Is it safe to visit Mexico?

The media has been working overtime in recent months spreading exaggerated reports of violence and criminal activity in Mexico, thereby engendering great fear in North Americans about traveling into Mexico. Based on this type of misinformation, many people, both tourists and short-term missionaries are avoiding Mexico.
This is a very sad situation on many levels. The financial impact trickles down through the Mexican economy, hurting an already-struggling economy. But, even more devastating is the loss of assistance which mission’s teams bring to the poorest people of this state.
We would like to set the record straight: life in Vicente Guerrero where your group will be going,  and on the Baja peninsula is normal, safe and calm.  People are going about their normal business, going to work and school, shopping and playing. We are bringing teams down at least twice a month and we have crossed the border at Tijuana many many times in the past several months. We do not go into Tijuana at all….we stay on the main highway.  Our shopping at the end of our weeks is in Ensenada…where four cruise ships a week allow 1000’s of people to disembark and stroll around the city,  with no problems at all.  We have never, ever witnessed even a hint of violent activity in all of our travels. Nor have any of our  teams reported ever hearing or seeing anything of that nature.
The spate of crime that the news media is so quick to inflate and report is, for the most part, between drug cartels and between the cartels and police/military. Mexican President Felipe Calderon has pledged to fight the drug cartels which means, if anything, we are seeing increased police and military presence, which we feel is a good sign. It makes us feel safer.  The major areas of violence are Juarez Mexico near El Paso Texas, the State of Guerrero which is almost 2000 miles away from where we minister, and the Mexico City area, which is also close to 2000 miles from where we minister.
The Baja California area and in particular the town that we minister in (Vicente Guerrero) is in the green (safe) area on the U.S. State Department violence maps.
The U.S. State Department site also notes that “millions of U.S. citizens safely visit Mexico each year (including thousands who cross the U.S. land border every day for study, tourism or business).”

Please feel free to email us (sto@ywamchico.com) with any questions or concerns. If you would like further reassurance from any of the many group leaders who have led teams to Mexico in the last few months, we can provide contact information.  We have groups going to the Baja every month with no problems what so ever!

back to Mexico Adventures

 

Letters from Mexico Adventures Participants

Sunday March 21, 2010

Dear future short-term missionaries to Baja California Mexico,


We arrived home last evening at midnight into our home town of Chico, CA.  Our two precious boys, 11 and 12 years old were sound asleep in the back of our car.  They were completely exhausted from one of the most amazing weeks we have ever spent together as a family!  We went down, with YWAM Chico, to the orphanage "Foundation For His Ministry" in Vincente Guerro, Baja California, Mexico. 
 
The boys had so much fun playing marbles, chess, and soccer with the other boys in the orphanage.  They also were amazed at the poverty in the farm laborers camps.  We liked being able to take action to help with the problem by serving milk and peanut butter to children in these communities to increase their protein intake. We also were able to Provide food to 400 farm laborers and their families one evening.  Handing out shoes to the little ones who had none gave us a sense of making a difference as well.  Then there were the moments that we were able to serve the orphanage by assisting with tasks that were much needed around the campus.  but our favorite moments were those spent with the children, either at the orphanage or in the community, playing with balls, skipping ropes, blowing bubbles, making balloon figures, giving out candy, sharing piggy back rides, and chasing each other.  We realized that though we were not able to speak spanish, there seemed to be a universal language of "boy"spoken loud and clear by all.  Visiting this place truly made us feel that we were His hands to touch the world around us!

Though it has been a life changing experience, we wanted to share with you some information on the safety concerns that we, as a family from the States, had to consider seriously before embarking on our mission trip. First and foremost was the border city violence and then the US Department of State warnings.  Please note that we discovered that a majority of the violence has occurred in Juarez, a border city just south of El Paso, TX.  This city is over 1500 miles from Tijuana where we crossed the border.  Also, most of the attacks, kidnappings, murders and sexual assaults have occurred when visitors have wondered into areas of town away from main tourist areas, at night, and when they were wondering alone.  The US Department of State web site states this under the topic "Border City Violence"... "US citizens are urged to be especially aware of safety concerns and security concerns when visiting the border region and exercising common sense precautions such as visiting only legitimate businesses and tourist areas of border towns during day light hours."

We also prayed together as a family that God would impress upon our hearts what his mission for our family was.  We collectively felt impressed that this trip was God's will for us and that he would be faithful to us as we claimed his promise that He would give his angels charge over us to protect us.
We, as parents were pleased that as we loaded on to the vans and passed over the Tijuana border, we were out of Tijuana in just minutes.  There was no lingering in this area at all.  
The entire time we were driving to the orphanage, staying at the orphanage and traveling back, there was never a time we felt unsafe.  Even with our children at night in the neighborhoods where we were doing outreach, all of the people conducted themselves very graciously to us and showed no violence or malice. 

On the way home, we stopped in Ensanada for an hour and a half of shopping.  This is a port city with cruise ships still docking daily.  There were police everywhere and security seemed tight.  We were also there in the middle of the day, in the main tourist area of town in a large group that included people who knew where to go.  We wasted no time here either.  It was amazing how quickly those 90 minutes passed.  Never once did we feel unsafe in the areas that YWAM directed us to stay in.  
As we passed back into Tijauna to reenter the States, we were in long lines of traffic, it took about 20 minutes to reach the border.  During this time, we were handing out our left over food, candy, toys, etc. to the people who were selling things on the side of the road.  This short time again, afforded no feelings of discomfort or being unsafe.  The area was well guarded and we wasted no time.  Once over the border, we exited the area quickly.

 We hope that hearing this confirmation of the trip's safety will give you the encouragement that you need to go forward and change lives for God with YWAM Chico in Baja California, Mexico!  They are wonderful hosts and truly guide you and care for you and your family during the entire trip.

If you would like to contact us with specific questions, feel free to email us!  We look forward to hearing from you and we pray that you will embark on this life changing adventure!  Know this one thing, You and your family will never be the same!

with blessings,

Tommy, Dani, Brandon, and Preston F.  

back to Mexico Adventures

April 18, 2010

Hello everyone.....I just received this email from the group that I brought down to Mexico last month, and thought it might ease the fears of some of the parents of your young people.

Blessings,
Barry Wineroth...Mexico Adventures  Youth With A Mission Chico California

To Whom It May Concern:
 
It was with some hesitancy that some of our group of 38 (mainly students) went ahead with our scheduled outreach to the Baja this year. There were numerous news reports and a State Department warning that led many to think that all of Mexico is a danger zone, and would be an unwise place to take our students on outreach. We had many church members concerned, and some of the parents of our students who went. (We later found out that the area we were going to…was in the “green safe zone” according to Homeland Security)    How thankful I am that we went ahead with our trip, and did not cancel! YWAM Chico has led hundreds of trips into the Baja to minister to people, and they have led several trips in recent weeks and months since the reports of violence.. We have been to the Baja 12 times now with YWAM Chico, and it was our track record with and trust in YWAM Chico that led us to go ahead with the trip.
 
We did not go into Tijuana and Rosarito on our way down to Vicente Guerrero (about 2 hours south of Ensenada). We stayed on the highway that passes by  Tijuana/Rosarito, and only stopped at WalMart and the tourist/shopping area of Ensenada. We never felt in danger during the week. In fact, mid-week I asked our students and adults if they had felt in danger and they laughed and said that they had kind of forgotten that there was any trouble in Mexico.  Others on the trip from California and Canada had the same experience. The only difference last month than in years past was that we saw more military vehicles and personnel than usual (which we considered to be a good thing).
 
Before going, we were assured by YWAM Chico that they would not be taking groups into the Baja at this time if they considered it risky or dangerous. We found this to be true. YWAM Chico knows a great deal about this area, and have never placed our groups in any danger.  We plan to go again next year.
 
If you would like to talk with me about our experience in Mexico, feel free to contact me: Greg Gibson -- 479-442-1807; or email me.
 
Respectfully,
 
Greg Gibson
Central United Methodist Church
Fayetteville, AR, USA

back to Mexico Adventures

Contact Us

15850 Richardson Springs Rd
Chico, CA 95973
Toll Free:+1 800 841 0739
E-mail us

Quick Links

DTS
Resources
Donate
Blog & Updates