Picturing it…

Welcome to the Gateway

     The Gateway (El Portal) will serve as your home away from home while you are ministering here in Mexico. Here’s an idea of what you can expect:

    Sweet Dreams: Rest assured that our dorms here at the Gateway are air-conditioned!!! There are three things you can do to help us make sure it stays that way:

1. Keep your use of outlets to a minimum so we don’t blow a breaker.

2. Keep the doors closed so the a/c doesn’t leak out and over-work the equipment.

3. Never touch a thermostat! If there is an issue with the temperature in your room, let a staff person know.

     Our dorms are split into two main units (guys/girls) that have about 70 bed spaces (bunk beds) on each side. Expect to share this large space with the other churches that are at the Gateway during your week. (If  you are a light sleeper, you might want to bring ear plugs to drown out our brothers and sisters who bless us with nasal symphonies in the night.)

     Both sleeping bags and single bed sheets (with a light blanket because there is a/c) function well with the bunks.

     If you come on one of our “heavier” weeks, you may end up sleeping in one of our smaller side rooms. But don’t count on it.

     In order to avoid unwanted guests, please do not consume food or drink of any type in the dorms. Pure water is the only exception to this rule. If you bring snacks with you, make sure they are packaged and tightly sealed and don’t even think about opening the package while you are in the dorms. We work hard to make sure the dorms are (mostly) insect free when you arrive, but we need your help to keep it that way.

     Guys are never allowed in the girls side of the dorms and girls are never allowed in the guys side of the dorms.

     Staying Clean: Our bathrooms have individual toilet and shower stalls (with shower curtains for privacy) and both hot (if the Mexican sun is not enough for you) and cold water.

     The water in the bathrooms is not purified. So don’t drink it! But if you brush your teeth with it (I do) or if you happen to get a little in your mouth while you’re in the shower, don’t sweat it. It’s not enough to make you sick. The water in the bathrooms has a heavy mineral content, including sulfur (we are near the coast), which often blesses us with the delightful odor of rotten eggs.

     The number one rule for the bathrooms is DO NOT FLUSH YOUR TOILET PAPER. This creates unsightly clogs and can make things really unpleasant for everyone on property in a hurry. Trash cans are provided in each toilet stall for you to throw away your toilet paper (and anything else that is not a human waste product excreted by your body).

     We ask all of our participants to limit their showers to five minutes in consideration of our limited water supply and the line of people waiting their turn behind you. You are only allowed one shower per day.

     The amenities: While we do have electricity here at the Gateway, we ask you to keep your use of the outlets to a bare minimum. When the breakers blow, everyone loses a/c. Do not bring hair dryers, curling irons, straightners, etc. If adult trip leaders need to charge cell phones, please limit that to one charge during your stay here (turn your phone off during the day while you are on project to save the battery and only turn it on when you are checking messages/making phone calls in the morning/evening). Youth should not have cell phones/ipods/etc. under any circumstances.

     Orientation, training and worship happen outside under the big tent. Bring bug spray, as the mosquitoes can be pesky some weeks depending on how much rain we get.

     Do not run in the parking lot. We had a young man end up with around 16 staples in his leg because he slipped and fell on the gravel. We have plenty of open grassy areas for you to play soccer, football, etc.

     Joyas, Cokes, all kinds of sweet and salty treats, and some souvenirs are available for purchase right beside the dorms at the MTI Store, which supports the Mexican missionary students who live and study at the Institute on our property. Also, our wonderful neighbor Nena runs a small hamburger stand about 400 yards away. She also serves pizza.

     Chores: We have a work crew on property who will be working hard during the week that you are here to keep the bathrooms, dorms, dining hall, kitchen, dishes, etc. clean during your stay. Thank God for them now, and thank them profusely when you arrive! On Friday morning before you leave we will ask you to help them with the final round of chores to get the base ready for the following week so that the work crew can have some time off before the next group arrives.