FAQ - Ysleta Mission Trip for 2009

When do you go?

This year we are going Feb 21-28th. The mission is open year round, but we have traditionally gone in late winter or early spring to avoid the hot windy weather that the desert is known for.
 

Where do we stay?

We stay on the mission grounds in El Paso Texas. Their campus is made up of several buildings and we sleep in the dormitory building. There are several rooms that have 3 to 5 bunk beds per room. The dorm also has a lounging area with a TV and there is also a kitchen and a laundry area. The men’s and women’s bathrooms have three showers each. They provide towels, washcloths, pillows and bedding.
 

What do you do for food; do we have to cook our own meals?

You can choose to prepare your own food in the kitchen but we have always taken advantage of the expert skills of Rita who prepares delicious food for us. For $85 per participant she will feed us 3 meals a day Sunday through Friday. Saturdays we are on our own to find sustenance.
 

What does it cost?

$335 plus airfare to El Paso is the quick answer to that but read on for greater detail.

YLM charges $250 per participant for the week which included; lodging, ground transportation and program expense. An additional cost of $85 is for food (see above).

The biggest cost is plane fare to El Paso approximately $400 but you never know until you book that ticket.

Other costs not figured in are: food for Saturdays, restaurant outing Friday night to celebrate, and souvenirs purchased at the market, YLM also sells t-shirts and CDs of the Mariachi band, and we have always made a trip to the local Wal-mart for snacks and other refreshments for the evening.

To build a house cost $2500 in supplies but we raise that money from the congregation.
 

Is a passport required?

A passport is nice but until June 1st 2009 you will only need a certified birth certificate and a photo ID that was issued by a government agency, such as a driver’s license to re-enter the USA.
 

What kind of work do we do?

We have typically worked on a building project. The first three years we built houses and the fourth year we worked on a Church expansion project. Last year we did smaller projects due to the size of the crew. This year we will be building a house again. The work is done in and around Juarez Mexico. YLM is located very close to a border crossing and we travel by van to our site.
 

How much building experience do I need to participate?

None! The only thing that you need is a willingness to learn something new. Six years ago, I (Marilyn Thompson) knew nothing about building and now I have many useful skills that I have learned “on the job”. The mission employs a very nice man that oversees our work and gives us guidance. You will never meet a more patient man!
 

What about tools?

The mission does have some tools but they are not usually the best quality available. Typically we use their circular saw, large levels and other large tools that would be too hard to bring, and we bring our own basic tools like a hammer, utility knife, tape measure, carpenter pencils, torpedo level, pliers, nail apron and or a tool belt, eye protection and gloves. We will also bring a cordless drill and other tools that we are particularly fond of.
 

What is the typical house that we build?

We build a 12ft. by 24ft. house on a cement slab that the owners provide. The walls are made of 2x4s (24 inch on center) and covered with Celotex or other sheathing board. The roof is flat with a slight incline for drainage. We use 2x8 boards for joists and cover them with plywood, tarpaper and rolled roofing. The inside gets wired for electricity and we drywall it. The out side now has a vertical siding, in the past it was stucco. There are two rooms, two windows and a door.

What is the typical schedule at YLM

On Saturday, our group flies to El Paso and is picked up at the airport by the mission staff and brought to the mission grounds in El Paso and we settle in. Usually a run to Wal-mart or the local grocery store is made to get snacks or anything that someone forgot to bring.

On Sunday, YLM has an English worship service at 9:30am at San Pablo Lutheran which is conveniently located on the grounds. There is also a Spanish service at 11:30am that you may attend if you wish. They provide a Bible study at 10:30 which many of us have attended in the past and found very enjoyable. Then after lunch the staff will take groups to two mission churches in Juarez: either Santisima Trinidad and San Marcos, or San Lucas and Cristo Rey. The church we attend in Mexico is usually the one closest to our building project. When we return we have dinner and then some free time.

On Monday – Friday, after breakfast we will have devotion together with pastors and staff at the mission. Then we travel by van across the border to our work site and work until about 4 pm. We bring a sack lunch with us each day so we just eat at the work site. In the evenings we eat dinner and then have free time or participate in a recreational activity such as taking the scenic drive up to a look out point over the El Paso/Juarez area. We usually listen to the Mariachi band play on one of the nights which is always enjoyable. We also usually visit the market in downtown Juarez on Friday afternoon so participants can pick up some souvenirs. We have also in the past gone out for a celebration diner Friday evening to cap off the week.

On Saturday, we fly home.