Ready, Set, GO! Baja Bound Team is ready!

Hello Fellow Missionaries!

Update from Mexico – The words that kept coming up that Pastor John heard, were “Mui frio”… meaning “VERY COLD”. These families have no insulation, and know that we are coming soon. But we can’t be there soon enough. Pray for them. But note that especially at night, just like out here, it gets quite cold! In fact, did you all notice the rain that just hit us right after I told you how “beautiful” it would be in Mexico? Be prepared, but also, humble yourself in remembering what these families are struggling with, waiting for our help.

Everyone wear your MISSION’S T-SHIRTS and bracelets on Sunday!

REMINDER: “TODD”
T – THREE for any and all errands!
O – Observe everything, everywhere and everyone!
D – Don’t leave the group, and Don’t ever go anywhere at night!
D – Do have an adult escort to restrooms/errands, as one of the 3!

Copied in this email are Pastor John Rose and Ben Gaines. Ben will be personally responsible for our team once we meet them in San Diego! Please read and review this entire email. Our team is officially 63 total persons with 30 adults and 33 youths (under 18). Final roster is attached, with most adult phone numbers included. UPDATED Team/Van lists are below. Please note it in your own Mission’s Booklets.

PARENTS/COUPLES:
* Parents with younger children, or married couples – You have the option to stay at the church where we will be on Wednesday in the evenings. It’s about a 15 minute drive from where the masses are, but more private and probably a high chance of everyone getting a bed! Otherwise, you will be mixed in the guys and girl’s dorms, with beds given priority to the older gentlemen and ladies and of course, physical needs. There will be two Baja Bound staff staying there with 10 volunteers. However, if you prefer to stay together with us, that is fine as well. Please reply to this email right away if you want this option.
* Please be advised, that if for any reason, any youths need to be sent home, all parents will be notified to meet a BB Staff and myself in San Diego to pick up children. If it is one of the youths that are yours, then we will ask one of you to take them home or to help make such arrangements with grandparents…etc. Please remember that it would take a LOT, to be sent home, but also… please be prepared. My decisions in this matter, should it be called upon, will not be negotiable.

VAN DRIVERS – Separate email being sent to John, Lee, Brian, Dean, Wayne, David P./Wendy P., and Dave S., as well as Pastor Sunny who will be arriving Monday with Maryann and Julian.

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 28TH –
* 1st Meeting point is at JCC at 10am in the parking lot (2761 190th in Redondo Beach. Parking lot is on the Armour St. side of the building. Sign on 190th says South Bay Church of the Brethren, but we will have Journey Covenant Church signs up as well). Immediately after the service, come out and meet me by the vans. We will load up and leave VERY PROMPTLY at 10:30am. Hit the restrooms before you hop in. Carpool to this location if possible. Tree of Life has granted permission to leave cars there at the “far left” side for the week. If you choose to do this, please RSVP with me and provide car model and License plate# and contact info so we can leave it for Brenda from TOL. Limited space available for this option, so RSVP with me.
* 2nd Meeting point is at SBPC at 11am located at 2701 Plaza Del Amo in Torrance. You can park in the back all week long if you want to leave your car there. At this stop, we will pick up all SBPC members from our team, have one last bathroom break and hit the road PROMPTLY at 11:30am.
* Boxed lunches provided in each van with bottled waters. Inside each box, is a sheet of paper that will have a name of one of our team members that you will be encouraging all week via the notes. You’ll make/decorate a bag for them and write notes daily to this person!
* 2pm meeting at San Diego Gas & Go company. Directions will be provided in the vans for you. That will be our last stop in the US. We will hit restrooms and fill up gas tanks, meet with Pastor John, Ben and the Baja Bound staff, and leave by 2:30pm to cross the border.
* 2:30pm we head out of the USA. THERE WILL BE NO STOPS in Mexico until we arrive at location, which is about 88 miles south. We should arrive no later than 5pm, with the sun still out for dinner at the Children’s Home.

WHAT TO BRING:
1. BIBLES – You’ll need yours! Journals as well for yourself. Include a pen too.
2. MISSIONS BOOKLETS – Must carry it on you at ALL TIMES.
3. ONE BAG – Duffle/backpack sized. You hear me, Heather & Megan? =)
4. LONG PANTS – 2 pairs of jeans or 3 if you can fit them. Anything sturdy that can take a beating and has a couple of pockets.
5. TOWEL – Bring your own. Don’t be “that” guy…
6. SLEEPING BAG – Include a pillow for yourself!
7. PASSPORTS – Or your BC/ID combo. You will leave them in the vans at all times.
8. TOILETRIES – We have hot water and showers, so soap, shampoo, lotions, toothbrushes, your hair junk…etc.
9. WORK GLOVES – We will have some extra.
10. HARD SOLED SHOES – for the work sites if you have them. This protects you from stepping on a nail.
11. EXTRA CLOTHING – Socks, boxers, long sleeve T’s, T-shirts, RAIN jacket, PJ’s.
12. WARM CLOTHING – It’s cold at night, and like Todd reminded us, weather is not predictable. Be prepared for rain. Sweatshirts, ponchos (waterproof).
13. TOOLS – Can always be put to good use! I highly recommend keeping your own tools on you and never leaving them at a work site, even after a rotation. Lock it up in the van. Tools are expensive and we’d hate to lose anyone’s. Hammers, screwdrivers, saws…etc.
14. SNACKS – There will be plenty of food available, but if you want anything special, it’s up to you to bring it within the space of your ONE bag.

THINGS BEING BROUGHT FOR THE TEAM:
1. Extra work aprons (Will be at work sites)
2. Extra work gloves (Will be at work sites)
3. Extra water bottles and snacks for each van
4. Air mattress for girls room (full size)
5. Extra Mission’s booklets (limited – see Chris)
6. Paper and pens and brown sack-lunch sized bags for notes of encouragement.
7. Hand sanitizer bottles (in Vans)
8. Extra work hammers (Will be at work sites)
9. Sandwich lunches for our trip down to San Diego! (In Vans)
10. Extra folding chairs for our meetings (In Vans)
11. Toy and clothing donations to give away (In Vans)

TEAMS LISTS UPDATED!!! (your groups are your vans):
Also, there is an update on the van placements (sub-teams). Just to clarify, I had a couple misprints, switched a couple people, and replaced one person, and forgot one person…. Ugh. Be merciful, my friends… I have marked in bold/red people that have “new van homes”. =) Please note the corrected/updated and “FINAL” team lists on your Booklets:
1. Anna (Leader–Van=Romans), Megan (General–Van=Romans)
* Van (Romans/Chris – Site Coordinator): Aaron T., Heather, Julian, Kylie, Maryan, Emily, Joan, Josh
* Van (Hebrews/Lee): Taylor, Elliott, Kennedy, Samantha, Jerusalem, Valerie, Shalon, Lee, Pam, Pastor Sunny
* Van (Corinthians/Dean): Anthony, Jordan, Kyle, Dean, Wayne, Marguerite, Todd, Kati, Melodee
2. Matt (Leader–Van=Ephesians), Wydarius (General–Van=Galatians)
* Van (Galatians/Brian): Amy, Tiffany, Markus, Angel, Charles, Dave S., Brian, Trini, Ericka, Dorothy
* Van (Ephesians/John): Kristin, Kirstie, Natalia, Evan, Anton, Derrick, JJ, Pastor Jim, Annie, John, Karen
* Van (Philippians/Prewitt): Ashley, Mariah, Benny, Aaron W., Becky, Dave P., Wendy, Amy, Roland, Justin (Site Coordinator)

* Note that Pastor Sunny, Maryann and Julian will be arriving on Monday, December 29th. A Baja Bound Staff member will meet them at a specified location in San Diego at 2pm that day, and bring them down to us.

IN THE VANS:
* $20 US in rolls of quarters for toll roads
* $100 cash for gas fillips in San Diego
* Maps to each location (Provided by Baja Bound)
* Copies of all VBS Lessons (4 of them)
* Bag to hold all passports and ID’s
* Case of water and box of snacks and extra tools
* List of driver’s phone numbers along with Ben Gaines and Pastor John Rose

That’s it for now, team. You are a joy to serve! Merry Christmas to you all. I will see you all on Sunday.

God Bless,

Chris