have breakfast and then leave for the villages. Lunch will be eaten at the clinic and may include tamales and sodas. Dinner on Saturday night will be ad lib (Ramon knows some good places at a fair price).

Wear nice casual clothes. It is ok to wear a white lab coat and/or scrubs while working; it looks professional. Women should preferably wear a modest skirt as opposed to slacks or shorts. Kids - whatever works. The temperature is like Newport Beach or San Diego - warm during the day and cool at night if the coastal clouds come in.

Bring a stethoscope, BP cuff, tongue blades, otoscope, etc. Also, urine dipsticks and glucose monitors sometime help. You will need a flashlight and batteries for the throat. Bring a copy of your medical or dental license. You will be provided with 3x5 cards as charts and to write orders on. Ramon is a good translator and he may be bringing others to help translate, however, a good Spanish-English dictionary may be needed if they are not around.

We will need medications for the patients such as children’s multivitamins, decongestants, lozenges, cough syrups, cortisone creams, antibiotics (liquid for children). Bring as much as you can and make sure they are not expired. Any extras can be kept at Ramon’s clinic for future use. We also are always short on NSAIDS and acetaminophen. Prescription pads aren’t much good because the people are too poor to pay for the medication and the Mexican pharmacies generally won’t fill US prescriptions.

Dentist will need to bring their own equipment and supplies. Portable dental units will be provided.

We will all have a job to do depending on your talents - preachers, intake persons, organizers, nurses, interpreters, pharmacists (could be anyone who can read labels), physicians, helpers, etc. All ages can participate. The kids can play games with the other children or help the adults. The villagers will hear a gospel presentation while we are setting up shop.

The exchange rate is favorable. You can buy about everything in dollars or pesos.

It is now required to have a passport (or its equivalent) when crossing the border from Mexico to the USA. For more information on documents needed to get back into the states click here. It is no problem getting into Mexico, the problem is coming back into the USA. If you do not have a passport, one can be gotten in less than four weeks. More information about applying for one can be gotten by clicking here.

It is a good idea to keep a record of your passport number. Make two photocopies of your passport identification page and other personal documents before leaving home. Leave one set at home and carry the other set with you in a separate place from your actual documents.

Please bring your cell phones. We will be using these to keep in touch with each other on the way down to the Mexican border. However, your cell phone may not work once we cross the border unless you have international service. Please check with your wireless service provider to find out if you have the capability to make a call from Mexico. The numbers to use in Mexico are the following:

• Mission team member in Mexico calling another team member in the U.S. (Mexico to U.S.): 001 + area code + 7-digit number
• Mission team member in U.S. calling another team member in Mexico (U.S. to Mexico): 044 + area code + 7-digit number
• Mission team member in Mexico calling another team member in the same Mexican city (local call): 1 + area code + 7-digit number
• Mission team member in Mexico calling another team member in a different Mexican city (long distance): 01 + area code + 7-digit number

You won’t need to get fuel in Mexico if you fill up before crossing the border. If you need to buy some, Pemex has unleaded fuel.

We will try to all caravan down together. It will take about 2 hours and 45 minutes to get to the border from Ventura. I-5 has a car pool lane much of the way. North of San Diego we will take the 805 to the border. About 8 miles before the border we will exit on E Street, turn right and about a block later enter the shopping center area with a MexInsure Agency (yellow sign next to Chevron). You will need your car registration and license to buy insurance ($12 per day). Collision insurance may not be needed. Check with your current auto insurance company before leaving for Ensenada to see if you are already insured for Mexico. Some auto policies include automatic coverage for 80 miles into Mexico. In any case, do not go in without liability insurance on your car. You can get something to eat in the shopping center if you desire.

After crossing the border, follow the signs to Rosarita or Ensenada Couto (highway 1). There will be a right lane exit that will merge with a four lane road that parallels the border. This will lead you to Mex. I-D, the four lane toll road to Ensenada. Ensenada is 68 miles below Tijuana.

The toll road to Ensenada will cost about $7.50 each way (there are three toll booths $2.50 each). Don’t even think about taking the Ensenada Libre (Free Mex. 1, no toll) to Ensenada.

When you return from Ensenada, go back the way you came in on the toll road. When you get to Tijuana, follow the road to the border. Keep your eyes sharp for signs on the right pointing to San Diego. This turn off will take you in a loop then up a hill. Stay to the left as you go up. After going up the hill you will be on the border road. Get in the right lanes and you will come to a controlled intersection where people will want to wash your windows. Follow the traffic to the left and you will be presented with a choice to either go right to the main San Diego entrance or stay to the left and go to the Otay mesa border entrance.

If you chose to cross the border at the main San Diego entrance, when approaching the border stations, it seems that the two far right lanes move the fastest.

If you chose the Otay Mesa border crossing, you will travel about three miles towards Tecate. Follow the signs that say Otay Mesa and you will exit to the right. Keep a sharp eye and follow the remaining signs that say San Diego. A good crossing is less than 40 minutes.

Prayer: Most important, please keep the trip in your prayers - that God will bless our endeavors, encourage those we meet, that they will see His love, and He will keep us all safe.