All About Expeditions

Who Can Go?

At FFHE we hope to give everyone, especially youth, an opportunity to work hard in a meaningful manner. In fact, one of the main reasons we started FFHE was for the benefit of our children.  I have personally taken my teenagers on several trips. Having teenagers help construct the first bathroom in a town of 300 people is an unequaled worthwhile experience.

Whatever the age, if you are comfortable traveling to a third world country with your children, then you should most likely be comfortable taking them on an expedition.

Before planning an expedition there are three questions worth considering:

1. Am I or my child physically able to travel and serve in a country that often times presents certain mild health risks? Safety from a health standpoint for someone really young (i.e. diarrhea in a 2 year-old is very different than diarrhea in an 8 year-old). So far, there haven't been any serious health issues. However, it is Mexico and the risk of traveler’s diarrhea is present although we take every precaution to avoid it.
   
2. Can I participate in a manner that I will feel my trip was worthwhile?
   
3. Can I participate in a manner that will be meaningful to me or will I be supervising my children too much?

Where do expeditions go?

FFHE Expeditions are held in two cities in Mexico: Veracruz and Tequisquiapan. Past locations include: Ensenada, Bermejillo, Torreón, Monterrey, Roma Texas, Zihuatanejo, and Casas Grandes.

see map

Current Locations

Veracruz City is located on the southern east coast of Mexico, and has a tropical climate. The climate is very humid throughout most of the state, but usually in the 70s year round. Veracruz is occasionally affected by hurricanes from November through October. The city of Veracruz was the very first colonial settlement, established by Hernan Cortez when he arrived in 1519, a city which quickly became New Spain’s main port. Today it is Mexico’s second largest port. Music, culture, beaches, adventure…Veracruz has it all!

Veracruz has a familiar ring to everyone, without them even realizing it. For example, Veracruz is the home of the international hit “La Bamba,” and where some of the events of “5 de mayo” took place. Veracruz is one of Mexico’s most beautiful and oldest states. It is so beautiful that many have referred to this city as Mexico’s “Kauai.” Famous beaches include Villa del Mar and Mocambo. Besides all the beauty and adventure, Veracruz is full of culture. It holds the oldest still-standing Catholic chapel on the American continent. Also, in pre-Hispanic era, it was inhabited by the Totonacs and the Olmecs.

Tequisquiapan is located in the south-central part of Mexico, in the state of Querétaro, approximately 2 hours from Mexico City. It is famous for its thermal waters primarily, but also for its beautiful colonial architecture and streets, and its production of wine and cheese. The three-day festival of cheese and wine is held in the vineyards of the area during the first weeks of May in the central plaza. Before the Spanish conquistadors arrived and introduced cheese and wine to the area in the 1500s, Tequisquiapan was inhabited by the Nahua and Chichimeca people and referred to as “Tequesquiatlapan,” meaning “river with carbonated water.”

With a population of approximately 55,000 habitants, it is the fourth-largest community in the state. It is a weekend tourist site for many Mexico City residents and Europeans because of its plazas, pedestrian walkways, art galleries, street performances, outdoor cafes, and sparkling thermal waters.

Its location in the heart of Mexico provides an ideal climate year-round with warm, sunny days and cool nights. The average temperature year-round is in the mid 60s, and rarely goes below 50F.

Past Locations

Ensenada is a small town located in the state of Baja California, about 75 miles south of San Diego. It was first discovered in 1542 by Portuguese navigator Don Juan Rodriguez, and was known as a small fishing village. It is locally referred to as the “Cinderella of the Pacific.” Ensenada is surrounded by small mountain ranges and the coast, its location making it an important commercial and fishing port, as well as a cruise ship stop. Due to its location on the Pacific Ocean and Mediterranean latitude, the weather in Ensenada tends to be mild year-round.

The second-largest of three major marine geysers in the world, known as “La Bufadora” (“The Blowhole”), is located a few minutes south of town. World famous surfing spots are also located close by. One can also go whale-watching between the months of December and March during the gray whale's annual migration from Alaska to the lagoons of Baja California Sur.

Bermejillo is a small town in the state of Durango.  There are about 8000 people in the town and several thousand more in  “ranchos” surrounding the town.  It is a relatively modern town with gas stations, small grocery stores and other businesses.  However, many of the people living on the edge of town and in the ranchos are very poor.  They build their own homes from a weak adobe brick.  Often there’s no indoor plumbing.  Many of the homes have dirt floors and only consist of 2 or three rooms for several family members.  Many of the people work in nearby Torreon at garment factories and some work for large farms or ranches in the area.

About 30 minutes from Bermejillo is the large tri-city of Gomez Palacio, Torreon and Ciudad Lerdo.  The tri-city has every modern convenience found in any other industrialized nation. If ever an unexpected need arises, we can always go to the city to satisfy it.

The area is dry high desert.  Although it can be cool during the winter, it is generally quite warm.  In the summer daytime temperatures in the 100’s are expected with the nights dropping to the 70’s. In general, plan for dust storms, not rain showers.  Surrounding the area are high mountains.  These are not tree covered like the mountains of the USA, but are otherwise quite beautiful and offer a cooler retreat.

Casas Grandes is located near the Sierra Madre Occidental, in the largest state of Mexico, Chihuahua. Chihuahua is a northern Mexican border state just below Texas and New Mexico. It is 2-3 hours from the U.S. border. The climate is dry, with somewhat cold winters and hot summers, usually in the 90s. “Casas Grandes” is the Spanish translation for its former name “Paquimé” (big houses), a pre-Columbian archaeological zone inhabited by the Pueblo Indians. Nuevo Casas Grandes is located right next to Casas Grandes. This area has a population of over 100,000. Nuevo Casas Grandes is also famous for the nearby "potter village" of Mata Ortiz, which has revived pottery in the ancient Paquimé tradition. Nearby Casas Grandes are the Mormon and Mennonite communities, which both speak Spanish as a second language- the Mennonites being of German descent, the Mormons of Northern American descent. This area is very rural and agricultural. Most people obtain their income from cattle ranches or orchards, the most common crops being peach and apple. Chile, wheat, and pecans are also commonly grown in the area. Many people in this area speak English and are bilingual, because of the influence from the Mormon settlements.

This area is known by many as the Mormon colonies, areas that were settled as early as 1885. Former Michigan Governor, George Romney, the father of Mitt Romney was born in this area. One of the few remaining LDS-sponsored bilingual high schools, Academia Juarez, is located nearby in Colonia Juarez. Also, the smallest LDS temple in the world is located in Colonia Juarez. It is a very calm and culturally diverse area.

What do we do?

The purpose of the expedition is to complete construction, educational, and medical/dental projects with families in the community. We also work with local orphanages and senior citizens centers. Each planned expedition has a pre-determined group of projects. Accordingly the majority of each day will be spent working on these projects. We will work around the weather by working in the early part of the day and again in the late afternoon. The mid-day will often times be a late lunch and siesta. However, there will be much more then just work involved in ones' stay. In the evening we will organize classes for the local citizens and socialize. Educational classes will be determined based on participants’ backgrounds and experiences. We will also take a few trips to explore the area.

Where do we stay?

In Veracruz, we will be staying with families from the community, and work side by side with them on various projects. In general these will be homes of people that are somewhat better off then those that we will be helping. The accommodations will be comfortable but in no way luxurious. Generally speaking, an individual will stay in one room of the home with his/her own family members. There will usually be indoor plumbing, although most commonly cold showers. In Tequisquiapan, we will also be staying with families in the community. Other expeditions to Veracruz will be staying at the DIF, a government-sponsored agency focused on the development of the family, located in the heart of Veracruz city.

Very few people in these cities speak English. However, we have not found this to be a problem. (In fact, it helps people get acquainted rather quickly when everyone is pantomiming everything!) The people are extremely friendly and warm. They often will be trying equally as hard to speak English, as you will be trying to speak Spanish.

We will share most of our meals with the host family. All cooks use bottled water. They also know what to avoid when cooking to help us stay healthy. Lunch will ordinarily be eaten with the group at the work site. We will also have our own medical kit and supplies for the usual ailments.

Expenses?

FFHE is a non-profit organization. One hundred percent of the expedition charge is dedicated to travel, lodging, food, and project materials. We have done everything possible to minimize the cost of the expedition. We have personally explored multiple ways of travel and housing to find the cheapest, yet safest and most efficient way of taking people to Mexico.

The people in Veracruz and Tequisquiapan have been wonderful to open their homes and provide food for those who are participating in the expeditions. This not only helps save money, it also provides an unparalleled opportunity to truly “live” in the country with the people. Of additional benefit is the income for the host family. We assure the expedition group member the most affordable of prices when considering housing options.

The total cost depends on the city of departure and the time of the year. The expedition cost includes project materials, in-country transportation, housing, and food. Participants are expected to arrange their own transportation from their location of departure to the expedition location, unless prior arrangements are made, which will then increase the total cost of the expedition to include airfare.

All exact expedition costs will be posted a few months prior to departure.

Prepare for Expedition

Preparation Timeline:

1. NO LESS THAN 75 DAYS PRIOR TO DEPARTURE:

• $100 deposit must be received by FFHE to hold position. It is non-refundable. You will be responsible for your own transportation to the expedition location. You may transfer to one of the other expeditions after you've signed up, but there will be a $100 administrative fee assessed to do so.
• Passport application must be submitted.
• Immunization series should be started.

2. NO LESS THAN 45 DAYS PRIOR TO DEPARTURE:

• Balance of expedition cost due*.
• Name on passport submitted to FFHE to purchase airline ticket.
• Submit proper RELEASE and CONSENT forms to FFHE for participation in expedition.
• Submit PARTICIPANT INFORMATION form and meet as a group to plan final preparations.

3. TWO HOURS BEFORE DEPARTURE:

• Arrive at Departure City Airport with the following:
• Passport (Level 1**)
• Immunization record (Level 1)
• Ticket information (Level 1)
• Notarized "Guardian Forms" (Level 1)
• $50 – $100 (Level 1 – will be exchanged to pesos before entering Mexico)
• Carry on bag with essentials (Level 2)
• Bags with donations and extra clothing (Level 3)

* There are no refunds for expedition costs paid after 45 days before expedition departure date.

** We have found it useful to classify luggage into 3 levels. Levels one items are most critical if you want to return to the USA and be safe in Mexico. Level two items are essential for staying in Mexico without too much discomfort. Level three items are nice to have, but if they never make it to Mexico you will probably do ok without them. Please pack your luggage accordingly.

How to Sign Up for an Expedition

1. Determine what trip you would like to join
2. Fill our the participant information form online
3. Download and fill out the release form
4. Write out a check to FFHE in the amount of $100
5. Mail all hard copy forms and check to:

Family to Family Humanitarian Expeditions
4219 N. Canyon Rd.
Provo, UT 84604

6. Visit the Next Expedition page to determine your trip's payment schedule