Frequently Asked Questions

COST? Outreach team cost is $50 USD per person per day. (The cost for interns serving for an extended period in Mexico is determined on an individual basis, please email us for more information.) Your arrival and departure day will both be counted as half a day, together totaling one day. This fee includes once in Mexico: transportation, translators, meals, housing and ministry set up, simple work and evangelism projects and t-shirts. Team members may want extra money for snacks and souvenirs. Additionally, your team may wish to participate in special construction projects, have a fiesta for the children or other major evangelistic event. We ask that each team desiring to do this bring additional money to cover the cost of major home repairs, building projects, fiestas or major outreach events. If you are interested in doing this please let us know and we will provide you with more information.
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TRAVELERS' CHECKS OR CASH? If you have a passport, money can be carried in the form of traveler's checks. Without a passport, you may not be able to exchange your traveler's checks for pesos. The exchange rate for cash, however, is usually higher. We will provide time for the team to exchange their money for pesos. Also there is an ATM machine here. If you have an ATM card in the States you can access your account in Mexico.
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I PAID BUT CAN'T COME, NOW WHAT? In the event that an individual cannot attend and has already paid for the total outreach another person may attend in his or her place. If no one is available to take his or her place the money given will be considered a donation to SHMI.
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PASSPORTS? It is our understanding that a passport is required to travel into Mexico, a photo i.d. (i.e. driver's license) and an original birth certificate will no longer suffice. Please check with your travel agent or airline for further information. Also, please note we require a photocopy of each team member's passport to accompany his or her notarized Consent for Medical Treatment form.
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VISAS? You will not need to apply for a visa in advance to enter Mexico. An application will be given to you on the plane. Simply fill it out and present it to a customs officer upon landing who will stamp your passport and return to you a portion of the application you completed. Please do not lose this! You will be required to return this visa upon leaving Mexico. (If you are considering driving or taking a bus, please contact us before doing so as the process is slightly more complicated.)
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WHAT FORMS DOES SHEPHERD'S HEART REQUIRE, AND WHY? We require three notarized consent forms from each team member and leader: Consent for Medical Treatment, Liability Release, and/or Legal Consent for a Minor. The completed, notarized and signed Consent for Medical Treatment forms you will bring with you on your outreach in case a member of your team requires immediate, emergency medical attention. The Liability Release forms will be completed, notarized and signed by each team member and mailed to our office in Tennessee: 135 Bill Cox Road, Jonesborough, TN 37659. This form releases Shepherd's Heart Ministries, its employees and volunteers, from any liability whatsoever. The Legal Consent for a Minor forms will need to be completed, notarized and signed for each minor on your team and carried with you as your team enters and departs Mexico. You may be asked to present these forms before entering and while leaving Mexico. Please note that the Legal Consent for a Minor form must be completed and signed by BOTH parents, especially if the parents are separated or divorced.
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CALLING CARDS? INTERNET? Although international calling cards are available in the United States, you will most likely be disappointed at the actual amount of international call time after it is reduced because you are calling from Mexico to the U.S. We recommend you wait and purchase your calling card once in Mexico. Also, each group will need to select a "contact person" in the U.S. This person should have the contact information of each team member and can pass along information of the team's safe arrival, prayer requests, updates, etc.

Internet access may not be available on a daily basis for team members. However, depending on scheduling and team leader approval, there may be opportunities for a trip to the Internet Café.
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HOW FAR IS THE AIRPORT FROM YOU? The airport, Guadalajara International (GDL), is located on the southern edge of Guadalajara, only a 30-minute drive from Ixtlahuacan de los Membrillos in the state of Jalisco.
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VACCINATIONS? We suggest that all shots, such as tetanus, are up-to-date. It is our understanding that there are not any vaccinations required to enter Mexico. Please check with your Health Department or Center for Disease Control for further information.
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CHAPERONES & OTHER HELP? Each group is required to bring one or two people to serve on the mission field in the kitchen. Youth groups will need a minimum of one male and one female chaperone. Chaperones must be: 21 years of age, seasoned Christians/Godly example, responsible, able to take charge of the group in the event of an emergency, able to uphold and enforce Shepherd's Heart rules and guidelines, and lastly, willing to submit to you and to the Shepherd's Heart staff. It takes a long time for a ministry to build a foundation of trust within another culture. This foundation can be damaged or even destroyed by our actions and the actions of those helping us. Also, each group will need to select a "contact person" in the United States (or home country). This person should have the contact information of each team member and can pass along information of the team's safe arrival, prayer requests, updates, etc.
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WHEN SHOULD I BEGIN PREPARING? We suggest you begin as early as possible forming your team, securing your outreach dates with us, securing airline reservations and applying for passports. We also suggest you begin meeting with your team to prepare them spiritually for the mission field they are going to enter.
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WHAT SHOULD I PACK? A pack list appropriate for the season will be provided for each team. In addition, prayerfully consider each team member collecting and bringing items for the other areas of ministry in SHMI. We ask that each participant would believe God for one suitcase of supplies for the ministries here and the other for themselves. This is by no means a requirement, but if your team agrees to help in this way a "needs list" will be provided at a later date.
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