Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Are students together 24/7?
For safety reasons, we ask students to always travel in groups of at least three at all locations. Students share rooms while having many opportunities for privacy and quiet time.
Do men and women students live together in the same dormitory?
We guarantee that guys and girls will NEVER live in the same rooms with one another, and if we must share a house there are always clear rules and staff supervision to ensure the enforcement of those rules. The guys and girls have separate residences at our Baja facility.
What will my involvement in the community look like?
Each community has its own set of pressing needs, and Ventana Ministries exists to meet them, both physical and spiritual. Ventana teaches students to make the community our classroom and then to assess the needs. That’s why we fully engage students into the life and culture of our community.
Is relational outreach just another way of saying door-to-door witnessing to strangers with tracts?
Relational impact simply means students intentionally building relationships with their neighbors in order to move them closer to who and where God wants them to be. Meaningful relationships develop over time, so that eventually our students find themselves deeply involved with their neighbors’ lives, helping to meet all kinds of practical needs, and sharing their faith in a very natural way.
Can this year make a difference in me?
When students leave their comfort zone to live, serve and work among the poor in such an intense cross-cultural setting, they inevitably find themselves adopting an entirely new set of values and priorities that follow them the rest of their lives. The relationships students build with roommates, the spiritual growth and maturity they develop, and the cross-cultural neighbors transform students’ understanding of God, their biblical worldview, and themselves.
Is this just another Bible School?
Absolutely not. Rather we are a ministry that yearns to de-compartmentalize students’ lives to radically demonstrate how they can actually play a vital role in God’s Great Commission. Students follow an intentional model that uses missions, wilderness, adventure, and service to the shape and mold their worldview.
What about health insurance?
Since all participants are younger than 19, most major insurance carriers consider them students. As such, participants qualify under their parents insurance. However, it is the student’s responsibility to verify this information.
Is there some way to get college credit for my Ventana Ministries experience?
Not at this time, but we are working toward this in the future.
Can the parents come for a visit while in Baja?
Ventana schedules regular “Parent Weekends” usually held in March for parents to come down and visit students in our ministry environment.
How much spending money should I bring?
Our experience has shown that $10 a week should be sufficient on average. While in Baja, students receive a reasonable allowance of $20 a month (this may not cover all of the extra-curricular activities, depending on the student).
Can I go home for Christmas?
Students return home for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years as well! Chalk it up to the founder being a teacher for many years where vacations are the norm and not the exception.
Can I bring my car or drive?
Nope. For safety reasons and a host of additional potential legal issues, we ask that students leave their cars in the driveway at home.
Do I need a passport to travel to Mexico?
Current Legislation declares that everyone traveling into Mexico will need a passport by January 2009. By way of precaution, and given we live and travel through different parts of Mexico, we mandate that students acquire a passport.
Do I need any certain vaccinations?
We recommend that students receive all of the proper vaccinations before joining Ventana. Please check www.CDC.gov for more information about vaccinations in the Baja region of Mexico.
Do I need to be able to speak Spanish?
Students do not need to speak any Spanish to join Ventana, but it certainly is to your advantage to know some of the language ahead of time. We offer a course in Language and Cultural Understanding, as well as have a Mexican National teach students the fundamentals of Spanish.
Is the Baja location safe?
Well, if you consider Anabel’s hot sauce safe, then yes. But seriously, Porvenir is a quiet, rural, farming community in which everyone knows each other’s names and each other’s business. There is no reason to feel unsafe.
What if I have even more questions?
Call us. Write us. E-mail us. Visit our website. Whatever you choose, be not afraid. Ventana’s staff is here to help in any way we can.