Frequently Asked questions

• LOCATION:
  • What is the population of Pachuca where the team will be working? About 1.5 million people.
  • What is the political situation in the country/area? Stable
• WEATHER AND ENVIRONMENT:
  • What is the weather like in Pachuca? MARCH - MAY: Dry. Can be pleasantly cool in the morning and evening. HOT in the afternoon.
    JUNE-OCTOBER: A little cooler because it is the rainy season. It usually only rains in the late afternoons, but somedays it can be overcast and quite cool all day. Other days it can be sunny and hot. Mornings and evenings are usually cool. A light jacket or sweatshirt is always a good to have.
    NOVEMBER - FEBRUARY: It can get quite cold here in the winter (in the 30's and 40's at night) especially with no central heating in the block houses. If the sun is out then it may warm up nicely during the day.
    Current Pachuca Weather What ever the high is for the day add at least 10 to 15 degrees, because that is what it feels like in the sun.
  • What is the elevation of the project area? 8000ft.
  • Is sun protection needed? YES!!! The UV rating in Pachuca is always 10 (the highest on the scale). Bring a hat.
  • Are the bugs bad? Do you have mosquitoes, flies, ticks, spiders, etc. We don’t really have any bug problems here. There are spiders, flies, an occasional scorpion (not the deadly kind), but you hardly notice them.
  • What type of clothing is best for the work project (if doing construction)? Old jeans, t-shirt (possibly an long-sleeve work shirt for sun protection), hat (baseball cap or something), tennis shoes or work boots, gloves, dust mask (for when mixing mortar)
• FINANCES?
  • How much will this trip cost? We usually request $25 per day/per person for food (including eating out), lodging and local transportation. Other costs would include the cost of the project (which would vary depending on the size of the group and the size and type of project...i.e. construction, VBS, etc.)
  • What is the local currency? What is the current rate of exchange? Mexican Pesos Current conversion rate
  • How should we bring personal money? Cash, traveler's checks, credit cards, personal checks? There are several options. Everyone should bring a little cash with them which can be exchanged at the airport or in Pachuca. Traveler’s checks are always a safe way to go, but we have found it difficult to cash them here and you don’t get a very good exchange rate with them. We do recommend that, at least, one person bring one credit card (if not everyone) because they are widely accepted and useful in case of emergencies. NO PERSONAL CHECKS! We have found that the easiest way to bring money into the country is through ATM machines. They give you a good exchange rate and they are everywhere here. It really depends on what people feel comfortable doing. Using credit cards and ATM cards it is just a matter of being cautious (just as you would in the U.S.)but its not anymore “dangerous” . We take people to where we know the safest ATM's are located.
• CHURCH/MISSION BACKGROUND
  • What is the name of the church in the area? Iglesia Cristiana de Nueva Vida (New Life Christian Church)/ Aros de Amistad (Circles of Friendship)...the church’s name is New Life Christian Church...but because of the cell groups it is commonly known as “Circles of Friendship (Aros de Amistad)” because that is what we call the cell groups.
• CONSTRUCTION PROJECT(S)
  • Project Location? We have a building in a poor neighborhood of Pachuca. We originally built it as a Community Center (called CLAVE) and housing for our family. We moved in in September 2004. In May 2009 it will also become the building for New Life Christian Church. Though most of the major construction has been completed, there are still small projects that teams could work on here.
  • Will there be native workers on the site? Yes
  • What resources will be used for this project? Cement, block, gravel, sand, rock, wood, rebar, etc.
  • What skills are needed for the construction project? Healthy backs and humility (willingness to listen to the national workers, even when you know that you can do it a better way). No special construction skills needed.
  • What type of tools can or should be brought? Work gloves, dust masks. Any other tools (shovels, trowels, etc) would be better purchased here. We hope to open a workshop to use for job skill training once the center is completed so we are open to receive any “donations” of used (but good condition) tools (especially woodworking tools) for that eventuality.
  • Is there a problem getting tools through customs at the airport? Shouldn’t be any problems.
  • What is the voltage in the country? Are adapters needed for electrical appliances? 110 (same as U.S.).
• MINISTRY OPPORTUNITIES
  • What type of ministry opportunities will there be for a construction team to interact and minister while there? There will be opportunities to attend and participate in one or more cell groups and the Sunday celebration service. We can plan additional activities as desired by the team.
• TRANSPORTATION
  • Who will meet us at the airport? Greg & Vicki Syverson
  • How will we get from the airport to the job site? We will take a hour and a half bus ride from the airport to Pachuca.
• HOUSING
  • Where will we stay when we are in Pachuca? There are 3 options: 1)Stay with mix of Mexican and missionary host families 2)Stay “all together” (depends on size of group) with the missionaries. 3)Stay in a local hotel (most expensive option and needs more investigation for actual costs but thought I should at least mention it as an option as there have been groups who have requested it.)
  • Do we need to bring sleeping bags, sheets, pillows, towels, etc.? To stay with host families no sleeping bags are required. To stay all together in the missionaries’ house it depends on the size of the group on whether we have enough bedding available here. We have plenty of towels here but a hand towel is a good idea. Pillows shouldn’t be needed but those who prefer their own pillow are welcome to bring it.
  • What will be the charge per person, per day, for food and transportation and housing? $25 per day/per person (excluding hotel option)
  • What is the voltage in the country? 110 (same as U.S.).
• How far is it to the job site from where we will be staying? Depends on whether it is with host families or missionaries but between 0-5 miles.
• Will there be showers available daily? Yes usually after the work day (not necessarily in the mornings)