Safety Concerns
We know as trip coordinators, participants and parents one of the questions you will likely receive (or ask) is "Is this trip safe?". Your safety is a responsibility we take very seriously. Our camps and trips are safe, low-risk, and 'entry level' missions experiences and are very grateful that God has protected us from any major incidents. We will do our best to keep you up to date with accurate information on the situations in Mexico as we regularly are investigating and following accurate media and reports. Please contact us if you have any questions or concerns regarding what you are hearing about safety in Mexico.Read below latest letters & information regarding safety in Mexico.
*******************************
YUGO Ministries SAFETY UPDATE (Updated February 2013)
For God has not given us a spirit of fear & timidity, but a spirit of POWER, of LOVE and of SELF-DISCIPLINE.
Written by the Apostle Paul in his second letter to Timothy
Greetings and Blessings from Baja California Mexico. We are ready for another remarkable year in Mexico, with some great teams visiting from many US States & Canadian Provinces. Many of the teams this year were made up of families. It is great to see multi-generational teams serving in the Mission Field. We have witnessed three generations of families serving with one another!For God has not given us a spirit of fear & timidity, but a spirit of POWER, of LOVE and of SELF-DISCIPLINE.
Written by the Apostle Paul in his second letter to Timothy
I report this, to encourage you, that although there continues to be a fair amount of negative media coverage about Mexico, which stokes a spirit of fear & trepidation, Mexico continues to be a safe, secure & strategic place to engage in missions activity.
Most people who are concerned about the safety of Mexico Missions tell me they aren't as concerned with where we are carrying out ministry activities, but in the travel. Which is understandable based on the news stories that talk about “Border Violence” in the Mexican border states. Most of the time these stories are exagerated, generalized, or both. Actually, the comparitive saftey of the YUGO ministry sites in Mexico vs. several cities in the Unites States can be staggering. (Please see the statistics at the bottom of this page)
I regularly travel through Tijuana 4-5 times per month. I have for the past 11 years. At all times of the day & night. I have never seen nor heard of a single instance of the “drug war” violence occurring anywhere remotely close to where I (or teams) drive. We travel on heavily used “freeway” style roads through Tijuana, that are used by thousands & thousands of Mexicans & Americans daily.
A few of our teams have had the occasion to make a wrong turn and get lost in Tijuana, and to their surprise they have received not only friendly help from locals & police, but even an escort back to the highway.
As a husband and father I can assure you that I take the safety of my wife & daughters very seriously. I consider myself a protective parent. And I would be the first to respond accordingly & notify teams if the state of security in Baja was to change.
With all this being said, I would submit that we are in a fierce battle here in Mexico, but not a battle of flesh & blood, but against the powers of a dark world. Every one who comes to serve with us in Mexico, comes as a beacon of light into a dark world, and this is not without its enemies.
In the past 15 years, more than 25,000 people have served with YUGO Ministries on the mission field, participating in the transformation of thousands of lives. Yes, the enemy wants you to stay home! The Enemy would like nothing more than to paralyze the Body of Believers with a spirit of fear, to the point of inaction. I encourage and even exhort you to stand firm with a spirit of Power, Love & Self-Discipline; as we know that God is calling us, and Jesus is with us to the end. There is no place safer than where God is calling you to go with his son Jesus!
I look forward to serving with you in Mexico in 2013, and keep praying for all who will come together as the Body of Christ in Mexico this year.
Peace & Blessings in Jesus' name,
Scott Wester
CEO
Yugo Ministries
*****************************
SAFETY IN MEXICO - YUGO Ministries
In response to the continued travel warnings put out by the Cdn & U.S. State Department and the news articles regarding the recent violence in Mexico, we at YUGO Ministries are issuing the following statement:
SAFETY IN MEXICO - YUGO Ministries
In response to the continued travel warnings put out by the Cdn & U.S. State Department and the news articles regarding the recent violence in Mexico, we at YUGO Ministries are issuing the following statement:
We understand the concerns that church leaders and parents may have because of all that is being said about the dangers of traveling in Mexico. Some have even stated that YUGO is being irresponsible in continuing to host groups in doing evangelistic, orphanage and home building projects in Baja California. The fact is that people making such statements have no idea of what life is like in our region. (Such statements are even less informed when referring to our ministry centers in Mexicali, Ensenada and Acuña).
Our missionaries who live in the Tijuana/Rosarito area have never seen an act of violence. We have seven couples with children who have lived in the area for the last two years during the time when all the negative reports and warnings were given. They believe that they are where God wants them to be. They know that there is crime, but it’s not really all that different from what is found in major cities in the U.S. The crime rates in Washington, DC, Baltimore, and New Orleans are actually higher than in Tijuana. As they would in those cities, our missionaries avoid the areas in Tijuana that are more prone to criminal activity.
It is important to note that there are literally thousands of retired Americans living along the coast in or near Rosarito. They do not feel that they are in any greater danger than they would feel in any major city in the U.S. They appreciate the work being done by the local police to make their cities safe. Dishonest officials have been caught and put in prison.
Over the last twelve months we have hosted over 40 groups in the Tijuana/Rosarito area. Hundreds of American and Canadian young people and adults have worked with local churches and orphanages and have had no experiences with crime or violence. We do not send or take them to areas that would be dangerous. We work with local pastors who would not consider hosting a group in a dangerous neighborhood.
We will continue inviting groups and individuals to come and work with us in Baja California as long as we see that the region is safe. If crime and violence were to escalate to the point where our people were in danger, we would cancel all activities and call our missionaries home. That is not to say that we can guarantee the absolute safety of every person who comes to Mexico with us any more than you can guarantee your safety driving through Los Angeles or San Diego to get to the border.
There is a battle going on in Mexico between the various drug organizations and the authorities, especially in Ciudad Juarez, south of El Paso. From time to time evidence of this battle is seen in other cities such as Tijuana, Phoenix and Chicago. We pray for peace to prevail. There is also a battle going on for the souls of Mexican children, youth and adults.
Our goal in YUGO Ministries is to mobilize Canadians, Americans and Mexicans to join us in reaching the millions who need Christ across the border. Please pray for us, yes, for our safety, but much more for our effectiveness in making the Gospel clear and strengthening the churches in Mexico. Ask the Lord to lead and guide you if you are considering how to help us.
Leonard Janssen
Director - Mexicali Valley Ministry
Former Executive Director
Our missionaries who live in the Tijuana/Rosarito area have never seen an act of violence. We have seven couples with children who have lived in the area for the last two years during the time when all the negative reports and warnings were given. They believe that they are where God wants them to be. They know that there is crime, but it’s not really all that different from what is found in major cities in the U.S. The crime rates in Washington, DC, Baltimore, and New Orleans are actually higher than in Tijuana. As they would in those cities, our missionaries avoid the areas in Tijuana that are more prone to criminal activity.
It is important to note that there are literally thousands of retired Americans living along the coast in or near Rosarito. They do not feel that they are in any greater danger than they would feel in any major city in the U.S. They appreciate the work being done by the local police to make their cities safe. Dishonest officials have been caught and put in prison.
Over the last twelve months we have hosted over 40 groups in the Tijuana/Rosarito area. Hundreds of American and Canadian young people and adults have worked with local churches and orphanages and have had no experiences with crime or violence. We do not send or take them to areas that would be dangerous. We work with local pastors who would not consider hosting a group in a dangerous neighborhood.
We will continue inviting groups and individuals to come and work with us in Baja California as long as we see that the region is safe. If crime and violence were to escalate to the point where our people were in danger, we would cancel all activities and call our missionaries home. That is not to say that we can guarantee the absolute safety of every person who comes to Mexico with us any more than you can guarantee your safety driving through Los Angeles or San Diego to get to the border.
There is a battle going on in Mexico between the various drug organizations and the authorities, especially in Ciudad Juarez, south of El Paso. From time to time evidence of this battle is seen in other cities such as Tijuana, Phoenix and Chicago. We pray for peace to prevail. There is also a battle going on for the souls of Mexican children, youth and adults.
Our goal in YUGO Ministries is to mobilize Canadians, Americans and Mexicans to join us in reaching the millions who need Christ across the border. Please pray for us, yes, for our safety, but much more for our effectiveness in making the Gospel clear and strengthening the churches in Mexico. Ask the Lord to lead and guide you if you are considering how to help us.
Leonard Janssen
Director - Mexicali Valley Ministry
Former Executive Director
******************************
Additional Information:
Homicide Rates
Ensenada - Less than 1 per 100,000 population
Tijuana 8 per 100,000
Baltimore 8 per 100,000
Washington DC 35 per 100,000
New Orleans 71 per 100,000
Articles on Safety in Mexico
“Mexico Warning in Perspective”
http://www.bajainsider.com/baja-california-travel/mexico-travel-warning.htm
9(14*Off)11(2*2)&utmwv=1&utmn=1173466205&utmsr=-&utmsc=-&utmul=-&utmje=0&utmfl=-&utmdt=-&utmhn=yugo.org&utmr=&utmp=/noscript&utmac=UA-27114567-1&utmcc=__utma%3D32054956.1024423691.1369249363.1369249363.1369249363.2%3B%2B__utmb%3D32054956%3B%2B__utmc%3D32054956%3B%2B__utmz%3D32054956.1369249363.2.2.utmccn%3D(direct)%7Cutmcsr%3D(direct)%7Cutmcmd%3D(none)%3B%2B__utmv%3D32054956%3B)